Description
“The new fragrance that Vero Kern, Swiss lady of artistic perfumery, has created to celebrate the first ten years of her brand, plays with a symbolic universe that travels through time and space, interpreting it with absolutely serious levity. That is NAJA.
With her transalpine roots and sharp look to investigate the world with curiosity between tradition, classical references and today and tomorrow trends, Vero Kern starts from tobacco to develop this Eau de Parfum in limited edition, which is already very expected, with only 650 forecasted pieces. Tobacco, a protagonist with hypnotic and healing effects, is since ever one of the most used spices both in the shamanic rites and in the many curing rituals.
The fragrance symbology magnifies with the reference to the snake – NAJA is also the cobra name – that since ever embodies elements in contrasting balance, death and rebirth, cosmos and chaos, life understanding and destruction. For ancient Egyptians the cobra, Naja haje, has a sacred value: it decorates the Pharaohs headdresses and underlines their power. It seems also that Cleopatra used its almighty poison to commit suicide. In the South American mythology, for the different animist shamanic schools, the snake is the symbol of the life knowledge, a perfect fusion of celestial and earthly, nature and cosmos.
NAJA is an “olfactory jewel” that is going to become a milestone in Vero Kern’s career. A rough diamond, which is contradictory and archaic, a spiritual reflection on being and becoming and on the healing value of fragrances, an aspect, which has characterised Kern’s journey, as aromachologist and aromatherapist.
In NAJA connect symbolically nature and culture, ancient shamanic knowledge and spirituality, to create an unique olfactory experience, that wraps, fascinates and affects deeply.
This contrast is interpreted by a blend that combines the contradictory elements of Tobacco Absolute with Linden Flowers, Honey, the fruity Leather of Osmanthus Absolute and the juiciness of Melon.” – a note from the brand.
Naja by Vero Profumo is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women and men. This is a new fragrance. Naja was launched in 2017. The nose behind this fragrance is Vero Kern. The fragrance features tobacco, osmanthus, lime (linden) blossom, melon and honey.
Flarcewew – :
When I first smelled it I was a little confused and it’s definitely one that takes a couple of wearings to figure out. The melon and tobacco are an odd combination to be sure, especially in the beginning, but as it dries down a very soft powdery-ness emerges that’s different from what you’d expect from an opening like that. Throughout the wearing of it, it morphs into some interesting phases and in my opinion, nobody does this scent-chameleon thing better than Vero, she’s always full of surprises. As it dries down, I don’t think it’s as intense or lasts as long as I would have hoped. With all of that said, I ended up LOVING it and will be buying more samples…just can’t afford a full bottle. Also, you’ll recognize shades of Onda within it.
Mooguelestodo – :
I was interested in trying this since I like linden flowers. Not so keen on honey since it often turns urinous. However the big surprise is that it smells rather strongly of Tiger Balm (menthol) on my skin. Obviously not a fit for me.
bjgdan – :
Selling a bottle full presentation 3/4 sprays missing. PM
Aleksey1987 – :
Conceptually I am a big Vero Fan, so I was delighted to be able to sample this and not fall in love with it! A rich and nuanced tobacco scent on my skin, I found it delicious but not addictive, phew!
izi – :
I shouldn’t like it – it’s full of linden and honey, two notes which often put me right off – and I wasn’t expecting to like it, because of a previous terrible encounter with Vero Onda, which turned into straight eau d’urinal on me. But Naja really does defy expectations – this is more than wearable and even enjoyable, though I would never choose it over the magnificent Phaedon Tabac Rouge or other slightly more oriental-styled tobaccos.
For my nose, the very natural tobacco note here works to smooth off the screechiness of the linden, and the honey is calm enough to add depth rather than going pissy (though the odd whiff still goes the wrong way if you’re looking for it.) I don’t get much leather; the overall effect is of a lighter, outdoorsier sort of organic tobacco scent than usual. Much more delicate and floral than many butch-tobacco-spice things – eminently unisex. The sillage is pretty restrained (which I like, in comparison to much other, more bullying linden-having stuff which knocks me right out), longevity runs long and strong – up to 10h. Definitely not a blind buy and I won’t go for a FB, but I was delighted to have my preconceptions smashed on this one and to enjoy wearing it for a couple of days.
PostPalladdin – :
“And it is exactly how you don’t expect it to be”
That’s the quote on Luckyscent and the leaflet that accompanies Naja; in a phrase it sums up the culmination of Vero’s work and the spirit of Naja that hovers above skin. Forget about her previous releases, as beautiful as they are, forget about Habanita or Tabac Blond that are said to be the inspiration; here, Vero shows us her signature, the perfection of her skills, a gift to her customers and friends that feels like poison and it’s cure, like a shaman performing a spell, like being in a trance and completely awake.
In olfactory terms, Naja shares a slight resemblance to Rozy, but only slightly, and while completely different from her previous work, Naja has Vero Kern stamped all over.
The opening is the most beautiful melon note in perfume history, with maybe Le Parfum de Therese a close second. In Naja, the melon acts like the breath of air that runs through the honeyed linden and tobacco. It is juicy in the most adult way, quenching and appetizing in the same way a slice of the fruit quenches a heated summer body. The osmanthous and linden interplay showing their honeyed/apricot side, and the tobacco adds a much needed dryness, surrounded by a glorious powdery musk. The musk isn’t dirty like Vero has given us before. Here it becomes skin like, with a certain violet/lilac tinge similar in a way to Mona’s Musc. I was hoping for some more leather but unfortunately there isn’t any, at least on my skin.
In a way, Naja feels like a cold scent. Imagine sitting around a campfire, there is fresh tobacco everywhere and the leaves are being cured and dried so as to be rolled. A gentle breeze is carrying the heady sweetness of a nearby linden tree, while eating a slice of juicy melon and smelling the violet powder you applied earlier. Naja in a nutshell.
