Nahema

The vintage rose that makes Jean-Paul Guerlain proud. Luca Turin bestowed on Nahema the nickname "Virtual Rose". "Daughter of Fire" is noble and sexy, with extraordinary bearing. What is burning are petals made of velvet, not fire. A back-and-forth dance song "Polileo" sets the tone for Nahema's structure. Nahema is Guerlain's second most expensive fragrance in terms of raw materials alone, at more than 2,000 francs per kilo of formula. Nahema rose to the challenge as a pioneer, and was unpopular for being too avant-garde, but after 1980, several future imitators have greatly dipped in Nahema's light, such as YSL Paris and Lancome Tresor. Not being born at the right time is a classic regret. If you query Nahema, you will find that there is a 1998 rose named Nahema, which is indeed a rose to pay tribute to Nahema and its creator Jean-Paul Guerlain. IFRA restricts methyl eugenol. The absolute content of methyl eugenol in the Bulgarian rose of Nahema is between 2.5% and 3%. In 2016, Nahema parfum was discontinued due to an IFRA ban. Nahema is bright and beautiful. Its attributes are very clear, a velvet rose with a sweet trend, the texture is like rose petals, and it is also like Catherine Deneuve's skin, delicate and delicate, like pearls and flawless. Nahema is pure and round, infinitely endearing. I would never think of a rose. Jean-Paul Guerlain has the character of being bold and daring to create new things. Nahema is not a garden, don't define and understand it directly with figurative things. On my first impressions, Nahema doesn't smell like roses, specifically, a sticky, rose dew-like consistency different from rose jam. Roses of the Nahema type, mostly seen after 1980, are still of the chypre type. Categorizing it in oriental florals is another approach. In 1975, the rose coordination proposed by Jean-Paul when he made Parure was used in Nahema in 1979. Nahema evolved from Chamade, removing the greenness in Chamade, and the rose core was infinitely enlarged and stripped. Based on Rose Nouvelle, Nahema gradually took shape and was born as an independent individual. Made with Guerlain's proud peach aldehyde, infused with a Firmenich rose base, Rosessence, the apricot presents a rich honeyed finish. The cool aldehyde fragrance, with the soft greenness of white rosin and hyacinth, the eternal peach rose-ylang-ylang smiles away, and on the honey-like texture, small and lovely molecules are built into hexagons, building a pocket Rose Tower. The conflict between cold and warm, Nahema blooming in golden light is pink in color, with the breath of early spring, beautiful and unparalleled. I smelled the Nahema again, and it showed the scene from The Roses of Heliogabalus, ecstatic, with rose petals all over the sky, fluttering lightly on the faces of the guests, blocking their breath. The standard concentration of PDT at the time of design is very practical, and the gradient of Parfum is slow and traceless. Jean-Paul said in an interview: "Nahéma, which I created in 1979, is a real bouquet of roses, a hymn to roses. It's one of my favorite scents." I was so overwhelmed by the magic of Nahema that anyone who smelled it revered or adored it, it was irresistible and completely addicted. And I know very well, I'm just amazed by the perfumery skills shown by Jean-Paul

