Crème Ébène

"Crème Ébène" reminds me of a few predecessors: ✧ "Plum Japonais" by Tom Ford ✧ "Abu Dhabi" by Mémo Paris ✧ "Féminité Du Bois" by Serge Lutens An intense woody and spicy perfume, in the field of Plum and Date. A fascinating density, sensual and oriental heaviness combining woods (Cedar and Sandalwood) with Saffron and spices (Cumin and Cardamom). Nuanced and slightly smoky, it possesses a complex and exotic olfactory architecture thanks to the Papyrus (a range of herbaceous and dry notes, with earthy stems). The whole exudes a feeling of hermeticism and depth. Its difference from "Plum Japonais" and "Féminité du Bois" is the tribal character of this Nicolaï. The others are more boozy and candied fruit, also sweeter. "Crème Ébène" is much more forward, less rounded and full-bodied, but just as mysterious. I refrained from buying it impulsively, it required self-control you have no idea about... Dominant Notes: Sandalwood, Cedar, Dates, Spices Secondary Notes: Cardamom, Cumin, Saffron, Papyrus Very Discreet Notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Musk 🖤 8/10 🖤

"Crème Ébène" reminds me of a few predecessors: ✧ "Plum Japonais" by Tom Ford ✧ "Abu Dhabi" by Mémo Paris ✧ "Féminité Du Bois" by Serge Lutens An intense woody and spicy perfume, in the field of Plum and Date. A fascinating density, sensual and oriental heaviness combining woods (Cedar and Sandalwood) with Saffron and spices (Cumin and Cardamom). Nuanced and slightly smoky, it possesses a complex and exotic olfactory architecture thanks to the Papyrus (a range of herbaceous and dry notes, with earthy stems). The whole exudes a feeling of hermeticism and depth. Its difference from "Plum Japonais" and "Féminité du Bois" is the tribal character of this Nicolaï. The others are more boozy and candied fruit, also sweeter. "Crème Ébène" is much more forward, less rounded and full-bodied, but just as mysterious. I refrained from buying it impulsively, it required self-control you have no idea about... Dominant Notes: Sandalwood, Cedar, Dates, Spices Secondary Notes: Cardamom, Cumin, Saffron, Papyrus Very Discreet Notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Musk 🖤 8/10 🖤

Yes I can see some resemblance to gris charnel, but I prefer this fragrance. It's like Gris charnel meets LNDH, but smoky. Also where GC is unisex, this is slightly masculine due to woods and smoke. There's something deeply addicting about it, dark, creamy, smoky, spicy; with a sexy cumin note that doesn't go too far into the BO category. And there's almost an Oud like vibe to it even though it has no Oud. Love the dry down on this. Overall CE gives very Tom Ford'ish vibes.

This is a stunner fragrance to my nose!! And the opening is spicy sweet but not to sweet, but for me it's the dry down where this fragrance shines!! Papyrus, sandle wood, Patchouli, vanilla and musk and I pickup on all notes but these base notes are just amazing to me. Great for cooler weather but can definitely be worn in fall, winter or spring but not in hot weather at all. Creamy, uniq, distinctive fragrance that will set you apart IMO.

It smells really nice: lovely sweet dried fruits, delicate spices and velvety leather. But it’s not new and definitely not unique .. I’ve smelled many times before starting from Bibliothèque Byredo ending with Onda d'Oro Plume Impression. Of course, it’s not identical to the fragrances I’ve mentioned but the profile is really similar. Still an excellent and balanced scent, don’t get me wrong!! My ig: scent.guide

Creme Ebene is indeed creamy and, as one of the promotional articles 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 nature 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. Creme Ebene 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. I find it to have a very “Middle Eastern” profile. For those familiar with Nicolai's home fragrances, this is supposed to be the perfume version of their now discontinued Secret de Marrakech candle.

Créme Ébène smells just like its name ("ebony cream".) It opens with vanilla pastry cream and settles into a dark, but still very smooth and polished, wood. The "ebony" is a little smoky and softened by the "cream". It's not really sweet after the gourmand opening, just mellow dark-black wood. Within an hour, the wood is slightly caramelized or maybe "date-sweetened" and the vanilla cream has faded somewhat. Everything feels polished but *very* artificial here, even the vanilla. It's not bad; it's definitely a choice; but the vibes are very "boardroom" or "airport." I find I like it. The dark-light contrast, the creaminess, even the slickness, are all quite pleasant. It has that neutral, luxurious simplicity, like high-threadcount silky white sheets in a hotel, or high-quality hand lotion. Similar "mainstream-but-nice" vibes and dark/light effect to Dior Ambre Nuit. It feels unisex-leaning-feminine to me.

Take Gris Charnel and make it rounder, creamier, deeper, more grounded. I really like it and the longevity is impressive: I sprayed it at 1pm, got whifs of it for 4 hours, although after ~2 hours it became pretty linear (just like Gris Charnel in my experience). By 6pm it had less sillage but was still going strong on my skin, and even at 10pm I could still smell it when putting my nose close to where I had sprayed it.

