Nissaba Provence Review

Nissaba Provence courtesy of the brand

“When the Good Lord begins to doubt the world, he remembers that he created Provence.” ~ Frédéric Mistral, 19th c. poet who was awarded the 1904 Nobel Prize in Literature for his work in reviving Provençal language and culture.

Sébastien Cresp courtesy of the brand

Firmenich perfumer Sébastien Cresp may have been born in the western suburb of Paris known as Neuilly-sur-Seine, but his origins are steeped in Provence. His famous father Olivier was born in Grasse; his grandfather traded raw materials; and his great-grandfather grew roses and jasmine there. When I learned that the French brand Nissaba had engaged the young perfumer to compose a fragrant homage to the land of his forebears, I found it futile to resist temptation – and ordered Provence blind. Provence is pivotal to me: I traveled there as young girl on my first solo foray to Europe the year before I moved to Boston.

Field of Lavender courtesy of the brand

“Provence is a country to which I am always returning, next week, next year, any day now, as soon as I can get on a train.” ~ British food writer and chef Elizabeth David, from French Provincial Cooking, page 23

To better fathom Nissaba Provence and why it enthralls me, I offer the insight of Dr. Martin Shaw, renowned Dartmoor mythologist, teacher, and author. Dr. Shaw is convinced that we experience strong emotional and spiritual ties to a specific location despite not having been born there. He believes that  “a huge difference between being from a place and of a place is your capacity to behold it.” In short, there are places which draw us to them like a magnet – and when we arrive, we feel completely at ease, as if we have come home at last. This is what I felt the moment I set foot among the hilly, rocky terrain of Provence strewn with crumbled Roman ruins, lavender, and wild herbs. Sébastien Cresp has captured the spirit of Provence en plein air brilliantly in this perfume; it’s among the finest blind purchases I have ever made, with absolutely no attendant regrets.

herbes de Provence via IStock

Imagine yourself newly arrived in the south of France during the full heat of summer. The light is blindingly radiant, teetering on the verge of mercilessness; an occasional breeze wafts up from the Mediterranean below. As you gaze from the balcony of a very old pension (in a magnificent state of disrepair), you can hear the plaintive bleating of young Alpine goats en route to higher climes: the grass is very dry, and they must travel to seek more nutritive sources. As they roam, they crush lavender and herbs underfoot; the very air sings with their exhilarating aroma. This fragrance teases your nostrils. You clamber down innumerable steps into the ill-kempt, rambunctious back garden, weedy with scattered shards of pottery. You’ve been in such a hurry that you are barefoot and can feel the tickling, prickly remnants of what would have been flourishing grass in another season. No matter: the limestone-rich soil of the garrigue – the low-lying scrub land that is home to stunted trees (Kermes oaks, mastic, dwarf pine), sage, thyme, and lavender – beckons, and you must follow. You may indeed be awake, but it feels as if you are participating in a lucid dream.

Nissaba Provence courtesy of the brand

Nissaba Provence seduces you with a gentle dash of spearmint right away. Its tender tonicity revels in the company of floral black pepper and the warm spice of coriander and nutmeg. Monsieur Cresp has chosen to employ two distinctly different heart notes: lavender Diva is the more floral and delicate of the two, while lavandin possesses a sharper, more pungent, herbal and camphorous scent profile. You might surmise that these two reign supreme over the remaining olfactive materials, but that isn’t the case at all. A lovely, credible herbalcy is fashioned by the addition of clary sage and hyssop – both of which grow happily in this region of France. These delectable facets are embellished with a singular green tea accord, which happens to be composed of a melange of jasmine, muguet, violet (? leaf ? ionones), and bergamot. I sense the power of a skilled perfumer’s sleight of hand at work, because the final result is so seamless and believable. There’s a mathematically harmonious relationship here, as if Bach might have composed it. Last, but not least, there is a dream base in which the elements conspire to elicit a sigh of satisfaction: sandalwood and cedar, vetiver and tonka. Nissaba Provence provides a direct link to the natural world in all its glory; I have worn it a great deal this summer and intend to keep doing so throughout the year. This fragrance possesses modest sillage and excellent staying power – and even better, it’s perfect for anointing yourself and your bed linens prior to a sound night’s slumber. What more could you ask?

“The diffused magic of the hot, sweet south had withdrawn into them—the soft-pawed night and the ghostly wash of the Mediterranean far below.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, excerpt from Tender is the Night

Notes: spearmint, coriander, nutmeg, black pepper, lavender Diva absolute, lavandin absolute, clary sage, hyssop, green tea accord (jasmine, lily of the valley, violet, and bergamot), sandalwood, cedar, vetiver,  tonka

I purchased Nissaba Provence. My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Please read Oli’s review of Les Alpes here and Berbera here

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