BORNTOSTANDOUT
NANATOPIA

2023

PERFUMER
Alex Lee

nutmeg
cinnamon
rum

banana bread
melted caramel

tonka bean absolute
cypriol
orcanox

‘It’s ok to go bananas at times. Don’t take life too seriously.’- Borntostandout

I didn’t really look to hard at the notes before putting Nanatopia on skin and I was expecting something a little more playful and light. Instead, this is a spicier, heavier, boozier take.

It was an interesting concept and the opening minutes do have an intriguing banana tinge, that sets it apart. However, most of this composition smells rather familiar. Boozy, spicy, perhaps some tobacco. As others have remarked on, some similarities to Plum In Cognac, but I think it’s even more of a generic spicy scent. Some hints of Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille.

Very sweet, but not nearly as much of banana retained as I would’ve hoped. Grows more boozy instead, with some stronger earthy tones. It reminds me of patchouli, but it’s probably mostly the earthy, slightly smoked facets of cypriol that dominate the base alongside the sweetness. Maybe it’s the listing of orcanox, but I was also reminded a lot of Kilian’s Smoking Hot. Both have this relentlessness; a dense sweet core, that lacks sophistication and room to breathe, making for a somewhat demanding wear.

After several minutes, I never would’ve guessed banana as a note, let alone it being the main theme of the fragrance, which is disappointing.

Not a bad fragrance per se, and a heavy, statement maker for those that like fragrances as the ones mentioned above, as well as Argos Triumph Of Bacchus for example. Probably an earthier take than any of those. Unfortunately, I don’t think it offers anything that I was looking for, besides a quirky name and premise.