NASOMATTO
SADONASO

2023

PERFUMER
Alessandro Gualtieri

HONEY
MUSK
WOODY NOTES
AMBER

Sadonaso comes with a ‘regular’ shaped cap or (at a premium) as limited ‘Phallic Edition’ as pictured above.

‘Sadonaso started with a quest to find secret desires within the unknown. A secret desire can be thought of as a seed, hidden deep within the soil of our subconscious. Like any seed, it needs the right conditions to grow and thrive. When we keep our desire hidden, it allows it to germinate and take root in our being. It gives us the space and time to consider it, to explore it, and to let it grow at its own pace. As the seed begins to grow, it can shape and influence our thoughts and actions, guiding us to free ourselves. But just as a seed needs the right conditions to grow, a secret desire also needs to be nurtured and tended to. It requires attention and care, and the willingness to embrace it and let it guide us. When we are brave enough to bring our secret desire out into the open, it has the power to transform and shape our future in profound and meaningful ways. Sadonaso is the chase after the incomparable feeling of a secret desire come to fruition. It is the sweat of the pleasure that leaves a trail during the journey.’

One of the most discussed releases of the year (especially pre-launch to be honest), given its ‘provocative’ marketing. Which I don’t care for much. Neither the so-called provocative nature, nor the prude reactions to it (has perfume historically not been about attraction, sexuality and lust a million times before?). Yet, I was very curious to see how the fragrance would reflect its image… spoiler… not really. But let’s go deep for this one.

For me after one wearing, I can say there’s a clear divide into two parts for Sadonaso. On one hand, it definitely has a lightly animalic, but mostly just human, body heat/odor that it exudes in the opening. I can’t say that I love it. I don’t think it goes as far as smelling like unwashed body parts or urine, as others have stated, but there’s a skanky, musky edge. An edge, and fading quickly, but I can see how it can be off putting to people.

On the other hand, there’s a safe, sweet, spicy, almost burnt pastry like quality to Sadonaso. Completely opposite of what I would expect if I went in blindly. Combining the two sides is a woody structure that, once the dust settles, is the most noticeable and frankly, pretty generic, scent that makes up Sadonaso’s DNA.

After the initial funkiness. which only lasts a couple of minutes where it’s daring for me, it slowly becomes more of an ambery, woody gourmand. There’s a hint of funk remaining, but more in a rubbery way. This is compared often to Rosendo Mateu No. 5. If you go back to my first impression of that, I actually referenced it smelling like a rubbery, condom a little bit (people called me crazy for that, but there you have it). There’s a touch of that DNA in here (I guess it’s carnation or someting floral/spicy related), but frankly, not in a daring manner and it’s not the main facet of Sadonaso at all. The main components feels more bready, more warm, more gourmand leaning than the Rosendo Mateu from what I remember and the comparison as a complete scent is a bit overstated.

Warm, dry, tonka, maybe some chocolate. Someone mentioned sweet ambergris and that might be a good call. I think of the sweetness in Les Indemodables Vanilla Havane for example. But even that edgy side wears off quickly. Gualtieri seems to use a huge dose of a warm, woody (fake) sandalwood, giving it a sugary, roasted, but at the same time quite smooth woody backbone, perhaps mixed with something like cashmeran, giving it a muddiness underneath. Sandalwood is the main theme for Sadonaso. This is quite strong and linear into the entire drydown; similar in style (not in scent) to the extended woody-ambroxan drydown of Baraonda. It becomes like honeyed, slightly burnt wood shavings, but with a muddy edible element alongside it for the entire runtime.

Is there leather? Maybe, if I look for it. Not nearly as much as I was expecting. Some people seem to get it significantly more, but as someone who is usually a bit weary of leather fragrances, this poses no challenge at all. Much more of a sweet, wooody, ambery, gourmand fragrance than animalic or leather.

That sandalwood-esque smoothness might even be my biggest surprise. The scent is surprisingly sweet and not really a reflection of the imagery painted by the brand, but even the texture is more easy going than most other releases from the house.

It’s arguably one of the most ‘wearable’, for lack of a better word, releases from this perfumer after the first couple of minutes. The marketing made it seem like this is pushing boundaries in eccentricity, but really this is a much easier wear for me than many others by Gualtieri. For example recently Fantomas or Orto Parisi Megamare and even Cuoium, which i only smelled briefly, but perhaps fits the marketing for this one better.

All in all, an interesting, enjoyable release. It doesn’t remind me too much of other fragrances, which is always a big plus. Not something I’d be interesting in adding to the collection either though.