Nahema Eau de Parfum

Comparison of an 80s Extrait and the current EdP Jean-Paul Guerlain, one of the greatest perfumers we’ve ever had, was quoted as saying he considered Nahema to be his greatest creation. Naturally for me, I cannot find where I read that, but I distinctly recall it. And, naturally for one of the greatest creations by one of history’s greatest perfumers, people disliked it when it was released and for quite some time after. How aggressively mediocre the tastes of mass consumers are, and likely will always be. Like the most criminally under appreciated art Nahema eventually got the recognition it deserved, enjoying a legendary and coveted status amongst perfume lovers of all stripes. The story is not a happily ever after though, when in 2016 Guerlain announced that they were no longer going to be making the Nahema Extrait. It had become virtually impossible to make to Guerlain's standards due to materials regulations and at a price people would consider paying. I remember that announcement. Vividly. It was an extremely sad moment. However, I was and continue to be grateful to Guerlain for at least acknowledging they can no longer make it rather than hollowing-it-out into something that doesn’t come anywhere close to the Nahema I know and love. Does that make sense to do from a business standpoint, given Nahema’s legendary status? No, probably not. But it is an honorable thing to do; let something persevere as a beautiful memory, rather than distort it into unrecognizability to suit a new reality. Part of me wonders, though, if Guerlain might be being a bit too hard on themselves. Perhaps they are being too much of sticklers to preservation. I say this because the new-ish batch of EdP I own is really damn good. It’s not the extrait - there are differences, which we’ll get into in a second - but it is unmistakably Nahema. That gorgeous and dramatic personality is alive and well. Could they, then, actually still make the extrait and do so quite convincingly even under a massive reformulation? It seems possible, but I can’t answer that question, obviously, so hopefully I can assuage your sadness at the loss in a way that mine was fairly well assuaged. Smelling two different formats side-by-side of a perfume like Nahema is a tricky task. Going nose-blind is quite easy, and its diffusiveness and tenacity makes it difficult to escape in order to reset the nose. A lot of time and a lot of effort this little experiment did take. The openings of both have some notable differences. The extrait is very much rose and powdery aldehydes. The famous Guerlain peach skin accord is present, made a bit juicy by the presence of orange, but it sits in the background to the rose providing beautiful dimension and breadth. The opening of the extrait is a slow burn; it will not let itself be rushed, like the determined but unhurried blooming of a rose. The rose of the EdP is virtually the same as the extrait, but the EdP leans into the fruit aspects a little bit more and the powdery aldehydes have had their volume turned down a notch or two. Application of the EdP includes some alcohol off-gassing that honestly makes any sort of hesperidic component a bit blurry, but once that subsides, and the slightly stronger fruit aspects of the EdP dry down a bit, the extrait and the EdP are almost indistinguishable. As the two march towards the heart section we start to see a divergence. The extrait goes impossibly rich and succulent. Getting darker. Deeper. Black clouds are consuming the domed sky overhead. It’s a storm of roses, a vortex of black and deep red petals. Hand on my heart, I think this is the best rose accord in perfume history. All of the elegance, regality, and ubiquity of rose are present, but its baroque and operatic, thrillingly compelling and dramatic traits are pushed front and center. Part of this black, baroque, and dramatic nature is due to, I believe, some base materials stretching up into the heart a bit out of sync with the rest of the perfume. Earthy, dark, mildly sweet and mildly vanillic tonka and patchouli, and a touch of animalic styrax, give the rose a deep, rumbling, and powerful growl. The tropical lean of ylang-ylang adds exoticism, accenting the drama. The EdP doesn’t go so far in this direction, opting instead to keep some rays of the sun peaking through dark gray rain clouds rather than black vortex clouds. There is a thunderstorm in the EdP as well, but it’s a powerful summer shower, not an apocalypse. Responsible for this are higher doses of green notes and indoles emanating from the brighter jasmine and hyacinth, and a starchy ylang-ylang rather than ripe-banana-exoticism. Different, but very nearly just as gorgeous as the extrait. Then, finally in both, the storms are over and the clouds depart, and we are left with warm and wet air quickly reheating from the sun's rays and staying close and palpable. The sandalwood amber base of both carry virtually the same notes: creamy beige sandalwood, slightly sweet patchouli and some vanilla, and a bit of aromatic vetiver. The key thing to note, which should be obvious and expected, is that the base in the EdP is thinner. The extrait’s final skin scent is rich and dense, but that’s because it has a lot more naturals at much higher concentrations. The modern EdP opts more for synthetics and at lower concentrations. So, though the EdP is thinner, less rich, and less dense, don’t interpret that as “poor.” It isn’t. The final dry down to the skin scent is still very good and still very recognizably Nahema. The extrait though... I mean... ah forget it, I’m going to stop now. I’ve run out words. I just want to keep smelling it. So there you have it, the quick and dirty on Nahema vintage extrait and the new EdP, one of the best rose perfumes ever made. Chase down some of the extrait if you have the time and money, but if you’re not sure about parting with your cash then try the EdP first. If you really like the EdP, you’re going to fall over in ecstasy smelling the extrait. We’re very fortunate to have Nahema still with us in the EdP. She’s changed; the times have changed; somethings stay and somethings go. I will treasure my vintage extrait for as long as I live, but, when I really want this diva’s company yet I’m feeling a bit too apprehensive to reach for some very expensive drops of the extrait, the EdP does well.

