Professional Bakers Tried Our Bakery Scents!

If you happen to have watched our YouTube video about the process of the April Fools collection, you know that gourmand scents are not at all in my comfort zone. So, I decided to consult with some far more knowledgeable folks about the effect of these foodie blends. We sent sample sets to professional chefs and bakers to see what they really thought of Nui Cobalt's GBBO-inspired perfumes. Here are the esteemed sniffers:

Shey Jin, Former Executive Chef at L Brands and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.

Mark Wilco, Chef and Tea Sommalier trained in Japan.

Patricia Mentzer, Baker, Restaurant Manager, and graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education

Jennie Scheinbach, Founder and Co-Owner of Pattycake Bakery.

Ariel Pingault, Founder and Owner of Pook's Baked Goods.

... and here's what they had to say!

~ Roguery ~

Mark:
Roguery opens like an oven door wafting gingersnaps, forward and unabashed with its hot honey and refined sugar. Nutmeg and mace follow suit, and marzipan comes shortly thereafter in an orderly procession without any salinity to announce it. An unnamed spring florality blends with the sugar, and there was a moment when I thought of jellybeans and candied orange peel; I wanted to say Jasmine but thats a cop-out answer. Young flowers not in full bloom is more like it, most befitting a spring. Letting it warm on the skin tempers Grandmas sugar and ginger cookies somewhat, and a slow overture of charred walnut and rye flour helped cut through the sweet over time. Over its lifespan it gives up the heady rush of sweetness and spice for a toasty buttered finish. Yet, something was amiss to my sampling partner. "I don't feel Rogued," the Jovial Contrarian remarks wafting his sampling paper from across the table. "I feel like it should brush up against me and then later find my wallet missing". Perhaps more earnest than its namesake, Roguery is an afternoon with Babushka baking some nut cookie in a gas oven somewhere in Eastern Europe, tutting her tongue about how skinny I've gotten despite my penchant for candy.

Shey:
This was my favorite of the bunch. The notes of caramelized sugar perfectly balanced with buttery pastry. I think you really hit the nail on the head capturing the scents of one of my favorite pastries. 

Ariel:
Smelling Roguery whisks me back to memories of walking into the quaint Parisian bakery across the street from my little apartment in college during the summer. The rows and rows of immaculate desserts neatly kept in their glass case, so carefully laminated in their puff pastry vessels, coated in egg wash and sprinkled with turbinado sugar, permeated all of the senses. I'm reminded of the tender old gentleman always working the counter alongside his son, always so curious as to what I would purchase that particular day. Without shame, I would treat myself to the biggest croissant in the case (let's be honest, or at least 2), and indulge on the walk back to my house, all while making mental notes to always remember these precious moments in time. The first time I wore Roguery, it felt like I took a time machine back to that hot summer; full of smiles, butter, and sugar. 

Jennie:
Smells almost like buttery popcorn, or like kettle corn but you want it all over you instead of just in your mouth. Also would work really well as a candle.

...

~ Blarney ~

Patricia:
This sent has a crisp smell as if that alone is cutting through the BS you are having to deal with. But there is a sweetness to it that gives comfort and confidence. I really like this one. It's subtle but strong. I'm wearing Blarney right now. I'm feeling a little extra protected.

Ariel:
I don't think that I appreciated the essence and power of honey, until reaching adulthood. It's a prefect balance of sweet and savory - with notes of amber, and sultriness. Blarney smells like the tea I used to make ritualistically before mediating each evening in front of my fire place, with a heavy dollop of honey and cream. The herbal notes immediately make my eyes close upon impact and bring back so many feelings of comfort and ease. Utter relaxation at it's finest.  

Shey:
I didn’t get much of the tannic, earthy notes as I get from having a cup of breakfast tea. The floral scents from the honey definitely overpowered it for me.

...

~ Bamboozle ~

Jennie:
Wanna smell like the most amazing thing you ever ate? After trying this out, I do! Buy this toasty, nutty, buttery, honeyed vanilla immediately; you won’t regret it. Both intense and intensely wearable - i love it!

Shey:
At first sniff, I thought this was birthday cake frosting! I smelled all of them first, before I went back and read any of your descriptions. The floral sharpness of the pistachio overpowers a lot of the other sweeter notes you have going on.

Patricia:
This scent hits you with warm, sweet pistachio as soon as you open it up. It's velvety and soft. It gives me a sense of being in a kitchen baking alongside generations of family. There are nostalgia and happiness in this bottle.

Ariel:
I love that this brings an immediate scent memory to mind. I remember walking down the streets of Pittsburgh's market district, where I stumbled across the sweetest women all settled and posted up together, all whom had the strongest, hard working, wrinkled hands I'd ever seen. They were selling their baklava on sheet trays upon sheet trays out on folding tables and rolling racks on the sidewalk. You could tell that these desserts were made with love, probably just hours before; the sweet warmth of almond, nuttiness, and dark honey permeating everything. Wearing Bamboozle takes me to that moment where I got to taste that sweet baklava, covering myself in pastry flakes, grinning my way down the pavement. True bliss.

...

