New Fragrance Review NEST White Narcisse Body & Soul EDT + Full Gift Set Fresh Draw

Narcissus by Harlan

Narcissus (2005) by Harlan

On the short list of my favorite floral notes narcissus is right there. In my opinion it doesn’t get used enough especially in the kind of fresh floral fragrances that I reach for in the spring. Most of the time it is used to create something with more depth and it is more prevalent in my cooler weather fragrances. On the short list of my favorite perfumers Christopher Laudamiel is right there. On the short list of my very favorite fragrances of all time is the first collaboration between M. Laudamiel and Laura Slatkin back in 2003, Slatkin Absinthe. All of these things have come together in the new NEST Fragrances White Narcisse Body & Soul Eau de Toilette.

laudamiel by marcus gaab for NYT

Christophe Laudamiel (Photo by Marcus Gaab)

M. Laudamiel has been concentrating on things outside of putting perfume in a bottle as he has continued with his ambient scenting company and he just opened another  visual and olfactory art exhibit earlier this year. When Ms. Slatkin re-entered the perfume market with her line of NEST Fragrances, M. Laudamiel was right there by her side with Amazon Lily and Passiflora in the debut collection. I liked both of those but White Narcisse feels like a much more complete creation from top to base. For White Narcisse M. Laudamiel defines what he considers fresh and I found some of the choices he made fascinating in creating a fresh floral fragrance that has something there besides generic fresh.

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White Narcisse begins with a crisp pear note paired with anise. This is an example of the kind of pairing M. Laudamiel seems to excel at. The anise adds a contrast to the fruity quality of the pear that makes both of the notes more than either would be on their own. The advertised narcissus arrives in the heart supported by muguet and mimosa. This is your typical fresh olfactory floral bouquet. But as he did in the top notes M. Laudamiel adds a couple of interesting contrasting notes in tarragon and paperwhites. The herbal quality of the tarragon really adds a unique twist of fresh. The paperwhites add their characteristic astringency which keeps the fresh from spiraling out of control. The base stays on a typical fresh trajectory with white musk and sandalwood providing the final touch.

White Narcisse has average longevity and above average sillage.

White Narcisse is an example of a fresh fragrance that does not have to follow the path so many other spring fresh florals do. By choosing a different keynote floral with an excellent creative team and an even more creative perfumer White Narcisse shows that the same old fresh doesn’t have to be the same old fresh.

Disclosure: This review was based on a bottle of White Narcisse provided by NEST Fragrances.

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Thanks to NEST we have a very special draw of not only a full bottle of White Narcisse but also the Body Wash, the Body Cream, and the Candle. All four will go to one winner in the US ONLY. To be eligible leave a comment on what fresh means to you. The draw will end on April 24, 2013.

We announce the winners only onsite and on our Facebook page, so Like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…..or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

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65 comments

  • Claudia says:

    Green/Cool/White/Lemon means fresh to me….I know i will be wearing many fresh fragrances this summer if it ever arrives here in Wisconsin. Otherwise fresh is the closest I will get to summer 😉

  • Tama says:

    Bright light flowers, citrus blossoms, lemons and lines, iced tea, line-dried cottons, and mint are all fresh to me. I have been hearing great things about this scent and this review just makes it sound all the better – thanks for the draw!

  • Farawayspices says:

    Misty air that is not quite rain, tender green shoots, Lilly of the valley soap, clean sheets, cool water, mint, cucumber, freshly shampooed hair…these are all fresh to me. thanks for the review and draw.

  • Omega says:

    bright citrus, lemon..cool greens, freshly mowed lawn..smell of the rain. the florist..marine notes.
    I live in the U.S. thank you!

  • Jay Dabbs says:

    Fresh to me is something bright and alive. A citrus top ,white floral middle and
    sandalwood and vanilla bottom.

  • sara levy says:

    Narcissus is my favorite floral note. I would love to try this line. Fresh to me means energetic and elemental.

  • Lori L says:

    Fresh to me means clean, crisp, and awakening. Something that make me want to start my day! I imagine green, lemon, and mint for some reason. Fresh scents are the scents I’m drawn to when the weather gets warmer and the ones I grab for summer vacations. I have been wanting to try this fragrance. I’m in the US and thanks for the draw! 🙂

  • mridula says:

    This will sound boring, but fresh to me is always about clean hair. Shampooing is a treat for me. I can’t do it as often as I’d like to because it would just frizz out. A close second is fresh sheets and pillow cases. I know…so boring.

