To live is to breathe, to breathe is to smell.
Scent is a part of life, from our first seconds of existence when we recognize our mother’s smell, to our last years, when a familial scent can suddenly transport us far away, into a past we’d believed forgotten.
Everyone is fascinated by scent, but smelling isn’t a sense as obscure and complicated as one would have us believe. On the contrary, it is within each of us, forms a direct connection to our emotions, and only asks to be invited to express itself, to blossom and be set free. And it’s our modest ambition to offer you this introduction to the world through your nostrils!1
So begins the first issue of “Nez: La Revue Olfactive” (spring/summer 2016). Jeanne Doré, of the French perfume blog Auparfum, along with the design and publications team of Editions Le Contrepoint, started Nez. So far, it has been released twice a year, for two issues to date, both in French. Nez's spring/summer 2017 issue, launching mid-April, will be the magazine's first English-language version. For me, it will be a must-read.
Why do I like Nez? Let’s start with the physical object itself. Although it’s officially a magazine, Nez feels as meaty as a book. It has a stiff cover with “NEZ” and a shape (on the first issue, shown above right, the shape is a nose) cut out to show the illustrated page beneath. The pages are thick and full of color. To me, Nez’s design is modern but approachable. It comes off as smart and interesting without trying too hard, and avoids straying into that irritating territory that says, “Hi, I’m cooler than you, and I’m trying so hard to prove it that I come off as kind of pathetic.”
The Nez team invested in images, too. Nearly every page has original drawings and photographs, whether it’s stylized illustrations of perfume bottles for the “cahiers parfums” section of mini-reviews, or the comic drawings for “Le Propre et le Sale” dossier essay headings. Plus, each issue has a scent card. (The second issue’s card even includes “baby’s head.”)
Now, for Nez’s content. The magazine has five departments: “Odorama,” explorations of materials and aspects of perfumery; “Correspondances,” scent seen through other art forms and artists (for instance, the first issue includes an interview with Chef Alain Passard); “Magazine,” with general articles (I loved the one about perfume of the liberation following World War II); “Dossier,” essays surrounding scent; and “Cahier Parfums,” including fragrance reviews, brand portraits, highlights of classic fragrance (e.g. Coty Chypre), and even a humor section.
Nez isn’t a technical journal. It seems to aim for a readership of people who are intrigued by perfume and secondarily by smell in general, and who want to dip into the ideas, art and history surrounding scent. For instance, an article about vetiver delves into its production. An interview with perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena examines, among other things, the influence of Edmond Roudnitska on his work. An essay about describing scent proposes new ways to talk about perfume.
Plus, some of Nez’s content is just plain entertaining. I laughed at the Christmas shopping section, which presents mini dossiers on people ranging from “la tante artistique” to “le petit frère emo goth.” (Example: the artistic aunt’s name is Brigitte, she’s 62, and she’s in an open relationship. She’s a “former hippie, eccentric and exuberant, she lives with her three cats in a minuscule two-room apartment with books, vintage objects, and her paintings. She smokes two packs a day.” She used to wear Poison, Opium and Mitsouko. As a gift, Nez recommends By Kilian Good Girl Gone Bad, Molinard Habanita or Le Labo Ylang 49.)
I’m looking forward to this spring’s English edition, and not just because it includes a short brand portrait I wrote about Arquiste. I want a copy because I know it will be a good read.
Nez costs €19.95 an issue. To buy an issue, go to the magazine’s website. Update: the new prices are $24 USD, £20 and €22,90, and you can now find Nez in the US at Fumerie, Indigo Perfumery or Luckyscent.
1. From the Note from the Editor, page 5. Please forgive my lame translation of the original French.
Now, I want to be a journalist for a magazine like that 😉
Where do I apply? 😀
You’d be perfect!
Aww, sweet of you to say so
It’s a good read, that’s for sure. (But then, so’s your blog!)
Well, my blog statistics aren’t that optimistic. Since I write Chemist in the Bottle just by myself I’m unable to post every day or so… but I’might happy to have my small and faithful audience
The blog world is tough these days. I think a lot of people have taken their conversation to social media. I still enjoy blogs, though, and I know I’m not alone!
This sounds absolutely wonderful, and a bonus for all of us here at NST is that you’ll be in it!
Thanks so much for the heads up on this.
I hope you get the chance to skim through an issue some time!
Wow this looks and sounds great!
My french is so rusty, but I may need those back issues.
For french language practice, right? 😉
My French isn’t anything to write home about, either, but I still enjoyed reading Nez. And, yes, the practice is always great!
Sounds marvelous, but – any advertising?
Fashion magazines’ coverage of perfume is often little more then advertorial because the mags are so beholden to the advertisers. That heaven for the blogs! It was such a relief when they came along.
There’s definitely advertising, and by some big names, too, like Chanel. I don’t get the feeling that the articles were hampered by the need to scare up marketing dollars. I know what you mean about fashion magazine perfume coverage. A lot of the time, I ignore it, because it feels like little more than an advertorial, as you say.
Hello Annemarie,
I’m one the co-founders of Nez. We’ve been following nst for a long time, since we have created http://www.auparfum.com, ten years ago. We come from the Internet too.
I’ve chosen to answer to your comment because I understand that advertisement may be a concern for some readers. But Nez, and Auparfum, are totally independent, and even if there are some ads in Nez (actually, 7% of the whole content), the brands we work with have never asked for anything in return.
The reviews we write on Nez (actually, I don’t, it’s not my part) try to be as accurate and sincere as on Auparfum… and sometimes, as you will see, our writers are not so… tender (you should read our review of Dior, Lanvin or YSL).
A nightmare for me of course, as I’m in charge of selling ads… #DontBlameMe!
I hope you’ll enjoy reading us.
(Sorry for my English but my eyes are almost shut! Good night)
Your English is great, so I hope you’re sleeping in perfect peace.
I second this, that I don’t get the hit of “we’d better please our advertisers, or else!” from Nez. I would have mentioned that for sure. (See my review of Chandler Burr’s Dior book if you doubt it.)
I definitely will 🙂
Hi Dominique, thanks for your reply. I am much reassured. 🙂 And I admire your advertisers for supporting an independent publication. Also, it seems from the website that postage to Australia is very reasonable. 🙂 🙂
Thanks a lot Angela for this nice article. We’re very and proud that you’ve accepted to join us for this first issue in English. Hoping a lot more are following!
My fingers are crossed that this issue is as good as the first two! I found a lot to enjoy.
Sounds great, and not just because Aunt Brigitte sounds like me. **trundles off to check out Good Girl Gone Bad**
I know! I got a scary jolt from that one (and I don’t smoke, by the way, let along two packs a day). That feature was pretty hilarious. Lots of it was in that “perfume speak” that we understand best.
Oh, I don’t smoke either. But, frankly, I’m starved for actual magazines nowadays, and I feel like I better grab this one while I can.
I hope you enjoy it!
Brava, brava.
Have you read any of the issues yet? I’d love to know what you think!
Oh Angela, You have written the perfect lemming. Stiff cover, thick pages, investment in design, illustrations (gosh I love illustrations!), perfume cards, and chatter about scent. I would have been safe, I think, if it all was in French. But an English language edition? Slayed.
And now I am getting loving French letters in my email inbox that I translate with great effort and little accuracy. I think I am subscribed to their emails an a magazine is wending its way to Oakland. I think.
Au bon pain! Jacques Cousteau! Deja vu!
I’ll add to that: Ménage a trois! Foie gras! Au revoir!