Review of Shem-el-Nessim Eau de Parfum by aad de gids

Shem-El-Nessim (Arabic for “smelling the breeze”), is the perfume from 1906 so 120 years old, and then bought by me ca. 2000, recreated by Perfumer Trevor Nicholl, and in my house now having an age of 25 years (not gaining dust, but) easily and 'dutifully' used. while it is a Fantastic, Fabulous, Legendary perfume plus re-iteration. the Orris, Heliotrope plus Musk (this last note I have to I guess bc I am amnostic to it) make this a veritable Powder Bomb. what strikes the most is the seamless nature of this Old (New) perfume, where the one Ingredient glides over in the Next. non-conflictive. this gives a smooth, fully blended, macerated fingerprint, blueprint of this Phantomous as well as Botanical, Floral and Woody perfume. one can only imagine how these perfumes smelled (or were received) in 1909. we also immediately get an idea of the aromatic, perfume Machinery of said Era. this perfume is unforgivably romantic as also (sub-, bc English) Alluring, lurking and stealthy lying in Wait to ashyxiate the late women in all kinds of Fashionable Clothes either post-Victorian or pre-Flappereuse, ticking (ticque- tocqueing) with their half high heeled Beige and Greige quasi-Cinderella's on the cobblestones of London and Paris. may there be Neroli and Bergamot, for me these are present only in name and perhaps lend the opening of the perfume some fizziness. then the High Entry of the Flowers begins, to never again stop. Rose, Geranium, Orris, (Neroli), Heliotrope, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Vanilla. here we have a Truly Flowery Onslaught of loveliness and beauty. the perfumes Shem-El-Nessim, Phul-Nana (both c2000s by Trevor Nicholl) and Hasu-No-Hana by Richard Melchio have great overlappings as they would have in a Venn Diagramm. Sandelwood, Patchouli and Cedar give the frivolities of the Flowers the Backbone from the materials out of which finally they all grew. a special 'round' perfume meticulously executed and cementing the name Grossmith for where it not already was....