Every spring, Nocturne Alchemy (NAVA) release a plenitude of colourful, bright perfumes that embody the cheerfulness of springtime. One of the most popular collections seems to be the Bastet’s Spring Ice Cream, so I imagine that its resurgence is good news for plenty of NAVA fans.

I’m still a NAVA newbie and therefore a lot of scents are completely unknown to me. That’s why I’ve opted for decants to test them out. Please keep in mind that these were purchased in 2018 and they were aged for half a year before I went on to review them. As always, YMMV! These perfumes are not available all year long, so do keep checking the NAVA website for updates.

NAVA Lavender Honey Crème

Sicilian Lavandin, French Lavendula angustifolia, NA accord Black honey essence, Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar.

I usually associate honey and lavender with something calm and relaxing. Loud and proud, a honeyed purple lavender comes out first when I apply the perfume to my skin. The butter and vanilla accords provide a gentle, unassuming background that slowly becomes more noticeable. The initially strong herbal aroma transforms into the creamy sweetness of vanilla. It does remind me a bit of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with sweet lavender buds.

The vanilla ice cream comes out more as the perfume oil dries, leaving behind a faint trail of lavender. It’s rather buttery at this point, and the honey isn’t too noticeable (much less than when the oil was still wet on my skin). It’s gentle, sweet and comfortable but it does start to act up once it’s fully dried. The cream and butter notes unfortunately turn slightly stale, making the whole experience somewhat uncomfortable. I expected a lot from Lavender Honey Crème but sadly, it just doesn’t work out for me.

BIC: Lavender Honey Crème was part of this year’s Valentine BIC Resurgence, which means it’s not available anymore. Your best way to find it is by checking the House of Nocturne Alchemy Tent and its sister Facebook group(s).

Wisteria Petal Crème

Japanese Wisteria, Melon, Peach cream, Apple skin essence, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar.

A blast of melon, peach cream and apple hits my nose as soon as I apply it. It’s fruity but creamy. The florals – wisteria, ylang ylang and jasmine – give it an elegant character without pushing it to the heady side. I can detect traces of the vanilla and caramel notes, blended skilfully into a sweet, creamy base. Gentle but moody, the jasmine sometimes comes across as slightly soapy.

This perfume disappears moderately fast if applied sparingly. Before it does go into the ether, it gives off a gentle fruity floral aroma that isn’t too sweet. It remains an elegant floral throughout its journey. If you can only afford one perfume out of this collection, get this one.

A full size of BIC: Wisteria Petal Crème was available here for $26. It’s sold out already but try to find it in the secondary market.

Caramel Tobacco Crème

Caramelized Egyptian sugar, caramel cream accord, tonka, tobacco blossom, dried date accord, sweet tobacco accord, vanilla crystalline cream, butter accord, caramel accord, French vanilla bean absolute, vanilla milk accord, vanilla orchid, crystalline absolute and vanilla sugar.

The caramel and sweet, chewy dates are most prominent upon application. The sour tinge I detect in this blend could be the tobacco, making the fragrance appear »wet« and lush. It’s slightly sweet and caramely but not creamy, as one would expect from the Bastet’s Ice Cream accord. The vanillas give this blend a foody character, which isn’t overwhelming or heady. I can’t smell the tobacco really well but I’ve been told it’s very strong. To me, it seems wet at first but it turns into a more dry scent that is not pleasant to everyone.

As it dries on my skin, the perfume becomes ever so slightly candy-like, the floral vanilla notes overshadowed by the sugar and caramel. That said, I can still smell the tobacco under it all, now dry and slightly herbal.

You can buy a full size of BIC: Caramel Tobacco Crème here for $26.

What is your favourite BIC perfume? Let me know in the comments below.

Are you interested in other NAVA reviews? Find them here.

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