GALLIVANT NIDA (Soïzic Beaucourt) 2024 + eternal summer giveaway

 

Gallivant Nida

 GALLIVANT NIDA, official photo via the brand

gal·li·vant ˈɡaləˌvant/ verb informal

“go around from one place to another in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment”

For the last seven years, Nick Steward, the creative director of the multi-award-winning GALLIVANT brand has been creating an olfactory map, placing scented pins all around the world. Liquid wanderlust, the city-inspired perfumes are handcrafted, genderless, vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainably-minded that capture both the emotions of travel but also reconnects your senses.  Nick Steward, with two decades of hands-on experience in the world of perfumery (he was the  former product and creative director of  the acclaimed niche house L’Artisan Parfumeur) brought a refreshing, playful, and unpretentious approach to scent – for a discerning and curious modern customer. In his words*: “I’m focused on the craft and the materials. In the pleasure and escapism perfume can give. I’m not interested in chasing trends. What my brand stands for is timelessness and quality. We let the fragrances speak for themselves. I want perfume to feel personal and pleasurable again.”

Let’s start with a short recap of where I have “visited” so far: Brooklyn (a fresh, fun, fizzy playground), Tel Aviv (a timeless yet modern sleek floral – fresh scent), Istanbul (warm, cozy, spicy), London (a suede – leather – rose with a trademark posh gritty glam), Berlin (a bohemian, urban, cool citrus), Amsterdam (a relaxing deep cozy green), Gdansk (warm, earthy, smoky), Tokyo (calming, woody, textured), Los Angeles (a Rockstar marine – floral with smoky notes), Naples (salty sea air and addictive decadence) Bukhara (silk road-type-treasure-orris), Accra (a taste of the tropics) and Abu Dhabi (aromatic, dry and spicy).

Soïzic Beaucourt perfumer and Nick Steward of Gallivant perfumes

  Nick Steward Perfumer and Soïzic Beaucourt via the brand for this article

For this project, he teamed up with Soïzic Beaucourt of Eurofragrance (whom I’ve been following, as a lover of tea scents, since reading about Pervertea from Scent Hunters in Ermano’s top 10 of 2023 – best discovery). She says: “My curiosity to better understand our sense of smell also translates into my attraction for the unknown. I’m always eager to discover new places, explore innovative processes, and experiment with unique raw materials. As an insatiable explorer, I like to be on the move.” Adds Nick: “When I discovered Soïzic’s style, I was particularly impressed by the elegance, joyfulness, and clarity of her compositional hand-writing- it took me back to a golden age of high-quality artisanal perfumery.

rich Baltic coastline of Lithuania inspired Gallivant NIDA

GALLIVANT NIDA Collage with mood pictures from the brand by Nicoleta

For this summer’s dose of perfumed escapism, we’re off to Nida, an artists’ colony and summer retreat on the beautiful Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage site off the amber-rich Baltic coastline of Lithuania. This is the first ever perfume from GALLIVANT to be presented in a limited-edition decorated bottle.

“Nida has long been the summer retreat of writers – including Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann – artists and musicians. The Curonian Peninsula is a summer nesting place and an important bird migration route – inspiring our limited edition decorated bottle. For me, its allure is the unique location, surrounded by water and nature. Peace and tranquility. The beauty of a simpler, slower life and simple pleasures.” With this trip to Nida, I want to evoke a cool, carefree summer …Peace, quiet, slow easygoing days, walks in the woods, exploring on bike. Barefoot luxury, sunshine, blue skies.” Nick

GALLIVANT NIDA WAS INSPIRED BY THE BALTIC SEA LITHUANIA

Collage with mood pictures for GALLIVANT NIDA by Nicoleta

 

The Baltic Sea is the youngest sea in the world, surrounded by continents on almost every side and having a unique ecosystem – thanks to its shallowness and low salinity. So imagine a magical land, stretched between a lagoon and a sea unlike any other – as far as color, smell, and wildlife go. There the smell of the sea is strangely earthy and green and time seems to flow in reverse – is there a better place to inspire a perfume?

