Nez Kraft Gommé – photo via Nez – edited by Emmanuelle

Have you ever been tempted to create your own perfume? Or to be the muse of a renowned perfumer who uses only notes you like and the memorabilia of your life  to create a fragrance that truly is you? This is the journey Woodkid (aka Yoann Lemoine), famous French director and musician experienced with Marie Salamagne, perfumer at Firmenich. The two artists collaborated to create Nez Kraft Gommé (Gummed Kraft Paper), the  newest addition to the 1+1 collection developed for French magazine Nez. The name itself is linked to Woodkid’s sensory memories of when he was as an art student. Nez Kraft Gommé is also a tribute to the brown paper with a sticky backing that is essential to painters.

Marie Salamagne and Woodkid – photos by Romain Bassenne for Nez – edited by Emmanuelle.

Over the past two years, Nez (a magazine dedicated to every aspect if olfaction) has offered an original experience to its readers: each bi-annual issue is accompanied by an original limited edition 15 ml perfume under the brand 1+1. The concept is consistent, a classically trained perfumer and an artistic personality meet, (the former putting in fragrant notes with the artistic and emotional inspiration of the latter), in a collection developed under the direction of Jeanne Doré, Nez editor-in-chief.

1+1 perfumes- pictures via Nez, edited by Emmanuelle.

 First there was 1+1 Nez Hongkong Oolong, a Maurice Roucel / Alan Chan collaboration which was inspired by an incredibly beautiful semi-fermented oolong tea that the Hong Kong designer drinks daily. Then Folia by  Julien Rasquinet and artist Eva Jospin which used petrichor, undergrowth and mushrooms notes (the French artist is renowned for her cardboard sculptures representing forests). Last fall, Mathilde Bijaoui and Marjane Satrapi brought to life Ambre à Lèvres, which is dedicated to the director of Persepolis ‘childhood memories, particularly to the exceptional scent of vintage lipsticks.

Marie Salamagne – photo by Romain Bassenne for Nez La Revue.

 This month,  the newest  2021 edition has launched. Nez Kraft Gommé is a daring and conceptual fragrance; tests were organized at Firmenich, then by videoconference (Covid-19 restrictions were in place ) and finally at Woodkid’s home. Marie Salamagne first worked on three mods. The first two  were composed with bitumen, heat and fire, which directly related to  Woodkid’s recent album entitled S16 (symbol of sulfur in chemistry and a metaphor of the apocalyptic universe mixing men and machines). However it was the third mod   would lead to Nez Kraft Gommé.   The code name was “Glaise” (Clay) named by Marie Salamagne to covey a more personal direction, with notes of beeswax, myrrh and linseed oil which are associated with painting and sculpture workshops.  But to Woodkid’s nose it was the aromas of books, of the printing press, which brought him back to his art school years. With Woodkid’s imput it became obvious to Marie Salamagne that Nez Kraft Gommé should be a true Madeleine de Proust; a deeply personal kaleidoscopic olfactive memory.

Woodkid aka Yoann Lemoine is a French singer, songwriter, graphic designer and director of music videos including Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lana del Rey– photo by Romain Bassenne for Nez La Revue

New ingredients were added to “Glaise”: a fresh one with Cologne notes (Woodkid’s father olfactory identity), a tobacco one in memory of the famous cigarette breaks of his student years, and a mimosa one. There again, a choice had to be made and Woodkid was torn between the last two leads which brought totally opposite modulations, between dirty and dark notes and clean and bright ones. To complicate Marie Salamagne’s task (but bring a new personal touch to the perfume), Woodkid wanted to add tolu balm,  as hew extremely attached to this note present in one of his cosmetic products. Tolu balm evokes leather, roundness and sensuality (it can be found in Ambre Sultan, Cuir Ottoman, Youth Dew or Fracas). Finally, after 48 mods Kraft Gommé was born.

Mina Tannenbaum poster and French actress Romane Borhinger as Mina Tannenbaum – photos via Wikipedia and Alchetron – edited by Emmanuelle.

Nez Kraft Gommé is a surprising fragrance. Its opening reminds me of turpentine. I quickly perceive the notes of beeswax and myrrh, warm and fleshy, which envelop the dry and woody aspect of cedar. The painting comes to life. I imagine plunging my nose into my school bag, where the scents of pencil, leather and eraser mingled. It is a dive into my own memories as a schoolgirl, when I loved the smell of new school supplies above all else. Over the next hour, Nez Kraft Gommé heats up on the skin and blond tobacco blossoms. I think of Mina Tannenbaum, that beautiful film directed in 1993 by Martine Dugowson, which tells the story of a passionate friendship between Mina and Ethel, two young women born on the same day in 1958 but diametrically opposed in their character. Romane Borhinger plays Mina, a talented young painter who hates her physique and  dreams of being like her friend’s. Closing my eyes, the scenes where she paint emerge, her hair in disarray, paint on her fingers, hands, body.  Mina would wear Nez Kraft Gommé.

Tolu Balm warms the skin with its sensual tones and rounds off the woody-waxed scent of the first few minutes. Ambrox Super© intensifies a little more the carnal aspect of this perfume which speaks of memories and the first steps in adulthood to give it a certain sweetness: the first heartbeats, the first loves. It develops very gently on the skin, gradually abandoning the very pronounced woody notes. Very introspective at first, Kraft Gommé gradually opens up, without ever moving away from the linen – tobacco – tolu triptych which is its backbone. A fragrance which smells of memories, art and love …

Notes: linseed, beeswax, myrrh, cedarwood, tobacco, tolu balm, ambrox.

Disclaimer: many thanks to La Revue Nez team that sent me a sample of 1+1 Kraft Gommé before its official launch (and before the bottle I ordered was available) provided for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Emmanuelle Varron, Senior contributor

Editing by Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Nez #11 issue and Kraft Gommé packaging – picture via Nez La Revue.

Thanks to the generosity of La Revue Nez, we have a 1+1 Kraft Gommé 15 ml bottle and the #11 issue (in French or English) for one registered reader worldwide. To be eligible, please leave a comment on what you  thought of  Emmanuelle’s review, are you familiar with Nez La Revue, which perfumer would create your dream perfume and where you live. Draw closes 06/1/2021.

Available on ByNez.com  and Nez Editions US.

It will be released and available in the USA from June 1 at luckyscent.com and tigerlilyperfumery.com

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebon @monbazarunlimited @nezlarevue @marie_salamagne @woodkidmusic @maisonduquesne

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

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