oh, nahema! i've waited a long time to try this, unable to find a tester at ANY guerlain counter in multiple countries (i travel a lot). i heard that nahema does NOT age well, so i avoided the vintage juice. i read several interviews with thierry wasser, head perfumer at the house of guerlain and hand-picked successor to jean-paul guerlain. he talks about the increasing fragrance restrictions that requires extensive reformulations of the classic house fragrances—including nahema. wasser is generally regarded as a very good reformulator. so long story short, i wanted to smell the very latest version of nahema. quick note on extrait vs. eau de parfum. the extrait was discontinued in 2016, though it is still available. i decided to seek out the freshest (and only current) version: the 2017 eau de parfum. now on to my review.... oh. my. goddess. there is NOTHING that compares to nahema. it's a unique bird: exotic, mesmerizing, unforgettable. as such, it's not for everyone. the opening is powerful and in-your-face. i detect two strong notes: green and rose. the green note is hyacinthus orientalis, or rose hyacinth. i love it so much. i keep sniffing through the composition to identify this note. it's strong at the opening and stays through the middle, though in decreasing strength. sometimes i can even smell it in the dry down. the second opening note is of course the rose. this is an oily, powerful rose. it has that lemon note in bulgarian rose oil. i usually dislike that lemon note in rose as too sharp and strong, but in nahema it works. jean-paul guerlain simply could not have used a mild, pretty rose in his composition; it would not have worked in such a statement fragrance. the strong opening mutes quickly into a medium sillage green rose heart. the middle character of nahema is quite blended. it's harder to isolate just the green or just the rose, so i call it "green rose". the dry down is surprising to me. usually i lose most of the green and rose and get just a sweet woods and vanilla base. this base is quite different from the opening and middle. i don't mind it, but that "big" character of nahema is gone. never in a perfume have i smelled such a clear opening, middle and end. despite nahema being a "big rose" its life cycle is only 3-4 hours on my skin. i believe this is largely due to the fragrance restrictions. the old formulas were touted as sillage monsters, but for better or worse that is not the case in 2017. i find nahema perfect as an evening fragrance, with just the right longevity for a date night or cocktails with the girls or an evening of debauchery ;-) nahema wears well in the winter and in open air, as well. in summary, nahema is magnificent.

I was 18 when Nahema hit the stores. A lover of Opium, Shalimar and Cinnabar (as I still am). I had no time for this with its roses. I was scarred by Lauder's florals of the time and the imo hideous Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose that women of my mother and grandmothers age were overspraying themselves with. I still don't like those. and I'm picky about rose in fragrance. But I love Nahema. I've read it's totally synthetic rose, and I've read that it contains huge amounts of rose absolute. Interesting, but in the end I don't really care which is true. Nahema bursts open as a fresh, damp-leaved bouquet of roses - red, pink, coral and yellow - with a bit of hyacinth and the peach of Mitsouko. The aldehydes in this have a very different effect than I expect with aldehydes - no soapiness. I can't find words to describe it but they are there on the top and give the perfume a sort of joyous lift. It's a gorgeous, happy, elegant fragrance. I'm not generally a big fan of green notes but they are perfect here. The rose just goes on forever. When the aldehydes and peach walk away there are more flowers - jasmine, hyacinth, I don't know what else. It seems that the peach and the green are dynamic at this point. I catch whiffs as I move my hands for a few hours, but when I sniff my wrists they're gone. In the drydown I get subtle, velvety sandalwood - rich and luxurious but not at all heavy - with a bit of fruit, some vetiver and the lightening yet ever present rose. I see vanilla listed but I've never picked up on that. Rose is the star here from start to finish. Without deliberately thinking about it I wouldn't much notice any other flowers, they're all background for the rose. I get neither powder nor wateriness from Nahema at any point. There's a hint of sweet but nothing like the sweetness of currently popular perfumes. I guess it's a soliflore but it's not a linear scent. It's much more interesting than any of the other rose soliflores I've worn. I'm afraid that I'm one of those old ladies who is all like "Back in my day our perfumes lasted all day, the sillage was huge, and the oakmoss was real." I have a new tester of the parfum and a 1985 bottle of Parfum de Toilette, and I had a 2010 edp. I assume there have been reformulations along the way but I don't really notice a major difference in Nahema like I do with so many others. The sillage is great (more with the pdt/edp than the parfum of course) and longevity for me is all day.

