Nahéma: an arabian tale
The sonorous name comes from the 1001 Nights, in a story by Scheherazade recounted on the one and only day of her storytelling. (Scheherazade is also the name of a symphonic suite by Rimsky Korsakov, worth exploring).
The story involved the fate of two abducted princesses: one warm and compassionate, the other called Nahéma, meaning “daughter of fire” of a passionate disposition.
No one on the various boards actively bothers to find out the name of the other one, but here at Perfume Shrine we like to question the unquestioned and support the underdog. Mahané was the name of the other princess, then. So now you know, in case you wondered.
Created with Catherine Deneuve in mind in 1979 by Jean Paul Guerlain who had been fascinated by her in the film Benjamin the perfume follows the fiery character of the fictional heroine who was ruled by passion and the imagery of Deneuve in a gold cage surrounded by roses (as depicted in the film) aiming to express the duality of woman.
Although La Deneuve has been tied with Chanel #5 to the collective unconscious, largely due to the hyper successful campaign (that aimed to the American market though and not France), she proclaims to be deeply into all things Guerlain naming her signature scent as L’Heure Bleue. However she is a regular perfume collector too and has an extensive collection indeed that can be viewed at Stars and their perfume choices 
This comes as no surprise and definitely justifies my opinion that Nahema doesn’t suit Deneuve’s icy exterior, which forms however a significant part of her appeal. On the other hand there are other devotees of Nahéma who love it with a passion: “I feel completely unlike myself if I don’t wear Nahιma. It’s a strange scent, but I love it, and I confess it’s a luxury I can barely live without.” Thus waxes poetic about it Shirley Manson of Garbage rock group fame.
However this perfume didn’t do very well, sales-wise and thus is not so easy to find at Guerlain counters, but of course it is not rare either. Its being a flop might be attributed to the fact that it came out at a time when light streamlined chypres like Charlie had already established the image of the independent woman and the new thing were the spicy, mysterious orientals that followed the success of Opium. Nahéma was neither.
Nahéma is a very feisty affair of honeyed rose backed up with intense balsamic and fruity notes such as passion fruit and benzoin. The initial start has the intense blast of aldehydes redolent of a classic French perfume, so giving it a little time before judging is strongly advised. The heart also encompasses ylang-ylang, jasmine and lily, notes which take the supporting role of subtly underscoring the rose. To my nose however the real mate for the rose is peach: rich and juicy and sunnier than the note of peach skin in Mitsouko (in the latter it actually comes from aldehyde C14), here rendered by the use of lush damascones.
The rose-peach combination has been reprised by Sophia Grojsman in Trésor in the early 90’s rendering it an instant best seller. In that case nevertheless it’s much more powdery, sweeter, overwhelming and heavy handed in my opinion. I only really like it in the recent eau de toilette concentration and only on very young women. Call me biased.
A little while into the drydown of Nahéma sandalwood, Peru balsam and that prerequisite of orientalia, so beloved by Guerlain, vanilla, makes it appearance. Guerlain vanilla is unlike anything else out there – it positively smolders. Deep, rich, completely alien to the concept of teenagers seeking a low-calorie substitute to their Haagen Dazs ice cream (which is very yummy by the way), it manages to ignite interest even in people who do not normally appreciate vanillic scents.
Suffice to say this is not for those who like lighter or “clean” scents, although I do not detect particularly naughty or indolic notes.
The parfum is rosier and smoother, as usual with Guerlain fragrances, as well as to a lesser degree is the parfum de toilette, but the Eau de toilette is not unpleasant either, although the initial opening might seem completely aggressive.
The advertising makes use of the fiery heroine, always depicting women clad in orientalised robes of red and flames shaped like a wreath surrounding the bottle.
In my mind Nahéma can be polarizing, making people react viscerally to it.
To my detriment, I am not enamored with it, mainly because I am no great lover of roses or peach, so a bottle of it is not in my future, however I can’t fail to appreciate the audacity and pedigree of the composition
Wonderful review of Nahema, with relevant comparisons to other Guerlains. Interesting story about the opera:-) I love all Guerlains, some more than others, Nahema is on the must have list.
Perfumefanatic () - 26 06 06
I would so love to try this fragrance. Not sure if the fruitiness will suit me but it sounds very sensual nevertheless.
Snarkattack - 19 08 06
This is my all-time favorite fragrance. My wife's favorite is St. John's White Camelia, which has a bit too much gardenia for my tastes. For everyday activities, my wife prefers White Camelia, but when she wants to be naughty, she applies Nahema strategically and encourages me to nuzzle and discover her sensitive nature. It never fails.
jerryhatrick () - 03 01 07
After reading what my name means i would love to try this perfume
Nahema Roopchand () - 07 02 09
Nahema is my dayly perfume. I love its scent and story. I fully recognize myself in his "melodies".
Nice to know that my name comes from a romantic and suggestive place...
Nahema M. - 06 05 10
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