BLOG
Nissaba training at Babassu
A different approach to perfume
Nissaba is a perfume house in Switzerland with an authentic, creative approach. The house commissions master perfumers to gather the finest ingredients from a single territory. Unlike the traditional method of perfumery, the perfumer takes on the role of ambassador for the country or region, without overshadowing that of the growers of these rare raw materials.
The scent of a region
Every Nissaba niche fragrance is therefore not only a tribute to a remarkable region, but also the embodiment of the country its ingredients come from. From a single region, extracts are gathered, selected and combined, creating highly concentrated perfumes that are deeply connected to a place. This makes each creation recognisable and, at once, both local and worldly.
Tierra Maya
Fragrance notes from Guatemala:
Green cardamom, Peru balsam and rose
Perfumer Ilias Ermenidis: “I would describe the scent as luminous and addictive.”
Tierra Maya has the scent of a clear, woody amber. Ilias Ermenidis sourced his ingredients in Guatemala: ”This is the first time I have worked with ingredients concentrated in a single area. I became even more interested in Peru balsam, a material I have used for forty years, ever since I began in perfumery.” Peru balsam is drawn from the trunk of a tree species that grows in Central and South America. The balsam contains benzoic and cinnamic acid. Ilias: “Alongside the balsam, green cardamom from Guatemala forms part of the brightness of the top note. This cardamom is very pure, not at all metallic, as cardamom of other origins can be. I combined it with cinnamon. To make it addictive, I added a duo of the finest centifolia and damascena rose extracts. I find the result really beautiful. I would describe the scent as luminous and addictive.”
Provence
Fragrance notes from the Haute-Provence:
Coriander, lavender and holy herb (hyssop)
Perfumer Sébastian Cresp: “When you smell it, you are instantly in Provence.”
Provence is a rich Provençal bouquet drawn from the soil of the Haute-Provence. Perfumer Sébastian Cresp: “What comes to mind with Provence are the vast lavender fields. Provence means cicadas, warmth, nature, the sea, the mountains. I did not make a classic perfume, but really chose the ingredients of the region, such as Diva lavender (lavender of the finest quality), lavandin, clary sage, holy herb and coriander. Finally, I worked on a woody sandalwood base. When you smell it, you are instantly in Provence.”
Chaco
Fragrance notes from Paraguay:
Petitgrain, maté and Palo Santo
Perfumer Alexandra Monet: “The idea was to have maté and petitgrain react to one another.”
Alexandra Monet: “Working on a single terroir was a chance to bring together ingredients we would not have combined in a traditional context. I wanted to create a scent that was fresh, not a perfume, so I used a tea structure, in which maté is an essential element. The idea was to have maté and petitgrain react to one another. What is interesting about petitgrain is its green, slightly astringent, pyrazine-like silkiness and its calming scent. I used this facet to bring out the light green side of the tea. Then the guaiac wood emerges to warm the scent and give this note sensuality. The result is a fresh, distinctive scent. Unique and honest!”
Grande-Île
Fragrance notes from Madagascar:
Black and pink pepper, vanilla and clove
Perfumer Frank Voelkl: “That is what we perfumers strive for when we create scents: to be transported.”
Grande-Île is both sensual and reassuring, a tribute to the welcoming spice island. Frank Voelkl: “Madagascar has a great deal of sun and the people are very warm. I tried to convey that sensuality, the feeling of sun-warmed skin and the light you find in a place like Madagascar. I chose the amber structure, in which vanilla is one of the key ingredients leading us towards something very warm and sensual. Then I used the spicy tones of black and pink pepper to create tension in the scent, to add contrast and a little freshness. That is what we perfumers strive for when we create scents: to be transported, to connect with different places in this world. When I smell Grande-Île, I am transported and the scent takes me to a place I would love to be.”
Sulawesi
Fragrance notes from Indonesia:
Nutmeg, Java vetiver, patchouli and benzoin
Perfumer Nicolas Bonneville; “An exploratory jungle with a multisensory blend of earth, wood and herbs.”
Sulawesi is the essence of important Indonesian raw materials, such as nutmeg, Java vetiver, benzoin and patchouli, a woody, damp note that plays the leading role. Nicolas Bonneville: “To play with certain patchouli tones we give it texture, as a sculptor might. We add materials: a little cedarwood, a little Java vetiver (a grass from Java) to make it smell smoky and a touch darker. For contrast, a little benzoin joins the base notes. Picture the backbone of Sulawesi, with nutmeg, patchouli and benzoin, as a dense forest, a kind of jungle, with a hint of undergrowth and a hint of earth, through which sunlight breaks. The result is an exploratory jungle with a multisensory blend of earth, wood and herbs.”
