Parfums de Nicolaï - Incense Oud

Picture: One summer's evening they went with Bianca Maria
deep into the forest (1913)
Watercolor on gouche by John Bauer (1882-1918)
Wikimedia
(The swedish artist John Bauer, his wife and three year old son were tragically drowned in a
shipwreck on the lake Vättern 20 November 1918, ie exactly  98 years ago yesterday. )

Incense Oud is created by one of the best noses of today Patricia de Nicolaï for her own perfumehouse Parfums de Nicolaï.

Incense Oud starts with a clean and clear incense embedded in the typical "Nicolaïade" accord, sofisticated, smooth, slight soapy, chalcy, green with a sort of contemporary, retro touch. This Nicolaï accord in its different settings has a carefree, parisian, elegance. The oud is not a major player here, it's one of the interacting notes from the dept of the fragrance. The oud is not of the dense, smokey variety, nor the chemical, medical one. It's a transparent, herbal and dark green oud (if it had a color), refreshing in the same way as stayning in the deep forest among trolls and elves.
The oudnote is in the same vein as the oud note in Vescace Pour Homme Oud Noir and as in By Kilian Pure Oud, cold and sort of airy but quiter, smoother and seamless integrated with the other notes.  In the background there is also a slight musky almost animalic dept to the fragrance. A more prominent note which is interacting closely with the oud is patchouli. It's the same elegant (in the higher octaves of the fragrance note scale) herbal-fresh patchouli leaves note as in one of my favorite Nicolaïs Patchouli Homme later renamed to Patchouli Intense. Incense Oud reminds me much of the Nicolaï patchouli but Oud Incense is chillier, fresher, a bit herbal whereas Patchouli Homme has spicy and warm notes interacting with the patchouli. In Incense Oud I can also detect some of the slight green, chalky note present in Vanille Tonka. There is no obvious similarities with fragances from fragrances outside the house of Nicolaï, the fragrances of Parfums de Nicolaï are unique in its style compared to the rest of the market. One fragrance I come to think of when it comes to the herbal leaves patchoulinote is Coquillete Herat which blend of tobacco and a canabisnote reminds a bit of the patchouli accord in Incense Oud. There are also a tonality reminding a bit of By Kilian Smoke for the Soul but Incense Oud is much more structured, clean and not as thick and on the verge to messy as the Kilian blend. 

Picture: Incense Oud
Photo: PR Parfums de Nicolaï (c)

Incense Oud is a versatile fragrance wearable the year around expect in the warmest summerdays. It's a casual chic fragrance, suitable for office or for a day in the city. Sillage is medium + and the longevity is great. Incense Oud is unfragmented after more then 12h wearing and it's fully detectable after 24h and on textile after many days. The fragrance is unisex. From what I have smelled from the perfumelaunches of 2016, this is one of the very best.

Rating: 5

Notes: Artemisia, ambretta, coriander, rose, cedarwood, oud, cypriol, patchouli, frankincense, styrax, castoreum, amber, musk

PS: Parfums de Nicolaï is now also avaible from Fragrance & Art .

Maison Nicolas de Barry - Eau de Vizir

Picture: Die Kinder des Vicomte d'Andrezel,
 französischer Botschafter an der Hohen Pforte,
werden dem Großwesir Ibrahim Pasha vorgestellt, 10. Oktober 1724
Oil on canvas by Jean Baptiste Vanmour (1671-1737)
Wikimedia commons

Eau de Vizir is a masculine, very original creation from the house Nicolas de Barry who has composed the fragrance, maybe in collaboration with Eddy Blanchet as some of the other fragrances.

Eau de Vizir starts with an aromatic, citric-herbal blast, it's strong and cold in apperance. Early a very sort of clean, dry, smoky vetivernote appears and it is present in full or as whispers during the rest of the fragrance. As it continues, herbs, especially basil, green notes and fresh bitter notes appears, the fennel is sort of natural fresh and uplifting. In texture and impression Eau de Vizir is cold as original Marni, but without the rosy elements. There is also a slight mentholic touch in some stages and somehow By Kilian Smoke for the Soul comes to my mind as also the classic Azzaro Acteur with its moisty forest floor accords. The aromatic-herbal accords are founded in a musky, woody accord in which the smoky vetiver also are clearly present, a base which emphasizes the fresh coolness of the scent.

Picture: Eau de Vizir
Photo: PR Maison Nicolas de Barry (c)

Eau de Vizir is a good fragrance for regular daytime wearing. It's definitly masculine, suitable year around and would be perfect in early spring with the slight chilly air and wet soil. The longevity is very good, a little goes for about a day. Maybe Eau de Vizir is another addition to the reported upcoming, mostly non-sweet, woody-tarry-aromatic trend.