Absolutely staggered by this perfume. I'd tried a vintage sample of this years ago and my recollection was 'very nice, rose dominant, Guerlainesque' and this was all I had in my mind but it's sooooooooo sooooooo good. So another great pal sent me a vintage sample recently and I'm blown away by a key element of this perfume, the rose as a fleeting top note. Well it's not fleeting it remains present probably but not in the way I've experienced in any other perfume, it's like a wave of the most beautiful, faceted, sweet but not too sweet, almost cool (temperature wise), perfect rose absolute washes over you and then retreats right the way back so this exotic, powdery, floral mixture with warm vanillic amber tones and inherent, classy, gorgeousness can come to the forefront. It basically flips from fresh, vibrant, rose dominant opening (and super intact fruity pitchy topnotes for the age of this bottle BTW) to all of a sudden a sort of exotic infused, white floral, Lilly of the valley but with a really resinous warm, vanillic (in a good way) ambery base. It's an absolute revelation!!! It's not pungent or commanding in that way old, seen as stuffy, "WOMEN'S" florals can be. I'm absolutely enamoured and looking at the notes list here, rose in the top notes (and it's in the heart too but I'm gonna give Fragrantica some credit here) is really accurate because it's there, then it's basically gone. Working with rose, understanding and experiencing rose perfumes, I've never witnessed this effect, and Jean Paul Guerlain did that. I think it's creative genius and we've not even really got into the base which is one of the most nose nuzzling drydown's I recall experiencing. Listed here is peru balm and I'll go along with that as I've read that used correctly in an amber accord of sorts it creates a playful powdery sort of effect, even though when you smell the raw material or use in heavier doses and you get a spicy, cinnamon/clove/anise inflected heavy balasmic resin effect. Everything about this screams quality to me and has come at a time I maybe needed it as I'm feeling slightly disillusioned with everything at the moment and Nahema has done a great job of lifting my spirits. Fantastic!!! Now comes the hard part... keeping myself away from eBay, Etsy and the like because a vintage bottle of this is likely to set me back a few quid.

This really is a bit of a masterpiece. I am wearing a decant from a wonderful fellow Frangrantician, and I'm not sure which version I am wearing, but I think it's the most recent EDP from the bee bottle. I gave this a quick spray to get a sense of it when I first received it months ago, but quickly realized that one must devote some serious time to unlock and appreciate just how singular this perfume is, and today is the day I am doing so. The first few minutes are almost intolerably dry and medicinal on my skin, so much so that if I was a fragrance novice I would have immediately scrubbed upon application! However, it does not take very long before Nahema begins to unfurl, releasing a rose that somehow manages to be simultaneously hyper realistic AND abstract. There is a honeyed sweetness that steers well clear of cloying territory through use of spices, woods, and resins. Again, I find myself marveling at the contradictions, the duality of this fragrance - real AND abstract, sweet AND dry. I use "dry" the way a wine lover would, not as the opposite of "wet". It is extremely difficult for me to identify individual notes, other than the majestic rose, and I don't think I'd want to even if I could. I am far more content just allowing Nahema to be Nahema - far, far greater than the sum of her parts. Right now, I am just enjoying the ride! I am not one to limit myself to wearing certain types of perfumes based upon what clothing I am wearing. This is the exception to the rule. I plan on purchasing a full bottle, and can only see myself wearing this under the most special of circumstances, not because I think it needs to be preserved for those moments, but because it almost demands to be worn in situations where it's beauty can be fully exploited. Nahema is NOT an "I don't know what to wear so I will just spray some of this on" type of fragrance. As a matter of fact, that is probably the only aspect of this work of art that is not based on duality. Is this my favorite perfume ever based upon my personal likes and dislikes? No, but I would be hard pressed to name any other fragrance that is superior to Nahema in terms of it's execution. It exists among a pantheon of masterpieces where others may equal but none exceed.

