Narciso Rodriguez for Her (2003)
by Narciso Rodriguez

"I will return to Paris tomorrow evening. Don't wash," wrote Napolean to Josephine.

This fragrance is what she smelled like...

11th January, 2012.

It starts as one of my worst nightmares: a flare of flowers, especially jasmine and orange blossom the way I hate them (I can't exactly explain how it is but I could recognize it everywhere: sharp, oily, dirty in an uninteresting way,sickly sweet...).
I barely keep myself from scrubbing the fragrance from my arm when something familiar for me emerges and...it's Dyptique Ofresia I'm smelling!! The same peppery and wet, transparent woody notes that I loved so much for a couple of years, long ago, before breaking a half full bottle on the bathroom floor and beginning to loathe it. This one doesn't even need spilling: the base notes, annoyingly long lasting, soon turn chemical and soapy, rendering the fragrance quite nasty for me.

21st November, 2011. (Last Edited: 23rd November, 2011.)

Really, really interesting concoction, i talk about the juice in the pink bottle, the EDP version, the one i tested on my skin and that my girlfriend tried too. First of all this is different, really different from the modern gassy-plastic, lollipop kind, new womanly concoctions around. The smell is neither gourmand nor caramellous or powdery -synthetic (anyway in a sheer way), is instead averagely sharp, musky and a bit balmy but with a touch of classic exoticism and an outstanding floral discreet  sophistication. This is a modern fragrance that expresses a traditional , indipendent and solitary concept of femininity. The scent is musky, very musky and rosey with key roles played by orange blossoms, bergamot and amber. The mystery is enhanced by a silent jasmine while the extreme sophistication owns a secret with the name of iris (anyway that's what i think). The smell is at the same time edible (may be also a touch of honey is hidden in the blend), sensual, almost corporeal, intimate and ethereal...a rarity. Something laundry and soapy, may be the combination of rose, iris and musk, sparkles in the air exuding from the complicated wake of orangy, rosey and ambery musk, sandalwood and osmanthus. The femininity is intimate and a bit mysterious. A touch of vanilla and patchouli imprints more depth and silence. As well as in the advertising i figure the image of a young, discreet girl elusive in the shadow.

20th November, 2011.

I'm on the fence about NR. I can clearly pick out the vetiver, and the fragrance is a bit musky all around. It's also by one of my fave noses, Nagel. So far, so good. However, it's just too darn sweet on me. It's the orange blossom. My skin amps up orange blossom, and I just don't have the patience to let it settle down. Not a scrubber but only wearable in small doses sprayed as a mist walk-through.

2nd November, 2011.

One of the very few interesting compositions of the last decade among the designer's range. NR for Her is a tremendously radiant concoction of woods and flowers (mainly orange blossoms) laying on a masculine musky base. Its main appeal lies in its incredible distinctiveness made of an unmannered beauty and charme. Elegant but not affected, NR for Her takes immediately the distance from nowadays clean fragrances by introducing a bold ambery/musky base that continuely winks at many classic compositions from the past. At the same time its perfect balance and refinement make of NR For Her a very versatile fragrance that's perfect for both younger crowds as well as for mature wearers. Very good.

Let someone who's not into perfume smell this, and if he/she likes it you just discovered a new potential perfumista. A contemporary classic.

26th October, 2011.

This is a dark, warm,and sexy fragrance. Not much floral in it at all on me. Sadly, it doesn't last as long as I wish it would. But I love it while it's there.

20th October, 2011.