Nomade is a floral chypre perfume released in 2018 by French fashion design house Chloé. Nomade was created for Chloé by Givaudan perfumer Quentin Bisch.
Nomade is described as “a spirit of adventurous femininity uplifted by distant horizons and inspiring encounters.”
Chloé lists only three notes for this new perfume: freesia, Mirabelle plum, and oakmoss. The juice is pink, and the bottle is shaped like the iconic Chloé Drew bag.
The Drew bag comes in pale pink, and also in a sort of ombré-striped suede fringe. But if I were choosing a Drew style for the girl described by the Nomade press, I would definitely choose this small Drew in patchwork suede. This is a bag for a chic, stylish girl who is traveling light. I relate to this girl, so I’m hoping that I will love Nomade.
MIRABELLE PLUM
The mirabelle plum is little-known in North America, because 70-80% of the world’s commercial harvest comes from Lorraine, France. Like champagne, which must be from Champagne, or Bourbon, which must be from Kentucky, the mirabelle plum is a product with a Protected Geographical Indication to guarantee its authenticity.
People from Lorraine link the mirabelle to the story of Princess Mira. According to the legend, Princess Mira was a beautiful and generous princess who lived in a castle in Pays-de-Nied. One day, the princess offered hospitality to an old woman, who was actually a fairy in disguise. To repay the kindness, the fairy turned all of the scrawny trees surrounding the castle into magnificent trees that bore succulent, golden fruit.
The tree that produces mirabelle plums is called Prunus domestica, ssp. syriaca. Plums from the same type of tree grow elsewhere in the world, such as in Spain and England. But to be considered mirabelle, a plum must be from Lorraine. This protected-origin designation and U.S. import laws make it almost impossible to import mirabelle plums.
Mirabelle plums are smaller, firmer, and more intensely flavored than typical plums. In Lorraine, the plums are made into jams, jellies, and all types of pastry, as well as eaten fresh. They are also commonly distilled into a fruit brandy, which in French is called Eau de Vie. But with its strong Germanic roots, many people from the Lorraine region refer to it as Schnapps. Home distilling of mirabelles is common in Lorraine; many families make mirabelle schnapps in their basements and garages, using the methods handed down for generations.
NOMADE FRAGRANCE REVIEW
Chloé Nomade opens with a particularly spicy bergamot, and a woody musk. The musk is like a harsh combination of synthetic amber and synthetic wood accords, and smells like a high-end dryer sheet.
After about 30 minutes, the plum begins to appear. It is sweet but also a bit astringent, as though you were biting through the skin to the flesh. Eating this plum would make your mouth pucker a little bit. It lacks the depth and juicy ripeness that I typically associate with plum fragrances. There is more of a floral aspect, which may be the freesia, but no distinct smell of flowers. More like generic body-spray “florals.” Ever-present is the sharp, screechy laundry musk.
About an hour in, the sweetness and astringency of the plum are more prominent. Also, I smell an ever-so-slight minty powderiness, like patchouli. The musk is less forward now, but still there, and I’m becoming tired of smelling it.
After two hours, most of what I smell is just the unpleasant, prickly woody-amber musk. It has a sharpness that stings my nostrils. It feels like inhaling bits of fiberglass insulation. And its persistence is tenacious. After four hours it was nearly all I could smell, and I had to shower it off.
I wore Nomade for a total of three times, and each ended the same way. Eventually I came to dread smelling it, and I developed a headache more than once. Nomade won’t be a part of my scent rotation, but I have definitely fallen in love with the Drew patchwork bag.
Longevity on me was over 8 hours, and sillage was moderate. Nomade is marketed as a feminine perfume, but its lack of distinct florals and domination by artificial woody musk make it feel unisex, and unremarkable.
Chloé Nomade is available as an Eau de Parfum, and sells for $105 per 50 mL bottle at chloe.com
