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Nasomatto details and bang for the buck

post #1 of 23
6/10/08 at 9:51am
Thread Starter 
Being a great lover of inventive and flamboyant orientals, I'm naturally intrigued by the Nasomatto line. I've heard/read nothing but praises for most of their line, and they sound right up my alley.

But at $135 for 1oz, and no grey market and only rarely used ones coming up for sale, I have to know what I'm getting into.

I see they are extrait de parfum concentration, but does that translate into real longevity? And can a 1oz bottle go a long way? I'm someone who has to reapply Black Aoud (regular concentration) after a few hours, and the same with many in the Lutens line as well.

Can it compete (or hopefully outperform) an extra concentrated Montale?

Are the bottles atomizers, or screw tops, or both (like Montales)?

I don't like the idea of blasting a good chunk of my 1oz/135$ into thin air for nothing, and vastly prefer careful and strategic dabbing when it come to very strong and/or very expensive fragrances.

To those of you who own bottles - have you had them for long? Is it the sort of thing that's really exciting and novel at first, but gets to be too much over time, or are they really masterful compositons which stay dear?


Other recent Nasomatto threads:
http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=201330
http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=201103
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post #2 of 23
6/10/08 at 10:06am
I find Absinth to be very long lasting with adequate sillage. Others have commented that it is not as long lasting as Duro. That may be true, but I find both beautiful compositions. Hindu Grass is a fresh take on patchouli and Silver Musk is at first glance mundane, but everytime I sniff it, I become more intrigued.
I am guilty of hyping frags here (talking about things I like), so hopefully others can chime in on their experiences with the line. The extrait concentration does make a difference. I usually apply between 3-5 sprays of Absinth for a full wearing. This line is worth the money IMO; there I go again with my 'hype'. Sorry.
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post #3 of 23
6/10/08 at 10:11am
Thread Starter 
No problem on the hyping them - if you love them, you love them!

But as for the longevity - do they outperform something like a Montale or are they about the same?

And can I unscrew the atomizer and use dab them like I can with a lutens or Montale?
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post #4 of 23
6/10/08 at 10:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR View Post

Being a great lover of inventive and flamboyant orientals, I'm naturally intrigued by the Nasomatto line. I've heard/read nothing but praises for most of their line, and they sound right up my alley.

But at $135 for 1oz, and no grey market and only rarely used ones coming up for sale, I have to know what I'm getting into.

I see they are extrait de parfum concentration, but does that translate into real longevity? And can a 1oz bottle go a long way? I'm someone who has to reapply Black Aoud (regular concentration) after a few hours, and the same with many in the Lutens line as well.

Can it compete (or hopefully outperform) an extra concentrated Montale?

Are the bottles atomizers, or screw tops, or both (like Montales)?

I don't like the idea of blasting a good chunk of my 1oz/135$ into thin air for nothing, and vastly prefer careful and strategic dabbing when it come to very strong and/or very expensive fragrances.

To those of you who own bottles - have you had them for long? Is it the sort of thing that's really exciting and novel at first, but gets to be too much over time, or are they really masterful compositons which stay dear?


Other recent Nasomatto threads:
http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=201330
http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=201103

I have sampled all of Nasomatto frags and have a sample coming of their new one, China White. Go to Luckyscent or The Perfumed Court and sample them all or at least the ones that sound interesting to you. The two best for men are Duro and Absinthe.

Duro is long lasting, extra concentrated, and the quality of ingredients are outstanding. Worth every penny of their cost. I choose carefully when I wear Duro because of the high cost. I just feel special everytime I wear Duro. I think all Nasomatto frags make you feel special, so get some samples and find at least one to purchase, you'll feel special too.

These are masterful compositions which you'll cherish for a long time.

The longevity on me is the same as a good Montale such as Black Aoud.

I can't unscrew the cap on mine. It must be sprayed.
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post #5 of 23
6/10/08 at 10:18am
I don't believe you can unscrew the atomizer on this line.

