Nuit de Bakélite // Nose : Isabelle Doyen // Year : 2017 // Notes : Tuberose, angelica, artemisia, ylang-ylang, caro karounde, carrot seeds, cardamom, leather, styrax and green notes //
The Low Down : A green, vegetal smoky floral with a twisted vintage vibe.
The long-awaited perfume from Naomi Goodsir, the uber stylish Australian creator and perfume designer is Nuit de Bakélite. Bakelite is an early form of plastic commonly used in many household items and jewellery in the 1920’s-1950’s and is now a collectible. I spoke with Naomi briefly at Pitti Fragranze a few months ago and was really drawn to the design aesthetic and artwork in her space. If you take a peep at Naomi’s website you will see her distinctive artistic vision. Her previous release Iris Cendré was a fresh take on iris and in a similar way Nuit de Bakélite subverts the tuberose genre.
Isabelle Doyen, well known for her work at Annick Goutal and as a teacher at ISIPCA is the perfumer. Personally I’m a huge Doyen fan. She’s made a handful of my favourite perfumes, all highly wearable including Ambre Fétiche, Songes and Mon Parfum Chéri par Camille.
First off let’s dispel any thoughts that you may have regarding the tuberose aspect of this perfume. If you’re expecting a big slutty tuberose like Fracas (Robert Piguet) or the creamy minx that emerges in the afterglow of Tubereuse Criminelle (Serge Lutens) then please don’t. There’s no raucous floral element here conjuring steep stilettos and neon lights.
Nuit de Bakélite is a much greener take, garnished with galbanum, and stems and stalks of the tuberose rather than the flower. The perfume comes alive with a bitter green, damp vegetal opening that is in parts vivid but also murky. There’s a warmer side too that evokes a molten plastic like odour, perhaps the Bakelite accord but it doesn’t outstay its welcome. A hint of carrot like iris dots a line to Iris Cendré with its ashy facets. Leathered, green smoky elements also play a part. The fragrance softens on my skin quite quickly after the initial rush and never feels like it has a huge sillage yet is always noticeable.
There’s a definite vintage vibe inhabiting Nuit de Bakélite that the name helps to conjure and reminds me of old blooms and houses with faded wallpaper and a sense of lived in history. This is no youthful Gucci bloom, it speaks to the cracks lying bare in fading beauty. Unsettling and intriguing.
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Read more about Nuit de Bakélite on // Now Smell This, Bl’eauog, Australian Perfume Junkies, // For where to purchase : Please see the Naomi Goodsir website for further details. A 50ml bottle is 125 Euro. // Notes : Images : Megan In Sainte Maxime. // Disclaimer : Sample gratefully received from Naomi Goodsir at Pitti Fragranze. Opinions my own.
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Have you tried this perfume or any in the Naomi Goodsir range?
Megan In Sainte Maxime 
Though I haven’t met yet a tuberose that would work for me, I keep trying tuberose perfumes from brands or perfumers that I like (repeating to myself “never say never”). So since I like Isabelle Doyen (Ambre Fetiche, Heure Esquise and Petite Cherie are my all-time favorites), I’ll give this new perfume a try when I get a chance.
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Hi Undina. I will say that it’s not your average tuberose so even if you dislike this flower’s representation in a perfume this one may be a little different for you. No guarantees though but like you I really enjoy many of Doyen’s creations. ✨
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