I had a mishap with this perfume. I ordered a vintage pure parfum in the mail, along with Mitsouko and Petit Guerlain. It traveled all the way from Ireland to Canada, and when I opened the box - just guess. Mitsouko and Nahema had spilled. It was revolting, the combined scents filling my home for two days afterward. It took me weeks to be able to try what was left in my bottle of Nahema for the first time. It took me several more weeks to be able to think about reviewing it. So here I am. I'm a big rose fan, and this is something bigger than a rose. It's ros-y, for lack of better word. I do love the glassiness and heaviness of this scent. It reminds me of a millefiori vase, coloured burgundy, purple, green and black, in a dark room, sitting in front of flickering candlelight. I don't like the aldehydes in Chanel scents, but I like them in Guerlain. A couple hours after applying ONE drop (and only ever one, please!!!) of this pure parfum, I started looking around for what smelled so good. It was. . . me. The person who mentioned rotting pumpkins... it's interesting, there is something that smells damp in this perfume that turns the sandalwood more earthy to me than woody. I like it, though, it gives the peach a kind of red apple glow. Once at university, I went to a fancy party where I met a Baron, and he whisked me away for a night of expensive wine and romance. Around lunchtime the next day, while I was back at home working on an important paper, I could smell roses... or was it red apples? The scent was strong everywhere but I couldn't find the source until I realized it was myself. The massive amount of wine I drank was coming through my skin... and it was turning into something pretty! This perfume reminds me of that scent. The day after I wore Nahema for the first time, I realized that everything smelled... kind of bad. Everything. My sofa, my clothing, my car, the whole city. Nahema had cast a glow over everything, and I missed it. Nahema is beautiful, it adds so much to life. I've only been in Paris once, and only during the day. When I wear Nahema, I feel like I've been there at night, too. I feel like I have memories of beautiful, romantic, adventurous things I haven't even done.

Nahema in pure parfum form is a stunning, bewitching and spellbound creation. Translated as Daughter of Fire, it is dark and opulent rose, seductive, sensual and passionate. It is one of my favorite rose creations and I think it truly deserves its revered place among rose lovers. I also own modern EDP version of it but it does not come even close to the pure parfum’s beauty. I can smell the difference right from the first sniff. The opening of the pure parfum is a deep, earthy, woody and balmy elixir infused with rose petals. It is opulent, rich and silky soft. It smells divine. The EDP version opens with rather sharp, woody green and also a bit balmy rose notes but there is something in the opening that reminds me of a wet wood that I don’t like. It is missing the sultry smooth qualities of the pure parfum. In the heart notes, the pure parfum develops into a heavenly rose. It is elegant, slightly powdery, dark and velvety. There is a slight woody note that mixes perfectly with the luscious beauty of the rose. Perhaps it is peru balsam. The middle notes of EDP version are quite different from the pure parfum. It is a bright floral bouquet of the rose, lilac, jasmine, ylang-ylang and lily of the valley. I do like this stage way better than the opening. It smells pretty and girly. But I miss the opulent, velvet rose that I love in the pure parfum. The base notes of pure parfum are very rich and smooth. The vanilla is noticeable but it is not a gourmand but woody vanilla and vetiver. I find that the pure parfum lasts longer than EDP and it develops for quite some time on my skin. The sillage of this beauty is not overpowering. The scent stays close to the skin but it definitely lasts and has a presence. The base of EDP is less complex. It is powdery vanilla and sandalwood. It also lasts shorter than the pure parfum. Pure parfum – 10/10 EDP - 7/10 If you really want to experience what Daughter of Fire is all about then I definitely suggest locating the pure parfum. I will go to another planet to get a sniff of this scent.

