An Aura of Mystery

aromatic umbra.

Writer Allie Turner

On initial spritz, it seems that NARS Audacious Fragrance can’t decide what it wants to be. This is by design. The inaugural scent by NARS founder and creative director François Nars, created in collaboration with French perfumer Olivia Giacobetti, is an exercise in ambiguity. The top notes of white frangipani and smoke linger, creating an indecisive air that is neither masculine nor feminine. Rounded off with further elements of florals and the musk of sandalwood, this modern scent is unexpected. The fragrance’s abstraction and contrast create a sensual harmony that is decidedly unisex and ultimately audacious. A fitting reflection of the man himself.