New York Intense

As the name suggests, it's a rougher and more intense version of the 1989 original. This is not due to a creative vision change for the original, rather an effort to get the original in compliance with new IFRA regulations. The base notes of the current EdT lack the muscle and stateliness of the original EdT release. To that end, Patricia de Nicolai deserves commendations because 1) recreating the original to new requirements was going to be an extremely difficult task (maybe even impossible) and 2) Nicolai realized that she was not going to be able to get the reformulation so close that discerning noses couldn't tell the original and the Intense versions apart, and she didn't try to hide this from us. Instead, she renamed the perfume with the "Intense" modifier, acknowledging it is, indeed, different. The EdT available to us today is not the same as it was in 1989, so for those of us missing that "heft" of the original, the Intense is here to help satisfy that craving. As mentioned, "intense" is a well-chosen word for this new formulation because the deeper and dark notes of black pepper, patchouli, leather, and woods are rougher and louder. What should be said, though, is that just because these notes are rougher and louder does not mean that they are "rough" and "loud" relatively speaking. While the original New York was as smooth and well-textured as the lightest and most luxurious silk, Intense is more like a luxurious linen. More recent groans about NY, both the original and the Intense, are that it is too old school - and, most definitely, Nicolai is doing her best homage to the masculine Guerlains, Carons, Chanel Pour Monsieur, and other predecessors. It is certainly sticking close to the template. But, it also has Nicolai's unique and individual style. That style is eerily close to Jacques and Jean-Paul Guerlains' - perhaps not a surprise given that she is closely related and was trained in France in those old school ways - but while she has the richness, suppleness, and diffusiveness of the Guerlain style in spades, where she arguably does better is by making the notes more seamless than the Guerlains did. This is on full display with New York (Intense). I'm sure that being snubbed for a perfumer position at Guerlain - despite being supremely well talented, trained, and of blood relations to the Guerlain family - rubbed her very much the wrong way (she's a woman born at the wrong time, especially for the perfume industry), so I cannot help but wonder if this isn't a homage insomuch as this is her giving a big middle-finger to the misogynist perfumers and maisons of her earlier years saying "I can do what you do and probably better." The complete lack of seams between notes has a sort-of abstraction effect, versus the clearer legibility of the older Guerlain compositions. Let your nose be your guide as to which you prefer. I hold them in equal esteem in my perfume preferences, and I think Nicolai successfully makes her case, with New York as proof, that she is an equal to those masters.

New York Intense is the final sample from my Nicolaï discovery set. I saved it for last on purpose, as it is the most celebrated (and likely the most acclaimed) Nicolaï perfume, as far as I'm aware. I smelled it once in a shop a long time ago, and remember liking it, but on revisiting it now and smelling it properly, I am very impressed, and would consider this a masterpiece. NYI is an aromatic, herbal-woody scent with chypre and fougère facets. It is a classic masculine scent, and is an exceptional example of the genre, beautifully-balanced and made with high-quality materials. I have never smelled the original New York so cannot compare the two, but this Intense version is perfection. NYI feels very Guerlain in style, reminiscent in parts of several of their classics. This is particularly interesting, considering that Patricia de Nicolaï is a member of the Guerlain family, and was bizarrely passed over in favour of Thierry Wasser at the time of succession. There are facets of Mitsouko, Jicky and Habit Rouge here, but most notably vintage Derby, of which I have a tiny vial, but NYI is its own, distinctive scent. NYI is bright and fresh from initial spray, with a juicy citrus accord up top, with bergamot most prominent. It is followed closely by damp, herbal notes. I get some bitter artemisia and aromatic thyme. Green, woody petitgrain balances the bitter herbs with its crisp, woody greenness. As it develops, lavender follows, bright and realistic, firmly bringing this scent to barbershop territory. It is a complex but cohesive fougère opening, beautifully-balanced. As it develops, warm spices creep in, with cloves most evident to my nose. Cinnamon follows, adding warmth. The herbal accord lingers, seamlessly paving the way to the deliciously mossy chypre base. The oakmoss is nicely-rendered, and there is an animalic musky undertone, which together with the oakmoss gives this scent an opulent, old-world feel. Despite the richness of the chypre base, a brightness permeates this scent, perhaps due to the tart citron and freshness of the green notes. There is a labdanum note in there, smooth and ambery, with some dry vanilla and a hint of incense adding hints of balsamic sweetness to the base. Again, very Guerlain-coded. It fades to a smooth, refined musky-mossy skin scent, lingering for hours. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. It is masculine in my opinion, one of the best classic masculines I have ever tried, but the right woman could pull this off. It is a year-round scent, very versatile, yet so very classy. An exceptional masculine scent, NYI is truly flawless, melding tradition with modernity, and high art with wearable, effortless elegance. It is very French, but leans into its American name in a preppy, undone manner. Mme de Nicolaï here manages to out-Guerlain her own family. Sweet revenge, served cool and crisp. 5/5.