  • Datura5750 says:

    Fresh is the mornings here now, with jasmin and orange blossom blowing in the window.

  • TaffyJ says:

    Fresh can mean a lot of things to me, but one of my favorite smells is that of my freshly, shampooed dog!

  • Francesca says:

    Fresh- fresh is what makes you feel clean, the smell of water, the feel of the wind when you stand in an exposed space and it twirls around you, its kinda cool for greater emphasis, fresh clean sheets…This is a US address Giveaway right? (of which I have)

  • Lisa R says:

    Fresh makes me think of how laundry smells right out of the dryer. Or that cool feeling of water evaporating off your skin fresh out of the shower. Or those mornings where there are dew drops on the little flowers and grass.

  • Jo says:

    To me fresh is that feeling of clean and new that comes with the spring flowers. Nothing is fresher than pristine snowdrops and bright daffodils after the snow has melted away.
    Thanks for the review and giveaway! Glad to read a shared opinion on narcissus.

  • Martha says:

    Fresh is a cool sensation. Like new snow on the ground. Or a brilliant blue sky after a few days of grey, rainy weather. It is finally opening the windows of the house after a long winter of having them closed.

  • Sujaan says:

    What is fresh to me is simply fresh air: unpolluted, without chemicals, and somewhere in the distance I can smell snow. It’s not sharp or citrusy or soapy, it is calming and yet opens my senses.
    The NEST packaging is so beautiful. I look forward to trying these. I loved the Slatkin candles.

  • Amy K says:

    I’m in the US. To me, fresh means a scent doesn’t overwhelm me if it’s hot outside. It doesn’t make me feel bogged down and wilted.

  • Mary Carol says:

    A scent with any citrus or any kind of mint means freshness to me. I like the idea of narcissus having a “starring role” in a perfume. I am is the US. Thank you for the drawing!

  • sunnlitt says:

    The scent of Spring in the Air is my favorite sensation of freshness. I just love it when all the notes of new blooms and leaves are floating on the breeze.
    Thanks for the drawing.

  • wefadetogray says:

    something fresh has a light airy texture that softens and calms down while at the same time producing a burst of pleasure like a mint sauce to accompany small meat balls,
    a cold bergamot tea with only a tiny hint of manuka honey, violets in the morning, clean floors under the radiating sun, green leaves, green grass, watermelon. I am not sure I know how a narcissus smells in a perfume but I would certainly love to try it.
    I am in the US

  • susie frankel says:

    Fresh juicy strawberries, air after a noon shower, sweet scented air from wherever, whatever…fresh is waking up rested and ready…smile all the day.
    USA

  • Sue says:

    Spring mountain air with honeysuckle and pine, cucumber tree blooming on a cold spring day.
    I am in the US.
    Wonderful draw, thanks!

  • Dana says:

    The most fresh feeling is taking a shower after being at the beach. Taking off the sticky sunscreen and getting the sand out of every part of your body is just the best! Then spritzing yourself with something citrus or island-like completes the process. I live in the U.S. and this scent sounds delightful. Thanks!

  • Gypsy Parfumista says:

    Fresh? *scratches head* Fresh is something you smell or detect that invigorates you makes you sigh and energizes you. Something that grabs your attention and brings to mind fresh leaves, morning dew or sharp green florals…

    NEST has already released three pretty impressive scents, but THIS sounds absolutely amazing-and quite possibly the perfect example of “fresh” in a perfume.

    Love pear…and paired with anise? *sighs* Then to go and combine mimosa (warm fuzzy sunny) with tarragon (one of my two favorite herbal notes along with angelica) and to frame it with muguet and narcissus (daffodils being my birth flower and the symbol of spring) has me swooning just thinking about it.

    Fabulous prize, wonderful draw and stunning review! Thanks to all who made this possible!

  • ringthing says:

    I’m a US resident and that packaging is covetable, to say the least. When I think of fresh, I think of vegetables, preferably ones I’ve grown myself or from someone else’s garden. Tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers; the foods we crave all year until – finally! They’re in season again.

  • Daniela Schuch says:

    When I think fresh I think getting out of a warm shower. Thank you for the chance.

