L'Eau à la Folie Nicolaï / Parfums de Nicolaï 2012
1
Sweet, spicy eau
It's still not the season for this kind of perfume (it has been snowing today), but I defied the climate and decided to give this a spin after a long while...
I got my sample from LuckyScent, and decanters are pretty much the only way to go for samples it seems since PdN do not have a sampling program of their own. That’s the kind of thing that just makes me sad with smaller, less known brands and houses, because while most people in Western countries can get a sniff of Shalimar or any one of the latest designer frags in pretty much any department store this side of the Ural, the niche houses need other ways to make their products known. Having a sampling program is one of the more efficient ones.
Anyway. What is NOT saddening is the scent itself. In l’Eau à la Folie, the citric top notes give off a more green and bright rather than citric impression, and before the perfume has really had time to open up I did wonder if it’s yet another citrusy-herbal take on the cologne structure. As the topmost top notes dissipate, it becomes apparent that it is not. The perfume takes on a fuller, more aromatic and herbal character and sweetens up a little with slightly honeyed (but not cloying!) touch while retaining some of its opening tartness. It is pretty linear from that on, and snuggles closer to the skin as time goes by (it was pretty much gone from my skin after 6 hours), but it is still a worthwhile perfume.
I am not sure if this is full-bottle worthy for me at this time, but it is one of the more enjoyable new perfumes I’ve tried recently and it's surprising how the fruity, berry notes come together and give off a more aromatic and herbal air rather than fruit and berry. Do put it on your to try list! It is absolutely delightful and has undone some of the trauma I’ve suffered through sniffing too many so-called eaux that resemble bug spray more than any living thing. If I tried assigning gender to this one, I’d fail miserably. So yeah. Try it!
I got my sample from LuckyScent, and decanters are pretty much the only way to go for samples it seems since PdN do not have a sampling program of their own. That’s the kind of thing that just makes me sad with smaller, less known brands and houses, because while most people in Western countries can get a sniff of Shalimar or any one of the latest designer frags in pretty much any department store this side of the Ural, the niche houses need other ways to make their products known. Having a sampling program is one of the more efficient ones.
Anyway. What is NOT saddening is the scent itself. In l’Eau à la Folie, the citric top notes give off a more green and bright rather than citric impression, and before the perfume has really had time to open up I did wonder if it’s yet another citrusy-herbal take on the cologne structure. As the topmost top notes dissipate, it becomes apparent that it is not. The perfume takes on a fuller, more aromatic and herbal character and sweetens up a little with slightly honeyed (but not cloying!) touch while retaining some of its opening tartness. It is pretty linear from that on, and snuggles closer to the skin as time goes by (it was pretty much gone from my skin after 6 hours), but it is still a worthwhile perfume.
I am not sure if this is full-bottle worthy for me at this time, but it is one of the more enjoyable new perfumes I’ve tried recently and it's surprising how the fruity, berry notes come together and give off a more aromatic and herbal air rather than fruit and berry. Do put it on your to try list! It is absolutely delightful and has undone some of the trauma I’ve suffered through sniffing too many so-called eaux that resemble bug spray more than any living thing. If I tried assigning gender to this one, I’d fail miserably. So yeah. Try it!
Sweetgrass
