Mary Delany, Horse Chestnut and Damask Rose

Sephora is expanding their foray into niche perfume with the line of Nest fine fragrances.  Introduced last year with three scents (Midnight Fleur, Passiflora and Amazon Lily) , the line is going into Sephora with the addition of two new perfumes exclusive to the store; Dahlia & Vines, created by Jerome Epinette, and White Sandalwood, composed by Chistophe Laudamiel.  With their own stand-alone display, I’m sure the beautiful Nest packaging as well as lovely fragrances will attract new customers to the line.  The Nest line was inspired by 18th century botanical artworks by Mrs. Mary Delany, whose collage pieces are unparalleled. Artist Alexander “Sasha” Solodukho re-interpreted some of these pieces for Nest for the packaging. The simple bottles, decorated with gorgeous, colorful flowers against black, really stand out from the glitz and bling of so many of today’s fragrances.

Lushly floral, Dahlia & Vines wraps the sweet essences of roses and peonies in dewy greenery. This is a pretty perfume that is saved from being boringly so by adding a bit of tangy fruit. To say this is a fruity-floral is probably correct, but that term has such negative associations thanks to prolific over-use that it does this fragrance a disservice. Whilst rose raises its head a bit above the rest of the bouquet, the snap of pink pepper and the warmth of a touch of vanilla create a nicely-rounded fragrance. There is nothing ground-breaking about Dahlia & Vines, but M. Epinette has composed a lovely, wearable fragrance that I think will do very well. It has moderate sillage and good longevity, which will make it a pleasing everyday perfume, especially in spring and summer.

Notes: Peony, dahlia, rose, daffodil, garden vine, pink pepper, lychee, raspberry, white amber, vanilla

When people speak of sandalwood perfumes, the over-arching description is “creamy”.   Christophe Laudamiel has taken that description and run with it to create White Sandalwood. The opening of this perfume is full of almonds. Almond can be an uneasy note for me; so many bath products have that cloying almond extract aroma, and I don’t care for it. However, this almond is not sweet as much as it is a solidly nutty, creamy, fragrant support for the sandalwood, which makes itself known after just a few moments. It is this aspect of the perfume that really intrigues me. The scent is definitely sandalwood, but there is an interesting undertone of salty marine that I can’t figure out. I keep scouring the notes list to see if I’m missing something; maybe one of the “exotic spices” is sea salt. This perfume is doing one of my favorite perfume things: smelling different on skin (marine) than the air (creamy sandalwood).  White Sandalwood is appropriate for any gender, with decent sillage and longevity.

Notes: White Indian and Australian sandalwood, almond, white musk, exotic spices

Nest is coming into its own as a perfume house, and with these new scents and this move to Sephora (online and in 160 stores), I think it will bring the general public a good alternative to the plethora of designer fragrances and celebuscents currently available. They are unique enough to bring something new to the landscape, but not so outré that consumers will be alienated.  They are also reasonably priced, which makes them all the more alluring.

Disclosure: My review bottles were graciously provided by Nest.

–Tama Blough, Senior Editor

 What a  great way to come back from the long weekend! Nest has offered an astonishing draw : three lucky US winners will each receive Dahlia & Vines and White Sandalwood in both 50 ml bottles and 8 ml travel rollerballs (a $180 value per set). Our thanks to Nest for their amazing generosity. To enter, leave a comment about which of these you think you would like; or if you have tried this line, let us know which is your favorite. Remember to let us know if you live in the USA. Draw ends September 7, 2013.

Editor's note: We have just learned from NEST Corporate that Jerome Epinette is the nose for Dahlia and Vines and Christophe Laudamiel created White Sandalwood.

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

 

Mary Delany, Gloriosa Superba and Rubus Odaratus

Note: I found the process behind the work of Mary Delany fascinating. Click here for an article about her work.