Nam Chaa

Nam Chaa: Naturally Charming. (chaa-ming?). This one was made to win you over: so pure and honest that it blinks its little doe eyes at you and instantly, even hardened, smoke/wood/incense freaks like me want to cuddle and protect it. Notes are honestly hard to pick out; somehow it all smudges together in a rather sweet pastel mist, so I was misled (and maybe confused by its name?) to think it was/is some sort of tropic-summer deal with coconut? or lime? or rice? along with the tea, but they're definitely not in there. The Thai-theming theme made me think of ELDO's Fils de Dieu or even Kilian's Moonlight in Heaven but clearly these must have been scent hallucinations. Like the rest of the Parfumeurs du Monde all-naturals line, it's a bit blurry, a bit hesitant, maybe a bit wholefoody-underwhelming, because it doesn't have any big lab-built molecules in to hammer home the notes. Still wholly delicious, welcoming and comforting though. It smells pale-pink, almost like lotus flower, and rather sweet, yet the texture's so light and open that you don't feel smothered. Always stays fresh and delicate rather than cloying. That same blurriness also applies to how it melts imperceptibly into the skin and seems to become part of your own natural smell, rather than a lacquered layer over the top of it. Seems extremely femme to me, but of enough quality that anyone who's all about notes and natural ingredients will be able to wear, no matter their gender. Scent bubble isn't huge, but the wafts of sillage are almost even more delectable than the more solid wafts you'll get closer to skin. Can last up to 6h depending how thickly you lather it on, but doesn't survive a full day's wear on either skin or clothes. All that should add up to a forgettable misfire, or a simple 'fine, but not for me', yet somehow it's much much more than that. Just thinking of it a few weeks after testing still makes me smile. Perfect for spring and summer days when you don't want to be as sharp as a spiky green or zesty citrus might make you feel. Pretty, certainly - practical? Not so sure. The pricing is stiff enough to be a challenge, and it might not survive many years on shelf due to the all-naturals formula ... still, I get a feeling if you had it, it would become a frequent wear almost effortlessly. Utterly winsome , and that's coming from someone who doesn't normally gravitate to the 'fresh and delicate' camp unless they're Hermessences. This is one ingenue with hidden strength of character.

Sweet, hard, glassy candy that opens with a nice mix of sparkling citrus and ginger and settles mostly medicinal. Here the champaca is cleaned and polished, the dark and dense part removed and accompanied by mate and tea, jasmine, vetiver,... and the result is a floral that at times recalls osmanthus with its leathery nuances. On my skin it lasted a full day and for the majority of the time it was sweet, bright and medicinal. You must love sweets and have a good memory of medicines to fully enjoy them. As other reviewers have noted, there is a link here to vitamins, children's antibiotics, syrups... without the lactonic notes. Sweet, bright, vibrant. Better on a woman. Cute.

For black tea lovers. Fresh and delicate, I can smell bergamot, coriander, ginger, mate... A travel! A serene moment. From the tea ceremony to the magic of spices. Versatile, easy to wear, more for spring and summer to my opinion. 9/10 Quote: "The quintessence of a generous beauty. Sitting on a Kapock cushion, I put down my book. My senses jostle between the tea plantation, the rice terraces and the wooden house. The Nam Chaa reveals its beauty in such majestic scenery. The Coriander dances with the Ginger, the Black Tea is dressed with warm and gourmand exoticism: everything seems light and new in this jungle-covered hill.. "

This is just lovely. It smells like sherbet lemons to start with- so fizzy and optimistic. Then it settles into a lovey floral tea and citrus combo. Great for summer and it makes me feel very happy. The citrus becomes less prominent and eventually the fragrance settles into a relaxing musky tea perfume. It is not complex or avant- guard- it’s just a great scent for every day summer. Unisex. Longevity about 6 hours. Sillage low to medium.

My 9 year old niece said that it smells like organge vitamin when it is dissolved in water...she is absolutely right!