Rating: 3

Notes: Lemon, bergamot, orange, basil, vetiver, fennel, sandalwood, musk

Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Masculin Pluriel

Picture: "The Dandy king",
Joachim Murat (1767-1815),  King of Naples etc
Portrait by Francois Gérard (1770-1837)

Masculin Pluriel created by one of my favorite perfumers Francis Kurkdjian for his own house, is the masculine counterpart to one of the very best feminine perfumes of 2014 Féminin Pluriel. Just as the latter, Kurkdjian in Masculin Pluriel interprets a classical theme in a contemporary setting but still retains the timeless expression of the fragrance.

Masculin Pluriel starts with a beautiful note of lavender on a light, woody background. The lavendernote is the featured note during the rest of the dry down and it shows off a bit different at different stages, influenced by the surrounding and supporting notes. Masculin Pluriel is truly aromatic, lighter in the begining and darker in the later stages. The woody notes never get sharp or chemical and interacting with the herbal notes, the fragrance explore both dark and light accords, bitter and even if an overall non-sweet fragrance, there are some sweet elements, I can smell some woody vanilla, the vanillic note coming from wood, in the middle of the fragrance. There is also a very light, smoky element present in the fragrance but it's almost not detectable as smoke, there is absolutely nothing sharp or offending about it. The patchouli in the base are dark and desert-dry, like dried patchoulileaves, no moisty texture but anyway it lends a slight earthy impression to the mix. The patchouli blends perfectly and highlighting the deep and dark facets of the lavender, here the lavender reminds me partly of the lavendernote of Vero Profumo Kiki Extrait. There is something, the bitter, slight smoky impression, in Masculin Pluriel that reminds me of  the new By Kilian "extreme" Smoke for the Soul where Masculin Pluriel is the polished, elegant and wearable one. I read on Fragrantica that the fragrance trend for the coming years are woodsy and piny notes, as for example birch and likely  there is room for woody-aromatic fragrances in this trend which Masculi Pluriel and Smoke for the Soul could be some of the forerunners to. Another fragrance that comes to my mind testing Masculin Pluriel is the classic Aramis Tuscany (vintage) even if that one is bold and big compared to the former.

Picture: Masculin Pluriel
Photo: PR Maison Francis Kurkdjian (c)

Masculin Pluriel is an elegant, understated, very wearable choice for daytime officewear. There is something dandy-ish over the whole composition. The longevity is very good, for over a day and the fragrance is suitable for every season except the warmest summermonths. As Masculin Pluriel is a very well constructed and easy to wear fragrance, it should have been included in my best of 2014 list if I had tested it properly on myself and on Mr Parfumista before year end.

Rating: 5

Notes: Lavender, cedar, patchouli, vetiver, leather, woody notes

Best of 2014

Picture: Grape hyacinths in spring 2014
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Best of 2014 is not an easy post to write (and should not be as long as the perfume industry has not collapsed compleatly :-) as I have tried a bunch of good fragrances released in the market this year. And as usual, I've just tested a fraction of the thousend+ releases on the international market.

Best Feminine:
Vero Profumo Rozy Voile d'Extrait, an retro styled but still contemporary deep, balsamic, oriental rose.
Close contenders: My Burberry and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Féminin Pluriel both contemporary, beutiful floral interpretations by Francis Kurkdjian, the former a  though, urban flower, the latter a contemporary but in the same time timeless flower creation. Le Galion Iris a magnificent, iris-lily dominated floral bouquet, review will follow in January 2015.

Best Masculine:
Le Galion Special for Gentleman, an elegant, retrostyled, very masculine aromatic/chypre.
Close contenders: Oriza L.Legrand Vétiver Royal Bourbon  unisex but leaning IMO to the masculine side. Chalky, brisk, light green vetiver, nautral smelling with some traces of Terre d'Hermes, the chalky tone. By Kilian Smoke for the soul doesn't suit me personally but the fragrance is very original and innovative to be a member of the Kilian line. Therefore it's the stand out in the "The addicted state of mind" trio.

For both:
Serge Lutens L'Orpheline is totally unisex to me, fits equally fits equally well for me as for Mr Parfumista. It's a fragrance that is a growing liking for me. I like it much better worn in colder tempratures than when tested it last summer for the review. A new and appealing interpretation of incense. Frapin Nevermore, this decades interpretation of the iconic dark rose of the 1990s; L'Artisan Voleur de Roses. Nevermore is leaning to the masculine side but I admit I notice a growing appreciation to wear it myself.

