Nasomatto Hindu Grass
by Nasomatto

Though it is marketed as unisex, I don't see this as a winner on any woman, though it might be okay for a turtleneck-wearing type who hides in the used book store and doesn't want to be noticed. A pet peeve of mine is fragrance names that suggest one thing, yet deliver another. This one's guilty.
I get wintergreen + tobacco + a big disorienting "space" between the two. It's like waking up after a decent sleep, in a bed that belongs to someone else. Starts cool, then smoothly warms as the "space" slowly disappears and dry grass appears. Even though the structure is interesting, the smell is dull. Stays very close to the skin and fades much too quickly, especially for the price.

19th October, 2011.

This smells like a Pier One import shop - patchouly, hemp, wall hangings, masks, rattan furniture, indian wood carvings, dust, the hay it was all shipped in, etc. These are not the usual elements I want to smell like - but I love this. It is earthy and exotic; I feel like I have just returned from a wonderful safari and am transported away from the humid Sydney fug.

15th October, 2010.

I agree almost completely with Somerville Metro Man... his description seems pretty spot on (though I disagree on the menthol...camphor, perhaps, but not something I find to be as prominent). The packaging is pretentious and irritating...and the wooden top fits poorly. I've nearly dropped this half a dozen times and we won't even talk about the time I put the bottle in my suitcase... :( I also don't get any incense at all.

But...I like that it's a little crazy and unbalanced in its unfolding -- it entertains me, and more to the point it smells good on me. That's what I want in a perfume. It really could do with a different bottle design, though.

2nd April, 2010.

Very earthy… Hindu Grass’s primary persona revolves around patchouli with the herb and grass notes strongly shadowing in the background. Immediately upon application the dry, dark, natural patchouli grabs hold and dominates the fragrance. It is a lush, broad-spectrumed patchouli that is super smooth and glossy and the accord incorporates the additionally enriching elements of tobacco and coffee into its seamless, rippleless mixture. Counterpointed into that primary accord are absolutes of grasses and herbs. The patchouli accord is beautiful in its notes and structure, and compelling in its naturalness, and the natural grassy / hay sharpness in the mixture moves the patchouli to levels of the ethereal. After an hour or two, the patchouli picks up a discreet element of sweetness. I’m thinking amber, but I wouldn’t swear to it. It stays this way – patchouli and grass / herbs and the slight sweetener – and all too quickly loses its sillage making power. It lasts as an excellent skin scent for a couple hours longer. I would prefer a bit stronger sillage and more longevity, but it is a beautiful fragrance.

1st March, 2009.

Nasomatto Hindu Grass

There are some Houses out there who have delusions of grandeur and try to cloak the art of perfumery in as much smoke and mystery as possible. Nasomatto is probably the biggest practitioner of this approach. Nasomatto does not release note lists, the perfumer, or some sense of what the scent is supposed to smell like. For example the only description available for Hindu Grass is that it "aims to breathe the belief in universal peace and love". That's a tall order for a world leader and I have no idea how to correlate that to a scent. You could get a clue from the name, Hindu Grass which led me to think and hope for incense with a green and herbal component. I didn't get any incense at the top I get a blast of sweet which seems to have a camphor/menthol-like component. This is an interesting yin and yang to start that is pleasant but then the heart is overwhelmed by a nuclear strike of patchouli that obliterates almost everything for a good 20-40 minutes. It was so off-putting that it was only after the fallout from the heart had dispersed that the combination of green and amber came through and was really nice. I like the top and base of this one but the incredible lack of balance present in the heart completely puts me off this one. For something that wants to uncover the greater mysteries I guess the answer is Patchouli.

28th February, 2009.

A rich patchouli that (yes, it's true) could easily pass for Red Vetyver's patchouli loving sibling. It's almost as though Red Vetyver had a love child with Fresh's Patchouli Pure. (Don't believe me? Layer them and see what I mean.) I pick up just a hint of rose, too, although Nasomatto won't tell us jacksh-t about the contents.

Awfully expensive stuff, though. As much as I admire both its complexity and its richness and its outstanding longevity, well, I won't likely be buying a bottle of Hindu Grass anytime soon.

25th February, 2009.