Gallivant – Nida – The Scent of Sunflowers?

It’s been several years since I’ve tried something new from Gallivant. And it’s not because I don’t like the brand; it’s just that they fell off my radar and became slightly more challenging to find in Australia. However, with the brand finding a fresh Aussie stockist, I’ve tried some of their newer scents, including their limited edition, Nida, which is the subject of my impressions today.

The brand’s output is inspired by travel (gallivanting), and each fragrance aims to capture the spirit of a specific city. Major well-known cities such as London (leather, rose), Berlin (vetiver, tea), and Los Angeles (eucalyptus, tuberose) get the treatment. Of course, it’s not an entirely new concept. Brands such as Le Labo have been doing it for years. But I like how Gallivant spotlights less obvious places such as Accra and Bukhara.  

I’ll be quite honest: I’ve never heard of Nida. However, after some online exploration, I discovered it’s a coastal tourist town in Lithuania known for fishing, beaches, sand dune trails, and pine trees. One might think pine would appear in the notes based on its geographic features. It doesn’t. At its core, Nida is instead an amber scent—a fresh amber scent that might work as a summer option. 

Nida opens fresh, with a slightly sweet mandarin note that lingers for several hours. Together with the mandarin, I pick up a smoky accord. The smoky facet persists throughout without becoming too stifling. It’s more like a veil of incense than a dense choking cover. The combination of the two notes gives the fragrance a carbonated effervescent quality. It’s uplifting and bright. 

The floral heart notes of Nida puzzled me. They were challenging to identify and differentiate. There’s a suggestion of jasmine, with its fruity, musky, tea-like peculiarities. The note breakdown lists orris, violets, and lilacs. And yes, I can see powdery, dewy hints of all three crop up as Nida progresses. Nothing obvious, though. The brand works a fantasy sunflower accord into its pyramid, and the opening burst of fresh citruses mingling with the honey-like feel of the lilacs perhaps gives the impression of sunflowers. But I see the scent as being more of an orange colour than the yellow of sunflowers.

Nida settles down to a well-judged ambery base that never becomes sticky or sweet. The accompanying balsams and cedary woods give Nida a warm, rounded finish. Like the entire Gallivant collection, it never becomes too loud, obnoxious, or overly artificial. It lasts for about 6 hours before fading away quietly. Soizic Beaucourt composed the perfume.

I’m writing about this scent during the Le Labo City Exclusive month. And, if I pitted the two brands against each other, Gallivant would come out on top. They offer a stronger collection at a more affordable price range. However, Nida is in a higher price bracket than their regular range. I love their 30ml bottle options, too. But again, Nida only comes in 8ml and 100ml format. For the price, I’m not sure this limited edition is worth the hike over the others in their line, even considering the beautifully designed bottle. Therefore, I’m not sure Nida is full-bottle worthy, but it is worth trying along with their excellent back catalogue. I enjoyed wearing my sample and discovering the Lithuanian tourist spot in my research. It looks like a stunning, gallivant-worthy part of the world.

Have you heard of Nida or tried this fragrance? Do you have a favourite Gallivant fragrance?

Note: All photos are my own, except for the bottle image of Nida (Gallivant website). These impressions are based on a sample I purchased.