As for longevity..I am speaking about Absinth and Duro only...they last as long as a Montale IMO and longer than the 2 Lutens I have owned (Chergui and Fumerie Turque). Duro rivals Black Oud IMO in longevity and sillage. Again, others have had longevity issues with Absinth, I personally have not...in fact, I wish it would go away when I get home from work because I am ready for my SOTE.

My admiration for Absinth has not waned at all in the 8 months I have owned it. I am halfway through my bottle currently. I have not purchased Duro yet, but I really like it as well.
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post #6 of 23
6/10/08 at 10:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jock_With_Scents View Post

I don't believe you can unscrew the atomizer on this line.

As for longevity..I am speaking about Absinth and Duro only...they last as long as a Montale IMO and longer than the 2 Lutens I have owned (Chergui and Fumerie Turque). Duro rivals Black Oud IMO in longevity and sillage. Again, others have had longevity issues with Absinth, I personally have not...in fact, I wish it would go away when I get home from work because I am ready for my SOTE.

My admiration for Absinth has not waned at all in the 8 months I have owned it. I am halfway through my bottle currently. I have not purchased Duro yet, but I really like it as well.


Ditto everything above. The only difference I started with Duro and I'm working toward Absinthe. Both are cutting edge exceptional male frags. Both should be on your must sampling list.
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post #7 of 23
6/10/08 at 10:36am
  • RHM
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I own Duro & love it. Very little is required for both longevity & sillage. My skin tends to be dry, so I'm usually one to spray & spray & spray.
I met & had a very nice chat with Alessandro Gualtieri at Barneys last February where he was introducing his line. He's quite a character, very "into" how the fragrance "speak" on different people. I quite liked him & his line. He's given all of it a great deal of thought.
I've no affiliation with the product, except as an admirer. My next aquisition will be Absinthe, then Silver Musk.
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post #8 of 23
6/10/08 at 11:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by thebeck View Post

I have sampled all of Nasomatto frags and have a sample coming of their new one, China White. Go to Luckyscent or The Perfumed Court and sample them all or at least the ones that sound interesting to you. The two best for men are Duro and Absinthe.

Duro is long lasting, extra concentrated, and the quality of ingredients are outstanding. Worth every penny of their cost. I choose carefully when I wear Duro because of the high cost. I just feel special everytime I wear Duro. I think all Nasomatto frags make you feel special, so get some samples and find at least one to purchase, you'll feel special too.

These are masterful compositions which you'll cherish for a long time.

The longevity on me is the same as a good Montale such as Black Aoud.

I can't unscrew the cap on mine. It must be sprayed.

I absolutely agree with thebeck! Wait, did I actually say that....

When I was at Barneys a couple of months ago, I sampled the entire line. I immediately fell in love with both Absinthe and Duro. I made the decision to buy only one at that time, and went with Absinthe. But Duro is on my list to puchase soon.

I usually consider myself a "bargain shopper" and try to find the best/discounted price for things. But if I feel something is worth the full price, I will buy it - and I feel these fragrances are definitely worth it.
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post #9 of 23
6/10/08 at 11:30am
I have both and I like them a lot. To my nose, the sillage on Duro is much stronger. Definitely comparable to Black Aoud. I wouldn't want to wear Duro as an everyday scent though. Absinth is quite nice, it is not as bold as Duro, but it is always there, quietly (and sweetly) lurking in the shadow. Both have their place in a well rounded wardrobe.

I was lucky to be able to source Duro from B&S. Blind buy (based on the hype ......) on Absinth with absolutely no regrets.

Sent you a PM.
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post #10 of 23
6/10/08 at 11:33am
Hey GAIVS

I own Duro, Absinthe, Hindu grass and i just received the new china white an hour ago. As long as longevity, they last and last. Nothing is like the montales though. Those are in a league of their own for sure. But Absinthe and Hindu grass really do project and last forever. Duro lasts forever but does not project as much as the other two but it still does have a good amount of sillage. I just got china white and it is great. It is slightly floral and powdery in a masculine way. This is in no way feminine. It also has an ashy smoke effect going on in the background It has a similarity to costume nationals new 21 in my opinion which i also own. It is another great work of art by this line.