Whew! I ordered a sizeable 8 ml sample from Surrender to Chance of the good stuff--and at first whiff, I almost passed out. Aldehydes! And just...strong. I did not get rose until I shoved my nose deeply into my wrist and imagined a rose. I tried it again. I liked it. I tried it one more time, throwing caution to the wind (spraying lavishly with no intention of meeting anyone in public for three hours)--and I loved it. Its stage on me is about 3-10 minutes long, very strong aldehyde, almost "fake" smell with the bergamot, & "uber floral." After one hour, the rose, the peach, ylang-ylang come out in force more gently (though this is not quite like any of the roses I've smelled before--and I personally would NOT call it a rose scent). The vanilla, woods, and trace vetiver appear later in the composition. After hitting this lovely sample hard, I also kept getting whiffs of "Kenzo Jungle Elephant." It isn't quite as tropical, not quite as warm and spicy, and not quite as sweet--but definitely I smell a kinship. Luca Turin writes that it's "like an explosion played in reverse: a hundred disparate, torn shreds of fragrance propelled by a fierce accelerating vortex to coalesce into a perfect form that you fancy would then walk toward you, smiling as if nothing had happened..." This is one time I have to agree with him. It is an explosion. Regarding the "is there rose or not" debate, my sense of this perfume is that there is not an "actual rose" in this, though "actual" in perfumery these days is slippery. Molecules...molecules... I do think this is a sleight of hand olfactorily speaking. I almost get a spicy, pepper, carnation smell that roses DO have--but this doesn't smell like that kind of rose. There are similar notes in both Nahema and Kenzo Elephant, but only a few; however, this is reminiscent of that lovely (big, bold) beauty, so if you like this, you may like that and vice versa. I'm through with my sample and may be in search of more juice!

I thought I’d fallen had for Shalimar Vanille Mexique and Parfum Initial but Nahema has stolen my heart yet again! I’m ecstatic that the decant bottles have screw top lids so I can keep sniffing the perfume straight from the bottle to sample the top notes – rather than spraying it and wasting any of this precious juice. Initially, Nahema, to me, is amazingly bright and fresh roses complete with that citrusy tang that makes fresh roses so delightful and topped off with a touch of gorgeous ylang ylang... I’ve been inhaling this like an addict for the last hour and, as intense as it is, I haven’t the slightest feeling of having had enough – I think I could bathe in this stuff! It is truly divine! From the dabs I put on my wrist a couple of hours ago, I felt the top notes lasted for the first hour or so then it began to develop into a warmer rose/vanilla aroma... it’s mellowed considerably but still enchantingly beautiful. I can’t pick up the softer nuances of the dry-down at the moment (probably because I keep going back and sniffing the top notes from the bottle!) but I know they are there because I was getting slight wafts of them a short while ago – soft powdery, dusty rose with the occasional burst of freshness again when I move in certain ways. As a note of interest, I found this transcript of an interview with Theirry Wasser... It seems that the rumours of Nahema containing no rose are untrue.. "Nahema! There is so much rose in it. I think, with Après L'Ondée, it's my second most-expensive concentrate. So much rose! Absolute, oil and everything. And that's why IFRA is after it, because of the rose and the methyl eugenol. Rose from Bulgaria is between 1.5% to 2% methyl eugenol, and the absolute is 2.5% to 3%. And that's the chemical which, allegedly, potentially, will kill us all. I really and truly suspect that Nahema is a weapon of mass destruction.' Extract from Persolaise blogspot or google 'nahema-is-weapon-of-mass-destruction'

Great scent, one of my favourite ones, another stunning old Guerlain. It's not easy to wear, because it's strong and requires certain chemistry. It's very powerful, luscious, rose power witn peach and honey and I also detect some spicy black tea. In the drydown woody notes come out very softly. In spite of its strenght and invasive aura, it can be very suave, too. It all depends on your chemistry and style. If it doesn't suit you it will wear you like a big animal. I tested it many years ago for the first time in Parfum strenght and although I was in delight it was not me at all and it almost stinked. Many years after I wear the Parfum de Toilette wnen I'm in a mood for that and i love it on my skin. A little goes on a long time. Overapply would be a big mistake. Nahema likes small doses on pulse points that swift small clouds of scent every now and then, like a sensual recall "I'm there". Extremely womanly, also classy in a gipsy way (don't know if it makes sense), I hardly can see it worn by a man, but who knows? I think it's a very luscious and sensual fragrance, but to be honest it's not one that provoke waves of appreciation among people. Women like it better than men. Men say: "Old lady!" Not my aim really. Its firey elegance is not well understood. Once I sprayed some before going out for Mardi Gras dressed in total devil red with little red horns, devil tail and everything and a very demure but sensitive girl told me: "This scent seems very suitable for a little devil!" Well, I took it as a compliment :-) I don't look like a devil vamp very often :-) If only! Actually I have a quiet youngish appearance in spite of my age, I'm small and look more like a grown-up Little Red Hood. Anyway I wear Nahema. If they ever discontinue this one Guerlain can go to the trash bin together with all the silly works they've done lately just to be alligned with easy-going tastes.

