Nostalgia (2002)
by Santa Maria Novella

On one hand it’s a completely synthetic, car equipment oriented scent which manages to impress thanks to an unusual composition. On the other hand, a successful attempt to fit in a 100 ml bottle, a whole bunch of memories, images, feelings and dreams. No matter which hand you pick, no matter how industrial or artificial you find it, you have to admit that Nostalgia is ingenious. Mislead by the romantic and quite feminine title that brought to my mind white flower baskets and light green and citrus notes, I got a huge smoky leather blast at the very first sniff, almost like a black vinyl boot kick in the face. And while recovering from the kick, I realized I had left the room, and I was seated on the front of a 1972 E-type Jaguar, caressing the all new tan leather seats and the handmade steering wheel. Half an hour later, back to reality, I was left with a sweet vanilla and woods heart that fainted rather quickly to a pleasant powdery base. More than a smell it’s a feeling and as that it is magnificent!

The adviser in SMN said that they can't understand why people would want to spray this on themselves. Now, I'm all for honesty in life but I think the sales pitch needs honing a bit.

It's so uplifting to sample something like this straight after reviewing Green Irish Tweed (so much negativity). The opening is pretty drastic -- mechanics overalls no less, but it soon changes into a glorious leathery drydown with a touch of sweetness thrown in -- yeah it's synthetic, but what isn't nowadays -- (look out for the newly created 'vinyl' notes appearing in fragrances). The sillage and longevity are ok, but it is a little shy late on -- that's pretty much a given with the whole range, so will need to spray accordingly. I have no need for Nostalgia at the moment as Mark Buxton's sublime 'Hot Leather' is in rotation, but I will return for this when that dries up.

If you think Heeley's Cuir Pleine Fleur is a touch too floral or feminine then you would probably dig this. I know I do though 'dig' sems rather mild for this stuff is fantastic! The opening salvo of car leather interiors, screeching tires and gasoline leaks puts me in the bucket seat of a Dodge Charger as I floor the pedal to the metal and go from 0 to 100 in 10 seconds. Breathtaking! Unfortunately from that point onwards it goes into cruise control mode with a smooth vanilla-tinged leather punctuated with hints of gasoline and grease. I guess that's the cue for me to check out the breathless young beauty in the passenger seat and chat her up. I'm just surprised someone like Nathan Branch don't get it. But I can't really blame him. The deceptively dull bottle design has a dampening effect on reviews though it's certainly not something a whiff of NOSTALGIA can't overcome. Btw, my birthday is due in 2 weeks; can someone please get me a bottle of this?

i agree with Indie_guy right below me, this stuff is amazing. Possibly the best construction i've ever found in a scent. The opening is a blast of oil, petrol, tar, and the smell of a 1974 LeMans pit stop area....and then it settles down into the most beautiful, elegant leather, vanilla, and floral cascade. Longetivity is great, and the sillage is fantastic. One of the most complete scents i've ever tried or owned. This stuff is a classic. I'm really into cars and racing, and smelling this always reminds me of what a vintage race car smells like on the inside. The only downside is the absolutely ridiculous bottle---which looks like something you'd find at a dollar store. I dunno why they didn't just use the standard SMN bottles---which are beautiful. HUGELY recommended.

Definitely one of my all time favorite scents. Huge WOW factor. I first bought a bottle and loved it, but thought it was too strange to wear in public. I was wrong. I get the best compliments on Nostalgia. Women always notice it and tell me how good I smell.

The gasoline and motor oil opening is unusual, but this fragrance evolves quickly into something deep, complex and magnetic. As the drydown unfolds, out comes leather, musk, fine tobacco, and exotic wood notes, the likes of which I've never smelled in a cologne. I also get a bit of hot gummy red cinnamon candy, like those Swedish Fish. The composition of this fragrance is amazing.

If you ever try this one, you have to give it a full day's wearing-- don't judge it on a quick sampling. This is not just some dashed out novelty scent, but rather a well made luxury scent with lots of personality and class. The bottle is a bit ugly, but with a scent this good it's easy to overlook.

This stuff is top gear.

High quality leather gloves melted in a bottle. Or an old cars soft leather interior, however you like.

I don`t think it smells that much of any chemichals, though. This is pure, authentical leather scent. It has a bit of that fruity-sweet and oily scent of suede to it too, and in fact, Nostalgia smells alot like a collection of different kind of (soft, refined) leathers.
So basically you get this smell when you step into some store filled with different kind of leather wear and accessories. Its almost the exact smell.

Continuesly sweetening drydown doesn`t last terribly long on me, although I think the lasting power is reasonably nice after all.

Linear and almost singular accord fragrance. If you like the way leather smells, you must try this as soon as possible.