Nicolaï / Parfums de Nicolaï
Nicolaï / Parfums de Nicolaï
165 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Black pepper snaps across mandarin and lemon with almost aggressive clarity, the aniseed adding an herbal, slightly liquorice-like thread that prevents the citrus from being conventionally bright. Within minutes, cinnamon enters like a warming hand, transforming the initial sharpness into something spiced and increasingly appetitive.
Frankincense emerges as the composition's emotional centre, its resinous dryness creating a cushion for the tonka and vanilla absolute, which now reveal themselves with considerable restraint. Carnation and orange blossom absolute weave between them—the carnation contributes a peppery, almost soapy-pink quality whilst the orange blossom adds a haunting, slightly bitter floral undertone that prevents sentimentality.
The tobacco absolute becomes more prominent, lending a subtle leather and smoke that transforms the base from purely sweet into something layered and almost smoky. Tonka and vanilla absolute linger with remarkable persistence, though the powdery, almost skinlike quality dominates over any gourmand richness—a whisper rather than a declaration.
Vanille Tonka occupies a peculiar middle ground between classical perfumery and the emerging gourmand movement of the late '90s—a fragrance that respects its spice heritage whilst flirting with dessert-like indulgence. Patricia de Nicolaï constructs something defiantly unsweetened at first; the opening crackle of black pepper and aniseed prevents this from becoming a one-dimensional vanilla bomb. Instead, the cardamom-adjacent warmth of cinnamon plays beautifully against the green citrus brightness, creating a spiced marmalade effect that feels almost savoury.
What makes this composition remarkable is the frankincense's role as a ballast. Rather than letting the fragrance collapse into pure sweetness, the resinous, almost ecclesiastical quality of frankincense holds the tonka and vanilla absolute in structural tension. The carnation arrives not as a floral sweetener but as a dry, peppery pink note that reinforces rather than contradicts the spice narrative. Orange blossom absolute—that haunting, faintly bitter material—binds the middle register together with an almost unisex restraint.
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4.0/5 (142)