Nahema: Original, Extrait, PDT & EDP a Novella! OK: 1) I have Nahema Guerlain EDP on my right wrist. Batch #552020 which indicates that it was made in 2015. 2) I have Nahema, Parfum Extrait on my right AC (that’s the other side of the elbow) from 2016 3) I have REAL OG Nahema Guerlain PDT decanted from a well-kept bottle from 1992ish (1979 blend) 4) I have the Nahema EDP Guerlain (2021 blend "reformulation") on my left wrist. I have also worn all of these separately on different occasions First of all, these all are 100% Nahema. I believe Maison Guerlain endeavors to preserve their original fragrance as far as IFRA will allow. It is still the perfume inspired by the French actress Catherine Deneuve. The whole fantasy ~The myth: Nahema (a word that sounds like an exhale of dark pink heat), means “the daughter of fire”. “The princess came from the tale 1001 Nights by Scheherazade There were 2 sisters, Mahane and Nahema. here’s the synopsis...check it out: “Mahane was gentle, timid and obedient (I guess that was considered a good thing?), Nahema, whose symbol of femininity was the flower, was filled with fire, indomitable and passionate. One day a prince came to court them, but his heart was divided, and he did not know which sister to choose. The fiery Nahema, whose nature was to devour everything, understood her fate and let her gentle sister marry the prince, then departed for a faraway land.”. ~ So, roses, smoke and fire, spice, strength and beauty. Got it? 1) The 2015 Nahema Guerlain is the lightest. At first a there is a tiny smell of Deet! Like burnt styrax. But that quickly fades to cardamom and opiatic nahema roses and Bulgarian roses. The hyacinth pushes forward, and the sweet balsam and vanilla arrive with a touch of honey and powdery vetiver. I can describe it as exotic (I can smell Turkish delight and incense) but quite westernized. Specifically Anglicised. Very English Garden forward, I can smell Earl Grey tea and peonies. Breezy and free, but somehow contained. Rather short to medium longevity 2) Nahema, Parfum Extrait (extract) is sweeter and stronger but less juicy. It’s not mentioned, but I can smell significant smokey patchouli incense in it. The English Garden has been left for the countryside in the South of France. This one comes in 1st with hyacinth, dark honey and summer evening passionflowers, but dries down with opium, patchouli, vanilla, tonka and sandalwood. Very Turkish delight. Sexier than regular Nahema Guerlain, the extrait is gorgeous, hot and doesn’t play around so much. 3) Nahema Guerlain original PDT (1979 version from early 90s). Oddly, I get Deet again. Seriously, bug spray. But, in this case, it lasts over 15 minutes, and it is combined with honey. I am aware that this could be due to the age and less than perfect preservation. Heavy cardamom and patchouli incense and then roses, roses, opium and roses. The hyacinth keeps its place at a medium distance and does not claim the spotlight, aldehydes and Ylang-ylang do that instead. Balsam is less evident, but everything rides on a long-lasting passionfruit. This one lasts for a long time. After hours I washed it off gently with warm water and towelled it off. The scent remained, mostly as a warm passionfruit, aldehyde and talcum powder...the aldehyde and talc smelled like my grandmothers’ old hatboxes, when I was a child. I love this, but it is not so sexy. I would call this mysterious and beautiful, but not super overtly sexy. I would wear this around a potential mother-in-law, if she’s not too conservative of course. 4) Nahema EDP (2021 remix) .... OK, don’t come for me, but I love this! I am surprised at how many people are unhappy with this new 2021 Nahema! It's beautiful. I'm unhappy that it's discontinued moments after it’s release. I got the very last bottle in Harrods... ok, you can come for me for that...that’s fair. Immediately hyacinth and patchouli jump up and open and pull back a curtain of damascones to reveal torrents of pink roses. I think of Bulgarian roses, apricotesc nahema roses and opiatic Blue Moon roses. Just as you are about to swoon, it reveals the indolic yet energetic youthful scent of hyacinth again, this time with ripe passionfruit and peaches. Not the irritating, cloying fake peach bathroom deodorizer. Nay! Real sun warmed ripe peaches weighing down branches in sultry, deep South Georgia. The kind you long to just bite into and let the juice cover your lips and these lips are dripped with honey. The dry-down is the afterglow of all that, towelled off by sandalwood and patchouli and a touch of vetiver talc. This version is, by far, the most unashamedly sexy. I love them all.

