Best Fragrance: NUIT de Bakelite (Naomi Goodsir, Renaud Coutaudier and Isabelle Doyen)- Naomi Goodsir Parfums had a separate suite at the posh Principe di Savoia . All was white, draped and minimalist in contrast with the lush backdrop of the Garden of Eden theme at the Esxence main hall. The avant-garde accessory designer Naomi Goodsir and partner in perfumery, Rene Coutaudier presented NUIT de BAKELITE composed by master perfumer Isabelle Doyen, (who most of our readers know from her work with Annick Goutal).  One of the most talented perfumers and teachers on the planet, you might be familiar with a different side of her oeuvre;for the Swiss company LesNez. Ahead of her time,  I first became familiar with her unconventional daring side in LesNez Turtle Project, threefragrances that showed three very different aspects of vetiver: woody, green and smoky. I mention this because NUIT de Bakelite is a DARING perfume and unlike anything I have smelled in many years.

First, the back story. Renaud met Isabelle 13 years ago, they stayed in touch. Four years ago, Naomi Goodsir shared her love of vintage 1930s bakelite jewelry with Isabelle. Then the process; mod after mod until everyone agreed “this is it”

Master Perfumer Isabelle Doyen and yours truly

I am not usually a fan of tuberose–centric fragrances, but NUIT de BAKELITE is unlike any tuberose I have encountered. It is the bud before the flower opens and becomes the heady queen of the night. It is the roots, the seed, grown in a bio-sphere in another galaxy.  My nose to my wrist, I smell fractured shards of green tuberose, textured and deconstructed. Experimental but classically constructed, with a direct nod to vintage scents as if Fracas had an eccentric distant cousin.  My skin faintly picked up the plastic of the bakelite; most certainly others will, and also find it very green.  The Karo Karounde, a flowering shrub from Africa which has been compared to jasmine adds a 3-d quality to the entire composition and along with the davana was the most prominent on my skin. The longevity was overnight and sillage excellent. Top Notes: galbanum, saffron, angelica root; Heart Notes: Indian Tuberose, Ylang-ylang, davana; Base notes: Karo Karounde, Styrax, Birch tar, Cade, labdanum and musk.

Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief - http://www.cafleurebon.com/