Bohemian Soul Une Nuit Nomade 2018

Uncommented Fragrances No. 122

Montauk is a small town at the eastern tip of Long Island in the USA and is known through the eponymous story by Max Frisch. With a bit of luck, the village will become even more famous through the fragrance series "Une Nuit à Montauk" by the manufacturer "Une Nuit Nomade." But that is probably wishful thinking.

So far, the fragrances from Une Nuit Nomade have received little attention here on Parfumo and are rarely given detailed recognition. The entire Montauk series still presents itself without comment, and even the other fragrances from the brand do not attract much praise.

Personally, I like almost all the fragrances, and I take this opportunity to promote testing this exciting brand. All are easily available through the homepage; especially, there are test materials (two sets) at acceptable prices, which should definitely be considered before making a blind purchase. The fragrances are quirky, yet completely easy to wear, so they do not belong to any kind of avant-garde. Here, it’s about wearability on one hand, but also about distinguishability on the other.

All three fragrances feature two common fragrance components (Rose America: Rose and Clove / Memory Motel: Patchouli and Clove / Bohemian Soul, the newest fragrance: Frankincense and Wood), but they set new accents, as the combination is not so obvious at first (e.g., Rose and Clove in a pronounced form: rather rare) and additionally, notes are included that are rather surprising in this context.

Bohemian Soul is my favorite of the three fragrances in the "Une Nuit à Montauk" series. While I hesitantly give Rose America an 8.0, and have considered no more than 8.0 for Memory Motel, I waver a bit with Bohemian Soul and decide on an 8.5. The fragrance reminds me in pattern (not in the sense of a fragrance twin) of Nuit de Bakélite by Naomi Goodsir. In Goodsir’s fragrance, it is the Galbanum that is responsible for this dark-green note that robs the fragrance of any floral sweetness. It also has wood and resinous notes. Of course, this is a completely different structure than that of Bohemian Soul: however, in my opinion, the result is similar and reveals a kinship of ideas.
On the other hand, Bohemian Soul: While Frankincense and Wood form a quite common but always beautiful combination, a bitter-green tone (probably the indicated Wormwood and/or Myrrh) provides a harsh and green contrast. This somewhat reminds me of fragrances with a strong Galbanum content (see above: Nuit de Bakélite). The fragrance is completely unsweet (there is no other way to describe the complete absence of fruity, amber, or gourmand notes) and yet very charming: the smoky aspect is underscored by Musk and Iris, the green is always strongly present without being herbal or sharp: rather plant-like, dark, almost warm, a bit earthy: like coming home to your own garden.

This fragrance also follows its own path, just like Rose America and Memory Motel, and finds its goal: wearability and originality united! In the soul of the artist, the spirit of the bourgeoisie often resides as well.