Yazhini ManimudiOh no, not another clean girl scent is the first thought that comes to mind when a perfume house comes out with a new fragrance they promise is like nothing else in the market. Clean girl scents purporting themselves to be ‘second skin’ or ‘your skin but better’ have become very popular in recent years and you’d think no one can do anything new with this genre anymore.
Narciso Radiante, the new cube by Narciso Rodriguez proves otherwise. The house released its first fragrance Narciso Rodriguez for Her in 2003. Their love affair with musk has continued ever since, every new fragrance an exploration of the many facets of musk. It delivers on what we expect out of musk– a clean, warm, and inviting feeling. But there’s something that makes it different from the popular clean girl scents in the market.
Cotton flower, a fantasy note, is the star of the show. It emulates a soft, fluffy, comfy scarf cascading down your neck and gracing your arm as you go about your day, making you pause for a moment to appreciate what you’re wearing. Fresh laundry is the feeling people have craved most out of a ‘clean girl’ fragrance ever since Chanel No.5. Narciso Radiante delivers on it but brings a personality of its own.
It’s clean and airy, like the breeze blowing through your backyard on a sunny day as you collect your dried cotton sheets. It’s cosy, not warm and mellow, but bright and radiant. There’s white flowers growing in your backyard, their fragrance wafting lightly in the air but not overpowering. The clove blossom at the heart is fleeting in its touch of spice.
The musk isn’t as musky as Narciso’s usual musks. So, if the typical Narciso musk DNA is an absolute necessity for you, I’d recommend that you skip this one. But it is enjoyable to experience how Narciso’s musk has evolved in this radiant fragrance.
Radiant is made to be an everyday scent. Don’t want to smell perfumey? This is it. Nothing overpowers here, not the musk, not the spice, not the white florals. Brought together, they have a soft yet uplifting personality about them. It’s an intimate scent, one you want to wear only for yourself and not for anyone else. It’s perfect for office wear, a pleasant waft of it tickles your nose every now and then to calm you on a stressful day without being a distraction.
It isn’t a strong performer as expected. An intimate fragrance, the projection is quite low. It lasts around four hours on me and needs refreshing. But it’s not a disappointment. A stronger performance would deviate from its light and airy character and I like Radiante the way it is.
Yazhini Manimudi