  • sillage4ever says:

    Fresh for me is the simple pleasure of feeling my just-shaved legs slide across cool, clean bedsheets. I hear Americans as a people are kind of obsessed with the concept of fresh but I can’t see the forest for the trees on that one.

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    Fresh is the early morning, taking a walk through the morning air is the concept of fresh. I live in the US and would love to try this.

  • Mary Ellen says:

    I live in the USA

    Fresh is the smell of a just-opened can of tennis balls.

    LOVE THAT SMELL!

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    to me fresh means being filled with endless energy and glow. I reside in the United Glorious States of America

  • amy m. says:

    When I think of fresh, I think of new growth, green, verdancy, breezy, and freshly rained upon. I definitely don’t think of detergent or soap or laundry sheets! 🙂

    I also think of food, of course. Fresh bread, fresh fruit and veggies and flowers from the farmers market.

    What a fabulous draw!! Thanks so much.

  • Cynthia says:

    To me fresh is the smell of the sun’s warmth on sun dried laundry; the real thing, not the line of perfumes claiming to replicate this smell.
    I love Nest candles. This sounds like a nice spring scent.

  • Ccc says:

    For me, in perfumery nothing says fresh like aldehydes and citrus / lemon notes.
    Otherwise, a white crisp skirt and Eau de cologne by Chanel and a mohito on ice cubes… Magic fresh.

  • Maureen says:

    When I think of fresh in perfumery I think of Chanel Cristalle or Eau de Cologne. In drinks I think of Gin & Tonic with lime. Sun dried laundry, and fresh sheets are the most comfy fresh smells. I would love to win this set..it is just lovely! I live in the USA. Thanks for the draw.

  • Marion Low says:

    Fresh could be a really great Margarita on a hot summer night. It’s the orange blossoms blooming on the tree in front of my old home in Riverside, Ca. It’s the lavender blooming in my sister’s garden in Washington. I adore Caron’s Black Narcissus, and White Narcisse certainly seems like a counterpoint I would love to wear. Thanks for the chance to.

  • Holly F. says:

    Fresh is the scent of dewy grass when the summer morning is still, before the heat and humidity become oppressive. It’s the only time of day in the summer that I truly enjoy, along with that feeling of showering off said heat and humidity, and savoring the few minutes during which the cool water is drying on my skin. I love standing in front of the fan, wishing I could stay this freshly comfortable all day.

  • Connor M says:

    Fresh is coming back to the mountain ait after being home at sea-level on vacation.

    I live in Colorado.

  • Bonbori says:

    Fresh means clean cotton, not like “clean cotton” fragrances and not like fabric softener, just like plain old cotton. 🙂

    I’m in the US and thank you for this generous draw.

  • Gregs says:

    Fresh will be when this weather ends and spring finally blooms to stay. Locally our state park has a flower garden that has sections that bloom individually so each few weeks you can see something new.

  • N DEVINE says:

    Fresh is a mowed lawn on the golf course of my cousins ritzy retirement home.

    I am a US resident

  • Patty says:

    Fresh scents are among my favorite. I just love kenzo power for a burst of bubbles when visiting the department store counters.

    I am from the USA.

  • breathesgelatin says:

    Oh my goodness! What a prize. I am in the US. I would love to win this. Fresh means to me the scent of flowers – non-indolic flowers, along with the scent of their leaves and stems. That’s fresh!

  • tammy says:

    I can see why mint is so often associated with fresh, as it has that cool, crisp feeling that is essential to “fresh”, but to me, it’s missing the slightly earthy scent of newly rained-on soil.

    My perfect fresh is a chilly, breezy Spring morning after a long rainy night. The narcissus note captures that perfectly and I’d love to win this set, thanks!

  • rosiegreen says:

    I am in the U.S. Fresh to me is going out into the garden in the early morning walking in dewy cold grass to pick the first peas of the season, with their sweet green snap and taste of spring.

  • Mary Bess says:

    Fresh to me means newly-picked flowers and dewy morning air. Thanks for the great draw!

  • Lisa Hawkes (Lili Lee on facebook) says:

    I think fresh and I think clean, white, outdoors and nature. Everything that encapsulates this scent!

  • Sharon Fleming says:

    FRESH….is the wonderful smell of clean country air. We just moved 45 minutes outside Nashville. I love to go outside early in the morning and partake God given nature… freshly cut grass, and new sprouts of flowers!