Nicolaï pour Homme Nicolaï 2003

All sorts of houses are now releasing fragrances that they simply call 'Homme' or 'Man', as if a man should only smell this way and not otherwise. Not long ago, there was more creativity in naming, either invoking the gods (Kouros, Antaeus, Xeryus), flirting with a vice (Egoïste), a worldview (L'Anarchiste), a specific outfit (Habit Rouge), etc. The naming was imaginative. Often, even if the scent itself was not unique, at least a memorable and distinctive name contributed to a certain recognition value. But today: 'Homme', and nothing else. It’s almost like a virus: Dior Homme, Guerlain Homme, Molinard Homme, Rykiel Homme, Yohji Homme, etc., sometimes with 'pour', sometimes without, sometimes 'Man' (Rochas Man), sometimes 'for men' (Lauder) ......uff! Is it not enough with all these Hommes and Mans?

When Patricia de Nicolaï presented a new perfume in 2003 that she simply called 'pour Homme', I thought: well, the naming could have been a bit more creative. However, when I tested the scent, it quickly became clear to me that in this case, the name had a certain justification and consistency. The famous 'Pour un Homme de Caron', which first used this dedication, not only inspired the name but also the scent itself. The new one was, or rather is, a tribute to the old one. The connecting thread between the two: lavender - an aromatic and herbaceous plant that is indispensable in the history of men's perfume, particularly popular as classic British lavender water, whether from Yardley, Geo. F. Trumper, Caldey Islands, or in a newer interpretation by Czech & Speake (Oxford & Cambridge). In France, Jicky and its younger brother Mouchoir de Monsieur, both by Guerlain, dominated the lavender theme but were not to everyone's taste due to their characteristic civet note. 'Pour un Homme de Caron' then definitively established lavender as a 'soliflor' in French perfume production. Many of the old perfume manufacturers from Grasse, all the -ards (Gallimard, Fragonard, Molinard) today have an Eau de Lavande in their catalog, often as a cologne, along with various lavender soaps.

Patricia de Nicolaï also has another lavender scent in her range, which she calls 'Haut Provençe'. However, it would be somewhat unfair to label her 'pour Homme' as 'lavender soliflor', as many other notes also shape this scent in their own way. Of course, lavender is at the center of this fragrance, playing the lead role, but as part of a small, multi-voiced orchestra. There is especially the mint that stands by the lavender, both of their rather harsh aromas merge into a unique, cool-dry, slightly sharp accord, supported by - lightly smelling of pine needles - fir balsam and a good dose of green galbanum. This lavender stands at the edge of a forest, surrounded by the resins and mosses of the tree trunks, as well as the green of the fields where scattered flowers provide colorful splashes. A few herb-sweet tobacco leaves and soft amber notes form the base of this balsamic-aromatic fragrance. After initially quite good projection, it quickly retreats to the wearer's skin, so one might feel that this scent disappears too quickly. But even if one hardly perceives it anymore, others still notice it, although one must come quite close to the wearer. This 'subtle retreat' is also shared by some classics of men's perfumery like Chanel's 'Pour Monsieur' or Dior's 'Eau Sauvage'.

Strangely, it has never really become popular, although almost everyone who writes about it is enthusiastic - including many women. Just read the reviews on 'Makeupalley'! Perhaps 'pour Homme' is too sober, too serious, too melancholic. It may lack sensuality and eroticism, being too cerebral: A pondering French intellectual in a black turtleneck walking along a lavender-lined forest, a pack of Gitanes in his pocket. That’s roughly how I imagine Frau Nicolaï's 'Homme'.
I like and respect it; it is pleasant, friendly, and stylish. But I do not ignite with passion for it - let 'New York' take the lead, perhaps Patricia de Nicolaï's greatest masterpiece!