I bought a 10-mL decant of Nahema, and I think I started plotting to procure a full bottle maybe 15 minutes after I applied it for the first time. This stuff is pure heaven to my nose--super-powdery, slightly soapy, lipsticky rose and hyacinth notes; a creamy sandalwood base with a bit of patchouli to sharpen up the greens. This is an idealized rose, not a natural rose, but I don't care because my nose contains multitudes. I think the closest basis for comparison that I have is Kenzo Flower, a powdery rose-violet, makeup scent, or maybe a more streamlined, slightly warmer Misia EDT. The peach imparts a bit of a fruity-chypre Mitsouko vibe. I need to know more about this perfume. I'm guessing it must be Jelk and/or Wasser, but no nose is listed here. I plan on using every last drop of my decant--and not before I order a backup. I'd say Nahema is definitely "signature-scent worthy," even though I'm too fickle and flighty (and too worried about going noseblind) to have a regular scent, much less a signature scent. (Keep 'em guessing, that's the René way.) Update: As it dries down, the balsamic and honeyed resinous notes intensify, and I get a great mashup of the Samsara drydown, plus rose and hyacinth. I just love this. I had to shampoo my dog with special medicated shampoo, and now I want to take a shower to get rid of the medicated-wet-Chihuahua accord that is harshing my glorious Nahema buzz. And then once I shower I can put on... MORE NAHEMA. They need to promote this one more. It's truly extraordinary! Oh, and the original scent was by Jean-Paul Guerlain; I think I may have assumed Raymond for some reason. But this is clearly the recent reformulation, and I have never smelled the vintage version--if it's better than this iteration, it must send people into paroxysms of bliss in the wild! Update: It reminds me of rose-scented cold cream at some points, which I'm sure sounds insulting, but I'm thinking of the most magical, delicious, George MacDonald-enchanted-fairy-grandmother cold cream that you could ever imagine. What is it about Guerlain? I just love that house! Update: Still love my Nahema EDP decant so much and have been hinting shamelessly to my husband that a full bottle may be essential to my well-being. I just put a spray from my decant on my wrist and huff it like a desperate addict. This rose is so luscious; it's not so much an abstracted rose as a sublimated rose, a creamy honeyed rose, the Saint Rose at whose feet all the contemporary realistic roses and soapy roses and green roses and oud-kissed roses and candied roses pay humble obeisance. Oh, to get my grubby little mitts on a bottle of the vintage extrait! But for now I think I would be happy with the 75 ml EDP, which is what I have in my decant--just enough to spray with abandon! And if he wanted to get it engraved, well, I'm a good wife who doesn't ask for much, right? Update: My fragrance YouTube influencer of choice gave the good advice to use up your decants first because they will not last indefinitely, and it would be a shame to let anything you love go wasted or unworn, so I am wearing Nahema more often and sometimes just for myself. I find myself increasingly addicted to that intense rose liqueur scent, the way it somehow contains every life stage of the rose, from the tender buds of May to the blowsy jammy blown roses of late summer to the wistful autumnal roses to the dried potpourri roses to the creamy sublimated roses of cold creams and classic floral unguents, along with late peaches and a lipstick/boudoir powder accord. People say that this is an abstract or even Cubist rose, but to my nose it's more of a time-capsule rose, or maybe even a multiverse rose, a rose that contains multitudes, a rose that can't be confined to a single interpretation, a shape-shifting and liminal rose. You know how you sometimes smell a rose that is so intoxicating that you wish you could consume it, let it possess you from the inside? That is Nahema to me. Update: My husband gave me a nice big bottle for Christmas, and he even had it engraved. I love how it lingers on fabric particularly. I think it's tied with Samsara as my current favorite fragrance.

A sweet and thorny rose....the kind that bleeds red and makes you bleed if you cross her the wrong way. Guerlains are usually blind buys for me as I don’t have access to them where I live. I bought Nahema in search of “The Rose” fragrance of my dreams. Well....Nahema surely is a dream! The 2021 bottle sprays a fine delicate mist over my arm and I immediately smell damp fresh soil. It’s early morning and the garden is misty: the warm breath of the earth hanging in the air. I reach out to grab hold of it, but it’s intangible. Only ethereal...I can smell the roses before I see them. Their strong emerald stems secure in the earth like strong towers. Their ruby petals aglow with an aura of softness and tender beauty that I almost have to look away. Perfectly formed, they cocoon inside each other like liquid red silk. I can see fuzz on each one if I look closely...honeyed rubies glittering in the morning light. Like a forbidden fruit, the fleshly aroma emanating from each moist petal is haunting. I want to touch it, but the tips of her thorns reach out to me in turn: needles honed by angels to guard the rose in her short life. I inhale and take in her fragrance. A rose is a rose. Nahema is a beautiful gothic rose: the kind picked by princes to give to their sleeping beauties. I spray this perfume on and it smells like the very essence of the life of a rose from start to finish. Green and strong she rises up into the sky before her bud opens and she stretches out her tender soft petals. Little bee feet dance on her outstretched arms leaving their little footprints in her pillowy red palms. She takes one last look at the sky before letting her petals fall like heavy tears onto the damp earth below. She takes one last breath before exhaling a waft of pure beauty into the air....Nahema she says... Anyway...yeah. That’s basically it. Green fruity fleshy red roses and an earthy ambience. Moderate sillage and superb longevity (8-12 hours) on my skin. Once the peachy top notes evaporate she stays pretty rosy until fading out like a rose usually does.