Nida By Gallivant perfumes

 GALLIVANT NIDA Mood photo courtesy of the brand

“Look up: the light is white
like the breast of a seabird, a corpus of quails put strain on their tongues
their echo filling up sky-mouths and air-chimes
I am taller than you by one sparrow” Stephan Roll**, surrealist poet, poem written in the 1930s

Balchik, painting, 1930s

Medi Dinu**, Cliff in Balchik, painting, 1930s , common use

Morning, 7:24

I inhale and hear the crisp sounds of early morning, as the village comes to life. The yawns and chatter of early holiday mornings make for a special kind of soundscape when mixed with the sound of small spoons hitting the porcelain of the cups. Lazy gestures peel off the mandarins, pour the tea, and slowly gather momentum as the stoves are lit, ready to cook breakfast, filling the air with the smoky woody smell.

Medi Dinu**, dated sketch from 1934

Afternoon, 15:23

After the long hours at the beach, back in the cooling shade of the room, drapes are drawn and the rough texture of the sheets is felt with every inch of the sun-bitten skin. The special feeling of floating at the edge of time, lost in the lazy hours of summer afternoons, fingers numb with relaxation, muscles still tingling from breaking the waves. Body hovering in the transparent and shallow waters of day sleep, with perception blurring the edges of the iridescent border, coming out for air – not fully here nor there. Smells like violet-iris-coloured-silence, with long stems of the sunflowers that have chosen to hide their heads in the shade, for once.

Medi Dinu** Night and day

 Evening, 20:42

Pass by the porches, the gardens, the impossible shades of green stacked upon flowery whites, the plants hang out to dry in the sun on colourful sheets, the bright wooden cottages, everything feels even more saturated in the reddish sun of the evening, like a light-sensitive film that records subtle vibrations that escape the naked eye. The ever-changing dunes, the smell of the green sea, the hidden path towards the forest. Earthy, pine trees, moss, the damp earth, the ember rays of light reflected in the moving waters, seen below, from between the moving tree branches. The carefree flow of the summer, the sprung arcs of youth, unwinding, breathing light. And love as the total absence of fear. Same as it ever was, and same as it will ever be.

NIDA by Gallivant

GALLVANT NIDA courtesy of the brand

GALLIVANT NIDA is a summer fragrance that veers away from sandy beaches, white florals, and the carefully curated opulence of exotic resorts. It leads us on a less traveled path, with nature, water, blue skies, and a soul-cleansing vibe of a place filled with real, authentic, and simple joys. An herbal-tea-infused- purple-iris- amber- scented spell that is completely genderless and perfectly balanced between the spicy, woody, herbal, and floral facets. I wore NIDA on my vacation, in the chilly and humid air of spring near the sea, and it revealed itself to me, on each wear, with different facets. Each time I thought I have NIDA figured out; the next wear opened it up in different ways on my skin.  It does not go into the comforting ambery sweetness, nor does it veer on the iris nostalgia path, and the green-herbal bitterness keeps it from falling into overly emotional outbursts. It feels centering, strong, steady, and alive – and I loved every drop of it.

GALLIVANT NIDA Notes: Top: mandarin, cardamom and incense; Heart notes: tea, lilac, jasmine, violet, orris and a sunflower accord; Base: cedarwood, patchouli, moss, tolu, and a respectful nod to the Baltic location: a radiant amber accord.

Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor

Disclosure: A sample of NIDA was offered by GALLIVANT. Opinions are my own.

**Almost one hundred years ago, at another point on the map, in another artist colony, in Balchik, near another sea, black this time, a poet and a painter fell in love. Stephen Roll was a Dadaist, so when they got married, he said “Da, da! (Yes, yes in Romanian) twice. Medi Dinu laughed, she loved, and she lived – and when I met her, in 2010, she was 102 and more alive than many of the people I knew. I think of her often, and these days, near the sea, I thought of her a lot.-Nicoleta

Michelyn: Please note the official launch date of NIDA which is a limited-edition perfume is May 8, 2024, so please check GALIVANT’s site. I received a sample as well  be sure to look for NIDA in my  Best of Scent of 2024 …yes, it is that good).

