A new line of fragrances has recently come to my attention. Nez à Nez Parfums currently offers 10 fragrances with names like Ambre à Sade and Mille et une Figues. Rosier Ardent with its notes of cardamom, rose and cedarwood has captured my attention in particular. If you have tried it or any other fragrances from the line, please share your impressions.
Add: There is no connection between Nez à Nez and Parfums Pierre Guillaume.
17 Comments
carmencanada: Dear V., I just looked up the scent descriptions. Seems like it’s mostly foody — the rose scent intrigues me, rose and leather… I’ll try to find out where they’re sold. July 26, 2006 at 4:31am
Ina: V., I have a sample of one of them which is just numbered, I believe. I was told it’s a perfumery where you can mix and match your own scents. It’s apparently quite popular on European perfume forums. I’ll have to dig for my sample. I remember quite liking it. July 26, 2006 at 12:37am
Judith: Boy, they do like fruits, don’t they?! The Rose one sounds very good though–and maybe Atelier d’artiste if it isn’t too fruity for me (it probably is). Will wait for some reviews. . . . .
PS Loving Crescendo!! July 26, 2006 at 7:39am
Judith: Adding: Sorry to post again, but I must quote this line from the (translated) ad copy; it rival Serge:
“She is right, her magma bravely dies on the feet of a personality, corrupted by this unique elegance.” July 26, 2006 at 7:41am
Marina: The shipping cost for a set of samples is…$18.95. Heh. I guess I’ll never know what they smell like. 🙂 July 26, 2006 at 9:14am
Martika: Nez à Nez is indeed a very popular fragrance house in the french fragrance forums. Up until now, they used to sell fragrances which were only identified by a number. The shop contained huge jars of each fragrance, very much like Caron, (each fragrance identified by a number). Once in the shop, you could test the fragrances on your own using a feather. The purpose was to test the scents without being biased by the name or the packaging or even the notes. The only thing you were told was that the fragrances were grouped by family (say 20 to 29 included the florals, 30 to 39 the woods, etc). Once you had selected 2 or 3 fragrances you liked, the notes were then given to you.
I believe that, after their success via the french fragrance forums, they’ve decided to change strategy. They came up with a series of new fragrances (the ones you find currently online) and decided to suppress all the numbered ones. They also increased the prices and re-worked the website. I do believe they now want to target the European/American market (very much hoping to imitate the success of Pierre Guillaume, who, I’ve heard, had contacts with Nez-à-Nez). July 26, 2006 at 2:20pm
Robin: Interesting that they’ve been in contact with PG, as I was immediately struck by how similar the websites look. The descriptions are cracking me up: “Armenia in accordion is consuming”, indeed! Hope they’re worth smelling 🙂 July 26, 2006 at 3:38pm
uella: I don ‘t agree this is a huge success on french perfume boards, OK one person that we now suspect to be from Nez a Nez has kept people ‘s curiosity high on alert and we know the french are always after the latest fashion craze.
Many have tried them and a good friend of mine is sending me samples I should be getting this week but I was told they terribly lack in refinement – “grossier” niche scents.
we don ‘t know whose “nose” is behind this line either. July 26, 2006 at 5:33pm
Martika: I will have to disagree with uella when she says that they are not popular in the french forums. If you look at the posts made, most are on Nez-à-Nez, it is the HOTTEST TOPIC right now, everyone is curious, talking and testing Nez-à-Nez. I don’t know if you frequent these french boards, but the same phenomenon happened with Montale a year ago. Now, Montale is seldom ever mentioned on the french forums. I do predict the same will happen with Nez-à-Nez in a year’s time. Wait and see… Having said that, I do agree that Nez-à-Nez scents lack in “finesse” (refinement). They all end up smelling pretty much the same to me (they have the same heavy oriental note coming up in every single perfume I’ve tried from this house). As to the nose behind, it is a family business, as far as I know, it was started by Chrsta Patout’s father and currently runned by her and her husband (who has created the new scents that can be found on the website). July 27, 2006 at 4:52am
Elle: I’m looking forward to trying these, even if they are unrefined, if only because I want to find out how “fruits are rebelling themselves” in Bouche Baie. Judith is right – their prose does rival my beloved Serge’s. I’d called them last year, but they weren’t sending samples to the US at any price and they have *totally* revamped their web site. Thanks for posting this! I’d never have thought to retry contacting them. July 27, 2006 at 9:06am
Judith: Re Marina’s comment: I tried out their site (though i didn’t order yet) and got a shipping cost of 6 euros for the samples (cost for samples=5 euros, total=11 euros; not that bad). July 27, 2006 at 10:59am
Elle: Re Judith’s comment about shipping. I did complete the order and it is, as Judith said, only 11 euros, or just aroun $14 or $15 total. July 27, 2006 at 4:38pm
IrisPoudre: Hello,
It is true this is one of the hottest topic in France.
I do appreciate the first serie (Figues et Garcon , Rosier Ardent)a bit more flowerly than the second (Ambre a Sade , Bal Musque).
Christa Patout is a very gentle and passionated woman.