All the bottles are spray bottles.
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post #11 of 23
6/10/08 at 11:37am
Thread Starter 
Ah - Cairo finally got to the spray bottle - I think that's the killer for me. I don't think I can deal with a powerful, ultra-expensive fragrance that comes in spray only. If I use my lutens with the spray, I deplete the bottle twice as fast, and probably get half as much perfume on my skin!
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post #12 of 23
6/10/08 at 11:47am
I'm gonna give my two cents - I do not own a bottle, but I sampled Duro twice (one at a store, spraying from the tester at Scent Bar) and once at home (from a sample). I sampled Hindu Grass twice (both time from samples) and I have a sample at home of Absinthe that I haven't gotten to try yet.

From what I remember of Duro, I did NOT get the same longevity from it, that I get from the Montale's. Yes, it's strong stuff when it goes on. I will even agree that for the first hour or two it's quite tenacious, yes...but like many of you know, the parfum concentration does not necessarily mean it's going to have more longevity, just that it has a higher concentration of oil. In many circumstances this immediately means increased longevity, but I found Duro and HD both had the same longevity that a normal EdP has. No more, no less. They do not have above average longevity - not on MY skin. IMO, they have average longevity.

My advice Caeser - sample first.

The scents are wonderful and they deserve all the hype and comments posted above. But don't buy these blind, if the less-than-superior longevity is a big problem for you - because your experience might be similar to mine. Hopefully not.
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post #13 of 23
6/10/08 at 5:56pm
[QUOTE=petruccijc;1239103]I absolutely agree with thebeck! Wait, did I actually say that....

I knew we would find some common ground. I know I can be abrasive at times, but if you've seen any of my posts in the last couple of days, I've been working on being more cordial.
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post #14 of 23
6/10/08 at 6:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cairomerta View Post

Hey GAIVS

I own Duro, Absinthe, Hindu grass and i just received the new china white an hour ago. As long as longevity, they last and last. Nothing is like the montales though. Those are in a league of their own for sure. But Absinthe and Hindu grass really do project and last forever. Duro lasts forever but does not project as much as the other two but it still does have a good amount of sillage. I just got china white and it is great. It is slightly floral and powdery in a masculine way. This is in no way feminine. It also has an ashy smoke effect going on in the background It has a similarity to costume nationals new 21 in my opinion which i also own. It is another great work of art by this line.

All the bottles are spray bottles.


Do you have any comments on the "it" factor of China White that nowsmellthis eludes too.
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post #15 of 23
6/10/08 at 6:23pm
[QUOTE=thebeck;1239287]
Quote:
Originally Posted by petruccijc View Post

I absolutely agree with thebeck! Wait, did I actually say that....

I knew we would find some common ground. I know I can be abrasive at times, but if you've seen any of my posts in the last couple of days, I've been working on being more cordial.

Hey thebeck, I feel you are certainly knowledgeable about fragrances. I enjoy having "healthy" discussions about our fragrance likes/dislikes - it's what the board is all about.
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post #16 of 23
6/10/08 at 6:28pm
[QUOTE=petruccijc;1239296]
Quote:
Originally Posted by thebeck View Post


Hey thebeck, I feel you are certainly knowledgeable about fragrances. I enjoy having "healthy" discussions about our fragrance likes/dislikes - it's what the board is all about.


Thanks, It's the "healthy" part I'm workin' on.
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post #17 of 23
6/10/08 at 6:50pm
My take on them:
1. Duro - excellent longevity and "speaks" louder than the other two below (Absinth and Hindu Grass). I like this one the most - it's one of the most unique fragrances I have sampled lately.
2. Absinth - nearly the same opinion as Duro, but just doesn't last quite as long on me. Still, if I would compare Duro and Absinth, I might like Absinth better for the fragrance, but Duro for the longevity and sillage.
3. Hindu Grass. For me, just doesn't last very long, but even so peaks out during the long morning (if I spray it early). Usually, I follow up in the afternoon with Duro or Absinth (they seem to compliment each other).

