Nasomatto China White (2008)
by Nasomatto

Nasamotto doesn't want their notes disclosed on their scents and with good reason. My experience with this is a lovely powdery violet/green incense that's great for wearing to bed. Soothing and calming for me. I like.

It is a bit powdery, but that is not the sole attraction. To my nose, it is a woody fougere, and the sweetness from the powder balances it a little. However, on my skin, things really dry out, so I can imagine that this powder can take over on some people. On me, the sweetness does not last long at all, so the powder turns very dry and green (ie chypre).

Maybe the twist in this frag is that it has both fougere and chypre things going on. It is vaguely ammoniac to my nose (maybe that is the bitterness mentioned above). Whatever it is that smells like ammonia to me is in quite a few fougeres. I think it is a lavender note, one of the more bitter herbal ones, and maybe synthetic. That part is not pleasant.

To sum up, it is dry on me, not cloying in the least. It is not feminine, either. It reminds me of Caron Pour un Homme with oakmoss. This is my second time sampling, and my second impression is definitely not as good as the first!

Billed as a powdery floral, I will agree that it is so, with a difference—China White has a dusty, dry, green powder over sweet, fruity florals. The combination is both jarring and interesting. While the powder is tart and salty, the florals are as sweet as caramel. This powdery chemical is close to providing a leather scent. All in all, it is odd and fascinating.

There doesn’t seem to be any notes listed for this one but there is definitely an ashy note, which would lead me to conclude that lavender may be one of the main notes in the composition. Some have stated that it smells too feminine but I tend to disagree – it’s very much a unisex scent.

The interesting thing about White China is that it smells greyer than the name (or even the colour of the juice) implies. It also reminds me, somewhat, of Patou pour Homme Privé. Unfortunately, it’s hard for me to compare the two (for obvious reasons) but it’d be interesting if someone was able to make a side-by-side comparison and report their findings. Anyway, for now, I wouldn't conclude that they're exactly the same but I can detect some obvious parallels - to jump to such conclusions would be foolish in itself.

China White is very much in the same category as Silver Musk - a composition with clean and slightly metallic accords. Once again, sillage is average and the longevity is disappointing for a parfum extrait. I have yet to come across a Nasomatto that is worthy of its expensive price tag.

Simply extraordinary! A strange exterior chemical/farmaceutic envelope of I dont'know what, with a flower (violet?) heart. So strange, so wanderful! Try it.