Glenn Gould, photo by Yousuf Karsh, 1957

With their inky bottles, ebony labels and complex, brooding scents, Laboratorio Olfattivo’s Black Collection make me think of film noir night times, when a lone lamplight casts shadows on a deserted city street and footsteps echo somewhere out of sight. But smelling them, their high concentration of fragrance and intricate constructions is more like a Glenn Gould piano piece, full of emotional intensity and variation. The latest addition, Laboratorio Olfattivo Nerosa – whose name conjures dark blooms – joins Vanhera, Sacreste, and Nerotic like the fourth movement to a symphony. In the hands of Sozio perfumer David Maruitte, Nerosa is an beautifully constructed, moody incense that balances keenly on a fulcrum of saffron, rose and spice.

Roberto Drago Creative Director of  Laboratorio Olfattivo

Nerosa’s name suggests it is sooty rose fragrance, and certainly, rose and dark notes are prominent from start to conclusion. The opening is a powdery whoosh of some of the most elegant saffron around: bitter, dusty but warm and almost vinous. Close on its heels is a thick, gauzy rose, smelling of everything pink, and oud; sensual, its rough edges smoothed out. But before Laboratorio Olfattivo Nerosa heads squarely into classic Arabian territory, it shifts; dry, smoky tendrils of birch and patchouli wrap around the top notes, and a strange milkiness comes through which eventually emerges as nutmeg.These notes add some crackle and sharpness to the dense opening. Peppery geranium is a neat complement to the spices at the heart of the perfume, a perfect counterpoint to that ballerina rose.

Photo by Amirhossein Kazemi

Up till now, Nerosa veered feminine, but, as the birch, elemi and patchouli comes forward, it now teeters between bold smoke and wood notes that give the fragrance a slightly masculine edge. Then, those notes ebb as the middle brings an almost huggable softness. Chewy, sweet amber mingles with piney elemi and labdanum create a soft, rich incense-like cloud. Against this velvety backdrop, the bitter and piquant notes of spice glint like specks of ruby.

Photo by Michelle Fennel

By the time Nerosa has fully opened, there’s a lot going on: resins, incense, flowers, spice and animalic notes are all manifesting. But they walk a taut tightrope that keeps each from muddling the others: leather and castoreum add an animalic dimension that is kept tamped down; spices simmer quietly, resins resonate. Wood notes enter towards the dry-down, adding a basso profundo weight to the base that turns slightly soapy right at the end.

Photo by Andrea Galvani

Laboratorio Olfattivo’s Nerosa is sooty, rich, spicy and resinous resins all at the same time, each aroma playing a well-orchestrated part. For lovers of intense, smoky florals, it hits all the right notes.

Notes: Clove, saffron, nutmeg, labdanum absolute, guaiacwood, rose, ylang ylang, geranium, oud, amber, elemi resinoide, leather, vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, cedarwood, benzoin absolute, castoreum absolute, nagarmotha, birch leaf.

Disclaimer: Bottle of Laboratorio Olfattivo Nerosa generously provided by Laboratorio Olfattivo. My opinions are my own.

–  Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor

Laboratorio Olfattivo Nerosa

 

Thanks to the generosity of Laboratorio Olfattivo, we have a  30 ml bottle of Nerosa for one registered readers worldwide. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Laboratorio Olfattivo Nerosa based on Lauryn’s review, and if you have tried any other perfumes from this house. Draw closes 4/12/2019.

 

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed … or  your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.