NEST White Camellia is a new white floral from NEST Fragrances, and the story of how it came about is half the fun. It is a bouquet of camellia, wisteria and jasmine, softened with white tea and amber.
NEW from NEST Fragrances, White Camellia is a beautiful white floral bouquet. This lovely new home fragrance features fresh camellia, wisteria, and Indonesian jasmine. Intermingled with crisp notes of white tea and amber, the fragrance is simply breathtaking.
From NEST Fragrances:
NEST Founder Laura Slatkin describes her new fragrance as “the perfect balance between vintage beauty and modern sophistication.” The fragrance concept for White Camellia came to Laura Slatkin while attending a fashion exhibit at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
She was captivated by the beauty of a wedding dress designed by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel. It was adorned from top to hem in intricately handcrafted artificial flowers known in classic French couture as parurier floral.
Inspired by this elegant work of art, White Camellia was developed with careful attention to detail. Just like all NEST Fragrances, this new scent is certain to fill any home with a luxurious bouquet of fragrance.
Shop the entire collection here.
The notes in NEST White Camellia
The listed notes give a clear picture of the style. NEST White Camellia opens as a white floral bouquet built on fresh camellia, wisteria and Indonesian jasmine, then adds crisp touches of white tea and amber.
White tea and amber are the supporting players. A floral can sometimes feel sugary or perfumey in a closed room, and those two notes are what give this one a cleaner, slightly warm finish. That is my reading of how the pieces fit together, not a claim about what it will smell like to you.
If you want to know where camellia sits in the plant world, the Camellia page on Wikipedia explains the genus and why it has been prized for so long.
A Chanel gown, a museum and a candle
What I like about NEST White Camellia is that the idea began with a piece of clothing. Laura Slatkin was at a fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York when she saw a wedding dress that Karl Lagerfeld designed for Chanel, covered in handcrafted artificial flowers.
She describes the fragrance as the balance between vintage beauty and modern sophistication, and you can see how a couture gown full of delicate flowers leads to that sentence. If you enjoy hearing how scents get from an idea to a jar, my interview-style post Meet the Maker: Laura Slatkin of NEST Fragrances is worth a read.
Choosing NEST White Camellia for your home
White florals are at their best in places where you want a calm, tidy feeling, such as a bedroom, a hallway or a bathroom. If you are already a fan of the brand, NEST White Narcisse is another white floral you can compare it with.
A few practical habits help any floral candle. Burn it for long enough that the top layer melts evenly, trim the wick before each use, and snuff it before the jar gets very hot. Floral scents can also seem stronger in a small room, so start with one candle and add more only if you want to.
For a deeper look at the way fragrance in general is put together, the Perfume article on Wikipedia covers notes and structure in plain language.
Gifting and layering this white floral
This one is an easy gift for someone who loves flowers but not heavy perfume. The story behind it, a handcrafted couture gown and a museum exhibit, gives you something to say when you hand it over.
You can also use it with other white scents, but keep it simple. A single candle of NEST White Camellia in a room is often enough, and extra fragrance on top can flatten the delicate balance of white tea and amber.
For a spring table, I would place the candle where you can see it but not where leaves, napkins or flowers can catch the flame, and keep it away from a vase of real blooms. A white floral candle and fresh flowers in the same room can work, as long as the scents do not fight.
More ways to enjoy NEST White Camellia
Shop the entire collection through Candles Off Main, and remember that you can find it in more than a candle. If you want a gentle all-day fragrance, a diffuser from the collection can be a good choice in a hallway or office.
If the idea of a couture-inspired fragrance appeals to you, take a look at how NEST describes it: vintage beauty and modern sophistication in a single scent.
