Got Root?

My lovely sales associate at Barneys New York, Atique Mahjoub, called the other day to announce that the Nasomatto scents had come in, and I made the six-block pilgrimage to sample them. Life could be harder, honestly. Nestled on a small tray, the single-ounce bottles were attractively displayed with their oversized wooden stoppers erect and just asking to be removed. Nasomatto Absinth extrait de parfum was the standout among the five and the reason I am posting so soon on the heels of my love letter to “immortelle.” Less about that transgressive Green Fairy than an absolutely lovely rendition of vetiver, Absinth reminds me of a more elegant version of Wild Hunt, Christopher Brosius' recent foray into sous-bois accords. The Javanese vetiver seems to respire on the skin, revealing just the merest green sweetness allied to faint patchouli leaves, rose woods, bergamot, mushroom, nuts and other earthy notes. The invocation of the fin-de-siècle drink, je pense, is more about marketing than anything else ... as the rather fulsome marketing copy (“the fragrance aims to evoke degrees of hysteria”) on the box leads one to believe. Billed as an extrait, sillage and longevity are pronounced, and price is quite reasonable considering how many other fragrances at eau de toilette concentration fetch similar price-points for the same amount of juice. A clear autumn winner, for sure.