Please read our reviews for: Brooklyn, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, LondonLos Angeles, Berlin, Amsterdam (*Amsterdam is discontinued)TokyoLos Angeles, Naples Bukhara, (written by Former Senior Editor Fragrance Foundation Award Winning The Silver Fox) and Abu Dhabi and Accra (Karl Topham, Senior Editor). ÇaFleureBon was the first fragrance site to review  GALLIVAN  in 2017 Nick Steward was featured in our roundtable Artistic Perfumery 7 Indies Speak out and was Michelyn’s 2023 Hardest Working Perfume Person of 2023. Now with Nicoleta’s essay, we have gallivanted to every city to date.

Gallivant NOMAD discovery set

Image via GALLIVANT

Thanks to the generosity of Nick Steward and the brand we have a *Nomad set of  2x 1.2 ml of all 12 GALLIVANT perfumes PLUS one sample of the limited edition GALLIVANT NIDA for one registered reader in the US, EU or UK. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Nicoleta’s review and where you live. Do you have a suggestion of where Nick should gallivant next? Draw closes 5/8/20024

 *When you purchase a Gallivant Nomad Set you receive free shipping (UK, EU, USA) + a £30 voucher to spend on your first bottle + + save £25 versus buying individual samples (Set contains 12 x 1.2ml spray perfume samples)

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33 comments

  • First – I absolutely adore the idea of fragrances based on location. I’m excited that this giveaway is for a sampler, I really do want to try them all based on the cities/notes. NIDA sounds like a getaway in a bottle, which is something I could definitely use right now… as for where Nick should gallivant next, I’d love to see a fragrance based on Kyoto or Seoul. Thanks for the opportunity – I’m in the USA.

  • phuongmtran says:

    What a beautiful bottle! I have not yet tried anything from Gallivant, but this review has changed my mind. I wish I could travel more, so the idea of liquid wanderlust is enchanting. I am in CA, USA.

  • Michele Miller says:

    First, I had no previous knowledge of the artist’s colony at Nida so thank you for educating me! I find the uniqueness of the location to be intriguing. I am drawn further in by the reviewer’s comments about how the fragrance expressed differently on different wears. I appreciate a nuanced fragrance. I’m in the US. I’d be interested in Nick’s interpretation of a gallivant to Nova Scotia.

  • sanvean79 says:

    How serendipitous, earlier today I was thinking I’d like to get a perfume with a tea note and here pops this lovely essay! Plus Nida has violet and a luminous amber so I’m very intrigued. Like that Nicoleta defines it as centering.
    Greetings from London, UK.

  • The combination of paintings and perfumes merged into one beautiful art really sparked my interest. I live in Trzebnica, Poland, EU. I would suggest Vienna because it’s famous for it’s coffee houses and coffee is a gorgeous, rich and of course delicious note.

  • AleksCipri says:

    I love gallivant! My favoritesare Tel Aviv and Naples. I didn’t try some of the more recent offerings and this one sounds amazing. I would love to sample it. Photos in this review really help paint the picture of this fragrance. Amazing idea to describe and intire say at a location like that morning, afternoon and evening. Citruses, then florals and moss and patchouli in the base sound amazing. Limited edition bottle is stunning, too! I’m from Illinois US.

  • Every single word of this review has enticed me. Tea? Iris? Amber? Sign me up!
    Gallivant to Morocco next!
    I’m in the U.S.

  • GALLIVANT NIDA Notes: Top: mandarin, cardamom and incense; Heart notes: tea, lilac, jasmine, violet, orris and a sunflower accord; Base: cedarwood, patchouli, moss, tolu, and a respectful nod to the Baltic location: a radiant amber accord. I am fascinated by the notes especially tea, orris and patchouli. I would love it if Gallivant would go to Delhi. Thanks a million from the UK

  • jasmine, violet, orris and a sunflower accord; Base: cedarwood, patchouli, moss, tolu, and a respectful nod to the Baltic location: a radiant amber accord.

    Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor. A beautiful description by Nicoleta really intrigued by the notes of incense, patchouli, tea and orris. I would love it if Nick and Gallivant went to Lagos. Thanks a lot from the UK

  • I was supposed to go on a Baltic cruise for my 50th birthday, but covid hit and it never happened. Wouldn’t it be lovely to win a scent that allowed me to visit whenever I experienced the fragrance!? In maryland.

  • emanemone says:

    I absolutely love the image of such a cleaning aura and would would to get my nose on it. I live in Montana, USA and rarely ever get to smell niche fragrances!

  • janelle22 says:

    I’ve been very interested in this brand, as I’ve been longing to get fragrances tied to people and places I love. As such, I was drawn to their Ghana perfume, where my dad is from, but found it hard to conceptualize what the fragrances would smell like from the notes. This would be a great opportunity to test the line. CT, USA

  • chamberoflilith says:

    Nicoleta, this was a beautiful description. I was touched by the inclusion of the poem and art. Stephan Roll! my mind exclaimed. There’s a book of his in my house (well, a book he wrote). In Romanian, that stanza would be:
    “Privește: lumina e albă
    ca pieptul păsărilor de mare
    în corpore pitpalacii își chiuie limbile
    ecoul umple gurile văzduhului și clopotele de aer
    Eu sunt mai înalt decât tine cu o vrabie”
    The way you paint the picture of the scent, as if writing in a travel journal, is also beautiful. The notes speak to my current state and also present a mystery waiting to be uncovered. Cardamom, mandarin and incense, such a lovely opening. Floral tea and sunflowers. The coastal forests and clearings. Very curious about this composition. Also, Happy Orthodox Easter! Writing from Romania

  • Laurentiu says:

    I am always excited to try new things and this set from Gallivant seems to hit a sweet spot as their fragrances are built around some great cities of the world that I hope I am going to visit in this life.
    Thank you!

  • I’m not a fan of tropical, coconut, sunscreen beach fragrances so the focus on a spicy, woody herbal vibe in Gallivant NIDA sounds perfect for the season. I enjoy dry, spiced wood scents so how about Cairo for the next trip? MD, USA.

  • roxhas1cat says:

    I love that this is veering towards exotic resort and not so much the general idea of a beach vacation. This sounds like a very non linear fragrance which are my favorites. I adore that bottle. I would love Nick to make a fragrance for the city of Santa Fe NM….my favorite place. Thanks for the chance, I’d love to try these. I think I’ve only tried Los Angeles since I grew up there. USA.

  • The idea of traveling through scent is fantastic! and the variety spoken of here in the Gallivant fragrances is so wide spread and wonderful. I am crazy about marine scents that actually invoke the sea instead of a citrus floral ‘aquatic.’ This sounds like one I need to try. For another place to describe through perfume, I would suggest my home town Seattle, WAshingon, USA in the hope that another marine scent that invokes the sea water, salt air, tarry piers, green foresty region could be encasulated and captured!

  • Kelly Atwood says:

    This description of Nida reminds me so much of Monhegan Island, off the coast of Maine. I would absolutely love to sniff this. Austin TX

  • zazazelle says:

    I was quite surprised to see Nida here, among the big cities like Berlin and Amsterdam, but it is an interesting idea. I haven’t been to Nida yet, even though I spend my summers on the Courlandia beaches, but from the other side – on of Baltic bay. I didn’t know about the artist residences before, the photos look inspiring so maybe one day will plan my trip to Klaipēda and to Nida.
    The bottle look unusually exotic, the notes cool and windy (cardamom, orris, lilac), I like the description that it smells similar to herbal tea.
    Please sign me in, for the draw, I live in the EU – Latvia/Livonia 😉

  • LightOfJoy says:

    Thank you for such a beautiful transportative review.

    Gallivant is a wonderful house, with approachable pricing. This new LE bottle art is gorgeous.

  • mmerline says:

    I didn’t realize the Gallivant line had covered so many styles (and locales)—Steward is making the most of a compelling theme. I love low Beaucourt translated a snapshot of the Baltic seaside into Nida, allowing the cup of tea poured in the beach house to set the scene, then expanding out to the natural locale. I often find aquatics difficult to wear, but Nicoleta’s description make that element of the fragrance seem like a beautifully restrained accent. Sounds wonderful—plus a cool bottle. Great review, Nicoleta. (Hope they gallivant to a winter market in Helsinki next!)

