New Perfume Review Nishane Ege- Summer Extrait

Posted on by in Mark Behnke, New Perfume Reviews and tagged , , , , .

I often have an issue when I receive a pair of new perfumes from a brand. One can be perfect for the time of year I received it. While the other needs six months to pass for its time to arrive. This was what happened when I received my samples of the two new releases from Nishane just after Thanksgiving last year. One of them Nanshe was a great fall fragrance. The other I put it in my box to be tested when the weather turned warmer. That time has come for Nishane Ege.

Mert Guzel (l.) and Marat Katran

Ege is part of the “No Boundaries” collection from creative directors Mert Guzel and Marat Katran. The name is a short slangy version of Aegean. This is a summery Mediterranean style scent. With that name you might be thinking aquatic. Working with perfumer Ilias Ermenidis they form a scent for the heat laden with spices, citrus, and licorice.

Ilias Erminidis

One other thing to mention is these types of perfumes are usually released in the lighter concentrations. Ege is the opposite as it is an extrait. This could have been a drawback as that kind of intensity could become overwhelming in this type of fragrance. What happens is it creates a situation where the concentration allows for some of the nuance for these ingredients to be detected.

It begins with the summery citrus of yuzu. There is a lively green piece of this lemon analog which sets up what is to come. The other ingredient is star anise. It also sets up another piece of things to come with its lighter licorice-like scent profile. The heart is a refreshing mixture of herbs basil and mint. Violet leaves add their more cutting green while cardamom connects back to the yuzu. The licorice makes a return in its more herbal almost medicinal character. It takes the slight effect of the star anise and deepens it. Where this might have gone too deep the freshness of the basil and mint prevent that from happening. Lazy swirls of incense add the final touch

Ege has 12-14 hour longevity and moderate sillage.

I wore this on two scorching 90-degree plus days. It was as good as I expected. You might think that a fragrance at this concentration is too much for the heat. Let Ege introduce you to the concept of a summer extrait.

Disclosure: This review is based on a sample I purchased.

–Mark Behnke

New Perfume Review Nishane Nanshe- Powder of the Earth

Posted on by in Mark Behnke, New Perfume Reviews and tagged , , , , .

There are certain perfume effects I enjoy in smaller quantities. These are the ones which generally have fans of restraint and ones who love as much as they can get. I am on the side of restraint when it comes to powdery ingredients. I think they can have a dramatic influence when used in judicious and balanced quantities. When they are overdosed it is like being lost in a giant powder puff. Nishane Nanshe takes the path of restraint.

Mert Guzel (l.) and Murat Katran

What powdery ingredients can do is provide a stark contrast to more flamboyant ones. It can soften some of that extravagant nature. Creative directors Mert Guzel and Murat Katran collaborate again with perfumer Cecile Zarokian on Nanshe. Their last perfume together was 2019’s remarkable Ani. This heads in an entirely different direction. The name comes from the Sumerian goddess of fertility among other things. The symbol of that was rose. The creative team uses the rose as the core of a powdery accord which is wrapped in earthiness.

Cecile Zarokian

On top the grounding comes through carrot seed. Mme Zarokian allows the sweet, rooted quality to be contrasted with yuzu and cardamom. The tart citrus finds a potent contrast in the carrot seed. The heart is where the powder accord is constructed. Using rose absolute and orris the potential for a powderstorm is here. Instead Mme Zarokian dials back on the natural ingredients and titrates in small amounts of synthetic powdery notes. When you use the naturals exclusively you kind of get what you get. When you do what she has done here you create a powdery foundation with rose and orris which is given a shimmering expansiveness through the synthetics. What makes Nanshe so enjoyable is what fills in that space. A very earthy patchouli and an austere sandalwood. The patchouli is as present as the central powder accord. It fills in underneath as it expands to keep it firmly planted in the sandalwood foundation.

Nanshe has 16-18 hour longevity and average sillage.

The balance in Nanshe is ideal. Each accord makes space for the other. In the end you have the earth covered in a gentle fall of powder.

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample I purchased.

–Mark Behnke

New Perfume Review Nishane Ani- Rekindling the Glory

Posted on by in Mark Behnke, New Perfume Reviews and tagged , , , , .
1

There are brands which confound me. They can play it safe so much of the time and then truly amaze me when I am not expecting it. I ask myself why they can’t work this way all the time. One brand which continues to do this to me is Istanbul-based Nishane. When they find a unique perspective, they have a way of turning it into magic. It happened again with Nishane Ani.

Mert Guzel (l.) and Murat Katran

Nishane is the brand co-founded and creatively directed by Mert Guzel and Murat Katran. They have been around since 2015 and have made some of my favorite perfumes in Afrika Olifant and Pachuli Kozha. For the last few years I have been disappointed in what seemed to be the choice to take a safer route. Every brand must make the business decisions which are correct for them to survive. I was disappointed because I know there was the ability for more. Ani is what I mean when I say that.

Cecile Zarokian

The name comes from a medieval city currently in Turkey. In its time it was a place known as the “City of 1001 Churches” as well as sitting at the crossroads of many trade routes. It was a multi-cultural metropolis. It holds a pride of place for Armenian and Turkish people. This is of interest because Messrs. Guzel and Katran asked perfumer Cecile Zarokian, who has Armenian heritage, to create a perfume version.

This is the first perfume Mme Zarokian has composed for Nishane. It is focused around vanilla. It is also another of Mme Zarokian’s recent perfumes which continues to explore the boundaries of the gourmand genre. She is putting together a group of releases which show how much room there is to expand within this style of fragrance.

Ani opens with that vanilla out front. What takes place in the early going is a reminder that vanilla comes from an orchid. The top accord is like finding that flower in the jungle as she fashions a humid green accord. She uses a set of green notes to create a green strand within the vanilla. Baie rose is used to give it an herbal infusion. The keynote to this accord is a fabulous ginger which creates a kinetic vibrant version of vanilla. The ginger persists into the heart as the vanilla rises in intensity. Mme Zarokian uses a green cardamom to re-establish the green. Damascene rose and blackcurrant add a floral fruity frisson underneath it all. As the vanilla comes to its full intensity it finds an equally intense sandalwood waiting in the base. They swirl together in a sweet duet which is warmed by benzoin and patchouli.

Ani has 12-14 hour longevity and above average sillage.

A warning I am writing about Ani in the summertime. This is not a warm weather fragrance. It is a powerhouse which is going to be awesome when the weather cools off.

Ani is the best perfume Nishane has ever produced. It is also one of my favorite new perfumes of this year. It is a triumph on every level. You can feel that the creative team wanted to find something as regal as Ani, the city, was in its day. Ani, the perfume, rekindles that glory.

Disclosure: This review is based on a sample I purchased.

–Mark Behnke