I think this line from this house is one of the tops! Great stuff! Compared to Montale's Ouds... hmmm... well, they (the ouds) are strong on me, but it's difficult to compare something so loud as oud with the delicate touch of the Nasomattos.
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post #18 of 23
6/10/08 at 8:23pm
Honestly TheBeck. I am not sure what "it" factor they are talking about. It is a really nice scent but nothing in it screams different or unique in the way Duro or Absinthe or even Hindu grass do. I would say it is a well crafted scent that is more suitable for colder days as it has that powdery smoky thing going. Again, it is a great blind buy for me but definitely not groundbreaking. No note in their that makes me go "DAMN WHAT IS THAT!!" you know what i mean. Absinthe makes me do that every time I wear it.
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post #19 of 23
6/11/08 at 12:13am
I find that Duro wafts quite a bit even from a dab from my sample - and I find it lasts long enough to enjoy it (before moving on to something else). One thing I don't like about many sprayers is that they portion out more than I'm interested in wearing - especially if the fragrance is as expensive as the Nasomattos are. I'd actually prefer them in "splash" versions.
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post #20 of 23
6/11/08 at 2:02am
Duro smells good, but i found it too linear...just sat on my skin doing nothing. Even if i loved it, $148 for 30 ml would force me to live like the Amish for the next decade.
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post #21 of 23
6/11/08 at 3:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jock_With_Scents View Post

I don't believe you can unscrew the atomizer on this line.

As for longevity..I am speaking about Absinth and Duro only...they last as long as a Montale IMO and longer than the 2 Lutens I have owned (Chergui and Fumerie Turque). Duro rivals Black Oud IMO in longevity and sillage. Again, others have had longevity issues with Absinth, I personally have not...in fact, I wish it would go away when I get home from work because I am ready for my SOTE.

My admiration for Absinth has not waned at all in the 8 months I have owned it. I am halfway through my bottle currently. I have not purchased Duro yet, but I really like it as well.

there you go again nice review Jock!
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post #22 of 23
6/11/08 at 7:08am
Yes the Nasomatto scents are a little pricey. But they give you plenty bang for the buck when compared to other higher end fragrances on the market nowadays. Absinthe and Duro are both about 30% stronger than a normal fragrance due to their parfum extrait concentrations. From my use of them I think the 1 oz. bottles of parfum will last about as long as a 1.7 oz. bottle of most other good quality fragrances because of their higher concentration. But the price is still kind of high even if it were a 1.7 oz. bottle. However, the fragrances are of excellent quality too. So its a judgement call.

I think the higher concentrations allows the fragrance formula to be understood much easier in the Nasomatto fragrances. They are very well formulated and the mixtures are intriguing especially in this stronger juice that let's you know right away what its scent is all about. I don't really perceive the Hindu Grass to be unusually strong but most patchouli scents are quite strong anyway and this one is a quiet formula for a patchouli fragrance.

Duro, my favorite of the bunch, does not have strong sillage, but it is by no means a weak scent. The ingredients used just do not project sharply, but they have a quiet strength that resonates in a lower octave with nice strength but it doesn't shout its presence. I really enjoy its warm leather and black tea like softness that is very dry but also very engaging. A great fragrance.
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post #23 of 23
6/11/08 at 7:24am
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I had a completely different experience with daubing from samples in vials vs spraying from testers at the fragrance counter.
When I daubed the fragrance I was not as impressed with the results. It seemed as if the scent didn't have a chance to "open".
If you really want to give the line a good try be sure to test both ways, from a spray & from the dauber method.
Makes sense to me if you want to make the investment.
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