Maharadjah

This is a rich spicy oriental, and a bit unusual; it starts out with a fair amount of lavender, and a pleasant red apple note underneath it with some dusty wood. At first, I really don't like the sweaty character that the lavender imparts--I almost never do--and it gets worse for a few minutes as the apple blast quickly recedes. As the sweatiness abates, though, a fairly straightforward cinnamon/clove combination appears, a lot like Eau Lente as was remarked below, but without the vanilla, maybe more like Diptyque's original L'eau. Even though this shouldn't be so amazing, I think it's rare enough to find the spices on their own that it stands out somewhat because of that. The cinnamon is very realistic, and it maintains that paradoxical state of being very sharp and zingy at the same time as it's smooth and sensual, as only an actual cinnamon stick can do. As the hot burn fades a little in the base, a bit of mild sandalwood steps in to back it up. I'd call it moderately masculine rather than unisex, both from the scent alone and considering that it was given an obvious "feminine" counterpart. A very well-done spice fragrance.

Parfums de Nicolai is one of the best perfume houses but it's so underrated and not credited enough. Every one of their creations is something unique and and original - even if I am not head over heels with all of them, I must reckon that they are intelligent fragrances, well structured, with a common family hallmark. Briefly, they suprise me, amaze me and leave me intrigued all the time. That said, I cannot get why Mahrahdjah is never mentioned nor sought after. This is really one of the best in the PdN family. And again, it got discontinued. Why? It is a spicy, rich fragrance. Starts off loud, incense and anise and some medicinal/balsamic blast (juniper,clove), that give way to some sparkling ginger. A little lavender - just a little and at the very beginning, it disappears quickly; then you get the warm part: patchouli -the wine cellar type - that recalls Coromandel, but just a bit. Cinnamon. Sandalwood & rose and loads of incense. Indeed Marahdjah resembles to Creed's Angelique Encens, another gem. Creamy, warm, comforting. Outstanding.

Wow, this is gorgeous. I wouldn't ever have thought lavendar would go very well with cinnamon and cloves but it's perfect. Spicy carnation and sandalwood make this an oriental lover's dream. While I'm a big fan of Jicky the only similarity I see between the two is that they have lavendar in a starring role. As mentioned by Gosha, this remains as good as the opening for the entirety rather than fading or disappearing. Sillage is moderate, longevity is very good for me. While I imagine it will indeed make a wonderful cold winter scent, I wore it in humid low 90s weather today. It was wonderful, not at all cloying and held up all day. The best experience I've had with a Parfums de Nicolai fragrance.

One of my favorites since a tester i lucked upon. Just had to buy more after that! Hard to find. But worth the cost. Try to find it for purchase in Canada...It ain't gonna happen. But even after the exhorbant shipping and handling, customs fees and taxes hit me, I was still super pleased with my purchase. Really happy all you need is one spritz to last you the day though.

I'm not a big fan of lavender as main note but this one is done perfectly.. It has cinnamon and clove which are blended so well, in addition to sandalwood which instantly reminds me of India (well, as the name implies!). The vanilla gives sweetness at the base.. This is spicy but warm, comforting scent! Sadly, it's discontinued!

Oriental (almost somehow "Middle Eastern"), very spicy and as they say at the Luckyscent.com - not for everyone. The spices, especially cinnamon and clove are so prominent that you will need to be very fond of them to enjoy this fragrance. You also need to like lavender and sandalwood as those seem to be quite robust also. Myself - I do like it. Not obsessively, but I do. For me personally it is a kind of comforting scent - in a similar way comforting as might be a mug of mulled wine or the scent coming out of an oriental temple. In my very limited experience Parfums de Nicolaï often have a mesmerizing, extraordinary start that unfortunately tends to fade away quickly and the unusualness disappears. Here you get exactly what you expect from the composition from the beginning till the end. The oriental herby/spicy/woody scent remains pretty unchanged throughout the hours it lasts, only it softens and mellows in a lovely way as it gets older. :-)

@misschococat, The Perfume Shoppe is Canadian owned. You can get it from her store or order from her website.

What a beauty this scent is ! Just received a small decant to test and I am so blown away with this gorgeous mixture of lavender and cinnamon. I am in awe ! This is my very first contact with Parfums de Nicolai. Read much about her scents and never was quite sure if they suit me. At least Maharadja does ! There is also sandalwood and a tiny hint of vanilla. This combo is so daring and yet so alluring, it is a genius ́strike. I love spicy, tart scents....sort of like Voyage d ́Hermes. Crisp but not overpowering (not that I do not love those as well). Cozy but not too familiar. Beautiful with an edge. And now the shock : I wanted to order a full size bottle. One of my favourite online stores still had 100ml but both the perfumer ́s website as well as others (that do carry her scents) do not list Maharadja anymore. Discontinued ? Out of production ? Oh no, it can ́t be. I am very happy I could still order my 100ml bottle, hoping it will stay with us a few more years.

Was very surprised by how strong the mint/lavender was at the start, and I'm now getting more of the cinnamon and carnation at the moment, I expect this will sweeten and the vanilla/patchouli will come out more (I've only had it on for about an hour). Since most of my favorite scents have tonka/vanilla/patchouli in them somewhere I think this one is going to be in frequent rotation. I like the idea that you don't have to reapply it often, but definitely a little goes a long way. It could be very unpleasant if you apply too much at first. The mint/coriander/lavender really does "slap you in the face" a bit.

Just one assumption from my guessing: there are 2 'Mara-' fragrances in Nicolai's collection: Maharanih and Maharadjah. In Indian language, 'Maha' means 'Great, Mighty'; and 'Ranih' might be a different spelling of Rani (a girl's name, meaning Queen); while 'Radjah' might be Raja/Rajah (a boy's name, meaning King). And also you can find rose in Girl's version Maha-ranih, while lavender in boys' Maha-radjah. This is only a guessing of my own. Hope to see more clarification from Indian-language-speaking people.

I don't regard this as middle eastern at all but it is underpoweringly cinnamon - and if you are like me and love cinnamon then this is for you! It isn't a gourmand type of perfume rather a gentle knock on the door of the cinnamon along with a scant touch of lavender! It is long lasting but lives close to my skin - I do love this as I constantly keep on smelling - as Gosha said it's comforting - for me this is a winter winner in all cases and I am so glad I took the plunge and bought this!

fleeting. wanted it to be better with such a grand entrance, then, nothing.