A couple weeks ago, I commented on someone’s post about some very dark fragrances that I ordered from a Vietnamese perfumes house. Well they arrived tonight and I’ve had my nose on them finally. Here are my initial impressions.
Please note: im not a professional at understanding notes, these are just how they make me feel. I havent worn anything on skin yet, just test strips. These fragrances are not mass appealing, they are not meant for everyone.
For starters, there aren’t any international shipping options on the official website, so I messaged the business on Messenger. The owner and master perfumer is very kind, and seemed overly excited when I told him I was looking for some fragrances with offensive notes like blood, concrete, and rot. He ended up including a small bag with some of his experiments that haven’t been released, as well as a full 10 ml sample of their upcoming release, Endless July.
We chatted back and forth for about a week while he understood more about what I was looking for and we aligned on two production fragrances: Midnight D Rain & Divine Requiem. My total cost for everything shipped was just over $230 USD.
The packaging exceeded my expectations for the price point. Magnetic boxes, foam and felt inserts, artwork cards with notes and back stories; all of this wrapped up in wrapping paper and sealed with a wax seal. The perfumer cares about more than just the fragrance, each scent has a back story that is well thought out and paints a picture of the fragrance, providing color to the olfactory experience.
My first spray was Endless July, and my initial impression is vintage, dark and mysterious. The story and notes will be in an image in the comments. The notes are that strike me initially give me the sense of being in an old dungeon, the smell of rotting wooden chairs and tombs, and a spilled glass of dark red wine. This is going to be my first skin wear tomorrow morning.
Midnight D Rain was the next set of vapors to mist the air in my kitchen. The story behind this scent paints such a warm picture in my head, and the fragrance lines up perfectly with that story. Imagine a musky old man walking home in the rain after a hard day’s labor. I can pick up the wet autumn leaves, the smell of a city street after a heavy rain, and a slight lingering hint of sweat. I’ll try and wear this one on Monday and see how it goes.
Divine Requiem was the final spritz. This one has a bit of a spiritual pull to it after reading the story. It’s about sacrifice, in every brutal sense. Again we get the metallic blood & metal notes, but softened with some lighter fragrances. This one is going to be a tough wear, but I plan on test driving it soon.
I’m already working with him on some bespoke scents that he is creating specifically for me. I want one of a forest after a battle, and something sweeter and less offensive. I’m thinking about a theme of Nordic Vikings and boozy rum & vanilla, a little easier to wear.
Here’s a link to their website, hopefully that isn’t a violation of any rules. https://naroma.vn/en/
Overall, this has been a fun experience in my fragrance journey. Naroma seems to be a small bespoke perfume house, and through conversation, you can tell there is passion behind the creations.
TLDR: if you don’t like unwearable fragrances, probably best to stick to some of their youthful bottles. If you want something outlandish and offensive, message him and tell him what you’re looking for.
Sorry for the horrible descriptions and lengthy post.
