“I start making something, but at a certain point it starts making choices by itself. It is the process itself that interests and guides me. I like the feeling that I’m losing control and I’m not the only one making the choice.”
— Alessandro Gaultieri, founder and master perfumer
Nasomatto was established in Amsterdam in 2008 by expert Italian perfumer, Alessandro Gualtieri. Meaning ‘crazy nose’ in Italian, Nasomatto is an experimental olfactory platform which carries 12 bold and complex fragrances, each an artistic personal expression of its creator.
Gualtieri was educated in the art of perfumery in Germany and built a successful career working with artists, niche brands and major designers, including Fendi, Versace, and Valentino. An avid traveller, Gualtieri favoured a composition style markedly different from the ways of the western world. While traveling to Oman, India, and Saudi Arabia, he observed a very different approach to fragrance making, learning and absorbing as much as possible about the countries’ ancient perfume-making techniques.
Absinth is a dark green chypre that whispers of untamed wilderness. An ode to wormwood, it is crisp and herbaceous entwined with earthy vetiver and the dewy freshness of moss. There’s a smooth natural vanilla sweetness which is almost gourmand in nature. The fragrance deepens, transforming from a fresh and uplifting green to a sultry, animalic musk with woody patchouli.
Meaning ‘chaos’ in Italian, Baraonda opens with a gourmand delicacy – dark chocolate, warm cinnamon and malt whiskey. One can almost feel the familiar boozy burn of straight liquor. Deep, dark woody notes cut through the cozy drunken sweetness with a deep sense of foreboding, heightening the drama and chaos. A touch of mysterious rose flutters hazily from the darkness.
Intriguing yet intrusive, Black Afgano is one of Gualtieri’s more polarising scents. Opening with a sweet sticky resin, followed by a wall of smoke and incense with herbaceous aromatic accents. Blunt and flat woods with a hint of coffee round out the base. Overall, Black Afgano is dark and heavy with a smoky, spaced out THC bliss.
Blamage roughly translates from German as ‘failure’ – the sinking premise behind the fragrance. Gualtieri selected raw ingredients at random to create Blamage. It opens with a harsh and screechy mineralic, even metallic accord, which gives way to an airy yet balanced scent – clean and softly woody with white floral facets. The florals begin to dry and fade, reminiscent of pressed flowers. Powdery musks blur ambery woods before a smooth refined leather emerges. The lasting impression is fresh but comforting.
Sophisticated and mature, Duro is reminiscent of a heavy leather chesterfield in a mahogany-panelled room. Sweet alcoholic accents of whisky and honey mingle with the heavy woods. Italian for ‘hard’ or ‘tough’, Duro is an expression of traditional masculinity.
Fantomas: a criminal genius. Fantomas is as mysterious as it is mesmerising. It opens with a harsh chemical explosion – fireworks, melting plastic, silver bullets. As the smoke begins to clear a tainted heart emerges. Ruthless but with charm, there’s a playful but sinister juxtaposition between the fluidity of wet, syrupy melon, with the rigidity of overbearing concrete brutalist architecture. Blunt and cold, but menacingly effervescent – a fruity sweetness fizzes on the tongue. Imagine a musty grey, but make it neon.
Named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love, Narcotic Venus is an addictive blend of pheromones under classy florals of tuberose, lily and jasmine. Unassuming at first spritz with a strong floral opening, the crystalline notes begin to amplify – reminiscent of a sweet, drunken nectar. Imagine the youthful and glowing skin of a blushing goddess, Narcotic V is sensual and feminine, with an ethereal quality. Lush and lustful – whispering desire behind a powdery veil of youthful innocence.
Nudiflorum is a fragrance of intimate exposure. It opens with metallic jasmine piercing a sparkly rhubarb cloud. A heaviness begins to set in as the composition deepens into a wild, earthy, animalic blend. Rich and hypnotic, Nudiflorum is dirty but innocent, in a primal and intimate way. There’s a herbal and natural sweetness anchored by heady, animalic notes – reminiscent of the beauty and brutality of nature. The base is soberingly dry, but a deeply sensual rawness lingers on the skin.
Pardon is a timeless fragrance that evokes old world elegance. It opens with dark woody notes followed by bittersweet dark chocolate. There is a sophisticated creaminess in the form of tonka bean rounding out the depth. The woodiness is sustained throughout the olfactory journey, with oud enveloped in precious spices adding a rich ambery nuance to the base.
Sadonaso is the explosive pleasure of the senses. It opens with a jolt of coffee, before deepening into an enigmatic smoky musky blend. A touch of sandalwood emits a woody warmth. The tantalizing sweetness of tobacco adds a forbidden edge, evoking fantasies of reckless abandon. Rich amber exudes a sultry warmth, mingling with an animalic intensity that sends shivers down your spine, while creamy tonka and vanilla add a layer of irresistible indulgence. This fragrance is an ode to raw desire, sparking primal instincts and daring you to act.
Silver Musk opens with sweet and zesty citrus with a slightly herbal edge, before settling into cool metallic tones. While most musks have a weight and warmth to them, this one is light, airy, and silvery. It exudes a bright, cool-toned sheen, whilst being utterly magnetic. Silver Musk gives the skin an ethereal, addictive freshness, an attraction subtle enough to leave those around you wondering what is so alluring.
Gualtieri’s anarchic creative process may have alienated him from more traditional brands, but it made Nasomatto a cult favourite. Nasomatto maintains a sense of mystery. Ingredients lists and compositions are kept secret. Instead, inspirations and ambiguous but evocative descriptions have become the trademark of the brand. The creative essence of each scent is communicated, whilst the actual notes are kept for the wearer to contemplate and get to know over time.
For example, Absinth’s ‘aim to evoke degrees of hysteria’ and ‘stimulate irresponsible behaviour’, Narcotic V’s representation of ‘the overwhelming addictive intensity of female sexual power”’. Black Afgano, ‘the result of a quest to arouse the effects of temporary bliss,’ is perhaps their most universally celebrated concoction—the first perfume to use hashish as a lead ingredient, it’s smoky and black with an almost leathery, resinous wear.
Undoubtedly a visionary in the field of art, Gualtieri avoids media attention and quietly designs scents so loud they create a powerful force field around their wearer and cannot go unnoticed. Nasomatto fragrances are produced by hand in small batches at the laboratory in Amsterdam, aiming to evoke the most profound feelings and desires with each new creation, idea, and visual representation.
