Nicolaï / Parfums de Nicolaï
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Lavender emerges sharp and almost herbal, immediately seized by earthy davana and a dry mugginess that feels antique—like opening an old spice cabinet. Within minutes, patchouli muscles in, grounding everything and signalling that prettiness has no place here.
The composition deepens into a spiced, woody landscape where cinnamon flickers like dry heat across leather. Oud and atlas cedar create a dense, almost smoky foundation, whilst saffron adds a slightly metallic edge that prevents the tonka bean from ever becoming cloying. This phase has real gravitas.
The fragrance settles into a warm but reserved amber and musk base, the patchouli and oud becoming increasingly prominent as the spice notes fade. What remains is essentially expensive wood smoke and resinous amber—subtle, skin-close, and entirely uncompromising.
Amber Oud arrives with the austere confidence of someone who doesn't need to shout. Patricia de Nicolaï has crafted something deliberately unglamorous—a fragrance that smells expensive because it is, not because it announces itself. The opening lavender and davana provide a crisp, almost medicinal entry point, immediately grounded by a generous patchouli base that refuses any hint of floral prettiness. This is where the oud enters, not as the honeyed, precious heart-note oud of niche marketing fantasies, but as a dry, resinous foundation that lends a leathery, slightly animalic character throughout.
What emerges is a composition built on friction rather than harmony. The cinnamon and saffron create a spicy, almost peppery middle where you'd expect sweetness, whilst the atlas cedar keeps everything austere and architectural. Tonka bean absolute and labdanum absolute in the base provide the requisite amber warmth, but they're restrained—there's no caramel indulgence here, just a dry, resinous sweetness that feels more like incense smoke than confection.
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3.9/5 (198)