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by Elcobbola, 8 Aug, 2010
I went off scent for a while and it took me some time to get back to it largely because I didn’t like a lot of the fragrances that were out there. Once you got past the classics – Chanel No. 5, Rive Gauche, Opium – there really wasn’t a whole lot to hold your interest in the mainstream perfume world, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to express themselves in the clothes and accessories they wear.
I like to switch things up every once in a while. I am no more interested in wearing a ‘signature’ scent day in and day out than I am in wearing just one colour day after day. Seasons change, people change, moods change and I like the scent I wear to change too.
What drew me back into the fragrance world, was my discovery of niche perfumes and the new, intriguing ways these perfumers combine scents to create fragrances that transport me, stir memories, or add Technicolour to a dull, drab day – these creations resonate with me. These are worth consideration. Among those at the top of the list has to be New York by Patricia de Nicolaï.
Patricia de Nicolaï, the parfumeur at Parfums de Nicolaï has developed a very strong line over the years. As the granddaughter of Pierre Guerlain perfumery is in her DNA. She knows her stuff and as owner of her own perfume house, she shows her stuff. New York smells good, really, really good.
Bergamot and lemon give New York a fresh citrus blast at the start, but this is soon tempered by lavender and a cedar/sage note from armoise. On me there is a note of civet that appears before things start to heat up with clove, pepper and pimento at the heart. But the cedar/sage accord doesn’t disappear, instead, the whole fragrance enters a gorgeous creamy phase. Vanilla, leather and amber at the base anchor the fragrance and balance sweetness and smokiness perfectly. This is a very complex, rich and elegant scent that is never loud, but does have a presence and while it is an EDT, it has the depth and lasting power of an EDP.
I’ve been to New York plenty of times and I’m not sure this EDT captures the smells or essence of the city. What I do know is that while New York, might put you in mind of some other fragrances (Habit Rouge perhaps?) or give a nod to Guerlain in its construction, it is a totally new creation with its own identity. It has roots in the old world of perfumery, but belongs in the new world, just like Ms. Nicolaï herself.
Seductive on a man or a woman, New York is a fragrance worth owning.
New York is listed in our Decant Store. Decants are $6.00 for 1 ml.
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