Now watch me let rip. Nahéma is without question my desert island perfume. If I could forego every other perfume house for Guerlain, I could forego every other Guerlain, even Shalimar, Mitsouko and Apres L'Ondée, for Nahéma. Except that the latest soup that was sold in bottles labelled Nahéma, before it was withdrawn from general sale, was just not it. I wear a mid-noughties pure perfume, but I also have a 1984 vintage and though they are not identical, they are the same thing: Rembrandt copying Reubens. Yes, it is a rose perfume (and I have found roses which smell astonishingly like Nahéma) but there is so much more. Not a hint of the banality of the soliflore. The intelligence with which it is constructed is astonishing. And on a simply emotive level, it has an unquestionable force. Not the offensive force of Poison or Opium (kudos to anyone who can wear them nowadays) but something much more refined. A beautiful, intelligent person with excellent conversation. I always get compliments when I wear it. And this is what I find so hard to understand. It is incomparably superior to the endless flankers and sub-flankers of Petite Robe Noire yet it is less popular. Why? Only because it has not received the right marketing treatment. Miss Dior and No19, which for me both smell of snide comments over tea and cake circa 1950, are still big sellers, and even No5, which is perhaps the perfume which anyone in the street would most likely name when asked to a name a perfume, any perfume, still has millions thrown at keeping sales high. So why let Nahéma, a masterpiece, be forgotten? I probably have to reconcile myself to a world without Nahéma, so my two bottles are being carefully managed. And all I have to say to finish, is thank you to my Guerlain mentor who introduced me to it and, Jean-Paul Guerlain, I salute you. Chapeau.

This is for Nahema EDP in the refillable Habit de Fete metal flacon, mine is probably about 15 years old. Ever since Nahema disappeared from my local Dept store I’ve been “rationing” it. A few days ago online, I found & ordered a newer bottle...yay! Hoping it hasn’t changed too much (will add an edit on my impression when it arrives) Nahema is (imo) unlike any other rose perfume out there. I’ve tried/bought (& passed on!) a lot of rose scents - because often I find them too fruity/citrusy, & my brain & nose reads them as coming off as sour. I’m not great at picking apart notes, so won’t even try here. What I can say is that Nahema is, I think, THE most soft creamy dessert like rose I’ve ever come across. Not fruity/citric at all - It’s like a soft sweet lightly spiced pink rose bouquet on the typical Guerlain base. It reminds me of both Chamade & LHB, all of them I think are fantastic. Nahema is beautiful, from the initial truly dizzying blast of the stunning top notes, right down to the soft comfortable dry down. I wore Nahema a few days ago & then went perfume shopping. The SA gave me 3 blotters of high end stuff. I told her I’d choose one & then pop back later. As I continued shopping I kept noticing gorgeous wafts of scent which I kept trying to identify from the blotters. After about 10 minutes I realised that the gorgeous wafts were actually my Nahema! I never bothered to go back, there didn’t seem any point. I thought I loved most rose perfumes, but I think the reality is that what I actually love is the rose of Nahema, ”real” rose or not, I don’t know...or care 😀 Edit: New formulation arrived (EDP in bottle with inverted heart cap). It still smells great & still smells like Nahema. Posted review on new page.

