Order Out of Chaos: The Scents of Nu_Be

The "perfume release fatigue" that dear Ida references in one her Scented Snippets is a reality. I devour all the stories about new fragrance releases and I eagerly try any scent that comes my way. So many fall into the "nice, but we've smelled this before" category of crowd-pleasers that one wonders if there is indeed nothing new under the sun. 

 

That being said, all it takes is one good scent to renew my faith, so imagine what happens when FIVE good scents arrive in a surprise package from Italy! 

 

 

There is something to be said for sniffing a house's entire collection at once. If it's a well-executed project, the concept runs throughout the entire collection like a fine silver thread. Fluidounce says, "Nu_be draws a map of the advent of the primary elements, as an access key to a unique vision. An adventurous trek that begins far, far away to end up as life on Earth: from a cloud in sidereal space, the celestial dust itself becomes a 'new being,' alive and transformed." Each scent in the Nu-be collection opens with an unusual (not unpleasant) chemical aroma that one would expect with such elemental names as Helium, Hydrogen and Lithium. What takes place after that is a testament to the quality of the ingredients in Nu_be fragrances, and to the talent of the perfumers behind the scents.

 

 

First off, you should know that all five scents are fully unisex. My husband—let's call him Mr. NLS—is also a fragrance lover. We both wear any scents we like, regardless of the marketing campaign's targeted gender, but he posits that most "unisex" fragrances trend towards tradtional feminine notes. "Unisex" is a term thrown around too lightly. Each of us gave all five Nu_be scents multiple test drives and we are fully confident in their wearability by either gender. 

 

Also noteworthy with all five: their sillage and longevity! The packaging does not indicate what concentration the Nu_be fragrances are, but they must be at least Eau de Parfum. Two or three spritzes are required at most—more could easily overwhelm, and the scent lasts on skin for eight hours or more. I could smell the last faint traces of Oxygen a good 12 hours later. A spritz of Hydrogen on my scarf was still noticeable a few days later. All five Nu_be scents are a worthwile addition to anyone's collection if you like the notes. 
 

 

Oxygen is surprisingly spicy, given its name. Perfumer Antoine Lie explains, "the idea was that of an oxygenated wood." The fragrance opens with an aroma of old books—a "library" smell of paper, glue and furniture polish, but transforms after 15 minutes or so to a hot spicy mix of saffron, olibanum (frankincense) and pepper. I notice vetiver before the musk and aldehydes make an appearance. The  overall dry, spicy dustiness of Oxygen is a breath of fresh air (pun intended) after a series of perfume mixed metaphors that somehow equate oxygen with aquatic notes.

 

Lithium is the most unusual scent in the collection and will probably not be everyone's taste. Perfumer Nicolas Bonneville says, "Lithium to me is the element of contrast. Even if its Greek meaning is 'stone, it is the lightest of metals." This duality inspired the scent, in which Bonneville portrays the element by "slowly evoking the smell of flint, the heat after the spark." The dirty mineral smell of iris is enhanced by a metallic note of saffron. Warm and earthy patchouli balances the woody aromas of the dry-down. Lithium has the most "chemical" aroma of the bunch, bordering on bitter, with the sum greater than any of the parts. 

 

Carbon opens with a clean, astringent note—the closest thing I can recall to this scent are the little "wet napkins" some restaurants give to patrons after a meal. Sort of a spicy citrus aroma, although Carbon doesn't appear to contain any citrus notes. It quickly becomes a non-sweet foody-spicy scent, undercut by sandalwood. Francoise Caron's "deep dive in the roots of life" smells an awful lot like dinner in an Indian home—aromatic dishes prepared with cardmom, ginger and black peppercorn, served nearby a sandalwood carving of a deity, with the smoky remnants from yesterday's Puja incense lingering in the air.

 

My two personal favorites are Hydrogen and Helium. About Helium, perfumer Sylvie Fischer comments, "I've been inspired by the idea of hot air-balloon and smoke… I thought of a meditative scent, of a Zen atmosphere." Helium recalls the lighter-than-air sweet smoke associated with a hookah pipe. Opening with a cinnamon and sugary rush that borders on gourmand, the dry woody notes ensure this scent, like the finest flavored tobacco, stays in the realm of things that smell enticing but are not to be eaten. Hours later, the smoky effect is further enhanced by a high-quality vetiver note.

 

"Hydrogen to me is the element of energy; that's why my fragrance is so sparkling," says perfumer Antoine Lie. Sparkling is the perfect description for this beautiful scent. The notes are nothing we haven't seen before—mosses, flowers, fruits, aldehydes and musk—but just as a talented painter can create novelty from the red, blue and yellow paints in any artist's palette, Lie strikes a new and perfect balance in Hydrogen. Sparkling clean, fresh and green, with whispers of fruits and flowers, Hydrogen stays linear throughout its long life on skin, and I wouldn't want it any other way. The result is a transparent beauty that is pure pleasure for the wearer and those who are lucky enough to be around him or her.

Thank you to Fluidounce for providing samples of the Nu_be collection for this review. Read more about these scents in our encyclopedia and visit the official Nu_be site to learn about the concept and find a retailer near you. 

 

Photo of perfumes by Fragrantica

 

Jodi Battershell (NebraskaLovesScent)

Fragrantica Editor & Writer
jodi@fragrantica.com