Nectary

Nectary is a rose oud that really tries to do something different for the genre. One way to think of it is as a “deconstructed” rose oud, where the individual facets/notes of rose and oud are clearly and obviously separated but allowed to overlap in parts to make a lightbulb go off in your mind - rose oud...? Another way to think of Nectary, and I believe it to be a more accurate way, is the overlaying of full accords to create a Venn diagram where at the center is rose and oud. The cranberry and peach in the opening are vivid and photorealistic. They act in two different ways, the first being a beautiful evocations of oud’s fruity medicinal facet thanks to the waxy and slightly chemically character of cranberry, while secondarily the peach works in tandem with the cranberry to pull forward the fruity facets that are a part of a rose accord. The castoreum, labdanum, and civet are already reaching up from the heart to bring out oud's woods and animalics with subtle touches of leather, sticky resinous woody notes, and a sweet flora-fecal quality. The Venn layout is working quite well, but where it goes a tad bit awry in the beginning is with the rose accord. The rose remains a bit too fruity, and a bit too gelatinous to be convincing of an actual rose. The Venn diagram doesn’t center all that well, and favors inputs that make the rose smell a bit jammy and cosmetic. These do not take that long to dry down, where the gelatinous fruity aspects fall away to let green stems, ambergris, and a little bit of frankincense pull the rose back into the garden of reality and gentrify the oud. The final skin scent retains the fruity rose sitting on a bed of gray musks. Are there any actual rose or oud materials to this perfume? Yes, the brand says that there are and I have no cause to doubt them, but the interpretative statement that this perfume is not intended to be a simple presentation of an oud material and a rose material is definite. I’m convinced. This is one of the more unique handlings of the rose oud combo I have smelled in quite a while. Very nice work.

Let me start by saying: I love rose fragrances. If a perfume features a prominent rose note, there’s a good chance I’ll at least not dislike it. But not every rose scent makes my heart leap with delight. Nectary by Jorum Studio does exactly that. I discovered it during a trip to Edinburgh in their shop and was instantly smitten. It opens with a fruity rose surrounded by juicy cranberries and a hint of peach. The rose is prominent - sweet, but not sugary. Right from the start, though, you sense that there’s more lurking behind the floral-fruity top notes. Something animalic, something deep. A triple animalic combination of castoreum, civet, and musk emerges, surprisingly not “gamey” at all. Instead, it gives the otherwise innocent opening a cuddly warmth, making the rose feel like it melds harmoniously with the skin, rather than simply sitting atop it. In contrast to this warm, animalic rose, another favorite of mine is Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle, which I’d describe as a cold, dark rose. Both are unusual in their own way, both a bit daring, but Nectary stands out with its warmth and depth. I’m absolutely obsessed with this perfume! It’s probably the most beautiful warm rose scent I’ve ever encountered. The combination of rose, fruit, and animalic elements is unique and executed brilliantly.

Rose, Civet, Oud, Castoreum, Musk and Peach smack you in the face on first blast - and a blast it is, for Nectary is not a shy and retiring type. She is loud and proud and in your face, until she shusshes down just a touch, to allow a literal nectar of rose and powdery undertone to creep to the front. She is still talking quite loudly, but you have to be within earshot. She's not going to shout across the room again, as she did when she first arrived. On my long hair, she sits for days between washes, and whenever I catch her again, I'm sat inside a lush glass summer house, surrounded by orange and red blooms, dripping with nectar, while small monkeys swing from the rooftops and couples meet for illicit times. God this is ADDICTIVE. Not to be worn when trying to blend in. But if you're blending out, two pops will take you anywhere.

I thought I was enough of rose fragrances. Apparently not, because this one is absolutely gorgeous. 'Beauty & The Beast,’ this is a dominant queen with her Cerberus pet. Boozy, deep, intense, fermented, luscious, burgundy rose. No geranium detected, just an unadulterated queen rose, with a hint of succulent red fruits that add some sparkles. It also has a velvety texture and antique quality to me. Strange that the sweetness I get is more from the animalic accord, instead of the others, supposedly (you know it when you exhale). Nectary feels ‘gothic’ – It is indeed a cliché, but I rarely use the term and do not take it lightly. Definitely going to be my next purchase.

This kind of rose is my absolute favorite. I have no idea how people dont like rose, its got to be one of the best notes in perfumery. This is a piercing, icy rose similar to that of neandertal light and especially ELDO's exit the king and eau de protection. That rose is definitely the main player, but its balanced by the bitterness of the cranberry, the slight oud and musk base, and a vintage twinge from the peach. It doesn't evolve very much because it doesn't really need to, the image of the overgrown garden filled with broken pots and spilled flowers is absolutely on point. I can't really say anything more besides, if you love rose, you HAVE to try this.