For those who like “image” perfume “Atelier d’Artiste” is a perfect one.
My father use to be a painter and smelling this fragrance I directly returned in his “Atelier” as well as I had directly in mind Diego’s Riviera House.
It smell like smoke ,rhum and a bit of “white spirit” it is dusty but not heavy like Montale.
I do agree they all have a “touch” but I think that represents more a family touch rather tham a lack of imagination !!!
I trully recommend it.
Of course it still need to progress but Pierre Guillaume too.
Let’s see how it evoluate.
(PS sorry for my “Frenchglish”) It may contain some (or more 😉 mistake.
IRIS July 28, 2006 at 11:06am
BoisdeJasmin: Ina, it seems that they do not have numbered fragrances anymore. Now, it is only the named ones on the website. I would still be curious to hear what you think. July 30, 2006 at 10:24am
BoisdeJasmin: D, thank you. I would love to hear your impressions. July 30, 2006 at 10:24am
Garance: I discovered the Nez a nez perfumes in January. I put on almost all of them. I am very amazed by this house’s achievement. These 10 flagrances seam to complete each other. In My opinion each of them subtly carries their own universe. Here is my opinion about each of them.
Rosier ardent:
This perfume is startling because it avoids the cliché of the scents of roses in the hotel’s lobby. In the contrary, I discover a spicy, leathery, precutting, androgenic and sour rose. It pricks and is arrogant. I have never smelt such a rose.
Vanithe
It isn’t my favorite but this fragrance is consoling without being too sweet. The tea notes are easily acknowledgeable. We can perceive dry wooden touches. The vanilla isn’t stifling. It is a great perfume but not made for me. It is too fresh.
Ambre a Sade
I have been waiting for this one. His name caught my attention. Ambre a Sade…. A little taste of excess. The strawberry is present but more as a strawberry jam than a chemical snack, this way, the amber can be revealed. The leather is a material and is mixed with the natural scent of the skin. It is giving and sexual. I bought in 100ml as soon as I could.
Marron Chic
Wonderful!!!! As soon as I vaporized it, it enveloped me. It is subtle and round. It is a perfume that carries notes of luxurious and exotic cocoa far from the popular chocolate milk. It was like opening a box of fine chestnut. I could smell the Iris and a nostalgic touch of my mom’s lipstick. Well, I loved it and it is my olfactory crush of the year.
Mille et une Figues
This one is a nice “parfum d’ete”. The fig is crunchy and sour in her honey /milk bath. I like it a lot.
Figues et Garcons
I think I lost the tester so I will describe later.
Bal Musque
I love it!!!! I love the impression of texture and powder. Powder and cinnamon are fallowing each other. The vanilla is dressed in black and wears proudly its name. It is a hide and seeks game between head and heart.
Bouche Baie
It is not my favorite. It is very romantic. The fruits are easily noticeable. Blueberry, cranberry, maracuja. The vanilla is creamy.
Foret de Becharre
It is the most classical of all. It is fresher than I thought when I first read its components. It is relaxing and consoling skin perfume. I wouldn’t buy it but I like it.
Atelier d artiste
I totally agree with Iris, this perfume, is very creative. It is also very complex and dense without being impenetrable. On the contrary it evolves on the skin and becomes more and more reachable. The raspberry and Mimosa mix with the tobacco’s masculine scent. The rhum and cognac bring joy and strengths. The vanilla and ambers balance this rich and sensual perfume. I love it….. I want to become the Pinter and his muse…. August 3, 2006 at 5:02pm
uella: OK I finally got my Nez a Nez samples yesterday. Before anything the hot topic stuff on french board is not what you think. My friend Caroline keeps it “alive” every now and then since the Amabilia board traffic has been so dead lately. She confessed me Nez a Nez is very amateurish, the scents grossed her out and it was definitely nothing worth discussing seriously but it did get a little attention so…
Rosier Ardent; their best scent, a sulfuric chypre rose, intriguing and most original. Unfortunately very linear, the fourth hour is as strong as the opening and then just like that in in a flash it vanishes!
Original, feminine but poor ingredients quality.
The Figues:
Mille et Une Figues and Figues and Garcons
Beautiful names unfortunately very artificial; I didn ‘t test them on the skin, just right off the bottle it was so harsh, kind of scents of you expect from shower gels.
Horrible!
62
Tuberose orange blossom. the orange blossom you use in french cooking. On the skin it gets harsh and again doesn t’ get any softer, after half hour it gets you a real bad headache.
Lack of refinement, poor ingregient quality, too bad just like Rosier Ardent this could have been a great tuberose.
Bouche Baie
Lots of Fun, sweet sour candy scent. But here again you really expect the label read “artificially flavored”!
I can ‘t fathom this line seriously competing against other niche perfumers. Pierre Guillaume/Parfumerie Generale scents are far superior. He ‘s the real latest craze but not Nez a Nez!
I ‘m not a fan of english perfumers like Miller Harris and Joe Malone, I find the scents ver pretty but so dead boring but at least the quality is there!
When it comes to Nez a Nez, they have a few good ideas going on but the execution is very poor. August 4, 2006 at 7:33pm