NARS · Audacious Fragrance Eau de Parfum

For the first time in its 25 year history, NARS has finally released a fragrance and friends, it’s a winner. Introducing Audacious Fragrance Eau de Parfum — mysterious, sultry, unique, and unapologetically provocative … definitely in keeping with the entire aesthetic of this brand.

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No, there’s nothing wrong with your eyes; I felt like doing something ‘artsy’

François Nars featured on the cover of Canadian luxury magazine Nuvo. For the record, this man is 60 — consider me stunned

Audacious Fragrance Eau de Parfum (CAN $240.00/50 ml, 1.7 oz) | I feel like I’ve been waiting for this scent for 25 years; I have gone through countless bottles of this brand’s Monoï Body Oil and have always said that I wish that absolutely decadent tropical scent could be captured in fragrance form. It appears NARS was listening, and I couldn’t be happier. Created in partnership with celebrated nose Olivia Giacobetti, this scent is a “study of contrasts, where light meets dark and sensuality meets individuality“. Yes and yes. Housed in a glass black-coloured bottle with a minimal & modern silhouette, that aesthetic is also carried through to the faux-bois cap that somehow reminds me of an open basin. Key notes include:

• Top – White Frangipani, Smoke of Incense
• Heart – Tiaré Flower, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, Sandalwood
• Base – White Cedar Essential Oil, White Musk

As my fragrance taste leans towards anything with vanilla, a tropical vibe, and a smoky/mysterious bent, Audacious Fragrance checks off EVERY single box. The floral note is clearly evident with the initial spritz, but it’s soft and not cloying, becoming very quickly intertwined with the incense — not the noxious hippy variety, but something more evocative and somewhat spiritual in nature, like a recollection of attending church service perhaps. That smoky tone is carried through to the next phase, when the Tiaré Flower makes its presence known but grounded by the earthiness of Sandawood, providing a creamy & full-bodied richness. The final dry down takes all that redolence and rounds it out with the musk, leaving behind a smooth skin scent that’s warm and almost natural, but still hinting at something erotic — as if the memory of the night before subtly lingers on. Staying power is wonderful as well, but of course that will depend in large part to your body’s unique chemistry; I could still get hints over 8 hours later.

For me, Audacious Fragrance was LOVE at first sniff and I have now found my absolute favourite scent. At the risk of repeating myself, I’ve said often enough that fragrance is a tricky beast to review — and that’s because we all have our likes & dislikes. If like me, you have a weakness for scents that lean towards the tropical with a woody/smoky thread, then you absolutely need to check this one out. Even as someone with as extensive a fragrance collection as I happen to have, I’ve still always been on the hunt for “the one“; as it stands right now, I can stop looking. Monsieur Nars, the 25-year wait was so totally worth it.

Available at narscosmetics.ca & The Bay

Kindly provided by NARS for my unbiased consideration

NARS · Audacious Fragrance Eau de Parfum sourced from: ommorphia beauty bar