NAVA OM NA: Eternity Review

Brand: Nocturne Alchemy

Availability: General Catalog
Notes: desert sage, softened resin of vetiver, the scent of temple grass, black coconut milk and husk, dragon's breath incense and white benzoin liquid resin of the netherworld

First impression out of bottle: Dank grassiness

Freshly applied: Grassy from the vetiver at first. The sage is there, giving that herbal nose tickle but the vetiver is front and center. I get almost the dark damp quality you can get with patchouli, only without the rubbery potential. This is a very WET sage scent. Not a smudge stick, no burning or ash, just like an offering of sage and herbs that has been rained on. No coconut yet.

Damp, fresh herb bundles

Drydown: As it dries, I get some black/dark coconut, and the blend sweetens a tad. Light on the incense, definitely not a burn-y or smoky smell. Wet and dark and twisted, like the inner tunnels of an ancient temple. There’s no stone notes, but it absolutely reminds me of being inside ancient tombs when I visited Egypt. Cold. Interesting and beautiful. And I also start getting another coconut note, milky and white, to go with the black husk note from before.

Black coconut husk joins the wet sage

After several hours: The more I smell it, the more I love the paradox of the milky sweet coconut and the wet-smelling sage. It’s not like food or like anything I’d immediately deem attractive…but it’s kind of addictive and weird and pleasant in an unusual way. At first it was so grassy and cold but now it’s warmed up with the benzoin and the coconut, so I think it will layer fantastically with a sweeter or woodsy scent.

Sweet, pure coconut milk lightens up the dark, earthy blend

Longevity: High, as with most NAVAs. This is a morpher though, and the ultimate drydown described above is what lasts most of the day.
Sillage: High, which may be an issue as it's quite strange-smelling at first. It settles into something much more pleasant. Maybe don't apply this at your desk, though.

Would an [X] lover love this? I don't even know how to classify this scent, so...would a sage lover like this? I'd say YES unless they only like "dry" smelling sage. This is rich, a bit grassy, herbal, and dark. It's unusual for sure, but I think people who like sage are usually pretty adventurous.

Would an [X] hater love this? Would a sage hater love this? Maybe! I did not like it when freshly applied, but it has this uncanny fascinating moreish smell, where you just want to keep sniffing. It's rather addictive and surprisingly wearable. I'd say give this a spin even if you are a coconut or sage hater.

Where am I? When I wear this, I feel totally transported to a damp ancient temple. I smell hanging plants and offerings of herbs and sweet coconut, and the hint of incense.

Where would I wear this? I probably wouldn't wear this out to dinner, it's not a sexy date type of scent. I would wear this if I wanted to go for a long walk by myself, or maybe at work on a day when I needed to be focused and feel strong. It's kind of a subtle "power scent" because it has a pleasant sweetness but a strong backbone.