I'm sampling 2021 Nahema now. I believe there's more to this fragrance than is listed on the pyramid here. I definitely smell vetiver and aldehydes, there's a lot of juicy green stem and a spicy eugenol/clove, too. The rose isn't what I smell first, though. Immediately on spraying, it's a big cloud of powdery peach, and I can't help but think of Diamonds and Rubies. The rose is there, but for me, Nahema is definitely no soliflore. I like it very much! My only complaint is the longevity. After 2 hours I can't smell much, which is disappointing to me for a fragrance that costs over $100. Update: A spicy rose is much more prominent after my bottle sat around a couple weeks (I always wonder if it's the "resting" or if 1st impressions can just be really different than subsequent sniffing). Many of my Guerlains seem to behave that way--you need to give them time and keep revisiting to appreciate all they offer. While I still have complaints about longevity, the opening is much more exciting and lush. I feel now that my money definitely isn't wasted. This is a gorgeous perfume, she just demands reapplication! Final (?) thoughts: a GORGEOUS spicy powdery rose, and longevity and sillage are actually borderline NUCLEAR. This actually bothers me if I overspray, and I can usually BATHE in "beast mode" scents without a problem! Any rose lover and/or Guerlain appreciator will enjoy this, I'm nearly certain of that. I have since obtained a vintage Parfum mini, and it's more rich and complex, but the modern juice represents Nahema 100% faithfully. Definitely worth sampling before buying, if you're on the fence. I bet you'll go FB. And you PROBABLY won't need to reapply, please disregard my statement above 😂

Nahema 2021 is a stunning floral fragrance with sweet, tropical, peachy facets. Unique and vibrant fruity/floral! The opening confused me a bit because it was very green and fresh. But there’s no green or herbal notes listed so I didn’t understood what exactly I am smelling. Apparently the hyacinth has a sharp green smell. But in about 10 minutes it’s revealed the most beautiful and intense sweet pink rose scent. The fruits listed in the top notes, peach and passion fruit appear later on my skin and take the whole composition into a more tropical direction. It’s still a rose forward scent but it has a unexpected twist from the combination of passion fruit with the hyacinth flower, it’s magical for me. What I get the most from the listed notes is the rose, hyacinth and passion fruit. Patchouli feels present after about 1 hour in the dry down but it has a very clean, calm, pleasant smell. Nothing that overwhelms and takes away from the rose, hyacinth and the fruits. I am not the biggest rose fan but this juice I love! It feels very elegant and elevated type of rose dominant scent. Atemporal and understated. The seasons I see Nahema best to be worn are spring or summer. And it performs beautifully. No complaints here and in general with Guerlain fragrances performance. I understand that this is a reformulation, I am not familiar with the original version, but I find this 2021 version quite impressive and different as far as a rose fragrance available to purchase in 2024. The bottle is in the classic Guerlain style, minimal and chic, clear, transparent glass, with a clear, plastic lid. Nothing impressive as far as packaging goes. The magic is inside the bottle..

I'm writing a second review because I love Nahéma so very, very much. I must have at least 20 rose-centric perfumes, and not a single one moves me like Nahéma. Whenever I wear it, I think, "Why do I wear anything else; what's even the point when I could be wearing THIS?" (In fairness, I feel that way when I wear Samsara and sometimes L'Heure Bleue and OG Coco, too.) To me Nahéma is not so much an abstracted rose or a cubist rose as a magical rose elixir, some sort of intoxicating potion derived from the essential nature of the rose, in all its life stages. The other elements of the accord, the passionfruit and the peach, blend so seamlessly with this concentrated rose that they magnify the rose idea; they don't dilute it. And yet Nahéma is too complex to be a soliflore. It's not a realistic rose at all, even though it's recognizably rose throughout the drydown--it's a blind man's translation of a rose, in all of its fragrant sumptuousness: a rose you can touch and taste, right down to the last velvet petal. I'm grateful to Jean-Paul Guerlain for creating this beautiful fragrance, and I'm grateful to Thierry Wasser, Delphine Jelk, and all other Guerlain staff responsible for its continued production, despite the many challenges related to IFRA regulations and eugenol or whatever substance it is that makes it illegal to manufacture the extrait form of Nahéma now. (As a vulgar Marxist, I refuse to let my perfume mania turn me into a free-market-worshiping Libertarian, and yet whenever I think about the absence of real oakmoss in most of the contemporary chypres, I start to wonder if I'm already ideologically compromised, lolsob.)

Vintage Nahema is hard to come by, like many Guerlain’s, and extremely expensive when it does show up. So while I dream of one day finding a specimen, I’m happy and satisfied with the current iteration. And now that I’m slowly re testing and smelling the modern Les Legendaires, I’m happy to know that I can replenish my vintage stock when it runs out with what is currently being sold; Wasser has had a tremendous task and has maintained an exceptional quality across all references. Modern Nahema: Beautifully rich and saturated pink and red roses. Spicy. A herbal tang sprinkled with powdery spiciness (Cinnamon? Tarragon?). The passion fruit adds a very carnal juicy sweetness like we haven’t smelled since the late Vero Kern. The overall effect of drama rose in a spice market reminds me of Hermes Parfum d’Hermes and Tauer Une Rose Chypree. The green halo is reminiscent of Dioressence. Gorgeous and retro and obviously reorchestrated with love and care! A stunner with good sillage and longevity. And a precursor to so many oudhy roses that feel so avant garde when they in fact used the template of the original; Nahema. There is also, curtesy of the rose/blackcurrant combo, a slight nod to Amazone. Diptyque also made a nod to Nahema in its 1983 L’Ombre dans l’Eau. Good ideas always get copied! Stick with Guerlain. The sillage and longevity of Nahema are still out of this world!