Nahema is such a strange smell. I am not a big rose person nor a big vetiver person but I am a big Guerlain person (this house only produces quality, or at least did back in the day) so its up to me to educate my palate!. I got this to complete my collection. I am slowly learning to understand this more. Its like an old fashioned turkish delight, its a musty, damp rose. Someone here wrote its goth, I can see that. It intrigues me. Many Guerlains have this strange push and pull, with notes that I don’t find easy but which keep me interested. It will never be a scent that I will looooove but it is something that, in small doses, on the right day, in the right mood, I will quietly, tentatively sample. It makes me think of Cairo at the time of the heyday of the Mena House Hotel, Agatha Christie murder mysteries and ladies having high tea, maybe laced with poison. Clarification: the above is for the Bee Bottle version, just before they discontinued it. I recently had an opportunity to test the extract de parfum of the older version and oh my god, it was divine. Out of this world beautiful. I actually like them both but the ‘goth’ designation only applies to the bee bottle formulation which is different, but interesting in its own right. The original Nahema though - absolutely incredible, so beautiful, so intoxicating.

Nahema. Guerlain certainly put an effort not just into the composition of their perfumes, but also in putting a name to their latest creation. And this one is not of minor importance or unremarkable, quite the opposite. A rose so plush and full, like no one had ever imagined her before. Nahema must be the definitive rose fragrance of all time. The opening is dirty, to be sure, and one needs to get used to this quality of this fragrance. It’s not designed with a flaw in mind, the fragrance is just so strong that the initial sensation is a bit too much for your nostrils. I ascribe the dirtiness to the Peru balsam, as well as to the hyacinth, lilac and ylang-ylang. Then, you just need to be patient and allow yourself to be carried on a cloud of exquisite florals, rose foremost. The miracle of Nahema works all day long, without a sign of weakening in sight. Consider yourself warned about the imminent floral orgy you will be subjecting yourself to, and others around you, when wearing Nahema. I am not too surprised to find out Nahema has disappeared from online outlets. Hardly anyone can pull her off in our time, and her production costs must have been exorbitant, keeping the same quality. Still, the relatively high price I paid for my bottle seems negligible compared with the quality of the contents.

Guerlain NAHEMA is a truly unique creation. It actually reminds me of chewing on crayons for some reason. Not that I've ever chewed on crayons, but the texture feels the same to me as I imagine it would feel to chew on crayons. What is odd, however, is that instead of being put off by the slightly soft crayon wax, I actually love it! In spite of all that has been written about the lack of any true rose in this composition, I myself do smell a dark red, very rich rose quality here. True, it is nothing like the rose notes of typical rose perfumes--whether soliflores or fruity florals. And I also prefer the quality of the rose note here to that of rose geranium, which often accompanies or substitutes for rose. What marks NAHEMA as distinct is that this "rose" is coated with wax: these "petals" are dense and thick and waiting to be shaved—or chewed. Is NAHEMA the queen of all rose perfumes? I think that to make such a claim is to do a great disservice to this sui generis perfume, as it exhausts its own genre. It doesn't really make sense to compare this to anything else. It is what it is, and it's not what it's not. One thing is clear: it's definitely nothing like any other perfume known to me. Many thanks to the generous fellow fragrance traveler who sent me this beauty!

I bought a new bottle of EdP as mine from 2007 is reaching bottom. The new one apparently is from 2009. Well... there is a considerable difference between the two! The older one is definetely stronger, more balsamic and more nuanced with lilac and hiacynth really coming out in a beautiful evolution that keeps changing all the time. Nahema was never a perfume with a friendly first impact. I remember being repulsed and chocked the first time I smelled it when I was a teenager. A few years later I fell in love with it. Not one that I wear often, but I love having it in my collection. The new bottle smells much weaker, with the usual cut on notes. It smells nice and still recognisible as Nahema, but it's less luscious and juicy, more pungent with an airy rose in the opening. After a while it settles to usual Nahema on fabrics, but less complex. On my skin the 2009 lasts only 2 hours as faint rose, where the 2007 keeps 4 hours and still nuanced. I will use my new bottle, it's nice, but won't re-purchase a new one after 2007. Being so expensive I cannot see the reason for poor quality. Oh, yes, health... and profit!

