The Art of Comfort: Inside The Making of The Nostalgia Collection

Founder Jules Miller and perfumer Frank Voelkl on redefining what a gourmand fragrance can be.

“Talking about gourmand with The Nue Co. felt unexpected.”

When master perfumer Frank Voelkl of DSM-Firmenich first received the brief for The Nostalgia Collection, he was intrigued. Gourmand fragrances, traditionally built around edible, sugary notes, didn’t seem like an obvious fit for a brand rooted in functional fragrance and science-backed wellbeing.

But that was the point.

“The Nostalgia Collection was a really important one for us,” says Jules Miller, founder of The Nue Co. “We wanted to create a modern, mindful take on gourmand. Something that felt emotional, but not indulgent.”

Voelkl adds, “Before the word gourmand, we used the word edible. I love that, it’s broader. For The Nue Co. I wanted to reinterpret that idea in a ‘sugar-free’ way. A healthy approach to comfort.”

Fragrance as reassurance

Culturally, gourmand scents are having a moment. They speak to a collective craving for comfort in uncertain times. “I think we’d all acknowledge that the world feels a little unsettled,” Voelkl says. “These notes, vanilla, amber, caramel, bring you back to simple memories. Childhood moments of happiness. Cotton candy, strawberries, warm milk. They trigger something deeply familiar and reassuring.”

For Miller, that link between scent and emotion is central to The Nue Co.’s philosophy.

“Fragrance is one of the most intuitive forms of self-care,” she says. “It’s how we connect to our emotions without having to explain them.”

The Nostalgia Collection

A series of three fragrances that explore the emotional spectrum of comfort through a modern, skin-like lens. Each scent is designed to be worn alone or layered together.

First Milk
“Vanilla, but not sweet,” says Voelkl. “It’s cocooning and intimate—pure comfort that melts into your skin.”

Past Time
“Amber resin, woods, musk. It’s textured, abstract, and truly nostalgic. There’s warmth and depth in the way the woods and spices come together.”

Otherwhere
 “Creamy, woody, spicy, with a bright, fresh opening. A whisper of caramel and soft oud. You can’t quite pinpoint it—and that mystery makes it magnetic.”

The ritual of wearing fragrance

“There are really no rules,” Voelkl says when asked about the best way to apply scent. “It depends on how much intensity you want. I like to spray on my chest, or sometimes the ankles. Some people spray into the air and walk through it. It’s about how you want to experience it.”

When it comes to layering, he recommends intention over experimentation. “Stick to two or three scents max. The Nostalgia Collection was developed to be compatible, you can layer something cocooning with something more woody or spicy. Or wear one during the day and another at night. The key is balance.”

The Nostalgia Collection reimagines the most nostalgic fragrance family through the lens of wellness, less about sugar, more about softness.

“It’s a modern expression of comfort,” says Miller. “A reminder of where you’ve been, and a way to feel grounded in where you are.”