Product Review: NOU Parfum by Claude Dir, For Como & Brigante

Another fragrance that I had the good fortune to sample lately is NOU. Pronounced N-O-U. The signature scent of Como & Brigante, NOU was created by Claude Dir, known world-wide as the creator of perfumes for Gucci, Hugo Boss, and Bijan DNA.

Fragrance notes include: Verbena, Mandarin Zest, Chinese Ginger, Cinnamon, Vanilla Orchid, Pink Roses, and Purple Iris Root.

After wearing it for awhile, what stands out the most is the spiciness of the Ginger and Cinnamon. It definitely has a sexy scent – complex and grown-up, this is nothing like so many of those sweet celebrity fragrances out there now. It has a more complex scent, richer and earthier, although it doesn’t have the musk note that I usually identify as earthy. Perhaps it comes from the spices. I like NOU a lot.

There’s this whole video about Alma Mahler, wife of composer Gustav Mahler, but I’m not sure what that has to do with the scent. Alma apparently liked to host parties for the elite of the day and at these parties, the ladies did not wear panties. The men did not know this, but the ladies did. Going panty-less gave the women the feeling of holding a naughty-sexy secret and the male attendees responded to the women’s sexy aura. Or something like that. I did my own panty-less-ness back in the day, because I hated underwear lines. I can’t say if the men around me responded to “my secret” – I think it had more to do with my tight jeans. Currently I’m pretty panties all the way, but I still like the NOU parfum. It has a spiciness that my nose responds to. If you are a fan of a clear floral, then this might not be the fragrance for you.

If you’d like to try NOU, there are three ways to get your hands on some here. You can obtain a sample that only costs the price of shipping and handling, if you don’t want to commit to a full-size bottle right away.  For a limited time, NOU canvas bags are available as part of a special purchase. The bottle itself is packaged in a little black velvety sleeve, which is a nice touch for gift giving.

Image credit: Como & Brigante.com