Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review a pair of perfumes and a scented candle from the local fragrance label Nefertum Fragrances.
I’m always on the lookout for local perfume labels – I much prefer them to atas brands where you pay through the nose for diluted offerings. So, when Nefertum Fragrances reached out to me for a feature, I was more than happy to take a look at some of its popular offerings. Let’s see if they are any good.
Nefertum Fragrances – the Brand
Nefertum Frangrances was founded in 2021 by Louis, who’s a chemist by trade. With a passion for fragrances, Louis was disappointed at not being able to find an affordable fragrance that could last more than a few hours in Singapore’s intense humidity and heat.
As such, Louis decided to draw upon his background in chemistry and founded Nefertum Fragrances in a small factory in Pioneer, Singapore. To ensure the longevity of the scents, Louis ensured that his perfumes were all in Extrait De Parfum concentration (meaning that his perfumes have a concentration of 15-20%), resulting in scents that will be able to last an entire day even in Singapore’s sweltering heat.
Nefertum Fragrances – Review
Let’s now take a look at Nefertum’s perfumes, starting with Sicily.
Sicily is described as an intense men’s perfume with a longevity of 12 hours. Its top notes are pepper and bergamot, its middle note is tea, and its base notes are cedarwood. The result is a musky, uber-masculine scent that works great as a night perfume. I found myself applying it when I was heading out for date nights, bar-hopping adventures, etc. I found the scent to be long-lasting as well – I can still smell it on my clothes even when the sun is up.
The next is Blue 33, a medium-intensity men’s scent billed to last for 10 hours. Its top notes are bergamot, lemon, and mandarin; its middle notes are coriander and cardamon, while cedarwood and white musk function as base notes. The end result is a refreshing scent that is reminiscent of the ocean, making Blue 33 a great day scent. I’ve applied it during the day and found that it can last till dinner time. And as Blue 33 is a versatile, “people-pleaser” scent, it can function as a night perfume too, especially if you prefer lighter perfumes.
Nefertum Fragrances also offers a curated selection of scented candles. All its candles are made from 100% soy wax, ensuring a natural, safe and clean burn.
Nefertum Fragrances offered me my choice of scented candle, and I opted for the Thai Indulgence Spa. As some of you may know, I’m a huge fan of Thailand, and often visit Bangkok (and its spas) at least twice a year.
Firstly, I was pleasantly surprised by the candle’s aesthetic —the pink pebbles reinforce the “Thai spa” feel. It certainly would look right at home in a Thai spa.
The candle uses lemongrass essential oil, which is appropriate as lemongrass is a quintessential Thai ingredient/produce. It has a fresh, citrusy smell, with sweet and earthy notes that help to relax the senses. I light the candle either at my computer desk (when I’m watching a movie) or at my balcony when I have guests over. And like the perfumes, Nefertum’s scented candles are also long-lasting, with a burn time of around 60 hours – though the brand recommends burning the candle in 2-3 hour sessions for an even burn.
Conclusion – so Nefertum Fragrances “shiok” or not?
Despite being a relatively young brand, Nefertum Fragrances has carved out a niche for itself in the local market due to its high-quality yet affordable fragrances. After trying out the scents, I am impressed by their longevity and other bells and whistles, such as magnetic bottle caps. When compared to similarly-priced perfumes from departmental stores (which typically come in EDT concentration and only last 3-6 hours), Nefertum Fragrances are undoubtedly better value for money. In particular, I loved the Thai Indulgence Spa scented candle, and hope the brand comes out with more variety of candles in the near future.
Those interested in purchasing from Nefertum Fragrances can use the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy 10% off the entire webstore. After the discount, a bottle of Nefertum’s perfume would cost only $54, while the scented candle would cost $31. As the icing on the cake, Nefertum Fragrances is running a promotion where customers get a free travel kit (worth $14.90) with every two perfume bottles purchased.
View the Blue 33 here.
View the Sicily here.
View the Thai Indulgence Spa candle here.
View the full range of Nefertum Fragrances’ offerings here.
P.S: Check out The Shiok Store here – it serves as a curation of my favourite products from my favourite brands.
P.P.S: Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wah so Shiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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P.P.P.P.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
