New York Intense Nicolaï / Parfums de Nicolaï 2014

Sunshine, sea of lemons, that's how you sail along,
Blue sky, warm breeze, chest hair up to the chin.

The herbal shirt flutters in the wind, thyme hangs in the beard,
Chewing cloves between his teeth, no cloud approaches.

Lavender umbels, lush and purple, dangle back and forth from the mast,
Synth pop sounds from the radio, camomile blossoms on the sea.

The cabin, warm and dry, peppercorns, dusted with cinnamon,
In the corners oak moss, styrax clouds one does not shy away from.

Musk clouds drift by, incense haze lies on the waves,
Clay shards on the tongue, we sail to the most beautiful places.

Fin.
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New York Intense was my first step into exploring the house of Parfums de Nicolaï - and it probably won't be my last. I'm generally not particularly attracted to fragrances of this type, but New York Intense is so distinctive that I have to give it the recognition it deserves.

The opening is dominated by a really great lemon note, which immediately turns up the intensity to 12 - yellow, tangy and, above all, sour. Beneath this fresh citrus, however, the impending depth of the fragrance is already apparent. A hint of herbaceous spice joins in, while purple lavender umbels exude their gentle bouquet. The camomile is less reminiscent of tea and more reminiscent of fresh flowers, which results in a hint of florality, which is immediately picked up again by ethereal pepper, clove and a hint of spicy cinnamon. This is also where the really interesting interplay of fresh citrus and warm, spicy heart and base notes underpinned by a good portion of oakmoss becomes apparent, lending the fragrance an even greater degree of classicism. Finally, styrax and incense, a very subtle tonka bean and a hint of leather, albeit not listed, lend even more depth.

New York Intense is superbly crafted and catapults the wearer back to decades long past in the blink of an eye. The last point in particular means that, in my opinion, this is a rather mature fragrance. However, in the end this is all the same as soon as you like it.