Nice, realistic rose- the whole flower with the stem and the leaves. A tiniest bit of sugary sprinkle on top. It opens quite green and powdery, and for a minute reminds me of Tea Rose by Perfumer's Workshop (but better, I had to throw out that one) or a dryer version of Red Roses by Joe Malone. I think the opening might scare off some people used to gourmand roses. After a while it develops more into La Fille de Berlin, but softer, brighter, and a little peachy. It does not get very bitter with time unlike many fresh rose fragrances. If you're looking for a realistic rose fragrance then you will like this one. It's got good longevity but not too much sillage on my skin (which is okay, not every perfume needs to be loud). It's a very well blended fragrance, but nothing groundbreaking in my opinion, if it's unique at all then maybe due to its noticeable peachy note. I have the modern formulation of Nahema, but everything I've read about it says that it's similar to the vintage version. What's nice about Guerlain is that you get niche quality craftsmanship for a designer fragrance price, and it's often discounted on a grey market. You can get 3 or 4 Les Legendaires Guerlain bottles for the price of one Amouage or BR 540. Take advantage of that before you splurge out on a $700 vintage bottle on eBay.

Slightly playful fruity opening, and then WHAM you are hit by an enveloping swarm of roses that have come to life, sprouted wings and that breathe fire, with... claws of hyacinth? (I might be overstretching the imagery) She’s quite loud for at least an hour or so, then the fire begins to settle a bit, the creamy sandalwood peaks through, but it still has a sense of this enveloping whirlpool of rose that draws you in. There is definitely a subtle clove note in there as well, which adds a little extra aromatic warmth to it. Dry down is definitely still sandalwood forward with a noticeable patchouli and recognisable guerlinade ingredients of tonka and a violety/irisy accord Even if this might not be as good as the original (which I have incidentally never smelled) this is still a stunning fragrance, and an absolute must try if you are a rose lover and don’t mind bold loud fragrances (if you like this scent profile but prefer something a bit less heavy, rose royale from nicolaï might be to your liking, or for an even lighter one, fille de berlin from serge lutens) 10/10 absolutely

I would really like to know how this compares to previous versions or original Nahema. Based on the reviews this is quite similar to the original, but less potent or dense. My experiences with Nahema so far: When I opened the bottle, the first spray was bombastic sweet (peach?) with florals, mostly rose. At that moment the weather was also quite warm, a bit humid, which most likely increased the effect. Nahema made herself present throughout our living room. Funnily and a bit unexpectedly, after the first try the flowery beast is tamed. Nahema stays actually quite close to skin and I enjoy the whiffs of hyacinth and rose mixed with sweetness and patchouli. Within seven to eight hours Nahema has almost completely disappeared. I kind of wish the stronger effect to return, and I think weather conditions, warmth and humidity play a key role in how Nahema behaves. Flowery explosions or whispers, both will do, as based on testing so far, I really love Nahema. I only wish all these legendary Guerlains were available for testing where I live.

Today my Nahema has arrived. I like this classical bottle, because the bee bottle is quite boring for all the perfumes. And now about the fragrance. I was very excited to try it because I have been witing for it for a very long time. It was impossible to buy it because it was not available in my country or too expensive, but this new edition arrived to shops in my country for quite reasonable price and I rushed to buy it. So today I was introduced to this rose classic. I must say that I love it and my expectations were not disappointed. I must agree that it is violently beautiful even though that some claim it contains no rose at all and is a masterpiece of aromachemical sleight of hand. I can say it reminds me a bit Rouge Hermes. But I have two problems with this. The first problem is the sillage and the longevity. Considering it is Eau de Parfum it is quite weak. I would appreciate it more stronger as I like it so much. The second problem is that I can ́t compare it to the original so I can review only this version.

The notes for this one sound like my exact jam, but I've been burned before with alluring notes on paper only to actually smell it and be disappointed - so honestly, I was kind of gearing myself up for disappointment. Thank God I was wrong! I can't remember the last time I was so enchanted with a perfume on first sniff. I'm hit immediately with rose, sandalwood and patchouli, and the peach comes through a few seconds later - along with that nebulous Guerlain DNA. If you're familiar with a few Guerlain scents, I'm sure you know what I mean - something sophisticated, aldehydic and old world glamour that's very different in each perfume but just so /Guerlain./ Is it psychosomatic ? Maybe. I'm used to fruits in perfumes being playful, fresh and youthful. This one... is the opposite. This one is a late thirties/early-forties femme fatale in red lipstick biting into a peach, the juice running down her arm and her sloe-eyed gaze inviting you to lick it off. It really does ooze sensuality. Love, love, LOVE!

i am laying on the soil of a botanical garden, trapped in the complicated vortexes of floral bouquets whipping through the air of a placid, cool spring morning. in the breeze flows shades of scarlet red and bright green, with tinges of water molecules as they drip down the stems of roses and blades of grass. a memory like this, which exists deep in the recesses of my mind from my childhood, smells exactly like Nahema. in keeping true with the nature of Guerlain, the florals presented herein are photorealistic, almost as if the entire plant–from its soft and fragile petals to its dirt-covered roots–are presented in stark concentration. it feels almost aromatic, in that the diffusiveness is immense but its impact is gentle. i cannot delineate where, exactly, the visceral scent memory i hitherto described exists in time. but the moment Nahema hit my skin, i could not help but agree with the assertion that a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose!

