Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
01/26/2024
Katemorganb
16 Reviews
Katemorganb
1
Leathery warmth
Warm, leathery incense with soapy-floral facets that leave me baffled; I'm unsure if the soapy quality that I'm picking up on is from one of the resins, the tea/coffee, or the osmanthus, but either way, it's fascinating to smell. Feels almost dusty, reminiscent of old books; I say that not with disdain but with affection. The spices are soft rather than sharp, and it's blended in a way that it's difficult to pick out any one particular note. When wearing this, you are not wearing one hero note, you are wearing the whole of Nanban: mysterious, gentle, and warm.
Arquiste as a house excels at taking historical inspirations, remixing them, and introducing them to a modern audience as things of great beauty, and Nanban is no exception. This scent feels timeless, a relic that insists upon relevance.
I wore this to see my state's poet laureate perform her poetry in a 100-year-old chapel, and it feels more and more appropriate in hindsight: the warm glow of the old cracked-glass lamps, the somber history brought to life by Jaki Shelton Green, bringing the scent of sacred resins into a spiritual place. I don't know if I want a full bottle of Nanban, but it is a work of art, and I respect it deeply.
Arquiste as a house excels at taking historical inspirations, remixing them, and introducing them to a modern audience as things of great beauty, and Nanban is no exception. This scent feels timeless, a relic that insists upon relevance.
I wore this to see my state's poet laureate perform her poetry in a 100-year-old chapel, and it feels more and more appropriate in hindsight: the warm glow of the old cracked-glass lamps, the somber history brought to life by Jaki Shelton Green, bringing the scent of sacred resins into a spiritual place. I don't know if I want a full bottle of Nanban, but it is a work of art, and I respect it deeply.
NicheOnly
ScentedSalon
