Have you tried this fragrance?
Share your experience and help others discover great scents
Orris is one of my favourite notes of all time, and this right here is orris heaven. Shem-el-Nessim or, ‘smelling the breeze’, takes you to a summer festival on the Nile in 1906, a celebratory affair rife with beautiful flowers wafting their scent downstream. Words cannot describe how stunning this is. This perfume is just so buttery smooth - the dense, powdery facets of the orris are elevated by heliotrope and ylang. Which is then furthered by creamy sandalwood and soft vanilla. There’s an airy freshness coming from the white florals, alongside a sort of salty sharpness from the geranium. The composition may be simple, but it’s an absolute masterpiece. This is easily my favourite Grossmith fragrance, and one of the best uses of orris I’ve ever smelled. The fact that this is 118 years old astounds me, especially since it smells better than 90% of what’s being released today. I must own this masterpiece soon.
