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Kismet Olfactive

Nostalgia (A Sonnet for Grasse)

50ML / 1.7FL OZ - EAU DE PARFUM

In our

Smoky & IncenseFloral

Smells like

AniseTonkaRose De MaiLeatherSuedeCypriol

$185

Available for pickup

In stock at the shop on Grand Avenue — choose pickup at checkout, or come smell it in person.

565 Grand Ave, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Tue–Sat 11am–6pm · Sun 11am–4pm

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The Story

Nostalgia is a love song to the French-Alps village of Grasse, where Kismet-founder Shabnam Tavakol studied perfumery. Structured on poetry’s 14-line sonnet form, the fragrance is composed of 14 raw materials.

Nostalgia’s first stanza is based on seductive suede, saffron, and leather accords, evoking Grasse’s roots as an epicenter of tanning in the Middle Ages. Heart notes include Rose de mai and nagarmotha as a nod to Grasse’s rise as the world’s perfume capital in the 18th century—home to hillside flower fields that meet the Mediterranean Sea. At its volta, Nostalgia turns upwards towards anisic top notes inspired by Pastis—the complex, herbal aperitif with which Shabnam developed an intimate relationship during after-school hours at Grasse’s sole watering hole, Le Crystal.

At once leathery, musky, floral, herbal, smoky, and spicy, Nostalgia is a unisex scent intoxicating to men, women, and everyone in between.

FEELINGS

Adventurous, Bold, Rich, Deep, Confident

Note
Our fragrances are made by hand in small batches, are unfiltered, and contain a high concentration of natural raw materials—therefore, some cloudiness or sediment may occur
Top
Anise
Heart
Tonka Bean, Rose de mai
Base
Leather, Suede, Nagarmotha

The House

Kismet Olfactive is the New York studio of perfumer Shabnam Tavakol, who trained at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery and apprenticed with master perfumers in New York and Paris before founding her own house. The daughter of Iranian immigrants and raised in California, she bridges Persian heritage and Western upbringing in small-batch fragrance. The brand's quiet motto — in feelings we trust — runs through every composition.

The Perfumer

Shabnam Tavakol