Spectral Violet

begins with a burst of violets and iris (mostly orris) with bit of citrus, and when the raspberries trying to enter the scene, the vetiver comes along and dominates the raspberries. The sandalwood comes along. There is something skunky and it's not the musk! i believe it could be the seaweed! it's not shown clearly, but it's there and i can sense it, and at the same time it could be the orris since it's roots already. Good blend as it's more of 80s vintage than 2000. 45 minutes later... this reminds me ALLOT of "Dryad" by Papillon with some vanilla! Edit (9th Sept 2017) No it's not like "Dryad" my mistake.

This one reminds me a little bit of Bois de Violette by Serge Lutens, but is a lot sharper due to the galbanum, and with each note being more defined. Bois de Violette is softer and more harmonious. The difference between those two reminds me of two different artists painting the same cityscape, but one artist uses a lot of contrast and definite lines (Spectral Violet), while another artist blends colors to create a soft dusky effect (Bois de Violette). Neither is superior--it's just that some prefer sharp lines, other people blurred ones.

I like NM fragrances as they have a whole lot of study behind, and you notice that. Spectral Violet is a Violet fragrance, it starts off quite harsh/peppery, with a lot of muskyness and then morphs into a more "moderated" classic violet- very much like Borsari's Violetta di Parma. There is nothing "spectral" about it, in my opinon. Green leaves and some white flowers are in the middle notes. Does not last long, alas, and sillage is poor. All is left after 20 minutes is a flair of a faint smokey/peppery note on your skin. It's a nice one, but to me, not really on par as the other NM offerings.

Phew, okay, this one isn't for me. I love violet, and it is heavy-handed on the violet, powdery, and the vetiver's not doing it for me. Rare instance where I've found a NM scent I don't actively enjoy. The projection isn't insane but if you're inside the bubble, it's INTENSE, and I find it overwhelming. I found it has more sillage than projection, but like I said, if you're IN the bubble, phew, wow. Even if it were lighter, it would be an Okay, but I think it's just not meshing well with my skin, either. I wish I could get lime from this. By comparison, I've also tried Neil Morris's Hologram, which I REALLY like, and that is also violet, and ALSO has seaweed (though, ngl, I can't smell it in Spectral Violet), and that one wears fantastic on me. This one is just... it's too much, not so compatible with me, and not really to my tastes. Most NM frags are eternal or close to it, so I'm confused by someone said theirs had no staying power. That... does not seem physically possible with the sample I got, which I did order directly from NMF's website. Like I went lightly on this and I can already tell it's probably going to be on me until bed, unless I wash it off, which... Yeah, I might, actually. Alas! I suppose I can't fall in love with all the NM frags I try lol. This scent skews heavily feminine to me and toward a vintage taste. Something about it pushes me back comparable to how most lavender pushes me back-- they're very different smells but have a similar sort of floral scratchiness that isn't always present with the scent, but isn't uncommon to find in fragrances. I would say only wear this in winter, MAYBE the frostiest days of spring or very late autumn. Even if I was all about this one, I think it would need the cold, but it definitely doesn't feel compatible with heat. This also feels too heavy for daytime wear-- maybe if you softened it. Anyway, if this is Too Much for you, too, do consider Hologram, which absolutely delighted me the other day. On the contrary, if that was too sweet for you, maybe you'll like this. I find that most of the other notes besides violet, orris, and vetiver have been drowned out by the triad, but maybe it'll wear differently on you. Update: This is beyond eternal on clothes. I did wash this frag off that night, and additionally swapped out of my nightgown. It is three days later and it is still very noticeably there.

I find this to be very much like a blend of essential oils and fragrant oils you can buy from a "hippy" store, that where popular in the 90's. Violet stands up the most with an incense background, slightly smokey & slightly green. Dry down is quite nice. It's very strong & long lasting.