I recieved this as a PR item and I was told it is exclusive to Harvy Nichols in Qatar. It's an interesting release... a little Dejavu but pleasant. Not too gourmand ... more woody, spicy with a green touch. Its summer now so I feel whatever judgement I have about this is not accurate untill I try it in the colder months.

A slightly spicy vanilla woody scent. I found it pleasant and the projection is pretty good. I'm not the biggest fan of patchouli, which is noticeable in the dry down. Overall a well made fragrance but just not terribly unique or really my style.

العطر فيه عيب قاتل وهو وزنية الايسو سوبر الايسو سوبر هنا نسبته غير متوازنة على باقي النوتات فيطغى عليها والاسوء انه بعد عدة ساعات بعد ماتبهت باقي النوتات يبقى هو بشكل قوي وحاد، حتى اني اشم رائحته على الملابس بعد ٥ ايام يجب ان تتحمل هذا العيب من اجل جمال الرائحة، وهو عيب ملحوظ جدا ومزعج وليس بسيط. الرائحة رائحة تمر كريمي مع اخشاب خفيفة مع دخان خفيف هذا الطاغي، الباقي اثره خفيف خصوصا البهارات، الحمدلله. هي افضل ما انتج هذا الدار المنفوخ، الرائحة جميلة ومميزة لا ثقيلة ولا خفيفه تصلح طول السنة وتبرز في البرد الرائحة ٩/١٠ التقييم الاجمالي ٦/١٠ بسبب سوء حرفية العطر - The fragrance has a fatal flaw, which is the Iso E Super balance Here, the Iso E Super is not well balanced with the other notes, so it overpowers them. Worse, after several hours when the other notes fade, it remains strong and sharp. I can even smell it on clothes after 5 days. You have to tolerate this flaw for the beauty of the scent, and it is very noticeable and annoying, not minor The scent is a creamy date with light woods dominating, with light smoke, the rest has a light effect, especially the spices, thankfully. Its the best this overrated house has produced. The scent is nice and distinctive, neither heavy nor light, suitable year round and stands out in cold weather Scent 9/10 Overall rating 6/10 due to poor blending

Ugh. I was soooo excited to sample this and so ready to love it but it just... smells like smoke on me. Like if you’ve ever worked at a bar or restaurant that uses those smokers for cocktails or fancy small plates or something, this smells like that specific kind of smoke. Not getting the creaminess or the fruitiness and even the woody notes themselves are lost in the burnt wood chips accord of it all. If I really think about it, I can pick out the cardamom and cumin, but they also fall into the smoke smell very easily. To its credit, this fragrance has incredible sillage and longevity, which only makes me wish all the more that it was what I hoped it would be.

I can see the quality. It’s a good perfume with great performance but not for me. It’s not a safe blind buy. It’s really woody and I can smell leather a lot. Someone who is really into leather would love this. Unfortunately I noticed that I am really hard to please when it comes to leather fragrances, it has to be mixed with florals for me to enjoy it. The performance is really good it’s really long lasting. Totally for lovers of woody leather and spicy perfumes.

hmm...very full bodied and warm, but nothing spectacular. it reminds me of Montale DNA.

To me, Crème Ébène is way too heavy on synthetic woody notes. They hit really strong right from the start, almost burn the nose, and just don’t go away — it’s hard to wash the scent off. It reminds me a lot of Khamrah Qahwa or Sharaf Blend by Zimaya, only this one costs more. I wouldn’t compare it to Féminité du Bois at all — that one is soft, elegant, and beautifully balanced. Crème Ébène feels loud and harsh instead. Definitely not for me.

I’m genuinely disappointed. This creation gives the impression that the brand wanted to follow the nuclear amber wood trend, at the expense of its identity.

I should start by saying that I really love this house. Nicolai makes beautiful classic perfumes with great performance. I knew as soon as I saw the notes on this one that it wouldn't be for me, but the salesperson at the Nicolai boutique handed me samples of all three dessert frags so eagerly that I had to take it, and far be it from me to let a perfume sample go unused! (Plus, I do enjoy the scent of dates!) When sprayed, this smells exactly like my three least favorite notes: saffron, cardamom, and cumin. Spicy, spicy, spicy. To be fair, the opening is very true to what Nicolai claims it is, and what comes out of the bottle really does smell like what you find in the kitchen. It was way too much for me, but I left it on my arm, hoping it would settle quickly. Nope! It was joined by the woods, but it stayed just spicy as can be. I had to scrub it after a few hours. But not only did I have to scrub it, I ended up taking a full shower to try and remove it, then covered the lingering scent of it with another (very heavy) perfume. If you like a full range of kitchen spices in a scent, you have to try it - it's made for you. It is just very much not made for me. Kudos to Nicolai for making something that can stick around so well, but nope, nope, nope. If this is your jam, please do us all a favor and don't wear it in the summer!