I was expecting something different, darker and Naja came as a major surprise. It took me a while to get used to it, but just like the light after the dark and the sun after the night, Naja is a beauty that stands on its own and shows the immense talent Vero has! I couldn’t be more excited on what is to come.
Excellent longevity with average sillage, hovering above skin for hours! My winner from what 2017 has brought us this far!
crayry8 – :
come on, there HAS to be musk in this
ITL – :
Water tobacco, & melon honey lime dip.
I don’t detect any leather note, nor this is a leather fragrance! i do imagine the ad photo that came up with this fragrance which is a snake in a desert at night, however, i don’t see this as a leather blend. It has that bitter water like some honey was poured in it, and sometimes it smells like the essence of the water that comes out of the melon! i feel it is like the tiny sticky sweet blend (around 3 ml) poured in a 2 liter of mineral water to lighten up the cloying concentration! that’s the scent that i can smell out of “Naja”.
Vero’s stamp is there as i can sense it, but this blend is not that groundbreaking as “Rubj” or “Onda”, it’s fairly done but more sweet cloying and sticky to my taste. I really had high hope for it since it’s limited and it’s a cause of some sort of celebration, but no, wasn’t that good enough to fit such event.
Edit (4th Oct 2017) the problem with “Naja” is that feeling of a glass full of water with few drops of honey, liquid melon, & linden that gives the impression of kind of lousy taste! The dirty water effect that distracts the senses of the charming tobacco, and the sweet osmanthus. Eventually, it’s the doses of each note in here, some needs to be more than others in order to balance it and brings out the charm of the former blend, and in “Naja” unfortunately, it didn’t reach that goal.
djekky – :
Cantaloupe and linden are very novel top notes, but after the first half hour Naja becomes a rich, powdery leather that will be familiar for people familiar with vintage leathers like Tabac Blond and Cuir de Lancome. There is a hazy hay note here too, and the feeling is warm, sweet, and mellow.
Of the other Veros, I find this most similar to Rozy (honeyed leather), but it’s definitely doing its own thing.
Suehattangigh – :
9Naja.
Naja isn’t a general crowd pleaser.If your searching out Naja- you probably don’t run with the general crowd. Its for the perfumistas that enjoy Carons Tabac Blond, Molinard Habanita, Osmanthus in its fruity tones, powder, leather, and linden. It opens with a cantaloupe effervescence, followed about 10 min later the honeyed osmanthus and a powdery leather shades of vintage Habanita edt. It is deep yet bright, it changes and moves.
I get a nutty cantaloupe sometimes, then the powdery leather then the tobacco undulates underneath. Every wearing seems to change but the tone of Naja remains the same. If you are looking for a modern Tabac Blond or Habanita.. this one is it. It does hold firm to the quality of vintage past yet feels modern. It will set you back $260 for 50ml but be assured you will not need more than 1-3 sprays.
Lexacom – :
While I can enjoy the initial-middle phases, sadly it comes to the thick base she already used in Onda and Rozy; the result to my nose is that creativity breaks at something already used, already smelt in other creations of hers. I hoped she made a drydown as beautiful and new as the head and heart are. This sounds to me like she took what she had done before and put together, but not much more else than this.
Lake333GLD – :
There’s something bitter and slightly sour in it, reminiscent of her vetiver one. @moodypaws is kinda spot on 🙂
Exxx – :
NAJA is a fabulous perfume. it has, as was to be expected from a perfume by Vero Kern, many faces but the initial blast when first spritzing it on, reminds me of the true great perfumes of power: poison-giorgio-obsession-knowing and from another then 80s angle, dusitas oudh infini and le sillage blanc, the beautiful leather by MEMO french leather, mito, rubj and onda come to mind. of course this perfume departs from all named perfumes and then, not. it has the supertenacity of the “80s monstres sacrées”, the depth of the dusitas, a very subtle leathery note different as in french leather but just as refined and the complexity and in-your-faceness of the other vero.kerns. it has a power as also frailty and adorable sweetness (osmanthus, tobacco, melon). I am not such connaisseur for fruity notes but in NAJA the melon adds to the subtlety and complexity. the mysteriousest [sic] ingredient is by far the linden blossom. In my sensorial repertoire all notes hold their own and reinforce each other. this is pure pleasure and one is happy to encounter this again as I did with the other “Kerns” and Dusitas especially Oudh Infini, la Douceur de Siam, le Sillage Blanc and Mélodie d’Amour. this is an exceptional perfume making the most of the osmanthus and linden and with the tobacco builds up a soft leathertone. but one could just as easily call this a floral perfume. all the paraphernalia around it (packageing, notes of its delicate shamanistic message) are stupefying. a joy to receive the flacon yesterday from Bloom perfumery. I have thought of a possible resemblance and Diors “Dolce Vita” came to mind. note: “resemblance” means not “similarity”.
Alexey_kuzin130388 – :
Had a preview sniff and I am going back when it’s officially out to try it on skin – sadly I had no unscented epidermis left that day so could only test on blotter :/
On paper it almost feels like a crossover of Onda (leather and a certain medicinal slant), Kiki (subtle fruitiness) Mito and Ruby (sensual yet fresh floralcy) with the heart-racing honey of Rozy. So a compendium of Vero’s work so far, dense and luxurious like always.
esv761 – :
Naja is a big leather perfume formed of two classic leather materials: tobacco and osmanthus, so it’s on the sweeter creamier side of the leather spectrum. BUT… it’s quite powdery too (thank you linden). Superb quality of the materials and the way the formula structure is set up give it a very neo-vintage luxurious feel.