See Prices

More

We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Crème Ébène Nicolaï 2025 Eau de Parfum

7.5 / 10 70 Ratings

A new perfume by Nicolaï for women and men, released in 2025. The scent is woody-spicy. The longevity is above-average. It is still in production.
Pronunciation Compare

More

We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Main accords

Woody

Spicy

Creamy

Sweet

Leathery

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Cardamom

Saffron

Cumin

Heart Notes

Medjoul date

Atlas cedar

Virginia cedar

Base Notes

White musk Papyrus

Papyrus

Sandalwood Vanilla

Vanilla

Patchouli

Perfumer

Patricia de Nicolaï

Ratings

Scent

7.570 Ratings

Longevity

8.365 Ratings

Sillage

7.964 Ratings

Bottle

8.058 Ratings

Value for money

7.447 Ratings

Submitted by Kazuo · last update on 02/22/2026.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Gris Charnel Eau de Parfum

Reviews

4 in-depth fragrance descriptions

12/30/2025

7Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

Omnipotato
505 Reviews

Omnipotato

Helpful Review 4

Spicy sugary musk

Oddly, Crème Ébène is not particularly creamy or woody despite the name. It starts off with a blast of cardamom and saffron followed by the swift entrance of sugary dates supported by vanilla. The base is mostly musky rather than woody. It’s alright; something I’d expect from a midrange niche house that is somewhat out of ideas. Not particularly challenging or complex, but pleasant enough to wear on a crisp fall day.

09/23/2025

RejdaPersa
8 Reviews

RejdaPersa

Secret de Marrakech

From the moment I sprayed this, I could tell it was a Nicolaï creation. You can immediately perceive the warmth of their elegant and diffusive signature amber base, and it tells you that you are in for quality and heritage. Initially, Crème Ébène reminded me of a previous creation, Caravanserail, but an elevated and grown up version.

Crème Ébène is indeed creamy and, as the promotional material describes it, very soft. Not in terms of performance or sillage, but just very smooth, comforting, and refined; I could see it as a masculine version of Amber Cashmere. I initially smell the cardamom in the opening, much as I do in Caravanserail, but it is not as sharp or fruity. The cumin note is not detectable on my skin, but its presence on a blotter appears to round off the perfume's sweetness with its savoury note. I get a very realistic date accord immediately after this, but it has a pleasant dryness, like the papery inside of a date that encases the seed. This sheer quality is enhanced by the airy woods and very gentle smokiness of the supporting notes, namely the cedar and the papyrus. On my skin, it dries down to a slightly sweet, velvety suede bolstered by a non-gourmande vanilla reminiscent of Diptyque's Eau Duelle or even Nicolaï's own Ambre Precieux home fragrance..

Crème Ébène may remind me of other spicy woody fragrances, but that realistic and dry date note sets it apart for me; I find it perfectly warm and elegant for a dressed up winter event. For those familiar with Nicolaï's home fragrances, this is supposed to be the perfume version of their now discontinued Secret de Marrakech candle.

11/15/2025

7Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Medusa00
846 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Medusa00

Top Review 18

The Cumin Nugget

Actually, I only wanted to write a statement about this perfume, but it requires several words.
Many years ago, the house of Nicolai was a wonderful discovery for me, and I fell in love with some beautiful scents, claiming a few as my own.
Then, after longer and shorter breaks from perfumes and emptying my bottles, I lost sight of the house, or rather, lost the scent, until a nice perfumer gifted me a few samples of the latest creations from P. de Nicolai some time ago. Among them were indeed some lovely fragrances, including Crème Ébène. Here, I seriously wonder what Madame de Nicolai was thinking.
Crème Ébène sends me back to a sauna trauma that I had almost forgotten. I used to enjoy going to the sauna, but the aforementioned cumin nugget thoroughly ruined that pleasure for me - at least in the mixed sauna (although I always wore a sauna kilt, I wasn't completely naked) - due to a very large, middle-aged man who kept edging closer to the women until they, frightened, ended their sauna session. During the breaks, he lay on the lounger munching on falafel with cumin.
But the scent is not only bursting with cumin falafel, but also with cardamom. Which actually doesn’t smell bad with its resemblance to nutmeg, but here the gingerbread is clearly overdone.
Still, these are spices that I actually like, even saffron, but that doesn’t make a difference here.
Then someone enters the sauna and makes a pour with the needles of various cedar species, and I am whipped with cedar branches. It's supposed to promote circulation, but what has been stimulated here is only my nose.
Where is the creaminess? There is no sweetness or hint of softness to counter the harsh cedar spectacle. Vanilla does not show itself, and musk has retreated to the farthest corners of the sauna.
Just ten years ago, the house de Nicolai was still considered a hidden gem, as Patricia comes from the great Guerlain family.
Now she is throwing fragrances onto the market in a staccato fashion. Does she have to keep up somehow? Oh dear Madame, with this scent, you have - at least for me - failed.

11/15/2025

9.5Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Caro0
115 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Caro0

5

Mystical, Woody Love

Crème Ébène is the epitome of woody-creamy love!!
I am so excited!!!
Through leather, it gains a dark and mystical side. It deepens...
Nevertheless, it is a woody and creamy scent.
For me, one of the most beautiful fragrances with a date note.
It gives me the feeling that hazelnuts are also included in this scent.
Totally in love with this perfume.