Disappointments of the year:
Both are very good fragrances but apparently in practice the don't fit me even if they should, in theory.
Editions Parfums Frederic Malle Eau de Magnolia: Even if a well constructed fragance and probably a hit commercial, it's just too shrill to me, and honestly, to me this fine fragrance is boring in the long run.
Cartier La Panthere: Probably I havn't tested it enough, but even if well constructed etc it doesn't leave a lasting impression, I can't remember at all how it smells.

Wishing you a great New Years Eve and a Happy New 2015!

By Kilian - Intoxicated

Picture: In Cafe at Hotel Sacher, Wien
Photo: Deror avi (cc) Wikimedia commons,
some rights reserved

Intoxicated is the third tested fragrance in the new By Kilian subline Addicted State of Mind. The fragrance is created by the almost By Kilian inhouse nose Calice Becker.

Opens delicious with something which smells as a very dry lavendel note combined with coffe, cream and cardamom. Instantly the coffe-cream-lavendel  Belle en Rykiel  from Sonia Rykiel  comes to my mind but Belle is sweeter and more gourmand in style, Intoxicated is like an ariy, subtle version. After a while Intoxicated moves a step further compared with Belle and Intoxicated  is further warmed up with more light, sort of airy interpreted spices with an offsetting fizzy accord/note which is present from now on.

During the whole drydown, Intoxicated seems to be injected with some special almost fizzy aromatic notes but  the notes are not of the full herbal quality. Instead the impression is as some parts of some aromatic notes have been separated and then mixed to a new version of an aromatic note. Anyway, that note or accord  perfectly counterbalances  the sweetness from coffe,cream and the warmth of the spices.
Finally, in  the basenotes, Intoxicated ends up in a  pleasant mix of fresh cardamon in a caffe latte, suported by the rest of  the spices. very cozy and awesome to wear a grey, rainy autumnday. There is also the  fizzy, woody quality  (described above) in the base that brightens it up and avoid that Intoxicated ends up too dense and sweet which is always a risk with "café-inspired" fragrances. There are also traces of something dark, similar to patchouli.

Intoxicated is IMO the stand out (at least when it comes to what's pleasant for me to wear, when it comes to originality Smoke for the Soul takes the prize) in the Addicted State of Mind-trio. Wearing this well balanced blend gives the image of visitning a cosily café and stay there for hours a gloomy autumn afternoon. It's a pleasure to wear, makes the wearer happy and it is suitable for daytime wear during the cold season. The sillage is close, and there is overnight longevity. Even if not a groundbreaking composition Intoxicated is so delicious, nice to wear and comfortable that it deserves:

Rating: 5

Notes: Cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, coffee

By Kilian - Smoke for the Soul

Picture: Kilian himself personify
his new line - Addicted State of Mind
Smoke for the Soul
Photo: PR By Kilian (c)

Smoke for the Soul is one of three fragrances that constitutes the start of a new By Kilian subline called "The addicted state of mind.  Smoke for the Soule is created by perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin.

Smoke for the Soul starts cold and slight mentholic, probably from the eucalyptus, soon a bitter citric note appears,  followed by a note close to dry, unsweet liquorice. After a while the smoke appears, a smoke similar to the smell of a forest fire. When the smoke subsides, the cold green mentholic accord comes forward again, accompanied by a natural smelling cardamon note. There is also something that smells similar to wet tobaccoleaves glimpsing in the background. The overall structure is sharp, woody, cold spicy/herbal.

Picture: Smoke for the Soul
Photo: PR By Kilian (c)

Overall Smoke for the Soul is a weird perfume. At first it's easy to be confused and condemn it as a high-end but easy going fragrance, likable for most people. But soon I become aware of my mistake, Smoke of the Soule is alternately repulsive and likeable, feels alternately refreshing and depressing. It has something familiar but overall it's a strange composition. It's lighter and more fleeting than some other fragrances with "drug" elements such as Nasomatto Black Afgano ticker, a bit sweeter and fullbodied compared with SftS and Parfumerie Generale Cozë also sweeter,denser and more spicy/herbal. When the fresher sides of SftS shines through, there is something (the chilly herbal quality) in the overall apperance that reminds med of
De Bachmakow from The Different Company.

Smoke for the Soul is suitable (in small doses) for daytime wear but not in too warm or too cold temperatures, perhaps autumn and spring is the best seasons for this fragrance. Overnight longevity and sillage is close. It's classified as unisex and I agree with that, it's totally genderless.

Not my favorite By Kilian but as always with the Kilians a wellcrafted, high quality fragrance that at least creates a reaction, which is not common among the current releases.

Rating: 4

Notes: Eucalyptus, grapefruit, tobacco, mate, birch, cashmirwood, cannabis, cardamom