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So.... I've not had a chance to sample Turkish niche brand Nishane despite them being EVERYWHERE at one point and having been on the landscape. Now I don't usually review stuff I haven't worn properly and if I tell you I tried all their perfumes at once in a shop, mainly on strips, you'd probably say I can't really make fair comment on them...and you'd have a point. In my defense, I have worn and smelled a billion perfumes at this point and some degree of extrapolation I can get the gist of a perfume quite quickly (never fall into the trap of thinking you can do that with every perfume because they still surprise me to this day!) However, this one I strayed on a strip and sniffed throughout the day also my coat pocket still smells of it DAYS later, so I think I somewhat, get it. Disclaimers over. Opening wise Nefs is a complex but gentle, leathery type oud, with a pronounced whisky note, but it's quite delicate round and somewhat floral. After a while it settles to something which feels like an opulent, expensive perfume you might find in a luxury department store from any of those refined brands like a Roja Dove, (I'm not being sarcastic) Then the remnant, or deep, deep, base, drydown is one of a modern amber, creamy but spiked with complexity. The smell is rose tinted and has got a vague similarity to Dior's ambre nuit, but minus the subtle brilliance. What's impressive about this fragrance is that it has three distinct phases, all of them clever and complex and I have to give credit where it's due. The shop owners said that Nefs has been wildly popular and I can see why, not sure I'm quite convinced myself, I'd have to wear it, but I get why this may attract some hype, it was a standout in the collection for me.
I blind bought this, and while I was waiting to collect it I read through the endless repetitive "it's synthetic", "it's not synthetic", "oh the price the price!" blah blahdee blah zzzzzz reviews, and felt buyer's regret creeping in. Now I have the bottle and I've sat with the scent for a while. People can gripe and moan and whinge about price, but taking the scent at face value, it's an exquisite example of fine perfumery. For me, it's close to perfect. Since the beginning of my scent journey, I've come to learn that, despite not wanting to believe it, vanilla and honey are among my favourite notes (when done well, I'm not talking about the likes of Gaultier or most designer houses). Fig is another one I didn't like, but now love sincerely. Here, my favourite notes are perfectly balanced atop a bed of warm oudy, cedar (which mercifully doesn't scream AMBROCENIDE like most). All listed notes are discernable if you look for them, but nothing dominates. It's balanced and refined, delicate yet rich, a real work of art, divine.