Casse Noisette
Marron glace in the middle of a fragrance is unusual enough to be the reason to try Les Nereides Casse Noisette Eau de Parfum, and it is handled with more restraint than the name suggests.
Neroli and jasmine open it, and that pairing does a lot of work: neroli green, bitter and citrus bright, jasmine fuller and heady, the two of them keeping the first stretch floral and lifted rather than sweet. Then the marron glace arrives, and it is exactly what it says, the candied chestnut of a French confectioner, sweet and nutty with a soft starchy quality to it. It smells of a sweet shop in winter, and the flowers above stop it becoming a dessert.
The base keeps the sugar in check. Cedarwood dries it out with a sharp pencil shaving edge, and ambergris lends a salty, mineral warmth that reads as skin and gives the last hours a softness they would otherwise lack. It is a short structure for a scent that smells quite rich.
Expect solid longevity and moderate reach, with the sweetness closest in the first hour or two. Cold weather suits it best, Christmas especially, and it is aimed at women, though anyone who enjoys a sweet scent with some bitterness underneath will get on with it. It makes a good gift for anyone who likes their fragrance comforting rather than clever.
Les Nereides began as a jewellery house in Nice in 1980, set up by Pascale Chavepeyer and Enzo Amaddeo after the two of them met studying art in Belgium, and it is still run by the same family. The fragrances came later and remain a small side of the business, all of them drawn from the same nature minded taste as the jewellery.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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