~ Bollocks ~

Jennie:
Have you ever had Cap City Diner’s outstanding bread pudding? Not only is it their best dessert in a field of good choices, it is simply the best bread pudding ever - caramelized banana-ie goodness with a rich buttery bourbon sauce (full disclosure - my son works there and makes it :). Bollocks IS Cap City’s bread pudding in fragrance form, except even better as it transforms from decadent treat to everyday indulgence. I personally like to wear it along with Bamboozle - wearing the two combined, it’s like i had the best baking day ever, minus the baking part.

Ariel:
One of my favorite desserts to make (though I don't make it often enough), is a banana pudding with a toffee caramel and cream that is whipped to submission. It's decadent and indulgent; just like Bollocks. As I wear this scent, I feel like I'm smoothing out layers of cream and caramel, topping it with layers of bananas, and blanketing it all with gingersnap crumbles. They'll rest and intermingle while I lick the spoon waiting ever so impatiently. But with time, they become the most sensuous flavors to selfishly serve myself and a few very select friends. Bollocks is the sweetest reminder of that special, almost secret recipe.

Patricia:
I am not normally a banana or banana- flavored person, but I like this. Bullocks 2020 smells like laughter. It's big, heady, and uplifting. It reminds me of childhood/innocence, and despite its fullness it reminds me of being light on my feet. A little goes a long way with this one.

...

~ Hoodwink ~

Jennie:
Is it possible for Thai tea to be both sexy and relaxing? Somehow, Nui made it so! A delightfully creamy floral with wafting notes of cardamom, star anise, and tart tamarind that is long lasting and sensual. 

Shey:
This one is one that I didn’t quite smell what you were going for. When I have thai iced tea, I think of the woody/spicy scents of cardamom or anise. Then after adding in rice milk, it slightly mutes the notes into a smooth creamy mixture. This one was a little too bright and floral for me.

Ariel:
There is a brightness and clarity to Hoodwink that is captured so clearly in each of it's elements. It's a tall glass of crisp tenderness that you can wear to feel very much at ease, all whilst feeling utterly refreshed. I have found myself exhaling heavily and happily, thinking about the crisp cool sunsets of hot hazy days to come. 

...

~ Horsefeathers ~

Jennie:
Horsefeathers smells like if you baked and iced a dark chocolate cake with super high quality single source, perfectly roasted cocoa (i once got some at Trader Joe’s;), filled it with raspberry jam, and topped it with salted coconut caramel drizzle. It almost has a tobaccoey finish - with its strong berry undertones, this is a sophisticated, rich scent.

Ariel:
I use vanilla very sparingly when it comes to putting it in baked goods because I think vanilla should be celebrated, but not overshadowed by other flavors. In the case of this perfume, Horsefeathers has a unique combination of the initial raspberry notes, all while rounding out in a warm bed of vanilla. I love how decadently sweet smelling it is, all while still celebrating each element. When I put on this perfume, I'm lovingly reminded of infusing vanilla bean into an ice cream base at my stove top in absolute bliss. 

Shey:
Loved the brightness that came through from the raspberry jam. I wished that the creaminess of vanilla ice cream came through just a little bit more, but still one of my favorites.

...

~ Sophistry ~

Jennie:
When i was growing up, my favorite place to be was South Florida with my grandma, ideally on the beach. And still, my dreams are permeated with images of an idylic Florida, which Sophistry brought into focus - just showered, hair still damp walking through vibrant flowering foliage, the beach beckoning .. Somehow this smells like the best parts of what i reminisce of Florida to be- summery, lemony and beachy clean.

Ariel:
I've never been so captivated by a combination of scents such as Sophistry. It's mature fragrance; the combination of lemon, ginger, elderberry, and cucumber, are all things I've rarely ever smelled together in such a way. Sophistry is a radiant reflection of each of it's parts; built up to create something that I've found so easy to wear on the daily. It has been a wonderful reminder of the most colorful parts of a romantic Spring for me, and I am in love with how special it is. The glittering notes of lemonade leave a pleasant succulent tartness on your mind as the cucumber guides you to a floral finish. All I can do is sit here in surrender to my fantasizing about working in my flower beds and the dirt and the petals as Summer opens up to me.

Shey:
I tend to lean away from more floral scents, but this one I like a lot. The lemon and elderflower are a perfect duo. Wonderful mix of tart, floral, sweet. Makes me feel lighter and brighter.

...

~ Poppycock ~

Shey:
Another well done scent. Smells exactly like lemon meringue pie. Not too much and not too little lemon comes through. I’m blown away that you were able to capture the nuanced smells of meringue after being hit with a blow torch. 

Ariel:
Lemons are one of the most special fruits that you can use to bake with. You can create the most airy, poised desserts with lemon zest, and the most confident and poignant sweets with lemon juice. Smelling Poppycock creates such a defining citrus moment all while incorporating the building blocks of an exciting pie. The lemon is frangrant and up front, all while capturing a toasted almond crust almost immediately. Meringue is a special creature and as the scent so describes, it is a lovely ode to it's light, fluffy peaks and valleys.

Jennie:
The most decadent lemon meringue pie you’ve ever eaten, or a luscious lemon poppy seed muffin.

All of these dessert-inspired scents are available through July 2020 at
https://nuicobaltdesigns.com/collections/april-fools-2020