Nahema EDP (in the modern formulation) is a beautiful, soft, hauntingly lovely creation. Not a pure rose fragrance--it contains many of the sweet flowers of springtime like jasmine, lily of valley, hyacinth, and some fruity accords--it nonetheless "imprints" as a luscious rose scent to the nose. The combination of many floral accords deepens the middle notes and makes a more rounded, interesting fragrance. Even the opening is quite soft, the aldehydes whisper, not shout, and rose begins to appear almost immediately. Nahema stays soft throughout; the drydown is fruity and gently woody; very harmonious from beginning to end. Some fragrances have such a moodiness about them, (oddly enough, many of these come from the house of Guerlain, like L'Heure Blue and Mitsouko) and this is another slightly melencholy scent, in spite of its beauty. It makes me happy but at the same time makes me aware of the brevity of beauty in the world; the fleeting rose, glorious one day and dropping its petals the next. Sillage is good, longevity about 8-9 hours. A lovely day or night fragrance. Highly recommended.

Nahema is almost impossible to review because I can hardly pick out individual notes. In fact, I'm not sure I would have guessed rose was in this. It is certainly neither the chintzy, pale pink variety nor a realistic soliflore. What I do know is that I love this, and it renews my faith in perfume. Rather than notes, I get a few olfactory memories jogged by this scent: slitting open a dandelion stem with my thumb nail, peeling the labels off crayola crayons, Christmas cooking with honey and spices, a glass of red wine. This smells like nothing else. This is probably a very unhelpful review but everyone should rush out and try this. You will need to ask for it, most likely, as they keep it tucked away behind the Petite Robe Noire et al. But do ask for it, as my local Guerlain SA said there are rumours that some classics are going to be discontinued (and the extrait has already gone). The downside is that you'll have to cope with one of the less attractive bottles, the considerable upside is that you'll smell incredible.

I just received a .27 oz travel spray from Fragrancenet. I am sure,of course, that it is the newer formulation of Nahema. But..I don't care ...this Nahema is wonderful. As a Guerlain fanatic.....all these years....I never ever smelled Nahema before.....!!!....How did I over-look it ????? duh !!! First spritz, I get florally aldahydes....with a musty leather....to my nose...IMO. The rose effect then comes out, but it is not a "typical" rose....a balsamic rose.......if that makes any sense....???...lol. IMO.....I am getting a vibe of Cabochard...with rose added.....the scent becomes a little sweet as it dries down....and the aldehyde vibes comes back....I also get vibes of a more sweet Robert Piquet Bandit....or even Balmain Miss Balmain and slightly EL Azuree....a maybe if a touch of Habanita,,,?? I can only imagine what the "original" smells like.....or the extrait. With all this said and done....this is vintage-y and classic Guerlain. Glad I finally discovered Nahema. Need a full size bottle.....ASAP !!

(Review Edp) I Change My Mind So Many Times about this fragrance. My first impression wasn't the best, I thought Nahema was overly sweet for my taste, and difficult to assimilate, duet to the Bittersweet notes. So It has taken some time for me to appreciate Nahema's beauty. Recently I try various samples of the best rose fragrances and they bore me to death! That's when I realized how good Nahema is. I get Peach and a Green-lemony edge, it's strong at the beginning, but it became increasingly a Spicy-fruity-Rose fragrance less green, more soft and pleasant as time progresses. Nahema outshine Chamade and jardin bagatelle. Chamade and Jardin are too greeny and not as pleasant as Nahema. I don't really see the similarities between chamade and this fragrance. They are quite different, Nahema makes more emphasis on Rose and Peach, and on the other hand, balsam, cloves and amber shine more on Chamade. Good Sillage and Lasting-Power!