Nasomatto Narcotic Venus Parfum Extrait

Last week, I wore Nasomatto's Narcotic Venus Parfum Extrait ($165) to work. Forgetting that it was perfume, i.e., concentrated, I sprayed three times and left home. Mid-day, I started noticing that something or someone smelled extraordinarily good. It took me 3-4 minutes to realize it was me. Duh!

Nasomatto’s own description of this scent explains it as, “…a quest for the overwhelming addictive intensity of female sexual power.” Well, now! How can anyone top that? Narcotic Venus is indeed intensely feminine, a no-holds-barred buttery and sweetly rich tuberose. It's everything a tuberose lover expects. It isn’t cutesy or giggly or modern…it plants one glamorous foot down on the ground and announces its feminine presence with a flourish.

Luckyscent says, "There are very few fragrances we’d label absolute and total man killers, and this is one of them. It doesn’t apologize for its outright femininity or try to hide it…it’s out there, one hip thrust out, chin in the air, eyes flashing, and celebrating the devastating beauty of the sweet, white tropical flowers that inhabit it."

Everything said about Narcotic Venus is true. It's dominated by tuberose, a white flower that has been called carnal. Here's what Fragrantica said about tuberose.

The multi-petalled flower is a mix of flower shop freshness and velvety opulence. Which is why it is the perennial polarizing flower note having as many ardent fans as passionate detractors. The Victorians must have been among the latter: they forbade young girls of inhaling the scent of tuberose in the fear they might have a spontaneous - [well, you know]! Roja Dove is right when he says that tuberose is really loose, the "harlot of perfumery."

With the use of the term "passionate detractors," they touched on a continuous argument among fragrance fans. Is tuberose the swoon-worth middle note in feminine perfumes, or is it so indolic, it can't be tolerated in large doses? I belong to the camp that says, "Bring it on!" I love so-called indolic fragrances, which include jasmine, gardenia, tuberose, and orange blossom. I find them otherwordly. They transport me to gardens that are narcotic in their effects. No wonder Narcotic Venus was so named. The detractors? They can have their fragrances that reek of tobacco or incense - or even worse patchouli. Somehow, there are more of them than there are of me. I like to think that makes me distinctive.

Narcotic Venus was created by Alessandro Gualtieri, a perfumer who has created most of Nasomatto's fragrances. They are all as different as night and day. I dislike some of them - like China White - and adore others. Nudo, which is now discontinued, is another favorite. Narcotic Venus was composed with tuberose, jasmine, lily, and spices. What spices? I have no idea.

If you love the scent of rich, night-blooming or tropical florals, you need to add Narcotic Venus to the top of your must-try list. I have read on Facebook that Narcotic Venus has been discontinued recently, meaning available stock will sell out quickly. If you love the scent of rich, night-blooming or tropical white florals, you need to add Narcotic Venus to the top of your must-try list. Try it soon. I need to order a second bottle.

Neiman Marcus and Luckyscent are among the retailers where you can find Narcotic Venus. The bottle is only 30 ml. Remember, it's perfume, not cologne or eau de parfum.

Photos courtesy of Luckyscent and flowers-cs.com