No.13 Nouvelle Vague

It’s so interesting seeing all of the polarizing reviews and everybody’s personal experiences with this fragrance, and their takeaway. It’s amazing just how much body chemistry plays an extraordinary role in one’s olfactory experience, and people’s sense of a fragrance on their skin vs. on paper, or worn by another person etc. I’m a dude, and I really enjoy the smell of coconut. It has been much harder than I thought it would be for me to come by a fragrance that is coconut dominant, or at least one with a nice, well rounded coconut note that compliments the fragrance as a whole, and doesn’t feel out of place, overly synthetic, or cloying. Pretty much every fragrance I’ve come across looking for “the one” is more often than not heavily reminiscent of sunscreen, or is a gourmand, heavy and rich to the point of being cloying, and feminine. So I’ve been looking for a nice coconut fragrance for a while! I absolutely love Creed Virgin Island Water, it’s one of my favourite fragrances, though is quite a bit more citrus forward, with a hint of the most delicious coconut note. I’ve been mainly unsuccessful in my journey of finding a fresh realistic coconut note akin to the quality of the latter. I really like this fragrance, both the oil and EDP. On my skin it’s a very simple, linear, refreshing coconut scent. I don’t get sunscreen, or rubber, and I find it perfectly unisex. I’m of the mindset that not every fragrance has to have beast mode silage and longevity, and be overly complex. This is a nice and simple, refreshing coconut forward fragrance. It’s projection is intimate but I still get compliments when I wear it. It’s a great on its own, and when layered with other fragrances (especially freshies on a hot summer day - but I can see this layered with warmer frags during the colder months). Don’t let the comments dissuade you from trying this, I’ve been wearing it a lot and quite enjoy it in this hot weather. But it seems like this wouldn’t be a safe blind buy, considering people’s experiences seem to heavily differ due to everyone’s unique skin chemistry, which is super interesting! It’s something to keep in mind if testing a fragrance on paper, it might smell completely different on your skin.

I agree with reviews that Maison Louis Marie no. 13 Nouvelle Vague eau de parfum opens with the scent of lemons, progresses to a powdery floral perhaps such as lily of the valley, and stays on the wrist like oceanic sandalwood and something vegetal. I don't see no. 13 as coconut dominant, and I am not familiar enough with fig to comment. Yes there is something to round out the fragrance that could be described as amber, or musk. Personally I like how natural this fragrance smells, conveying elegantly dressed people at a marketplace by the seaside with some blooming flowers around and humid air. I can easily see it being worn in spring or winter as it has a scent a bit like old books. Despite having citrus I think Nouvelle Vague is less of a "clean" scent and more of a lived in, musky botanical scent that you can equally wear to go hiking in with boots and to a coastal restaurant with a straw bag. Despite this description as well it's not very heavy due to its moderate projection and the way the lemongrass and lily of the valley lingers. I think Nouvelle Vague can be unisex, perhaps for a man that does not mind smelling like florals, and has a romantic disposition. No I don't get anything like rubber or plastic or fake coconut or sunscreen. I think No.13 Nouvelle Vague is a pleasant, very natural scent, exactly like some of my scent memories of flowers on the breeze. But I think this isn't a scent for everyone, even if I do find it well rounded.

Green, bright, fresh, joyful. While others cite coconut as the first & most predominant note they encounter in this fragrance, I smell a green & creamy fig haloed in the diaphanous, watery sweetness of lily of the valley (a note not listed on Fragrantica, but noted on the Maison Louis Marie website). I smell the sunshine in this fragrance; luminous, simple, & truly fresh, not in the way that term is so often used—as in “clean laundry”, “shampoo”, “soap”, etc—No, I can imagine smelling this while strolling through an open air market on the Mediterranean: verdant zip of leaves & tree bark, fresh figs split & rosy, distant tang of lemon rind, white flowers nodding on a sea-softened breeze. As with Diptyque’s Philosykos, there is something in this that feels nostalgic to me; something in its joyous greenness that reminds me of being a child beneath the trees, playing in the latticed shadows of leaves—it makes me smile. &, at the same time, I can imagine this scent lingering on the nape of a woman’s neck as she walks barefoot on a summer day. & I want to be her as much as the child among the leaves.

Really pleasantly surprised by this one. A new favourite summertime scent. Smooth and creamy, soft and beachy. Very round, well blended, and balanced. Beachy but not screechy sharp sunscren. The coconut is milky, not toasted flesh and not salty coconut water. Compared to other beachy coconut type scents: No "sunscreen" vibe like Tom Ford Soliel Blanc, MM Replica Beach Walk, or Bobbi Brown Beach. Has a sunny feel, but no bright sparkling citrus like D&G Dolce Shine. Not floral like Juliet Has A Gun Lust For Sun or Phlur Solar Power. Coconutty but more fresh than Comptoir Sud Pacifique Coco Extreme. Similar to but more smooth than 7 Virtues Coconut Sun and Nest Balinise Coconut. This is suitable for day or night, smooth and creamy, sweet but not cloying. Easy beachy vibes. Remains consistent throughout wear - the milky coconut and fig does not burn off and dry down to dry dusty woods or musk. Scent bubble is moderate - not overpowering, but people around you will notice. Longevity is incredible - lasts days on clothes and hair.

I've been wearing the oil for about a week and I really like it. I agree with the review below it is very similar to BBW Brown Sugar and Fig. My daughter actually thought that what was what I was wearing! There are some floral hints in this, though. Also within the first hour or two the fig reminds me vaguely of the fig in Womanity, but without any of the salty and briny qualities of Womanity. Womanity is one of my favorites. I feel like Nouvelle Vague does not have enough sillage for me, but I do really like it and may get the full size oil. The sillage is fine for the first hour or so, the longevity is amazing though. Applied at 4pm yesterday, it's now 9am and I can still smell it. I have the mini oil and am burning through it due to the sillage issue. I may see if the spray perfume has more throw. I have both the oil and parfum in NO 4 Bois de Balincourt, layering works well.