Have you ever applied your favorite perfume, only to find that after a few minutes, you can’t smell it at all? Not even a hint? This happened to me quite recently with my new favorite, Chloé Nomade Nuit d’Égypte. I sprayed the perfume twice on my décolletage (over my clothes) and headed out. On the way, it struck me that I couldn’t detect the scent at all. Considering it’s a fairly intense fragrance in an EDP concentration, this seemed odd. Did I apply it incorrectly? Did my clothing absorb the scent? Or did the perfume fade away that quickly? Strange…
Two hours later, while driving back with my partner, he asked what fragrance I was wearing, noting it was quite strong. He said it smelled incredibly nice but wasn’t sure he’d want to be in a car with me for several hours if I smelled that intensely. I turned to him, completely shocked, and asked if he was joking—because I had stopped noticing the perfume almost immediately after leaving the house!
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Why Can’t You Smell Your Own Perfume?
I began frantically googling to understand how this could happen and found an interesting explanation. It’s a common phenomenon related to our olfactory system, known as “olfactory fatigue.” When you apply perfume, your olfactory receptors quickly become accustomed to the scent—especially if it’s a fragrance that suits you well. The brain stops actively registering it after a while to avoid overloading you with constant stimuli. Essentially, it “filters out” the scent because our bodies are wired to focus on new smells as potential indicators of environmental changes. However, others aren’t immune to your perfume since they don’t experience it continuously, making it more noticeable and intense to them.
Conversely, if a scent doesn’t suit you, the brain doesn’t filter it out because it finds it bothersome or perceives it as a warning that something isn’t right, continually reminding you of it. It’s almost like a defense mechanism. You’ve probably experienced this in a perfume shop when testing a new fragrance on your wrist. If the perfume didn’t agree with you, you couldn’t escape it, and it irritated you immensely, right?
From this, I gather that if I can’t smell a perfume, it’s actually proof that it truly suits me, almost like a second skin. The brain likely perceives it as a pleasant and safe scent, so it doesn’t feel the need to keep alerting me to it. It probably interprets the perfume as being in harmony with my personality or natural scent, accepting it as something safe and pleasant.
What do you think of this theory? Would you agree?
This was the first time something like this happened to me. I’ve never before experienced applying a perfume and having it completely disappear to my nose. I could always detect it at least a little. Not with Nuit d’Égypte. I apply it, count to ten, and it’s gone. Yet, it lingers quite strongly on my clothes until I wash them. I notice this especially when I put on the same sweater or shirt and smell the clothing the next day. And the impressions from those around me are the same—everyone knows I’ve used perfume and says it smells nice. So, I’m baffled 🙂
Recently, I shared my impressions of Chloé Nomade, the flagship of the entire Nomade line. Chloé Nomade Nuit d’Égypte is a new release for 2024. What is it like?
Chloé Nomade Nuit d’Égypte EDP
This perfume pays homage to the homeland of Chloé’s founder, Gaby Aghion, who hails from Alexandria, Egypt. The nose behind this fragrance is Juliette Karagueuzoglou, who has also created “Signorina” for Salvatore Ferragamo and men’s fragrances for YSL.
Nuit d’Égypte (translated as “Egyptian Night”) offers a modern and refined interpretation of kyphi, an ancient Egyptian aromatic blend considered sacred and used in religious ceremonies and meditations. It was a form of ancient perfume or incense believed by Egyptians to have not only a pleasant aroma but also healing and purifying effects.
Kyphi recipes varied but typically included a mix of various resins (such as myrrh), honey, wine, dried fruits (e.g., raisins), spices (cinnamon, cardamom), and other aromatic substances. In antiquity, kyphi was rare because its ingredients were expensive and its preparation demanding. The scent was considered so special that it was usually associated with spiritual purification or communication with deities.
I found three variations of the fragrance’s composition and will list them all:
Composition 1
Top: Myrrh, ginger, cinnamon, broom flower nectar, cypriol, opoponax
Heart: Orange blossom absolute
Base: Vanilla
Composition 2
Top: Egyptian orange blossom
Heart: Kyphi
Base: Vanilla
Composition 3
Top: Myrrh, ginger, cinnamon
Heart: Orange blossom absolute, kyphi, broom flower nectar
Base: Vanilla, opoponax, cypriol
Explanation of Foreign Terms/Ingredients in the Composition – for Better Understanding
The kyphi in the heart of Chloé Nomade Nuit d’Égypte is based on a formula containing strong resinous accents of myrrh, blending with spicy notes of ginger and cinnamon and the honeyed tones of broom flower nectar. Cypriol and opoponax then envelop the fragrance with their rounded, balsamic, and amber notes.
Myrrh is a resin obtained from various species of the Commiphora genus. Its scent is very characteristic and complex—rich, warm, balsamic, and slightly spicy. Myrrh smells more earthy and woody, with a hint of sweetness and slightly smoky notes. It’s often described as warm and soothing.
Broom is a flowering shrub mainly found in Southern Europe and around the Mediterranean. It has beautiful, deep yellow flowers with a sweet, slightly honeyed, and floral scent, adding a warm and sunny character to fragrance compositions.
Cypriol has a woody, earthy scent with light smoky and balsamic notes. It adds depth to perfumes and is often used in oriental or woody fragrances. Its character is darker and sensual, sometimes slightly smoky, adding a mysterious, almost hypnotic note to compositions.
Opoponax is a resin with a sweet, balsamic, and slightly spicy scent. It’s gently sweet, warm, and creamy, with undertones reminiscent of caramel and vanilla. Due to its sensual sweetness and depth, it’s often used in the base notes of perfumes, bringing a kind of honeyed warmth. Opoponax feels almost luxurious and softens oriental and amber fragrances, giving them a cozy and velvety touch.
How Does Chloé Nomade Nuit d’Égypte Smell to Me?
In the first notes, I see a vast garden full of yellow flowers, where an incredible amount of solar energy has accumulated throughout the day. Each individual flower then passes on this undiminished power. Amidst this intense floral abundance, sensual notes of resins and sweet spices occasionally shine through.
But that’s not all! Before you can fully take it in, the yellow blossoms are replaced by white ones—orange blossoms—with their characteristic, almost certain freshness and sparkling aroma. However, this never shifts into the typical citrus exuberance and sharpness. Quite the opposite—the scent begins to round out and soften, turning into a distinctly sweet, velvety fragrance that is almost nectar-like and intoxicating.
What absolutely captivates and fascinates me is how the perfume unfolds on my skin. I feel as though, once the scent touches my skin, it immediately blends into one with it. It’s as if I’ve covered my skin with the softest gossamer silk. I honestly can’t recall ever experiencing a fragrance that blends so seamlessly and feels so perfectly embracing. I insist that this is one of the most beautiful fragrant creations to have ever seen the light of the perfumer’s world.
Conclusion
Chloé Nomade Nuit d’Égypte is an exceptional fragrance that will suit anyone looking for an interesting, velvety perfume with depth and complexity. If you’re not fond of straightforward fruity or single-note floral scents, yet you find the idea of “heavy as a blanket” perfumes that leave others almost fainting unappealing, and are simply looking for “something in between,” I highly recommend giving this “Egyptian night” a try. It could be an excellent match for the Egyptian midnight blue 😉
*PR sample – chosen by me, loved (or not) by me. I picked it out myself, no arm-twisting involved. 🌞
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