Well, it's official, and I am officially bummed: Nahéma is no more. I noticed that it wasn't listed among Les Légendaires, its usual home, so I sent an email via the website, whereupon the horrible, terrible, no-good news was confirmed by a customer service rep, who politely suggested that I can surely find another perfume from their vast arsenal with which to replace it. FIE, GUERLAIN. You know very well that there is no substitute for Nahéma, and it's obscene to suggest that one of your more recent rose offerings might fill the bill. (Rose Amira is great, but it's no Nahéma.) I understand that eugenol restrictions have made it challenging to come up with a great formulation, so I guess I can only hope that Dua or another decent dupe house will attempt to recreate it. In the meantime I will hoard what remains of my precious bottle--no more decants for perfume pals, sorry!--and curse my idiocy for not buying a backup bottle.

A bizarre opening, experimental and pleasant—a cubist rose, each of its facets (green, creamy, decaying, sweet, sour) on display at the same time. Dazzling and disorienting. After the first ten minutes or so, a robust, lipsticky rose moves to the fore, hot pink and dripping blood—somehow both girlish and gothic at the same time. But Nahema doesn't take itself too seriously, even as its almost edible, idealized rose is one of the most beautiful I've smelled. A Guerlain-y resinous vanilla arrives late in the drydown, creamy and peachy and ever so slightly smoky. I've never tried other versions or concentrations, but if the new Nahema has actually been reformulated for the worse, I can only dream of what the others are like, as this is one of the most stunning perfumes I've ever worn.

Lately I have been exploring Guerlain in my usual way, meaning blind buying :D This time the turn came to Nahema, and I must say I was a little weary as my last experience with Samsara was a bit scary (it REALLY doesn't work on my skin :(, but Nahema..... is a blind buy success! I adore this perfume! The green notes from the quite prominent hyacinth, the lush roses, soapiness, and the slight peach and lipstick.... Heavenly. No complaints on sillage and longevity either, after all it is Guerlain. Another commenter mentioned La Fille de Berlin, which is another perfume I adore, and I definitely get some parallels to that!!

Simply put, a stunning perfume. The combination of Passion Fruit, Rose, and Sandalwood in this fragrance are honestly to die for. Nahema's a colourful perfume, one which in comparison to other fragrances from the house of Guerlain amps up all drama to the limit. Unlike Samsara (which I also love), its sensuality isn't a subtle or ethereal one. It's here; loud and in your face. Being the highly theatrical fragrance it is, Nahema makes me think of the songs "Babooshka" and "Delius" by Kate Bush, if not the general vibe of her Never for Ever album. Could see both men and women pulling off this fragrance.

Just like Vol de Nuit this is just a rebottling and not a reformulation. Formulation code is 09591. According to my research the same as the bee bottle. Compared to my 2015 Nahema this is more airy which is to be expected from fresh juice. I would say it is still in good shape. Edit 04/12/21: I wore it a few times now and in comparison to my 2015 bottle this batch becomes faint more quickly. I would go with 6 sprays actually. Drydown reminded me somewhat of Samsara. Pleasant synthetic sandalwood.

I had gotten samples of it and it had intense green notes in the beginning, which initially was off-putting. I had gotten a fresh bottle from Guerlain recently in the Les Legenderes collection, and the top notes seemed much calmer than the samples which came from the bee bottle. The beautiful rose and peach notes were present, and it felt like I was swept away in a romantic bed of velvety red rose petals. It's a gorgeous and lush fragrance, and is a hidden gem in Guerlain's collection.

This was my mother's signature scent. I would smell it if she was there or not. This is my all time favourite Guerlain and the best for my skin. I love the 2021 formulation. Opening is so bright and rosy, beautiful smokey heart and sensual sandalwood drydown. Longevity is pretty good on me. It's very classy and modern at the same time. On one hand I can see this wearing a flowery summer dress, but also a black leather jacket on black jeans. Big LOVE

slightly powdery peachy rose placed on a small sandalwood plate. That was what comes to my mind when I sniffed my recently arrived Nahema. I was kind of wary that the peach would turn sour on me (like some newer peach-rose perfumes do), but this is not. And the creamy sandalwood anchors and rounds up the peachy-rose combo nicely. Somehow this is warming with a touch of nostalgic to me. I am loving it! The wait for this bottle is worth it!

This is such a tempestuous, moody storm of beautiful notes. It’s the most unique fragrance I have in my collection. The rose is powerfully beautiful, and it’s supported by a fruity, powdery, earthy, floral supporting cast that definitely knows its place. I would argue that this fragrance is unisex because I would enjoy it on anyone. I don’t believe this is a safe blind buy, however, based on the reviews of others commenting here.

An evocative composition of simpe looking elements , composed to an incontestably seductive masterpiece, the peach and sandal welcomes you at first sniff, but not as loud as in Samsara, the hyacinth-patchouli duo mesmerizes you right after so elegantly, not in a subdued way as in l'heure bleu, but on a more rejuvenating , dreamy and fairytail like manner. Makes me feel like Symbad on my flying carpet every time I wear it

I have a vintage bottle from the 90's which I treasure dearly, but this is incredible too! I didn't expect for it to stay so true and close to a vintage formulation, but Wasser has done it again - exceptional work at keeping some of these old gems almost the same! I'm very impressed and will probably buy a backup at some point! Nahema is one of the most beautiful roses I have in my collection - timeless elegance!

Gorgeous, dramatic, opulent rose with a temper. Takes no prisoners and is a right little madam, but will also be your bff if you come to a mutual agreement. Drinks, swears and will get you into all sorts of trouble but somehow, by the skin of your teeth, you'll make a great escape. Fabulous and knows it, but totally worth it. Damn.

