Ava Luxe Naamah

Naamah is Hebrew for delightful – and artisanal perfumer Serena Goode of Ava Luxe Perfumes’ eponymous new extrait de parfum is lovely, sweet, and pleasant – as befits its translation. Naamah is composed of many botanical materials; it radiates a palpable beauty which intrigues us as it evolves. Serena most frequently works in mixed media – but as you can see below, it’s fair to assume that her latest fragrance favors a more natural bent. For me, this translates into a living, breathing entity which enchants without artifice and is intuitive.

Bonum nomen, bonum omen: the brief Latin proverb informs us that a good name is a good omen. As I delved into all the possibilities swirling around the name Naamah, I was stunned: it was as if I was attempting to untangle a morass of contradictions (which makes the process even more fun). For those who are relatively new to Serena and her work, it helps to note that this dichotomy is not unexpected, for she is an anomaly in her own right – a mystic, fine artist, and astrologer as well as perfumer. It stands to reason that I would anticipate multiple layers of meaning, and I did indeed find them.

Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet by Ida

Besides being sweet, the name Naamah (נעם) secondarily shares a root with the adjective נעים (na’im), meaning sweetly sounding, singing, or musical. Thus far, we perceive an innate lyricism at play: our fragrance is sweetness and light, a thing of beauty. Or is it, entirely? The Old Testament refers to several different characters: the last in the line of Cain; the wife of Noah; and one of King Solomon’s many wives. In the Talmud, Naamah seduced men through her playing of cymbals; according to the Zohar (a foundational mystical text of the Kabbalah dating back to ~ 1280-1286 AD), after Cain kills his brother Abel, Adam separates from Eve for 130 years – during which time Lilith and Naamah seduce him and give birth to his daemonic offspring, who become known as The Plagues of Mankind. In yet another Zoharic passage, Naamah and Lilith corrupt some of the angels.

 

Serena’s AI self portrait

When I addressed this with Serena, we had a good laugh; she admitted to being aware of the daemonic connection, and posited that Ava Luxe Naamah was “something beautiful but also a temptation”. To quote the perfumer, “I’ve always been fond of Lilith (Naamah’s cohort). She said NO to Adam, grew a pair of wings, and flew off into the desert. I love that!” Therein lies your answer, and mine. I don’t know how you feel about it, but I relish the concomitant darkness and light, sensual duality of Naamah’s interpretation. And although the orange tree and its blossoms are not mentioned in the Old Testament (they weren’t native to the Middle East), Christian tradition links them to the Virgin Mary as a symbol of her virginity. This provides another tasty wrinkle.

Ava Luxe Naamah is a symphony of citrus, from the pétillant tang of petitgrain bigarade – leafy green, gently floral, and bitter/dry – to its kin bergamot, neroli, and orange blossom – rich, varied, yet related. Tobacco contributes its herbaceous hay-like warmth, which is further enhanced by dusky tree moss (dry and leathery). Arid myrrh undercuts an inherent sweetness, and ambrette provides the musky delicacy which encompasses many nuances – powdery, faintly herbal/floral, discreet touches of chocolate, nut, and fruit. In concert, these elements conspire to evoke a tenderness, a botanical veracity. The composition is one of spirit breathed into flesh – wholly comfortable in its own skin, self-assured, ethereal. If perfume were theater (and who is to say it isn’t?), Naamah would exemplify the versatile character actor as opposed to the diva performer. To my mind, I have always preferred the actors who can convince me of anything to those who are routinely pigeonholed for certain limited roles. If you seek an intimate go-to perfume which elevates your mood, Naamah is certainly one to sample.

Ava Luxe Naamah Notes: petitgrain bigarade, bergamot, neroli, orange blossom, tobacco leaves, musk mallow (aka ambrette), tree moss, myrrh.

Ava Luxe Naamah purchased by me. My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

(All art by perfumer unless otherwise specified)

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