This is my first ever Nasomatto fragrance. It was sent to me by ScentSutra based on the things I told them about my fragrance preferences. They were spot on with Baraonda.
Nasomatto is considered a relatively new entrant in to the perfumes business. Their first fragrance was released in 2008. The nose behind the Nasomatto fragrances is Alessandro Gualtieri. He works out of his studio in the city of Amsterdam. Thanks to his creations, Nasomatto is considered to be one of the most successful independent fragrance brands in the recent years.
From a Wallpaper interview with Alessandro, “…the Puglia-born, butcher’s son who avoids media attention but produces scents so loud, they create a 10ft force field around their wearer.”
Also from the same interview, “True to form, he doesn’t want to dwell on them subject of the new scent, claiming that when a composition has been completed, it’s not for him to talk about it. ‘Why ask me? People always need to explain everything, to understand, to give a reason to things. Sometimes, you just need to feel it.’”
I think I love Alessandro already.
Nasomatto, in Italian, means “crazy nose”. I LOVE THAT!
From whatever I have been able to find out, the Nasomatto brand might not be releasing any new fragrance. What is considered its last fragrance was released in 2016. Alessandro set up another brand called Orto Parisi, which I shall try and find out more about, subsequently.
Baraonda was released in 2016 and is considered a unisex fragrance.
It’s woody & reminded me of the Middle East. A bit of musk. Even a bit of old books and paper perhaps? It is warm but not heavy. At least for me, it works both in summers and winters although I will not be surprised if most folks would prefer to wear it in the winter season.
Lightly burnt sugar / caramel. Like a hot water and cognac with honey. Mulled. Even a bit spicy like cinnamon / very very light cardamom perhaps?
It is long lasting and has a nice sillage. I know Nasomatto is known for the 10ft force field but at least with Baraonda, I disagree. It’s an intimate perfume. It’s a nice oily dry-down. I like the oily perfumes more than the powdery ones.
To be fair, the opening notes of Baraonda are fragrant and heavy. The fragrance stays strong for a LONG time. And the way it interacts with my sweet at least, is GOOD. Some fragrances interact in a way that makes everything smell quite vile by the end of the day. Not Baraonda. It makes everything smell NICE.
Warm, spicy, rum. Musky.
This one is, by no means, a casual fragrance. It feels formal to me.
Bharat’s nose on the other hand, does think it has a hammer to the head kind of note. Very strong sillage for his sensitive nose. For Bharat at least, Baraonda is true to its literal meaning : Uproar. Hubbub.
For some reason, maybe because of the synthetic ambroxan, this one doesn’t feel like an expensive fragrance. It doesn’t stay warm or rich after a couple of hours. It doesn’t exactly turn powdery and dry but that’s not reason enough for me.
Baraonda was a nice gift – I wear it sparingly and will miss it when it’s gone. It will not be joining my drawer collection of perfumes though. Baraonda created intrigue in my nose about the Nasomatto project and I am going to keep my nose open for more from Alessandro and his new endeavors.
If you do decide to try this fragrance, I would highly recommend that you nose it in person. Get a spray on your wrist. Walk away for a couple of hours at least. Sniff it intermittently. And THEN decide if you want to get this. If you like this profile of fragrances, I would suggest you look at the Christian Dior Oud Ispahan.
Read about the other fragrances and perfumes I’ve written about on my blog : #NosedByNaina
