Incense Oud

Patricia de Nicolaï is an intriguing and talented perfumer, and I have long read glowing reviews of her creations for her eponymous house. A niece of Jean-Paul Guerlain, armed with a chemistry degree and ISIPCA training, she still was passed over in favour of a man (Thierry Wasser) to take over at Guerlain in 2008. It is interesting to consider how she would have fared, given how uneven the Guerlain releases and reformulations have been since. Regardless, Guerlain's loss is Nicolaï Createur de Parfum's gain. However, until I bought a discovery set last year, I had only smelled one Nicolaï, New York Intense, but was left very impressed. Now, I am reviewing each sample in my discovery set. Incense Oud is what it says on the tin - a smooth, high-quality oud scent infused with incense throughout. The oud used here is not skanky or animalic - it is a dry, woody oud; more French in style than Middle Eastern. It is bold however, the dominant note to my nose. Bitter, herbal green notes follow, led by artemisia, rounded out by a cloud of earthy patchouli. The cypriol is camphorous, yet adds a slight dirtiness, bringing to mind a jungle. As it develops, powdery rose emerges, melding beautifully with the oud and patchouli in particular. IO becomes increasingly smooth and refined here, with an animalic muskiness giving it an old-fashioned quality. The balsamic incense emerges here, not a church-y incense, but somehow more Middle Eastern in style, enhanced by the peppery spice that follows. It becomes increasingly musky as it fades, the smooth incense lingering alongside spices, with a pine-like green nuance remaining, giving the woody-musky drydown a hint of freshness. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. It is a unisex, autumn/winter scent. A complex yet beautifully-balanced woody-amber scent, IO is masterfully composed, a testament to Mme. Nicolaï's skill. The materials used here are high-quality and quite strong, but they are cohesive, each note contributing to the scent as a whole. Symphonic, really - a gem. 4.5/5.

Nicolai's Incense Oud is probably the freshest take on Incense or Oud notes I have sniffed in ages. I was expecting the usual bog standard cliched smoky incense and oud like all the others and right from the first sniff, this was a beast of a different genus. Top notes are a really clear, fresh blend of artemisia and ambrette. Right off the bat you know you are smelling the work of a Master Perfumer. The heart is a blend of Oud, Cambodian as per the notes on the sample card, sharp spicy notes of nagarmotha and coriander and some woody cedar. This is joined by the incense in the base. There is an underlying bitter, slightly animalic muskiness that is probably the castoreum and musk but you would not find it unless you went looking for it. It does give the composition the required depth that you would expect in an Oud Fragrance. In the end, all the notes just fit perfectly together in complete harmony. Projection is really good, easily 6 feet in the first hour before settling to arms length, People are going to smell you, no mistake. Longevity likewise is excellent, regularly in the 12-15 hours plus range. So performance wise fantastic. In conclusion I would say if you are a fan of Incense or Oud notes, do yourself a favor and check it out. I am a huge fan of incense frags in general and have stuff like Timbuktu, Sahara Noir, Cardinal, Avignon, Interlude, et al and this has pretty much vaulted itself into my top 3 atleast. That should be enough said. 9/10

Верхние ноты очень сильные и больше выделяется будто бы хвойный запах, но это скорее всего артемизия, кориандр и опять пачули. Очень резкий, тяжелый хвойный аромат, подумает каждый. В таком состоянии он пребывает в течение 15-20 минут потом "успокаивается" и переходит к базе и средним нотам. Ооо вот тут мнения разделяться... Либо они засчитают мускус как запах потного деда либо как чистейший, мыльный приятный аромат. В дополнение к нему в игру включается отчётливый землистый животный аромат, из за Кастореум'а в базе. После часа имеем: глубоко древесный(Уд), чистенький землистый животный запах на нашей коже. Ну, а в своей последней трансформации он становиться очень, прям на тоненького сладким, играет роза и благовония, именно они добавляют вот эту изюминку похожую на восковые свечи и... Ощущение Аристократии что ли... Роза и благовония как итог заставили меня полюбить этот аромат. Больше всего вторая фаза этого аромата меня поражает, как она играет... Я не могу. Дерево, земля и мускус... По-моему уже за такое можно отдать все деньги. Аромат вечный, я буквально два дня с ним на руке ходил, даже после душа он остался, нотки розы. Я однозначно рекомендую этот экспириенс в аристократию.

9:00 - Opens with incense and herbs. Very fresh fields. A peppery woods smell comes in quickly with a deftly done floral that doesn't jump out separately. There's an impression of honey-water in this, for me. I wish I had a better way to describe it. Botrytis by Ginestet has the same quality in its opening and they both literally make my mouth water. For Incense Oud, it doesn't actually smell like honey, though. I really, really love this effect. 9:40 - The patchouli has started to assert itself more, but there's a smell, kinda like unburned lavender incense, that is balancing out the earthiness and keeping things from getting too hippie. Very unisex. My coworker could smell this from across the room, and approved. 3:20 - Drydown is cypriol oil I'm guessing (smells like a tree, not oud) with random whiffs of incense. Good but I can see it being headache inducing for some if they aren't cautious with the number of sprays. Actually, this might be the artemisia. I need to get nose training. Will probably end up with a full bottle of this.

Incredible perfume, but very unusual, to say the least! I really admire P. de Nicolai for balancing all these big smelling ingredients (oud, rose, incense, castoreum and patchouli on a classic amber base) into something so luminous and transparent. The rose, insence and amber make this fragrance oppulent and luxurious, while the oud and the castoreum create a dark, erotic tension. So good! Do try before you buy; this otherwise terribly chic affair purrs with the distinctly animalic, faecal aspect of oud. I really had to come to terms with this slightly disconcerting note in the composition, but it does add to its artisticity and - most importantly - to the authenticity of its star ingredient. I've come to love this scent very, very much (the dry down is especially sublime), but my partner complains I smell like a toilet. ‘A Parisian toilet!’, I specify...