Nishane: where to start? 7 extraits worth knowing

Nishane is a Turkish house with an unusual habit: almost its whole range is extrait de parfum. In practice, that means concentrated formulas that often last well on skin. The only problem is choosing. Our catalogue lists more than twenty Nishane perfumes, and the names don't tell you much about what's in the bottle.

So we sorted it for you. Seven perfumes, seven moods, from the freshest to the most gourmand. The notes quoted are the ones on our perfume pages, nothing more.

The best known: Hacivat

Launched in 2017, Hacivat is often the way into the house. It opens on pineapple, grapefruit and bergamot. The heart brings cedar, patchouli and jasmine. The base is oakmoss and woody notes. It's a bright, clean fruity-woody scent you can wear all year. If you only try one, start here. See Hacivat.

Spicy and vanilla: Ani

Ani (2019) mixes ginger, bergamot and cardamom with vanilla, benzoin and sandalwood. The ginger wakes it up, the vanilla wraps it. The result is warm without feeling heavy, with a spicy side that stays bright. A great pick for autumn and winter. See Ani.

Gourmand tobacco: Fan Your Flames

Fan Your Flames (2018) opens on coconut and rum. The heart moves to tobacco and tonka bean, then the base settles on oakmoss and cedar. It's the warmest of the selection, almost a fireside cocktail. For evenings and cold days. See Fan Your Flames.

The tea one: Wulong Chá

Wulong Chá (2018) keeps it short. Our page lists four notes: oolong tea, bergamot, fig and musk. Few notes, one clear idea. It's fresh, soft and calm, the kind of scent you wear for yourself at the office or on a slow weekend. A good pick if you want a quieter Nishane. See Wulong Chá.

Fruity rose: Zenne

Zenne opens on grapefruit, blackcurrant and rhubarb. The heart brings together Turkish rose, gardenia and sandalwood. The base is vanilla, ambergris and musk. A tangy rose at first, then soft and round. Easy to wear from spring to autumn. See Zenne.

Leathery rose: Shem

Shem takes the rose somewhere else. It shows up from the start with cardamom and geranium. The heart mixes osmanthus, amber and cypriol. The base pairs elemi, vetiver and leather. It's drier and darker than Zenne, for people who like a rose with some attitude. See Shem.

Gourmand floral: Tempfluo

Tempfluo opens on bergamot, mandarin and saffron. The heart holds jasmine sambac, orange blossom and praline. The base is cashmere wood, cedar and vanilla. White flowers on a sweet, woody base: soft, comforting and lovely up close. See Tempfluo.

How to choose

To keep it simple:

• You want the house classic: Hacivat.
• You love warm spices: Ani.
• You want a cosy evening scent: Fan Your Flames.
• You want something fresh and quiet: Wulong Chá.
• You love rose: Zenne if you like it fruity, Shem if you like it dark.
• You like slightly sweet white flowers: Tempfluo.

These are extraits, so go easy at first. Two sprays are often enough. And before you buy, compare the shops on each perfume page: the gap between sellers can be worth a look.