I am using the eau de parfum in bee bottle: a marvel! A classic scent with no time. I would really like to have the parfum but it could not be found. I love Guerlain's perfumes veru much and Nahema can become my favourite of all times, enclosing niche perfumes that I love and have.

Just received my bee bottle from Guerlain and i am stunned. I wanted to experience Nahema for so long but never got the chance till now. I have just this to say: This is sorcery in the bottle. I have no words left. Magic.

When will they stop reformulating fragrances that are already beautiful as they are... Just to attract a younger public? Give them Paco, Boss and the like...

Looking to sell my bottle. Full presentation. UK shipping only

Perfect. One of the best rose fragrance I’ve ever tried.

A shop had this new bottle on clearance and I blind bought it for a pittance. I heard it was discontinued. Well now it's back again? As Legendaires edition and I haven't tested the one in the shop in 2025 to see if its different than she super limited run in 2020-21? I supposed it's the same. It currently retails for almost 200 USD in Switzerland and is often discounted to 80-120 and if you find it for 60-70, it becomes, as the French say, an interesting opportunity. I doubt shops can sell this through testers because it's a shocking doozy. Aldehyde and sharp fruity top that smells weird, sophisticated yet punkish. Which Deneuve is the inspiration? Answer: "The Hunger"! It smells like the hard glamour or trash punk of the late 70s, early 80s like CBGBs. Or models in car crashes and druggy clubs and "Liquid Sky". Finally it morphs into something with a red roses on green velvet aspect and less lethal, but retains a sharp industrial chicness overall. It smells like the beautiful peaches and roses in an acid dream, not a garden. I've only worn it this cool Northern Europe summer. I bet it might work anytime of day, any season, and change a lot. Edgy night out, funeral home, halloween party, art fair. Nahema is a statement perfume not a perfume I love just wearing around the house for my own pleasure. It's a green cousin of Patou's Joy. I don't think is smells typically Guerlain.

I have retro craving lately, so I opted for this legend and I find it easily wearable. Rose dominated. A red, stiff rose. In the background I feel peach and solar quality I think from sandalwood. The rosiness is of fresh kind, exactly like on a bush or bouquet. It is sweet, deep and refined. A proud red rose. The strenght is substantial but it is comfortable to wear. And this is the opening half an hour. In the sea of scents this is a standout. With time the rose becomes sweeter and gains powdery nuances while still remaining a fresh rose. It is versatile with regards to weather, I think and can be worn during a day, but it fits a date-time for a mysterious free-spirited woman. It is so elegant, refined and romantic. After 3 hours it mellows and does no longer have all of my attention. Just a wrist test. I nearly love it. It is such a perfect rose! It dries down to be super beautiful and luxurious. Slightly lipsticky, sweet, full-bodied rose. I am in love with this phase. I don't know a better drydown. Maybe my fav Coco Mademoiselle, but she is still complex while Nahema offers complexity that plays a perfect, sweet rose. Just wow. The sweet, perfect rosy background lingers till next day. If this is how my skin is going to smell then I am going to wear Nahema often.

Others have described this scent better than I probably ever can, but for what it’s worth, whenever I put on Nahema I always imagine I’m a fantasy plant that grows lipstick shaped roses filled with white milky sap. Amazing. The crazy imaginary plant I turn into is of course merely an association and should be taken lightly but it’s just what I see/feel/smell in my mind whenever I wear it aaaaand it’s just lovely. Anyway, this review is mostly for attesting that Nahema has extraordinary longevity. This beast lasted 15 hours on my skin (I’m serious!) today and I can still very very faintly smell it (today was a bit humid and about 20 degrees Celsius, though I’ve mostly been indoors). Now that’s some serious bang for the bucks. As for sillage, I don’t have a clue to be honest as I wasn’t so focused on that today. Longevity is however much more important to me. I love love love it. Maybe not a safe blind buy or a compliment getter (not that it’s important) but it’s a unique scent that’s absolutely worth trying. 10/10

Today in the evening I applied it globally and the start is strong and harsh - the rose appears with its wood, leaves and thorns but at the same time in the background I feel a gorgeous, sweet lipstick rose that shortly takes the central stage. And this is glorious. A perfect red rose with lipstick finish. Deep and sensual. For a true lady for a night out. I feel also peaches, that add a bit of suede texture through their fragrant skin. I am falling in love with the scent. It is uncompromising, volatile, full of freedom and glory. Great decision to still have it, even if only through the legendary line. I do not feel hiacinth in the blend, or maybe just a fraction of it. And a drop of passionfruit. A fraction of patchouli and sandalwood but mainly all the notes play a new quality that is Nahema.

This one is so cold and aloof that I simply cannot feel at home with it, even though I have tried it on many times now. I just love Shalimar - I have got five versions of it - and also Samsara, of which I have both edt and edp, bee bottles. So I thought I would love anything Guerlain. I will keep it and give it another chance in the summer: maybe it will feel refreshing in the heat. It is beautiful, it is high quality - but it will obviously never be more than a ”like” for me. I still look for my ultimate warm, deep and kind of sexy rose fragrance. I am waiting for my Costume National Supergloss, which I have been told will be like a ”younger” version of Portrait Of A Lady. I have never tried POAL, but I am curious! Does anyone have a good suggestion of a warm and cosy rose??

