Nemo by Cacharel

I scoured every underground perfume shop until a condescending clerk told me it was discontinued. I resigned myself to going to the only place that still had it—those places with outrageous prices—and bought it blind in 50ml for about $75 (I think I got ripped off). Forget the absurd price: it smells unique, nothing like today’s perfumes. It opens with lavender and cardamomo, then moves to nutmeg with a subtle suede base. Basically, it’s cardamomo with nutmeg and a constant touch of vanilla. The performance is poor; it doesn’t project past the first hour and lasts about 6 hours (maybe it’s an old batch). It smells sweet but nothing like current perfumes. Maybe it was a precursor to the sweet and spicy men’s scents that are trendy now, like SWY Intensely. Is it worth it today? No, there are cheaper options that last longer. But if it’s one of those that brings nostalgia, you tell me. The bottle is very peculiar, Y-shaped with a rotating ball atomizer. I think it’s stored upside down in the box and I was scared it would leak, but the industrial design is original.

What a shame for the world of perfume lovers that they discontinued it. It was my first perfume back in 1999, and it had a particularly exquisite scent.

This is one of my favorite perfumes, and that says it all. For me, Nemo is an aromatic oriental. The ever-present lavender, paired with spices, is what leads me to this classification. The opening is sparkling and effervescent, yet not citrusy; instead, it’s the spices that provide that touch, complemented by a soft, slightly sweet lavender. Then other flowers emerge: the carnation becomes spicy, while the geranium adds a soapy nuance. Meanwhile, the spice blend smells like cinnamon (just like you, @Pplu), or somewhere between cinnamon and nutmeg. That phase is gorgeous. In the base, there’s a hint of leather and patchouli. For some reason, I associate this final stage with velvet, perhaps due to its softness, opulence, and warmth. It lasts about 6-8 hours; the first two notes project strongly in the environment before settling closer to the skin. Although marketed for men, a friend wore it and it suited her perfectly. It works for any season, even summer, just on cool nights. This review is from a bottle from the late 2000s.

There’s no doubt that years ago, fragrances had much higher quality than today’s… I don’t know what went through the house’s head to stop producing it. It reminds me a lot of Gucci Envy in its uniqueness, but Nemo is closer to my tastes. Maybe it was considered weird when it launched, hence its short market life, but what a shame. It smells like very spiced leather with subtle, balanced cardamomo, nutmeg, some woody notes, and a very subtle vanilla. There’s cinnamon or something that resembles its scent. It’s not a bomb, nor does it last hours on end, but so what? There are hundreds of fragrances with more sillage and longevity that are mediocre. I prefer originality and quality over longevity. It’s perfect for enjoying on your own, not for others to smell. I always hope they will release fragrances like this again because I don’t understand how they can die and be forgotten. I hope L’Oréal does something right and launches a special edition of what they themselves took away.

Nemo from Cacharel was a legacy left by a friend who passed away a few days ago; it’s not the best way to get a perfume, but I’m grateful for the gift. It opens with sparkling nutmeg, cardamom, and pepper, paired with a dynamic, modern lavender—not 80s style. It has a soft sweetness reminiscent of Envy for Men, but the caraway and geranium temper it to avoid being too sugary. The floral notes aren’t obvious but balance the composition. The woods and leather reinforce its masculinity. It has moderate longevity (6-7 hours) and similar projection and trail. At first, I thought it was identical to Envy for Men, but testing it today revealed it’s quite different; perhaps the common notes like cardamom, leather, and pepper confused me. There’s nothing it truly resembles, though it evokes other scents at times. It has hints of dried fruit with leather, spices, subtle woods, and incense. The scent is pleasant and has good potential. It works best fresh, at night. It’s a special gem that left stores for incomprehensible reasons. Is it worth paying so much? Only if it’s your favorite, you’re a devoted fan, and you have the money. Rating: Fragrance 9/10, Longevity 7/10, Trail 7/10, Projection 7/10, Versatility 8/10. Average 7.6/10. P.S.: Rest in peace, dear José.

Nemo by Cacharel is a sweet, bright wood with a light touch of cinnamon that gives it an earthy, warm, and spicy character. Its behavior is vibrant, woody, and acidically masculine. Undoubtedly, it deserves the fame its lovers have given it; it’s a very rounded fragrance. I only ask for its performance, meaning you have to overapply it, and its overpricing is absolutely unjustified. However, beyond hypes or eBay… Nemo is a great aroma. Cacharel gave us very good perfumes for men. Two seasons: autumn-winter.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S ALREADY DISCONTINUED HERE IN MEXICO. IT WAS A VERY GOOD FRAGRANCE AND LASTED ON ME AROUND 6 TO 8 HOURS. IT’S ONE OF THOSE FRAGRANCES WHERE EVEN THOUGH YOU SWEAT MODERATELY, AFTER WASHING THE CLOTHES, THERE’S STILL A TRACE OF THE SCENT. I LOVE THE BOTTLE DESIGN; IT WAS VERY ORIGINAL.

Stopped by a perfume shop and spotted an old box of this discontinued fragrance. I asked to smell it, and far from the vintage vibe I expected, it smelled like rotting organic trash. It seems nutmeg is the culprit, as other similar notes have also been criticized for that dirty odor. I didn’t even apply it; smelling it from the bottle was enough to rule it out. Lucky for me it doesn’t last long or have a strong trail.

Starts very intense and special with lavender, cardamom, and nutmeg; for a moment it reminded me of YSL La Nuit de l’Homme, though they aren’t the same. They share cardamom, lavender, caraway, and cedar, but Nemo has more spices and florals. At the 5-hour mark, the lavender was still there, but with more weight on florals like carnation and geranium. Then I thought I detected a hint of incense, perhaps from the leather, labdanum, and patchouli. The dry down is long and soft, loaded with cedar and patchouli. The best part is the opening and heart; the rest is a standard formula. As an oriental, it’s decent, but it lacks enough wood to be truly woody; it’s more of a spiced oriental. It’s a young winter fragrance with a moderate trail (it gets heavy if overapplied) and lasts about 12 hours clinging to the skin at the end. Discontinued, what a shame.

Honestly, even though they say it’s captivating, I don’t find it delicious at all, and it’s very expensive: 50 euros for 1.7 oz, and the longevity is short. I regret buying it.

Excellent fragrance! What a pity it’s discontinued; it was a work of art, exquisite, and very different from most.