    I’m in the midwest, USA. Thanks for the giveaway; I’d love to explore this collection.

  • Nicoleta’s review of GALLIVANT NIDA is captivating! The way she describes the fragrance evokes a sense of exploration and connection with nature, highlighting its unique and evolving character. The blend of herbal, floral, and woody notes sounds intriguing and refreshing, especially for a summer scent that isn’t typical of beach-inspired fragrances.

    As for where Nick should gallivant next based on this review, I’d suggest exploring the rugged coastline of Cornwall, England. This region is known for its dramatic cliffs, expansive beaches, and lush countryside. The varied landscapes and cool maritime air could provide a perfect backdrop to discover another facet of a complex fragrance like NIDA. Plus, Cornwall’s rich history and artistic communities offer ample inspiration for further sensory exploration.
    Based on EU.

  • I love the idea of a more realistic beachy summer scent that pulls from the surrounding landscape and elements. This house is new to me, but as with others I’ve discovered on this website – I plan to make myself acquainted with them.

    Ohio, USA

  • Sherin Thomas says:

    Never tried any Gallivant fragrance. I love the fact that this house gets inspiration from different cities

  • Patrícia R. says:

    An interesting inspiration. The North Sea smell and incense sounds mysterious. Count me in. I live in the EU.

  • Starlit12 says:

    I just love Gallivant’s thought behind their releases, taking the audience on voyages all over the world, from the sea to the mountains, from the bosom of nature to the most populated urban centres.
    Nida sounds so gorgeous and alive, fresh and healing and yet special, seeming to veer away from the more common citruses or acquatics that usually freshies are about.
    Gallivant should take us to the caput mundi next – to Rome. I’m very curious how would Nick see it.

    So happy for this discovery set giveaway – I think they’re the best experience. From EU.

  • aurora_ru says:

    Wonderful news, to see that the beautiful Curonian Spit now has its own fragrance. I feel inspired by description that it smells like infusion tea, but also have some spicy and floral facets. I have not tryed any of Gallivant scents, so the discovery set would be perfect for my interest.
    I live in the EU, thank you!

  • I was thrilled to discover that there’s now a perfume inspired by my favorite place on earth, Nida! It’s a dream come true to capture the essence of Nida’s pine trees, scenic trails, and the peaceful charm of its small fishing villages in a fragrance. Having spent countless summers there, I can’t wait to wear this scent and reminisce about my cherished memories. I’m particularly excited to see how the iris pairs with cardamom and amber—it sounds like a beautiful combination. What a delight it would be to experience Nida’s magic on my skin today! Greetings from Lithuania, EU

  • foreverscents says:

    I am a big fan of Gallivant, especially Gdańsk and Abu Dhabi. Every fragrance that I have tried from this house has been so rich and well-blended. I love the inspiration for NIDA, an artists’ colony on the Baltic Sea. I enjoyed reading Nicoleta’s review, especially the division of a summer day.
    I think the next destination should be some location in South America, maybe São Paulo, Brazil.
    I live in the USA.

  • Nicoleta’s review of GALLIVANT NIDA sounds captivating, especially with its genderless, balanced blend of herbal, woody, spicy, and floral notes. The story of the poet and painter’s love adds another layer of intrigue. It seems like a scent that evokes both nostalgia and vitality.

    From France EU

  • hthanass says:

    Nicoleta’s assessment of GALLIVANT NIDA is utterly compelling, highlighting its gender-neutral composition of herbal, woody, spicy, and floral essences. The narrative of the poet and painter’s romance adds depth, making it a fragrance that intertwines nostalgia with a vibrant sense of life.

    I live in EU

  • These are the notes I’ve been craving lately tolu, moss, lilac and cardamom… and as a dedicated follower since Brooklyn and Istanbul I know this will be amazing! I can’t wait to try it. I am in California and grateful for the chance to win