Deep, romantic and elegant. The smell is gorgeous in the air, rounded on the skin. In the air, I smell intense, ariabian-like , refreshing rose. Also I smell intense juicy passion fruit. On my skin, it changes into chanel n5 eau de toilette: soapy 80's feeling. It smells like a classic fragrance to me. Which is what I am looking for in a Guerlain's perfume. My burberry is really close to it and contemporary. Nahema is like reading classical poetry. The meaning is commonly experienced and timeless but the style belongs to another time.

This perfume was my birthday gift to myself. As always, Guerlain’s customer service is unparalleled, and the free birthday candle has also turned me into a convert for their home goods. A very green rose, I am finding it difficult to wear during the winter. It leaves me reaching for Shalimar instead to layer it with as I search for warmth. Ultimately, it is a scent I am looking forward to revisiting in the Spring.

Upon first spray I got smoke. This fragrance smells like gliding through a café in Prague in 1920 and brushing past elegant women wearing fur and leather, smoking thin cigarettes through creamy, crimson-stained lips. You order black tea and a slice of peach cake garnished with rose petals and take a bite as thin veils of cigarette smoke coil upwards around you. This is a unique and beautiful perfume.

I also find this extremely green in the opening, reminding me of one of the Chanel’s - maybe no 19 or Cristalle. And the rose in the drydown reminds me of Commes des Garçons 2. It’s really nice, but I want more time with it. I find my “smells like” often changes when my nose becomes more familiar with the scent. But those are my comparisons on first impression.

I hope this new bottle doesn't mean another botched reformulation. The edp i sampled is about a year old from the bee bottle. It is a radiant aldehydic rose solifore. A perfect rose. Nice sillage and decent longevity. The note description here looks like it is now being morphed into a fruity floral? I hope this is not so!

This is an excellent rose on me, and I usually despise rose. It’s fruity, breezy, and just a bit of sweetness that adds to the cohesiveness of the experience. I don’t personally find this old lady on me, I actually got quite a few compliments. It’s a like like, but not a complete love.

I was hoping for a stronger rose and fruits, but on my skin hyacinth is definitely a leader. I enjoyed it though, as usual with Guerlain, all accords are high quality and simply smell nice.

Old, forgotten rose in its ripe state. As it settles, this becomes a waxy scent of an old red lipstick in a drawer. Mesmerising..

The name Nahema comes from a "1001 Nights" tale, telling the story of two twins, Mahané and Nahema, identical in beauty but very different in character; the first was gentle, docile and conciliatory while Nahema had a fiery character, daring and indomitable. This, is the story you will find on the Guerlain website and clearly, for me who is crazy about oriental scents, it made me really want to smell this perfume. I was expecting a "fiery", very spicy rose scent, but in fact not at all, it's more of a "clean", "soapy" scent. To my nose, the peach stands out just as much as the rose and fortunately the sandalwood is there to bring a slightly sensual side to the whole thing. In the end, I find it very simple, very gentle and its clean side makes me say that it should have been called Mahané... It's not my style of perfume but it's still quite pleasant.

This is the first classic Guerlain to disappoint me. I barely smell any rose. It’s very light and fresh and just nothing special to me. Did I get a bad bottle? I dunno. It’s thin, light, watery, and doesn’t last. There’s also this weird note that makes it smell like an ashtray? I expected a voluptuous, intense rose with a lot of character, but this is just totally “meh” to me. I have been wanting this for so long and I am so disappointed. As far as big roses go, I actually prefer Agent Provocateur. *UPDATE* I swear certain perfumes need time to age or rest. Is it just me? I know it's that way with oils, but yeah. This has totally transformed. I no longer get an ash tray with some cheap perfume. I get beautiful, deep, honeyed roses. Now I can smell the beauty of this and really love it. Give this one time.

Nahema is a perfume with a bit of a vintage rose scent profile. The rose is accompanied by peach and hyacinths, which give it a bit of a bitter and heightened sweetness undertone. So imagine a rose, which is extra sweet and bitter at the same time. The rose is also not a fresh rose, but more of a rose one would find in vintage soaps. Even though there aren't aldehydes listed here it feels as if there are aldehydes in Nahema due to this vintage-y scent profile. Or maybe they have just not been listed here. So imagine a vintage rose soap bar from the 1920s. If you like this sort of scent then I'd say go for it. I do like it and I don't like it at the same time. Meaning that I have to be in a mood for it.

I got it recently with high hopes. But unfortunately I can't smell that beautiful rose which everybody hypes about. It is very peachy and kind a sweet. It reminds me Tresor Edp and Allure Edp. I wait with the hope that my bottle needs a little time to show its glorry. Update: It performs really good. Longlasting, good sillage. It has with the time more depth. Aldethydetic peachy rose. Has vintage quality, not modern. I'm happy with it. I'm keeping it :)

I love the vintage tone and the uniqueness of the perfume. I've got a few "vintage" perfumes like Magie Noire and Obsession, but unlike those, this is not so aggressive. However, I'm disappointed in the sillage and longetivity, and the lack of rose. On me, it's only the hyacinth - I wish there were much more rose and sandalwood in the formulation.

This smells sooo strange and unpleasant the first 10-15 minutes I can't even describe it. Then, thankfully, it gets better and more wearable. I don't smell any roses, sadly. I'm going to keep testing, hopefully it will grow on me 🤞. Definitely test before you buy.