The planet stood still on its axis and the restaurant fell quiet just for a second as she smiled at him. A slightly sheepish grin of acknowledgement crept across his features like water across blotting paper. "You smell incredible. What is it? I don't think I've ever smelt anything like that before." She asked him; her voice lower and quieter that perhaps she was expecting. He straightened up in his chair, smiled again and poured another glass of Amarone for them both, looking her in the eye only once the bottle was returned to the tabletop. "It's called Creme Ebene by a niche house called Nicolai, from here in Paris. I have a bit of a thing for rich and woody fragrances like this one. I'm glad you like it." "Don't know it. I'll have to look it up. Thanks." He became aware of his heart thudding in his temples as she spoke to him. Her unfeasibly round brown eyes from across the table seemed searching somehow and under normal circumstances he would shrink from it as he usually did from questions and eye contact lest his fears and sadness be laid bare to the open air. But not today. Not for the first time that evening, he marvelled at the unspoken confidence that a good fragrance could give him. Confident enough to buy Italian wine in Paris, even. If you knew how much I hate myself and what little confidence I have in myself, you'd walk away from this table as you probably should do. But you don't and I'm not going to show that to you. Not now. The fragrance was leaping off his wrists and curling purposefully up from his neck as he listened to her talk about her job as the Entrees arrived. It was a creamy sandalwood with some dates in the heart and some spices in the head that held its own over the chilled duck breast salad and the wine. The base had a musky texture to it that lent a sensuality that stayed gentlemanly enough but in that captivating way where you both want to smell more of it. Somewhere between MEMO Paris' Abu Dhabi and Santal Precieux by Caron of Paris. Both are Parisian fragrance houses and so is Nicolai. It is an extremely Parisian take on the noble sandalwood and so absolutely appropriate for then and there, with a formidable performance of over 10 hours and a drydown akin to walking hand in hand down the Seine at night time after an amazing dinner date. Three Word Summary: Perfect Date Night Layering suggestion: Ebene Fume over the top to bring the smoke. Scent - 9/10 Sillage - 9/10 Drydown - 10/10 Bottle/packaging - 9/10 Performance - 10/10 47/50

Saffron spice date syrup abstract creamy woody oriental Oh how I love Patricia de Nicolai. Even when she is clearly making something aimed as a future bestseller for the middle eastern market, she gives it her all. It's like going to a small indie bookstore (where you knowingly slightly overpay for the book) and just receive the most fabulous gift wrapping, complementary bag and top notch service, while the book looks freshly printed without any creased corners or smudged text. Patricia de Nicolai presents that subtly smoky leathery saffrony almost stereotypic Harrods oriental style in a creamy woody powdery ambery confection that just feels beautifully dialed in, like a rich dense mousse. No scratchy amberwood peaking out through the curtains (Ojar, im looking at you), no no filth or sediment in the creamy dry down. If you are coming from faux-middle eastern designers or generally gravitate towards that smoky dark brooding yet warm charming creamy woody amber territory and want to experience the top interpretations in the modern western niche market consider following 3 options: Guerlain Ambre Samar (brighter nuttier tamer), Nicolai Creme Ebene (lush luxurious expertly balanced), Amouage Boundless (richer, more opulent, more all encompassing), honorable mention goes to Memo Abu Dhabi.

At first whiff it is almost indescribable in terms of separating different scent profiles. Quite alluring, almost mysterious but bold - as with all Nicolai perfumes. It quickly evolves bringing the saffron to forefront & letting it dominate over all else, though it was definitely not as prominent when sampling on a blotter. The saffron is gorgeously elegant and creamy with a metallic edge that dries down into a leather that later stays the only evidence of saffron having ever been there. The saffron and spicy notes lead the first hours, whereas the dry down becomes quite sweet, bringing out the sweet but definitely non-gourmand notes of vanilla, musk and compared to other Nicolai perfumes, very muted and toned downed patchouli. As someone who loves powdery perfumes, though noticeable, I would place it as a very minimally powdery scent and only after a couple of hours, in the dry down. I would consider this way more on the sweeter than the woody side - especially when on my skin, whereas while sampling it at the Parfums Lubner Fragrance Library event with Patricia Nicolai in Berlin the cedar seemed more prominent. For me way more late fall / early spring than a deep winter perfume.

I have received a sample white buying the whle discovery set. This one is woody, leathery plus dried fruit. The similair scents sugestions are right, hoqever this one is very sharp, too strong and not cosy at all. I love Feminite de bois, or Rouge sarray, but this one is sth different.i must admit that I have not found any favorites from Nicolai discovery yet...

It is a bit “deja vu” and “deja smelled “ but it is also pleasant and the power when the perfume dries is tremendous! Just a spray on your sleeve and your clothes will smell for days. The sillage is great. The overall scent is pleasant, fruity creamy-nutty and oud/woody.

oh ... after 3 seconds it strongly reminds me BDK Gris Charnel ..... a bit disappointed (although I love Nicolai the most) how lot of today's perfumes own same or very similar, familiar scent profile.

Terrible (to me), overwhelming overdose of amberwoods from top to bottom. Maybe it's used nicely here, as I usually enjoy her perfumes, but I can't smell anything else.

I really like this one. Creamy cozy woods. I found it very calming to wear. On my wishlist for fall.

Intoxicating and delicious. Different and not something everyone is wearing, LOVE that for me.

Gris charnel, but a bit sweeter. A bit like lattafa’s liam