6 sprays at 8:30 am. Ten hours later, at 6:30 pm, I received compliments from 4 adults and even 2 kids who were within about 3-4 feet. One of these adults, a family member, is a lifelong fresh-aquatic scenthound; another, a Chanel lover; the other two, Guerlain fanatics; and the kids both thought I smelled like “holidays and food!” This superbly crafted scent is somehow both strong and soft. Perfect for a man or woman who wants to project power and non pretentiousness. Ideal for both everyday and special occasions. Nothing over the top about this whatsoever. A play of contrasts: bitter yet sweet; sharp yet powdery; spicy yet cool; bracing yet relaxing. The animalics are so subtle as to be non recognizable in themselves but add power to the blend. I would know, since I have no problem applying Firmenich’s Civettone directly to my skin. There are far more Animalic aspects in Jicky, Vol de Nuit, and Shalimar than here. Not the tiny bit of animalics nor the pepper stands out annoyingly in this magically nearly perfect blend. Nothing harsh, brash, or overly assertive about it. Simply smells, from the bright opening through the far-off, everlasting drydown, like an ambery strong hug from a handsome man or gorgeous gal who cooks by day and meditates at night. It teeters on the edge of edible like the best of the classic Guerlains. Lest I forget, this absolutely does contain irone (Iris/orris), just a bit, and Amber, likely labdanum. These, mixed with the vanilla and with the citrus and bouquet de Provence, renders a fully Guerlinade feeling. Again, during the everlasting soft drydown, this is so appetizing it’s almost edible. Those who think otherwise probably aren’t familiar with the classics, especially Guerlain. Perhaps this explains why one must be patient—an hour or more—to reach the mid and drydown phases of this scent. Like classic Guerlain blends, this fragrance unfolds slowly. In this respect, it is the opposite of “New York” itself (fast, frenetic, stressed, bleak) and instead reminds one of a day in Provence followed by a night in Nice. Perhaps Nicolai was sending New Yorkers a message: slow down and focus! Those who love this would also love Jicky, Vol de Nuit, Shalimar, and Tauer’s incense-amber orientals. Perfumes that take time and induce contemplation.

Oh my. The opening reminded me of a million other perfumes, not in a bad way, but I was like er OK nothing new, and I even got some of those frags out and smelled them alongside it (they were totally different of course ha). But what ensued was a journey into heaven, with fizzy citrus top notes glimmering above a mossy, musky, spicy and rich base. It keeps getting better and better and yes, it's as good as eveyone said. For the record, two of the other frags I immediately tested alonsgside were Bois du Portugal and Lalique Pour Homme (Lion). They are identical to each other after the initial 5 mins, but don't resemble NYI at all aside from being roughly in the same wheelhouse. I really don't get the comparison. NYI is far better than either of those two (the Lalique being my preferred scent thereof due to price, lack of cuntyness, and price). New York Intense has to be worn to be believed. It is traditionally masculine, which is one of the things that put me off at first, but it's so good it transcends this piffle of masculine/feminine fragrances. Also. I'd love to smell this on a woman I was dating. One more thing, after a while, the incense starts to creep in, putting me in mind of Amouage, though not one specific perfume of theirs, more like their vibe. Or maybe it reminds me of the remnants of Sunshine Man. Either way, it's a win by all measures. I agree this is a masterpiece, up there with Interlude Man. Update: this is the most "goes on a journey" perfume I own, just utterly brilliant every time.

I was always curious about Patricia Nicolai's New york from reading Luca Turin's glowing tributes to it in his Book as well as the fact that he mentions it was his signature scent for a decade. I have not smelled the original EDT version but having finally gotten my hands on this the EDP version, all I can say was Boy was he spot on! If you are a fan of classic Men's fragrances, you know the kind made for rich, Manly men, this is one of the finest examples I have smelled. Just smells like "Old Money" if you know what I mean! New York Intense has one of the finest classical openings I have ever sniffed. A beautiful herbal blend of citruses, petitgrain, and thyme. Very fresh, green, glorious. The heart is a mix of black pepper, cloves, and floral aspects from lavender. The base is a classic oakmoss strengthened by darker bits of civet and castoreum and balanced with hints of incense and musk as well. Very rich, thick and masculine but refined and smooth also. The whole composition is like a piece of classical music with perfect poise, balance and complete harmony. Projection is great without being obnoxious, Longevity is excellent, 8 hours plus on me. I cant recommend this enough. For someone like me who is a fan of classical frags like Chanel's Pour Monsieur or Creeds Bois du Portugal, New York Intense is those fragrance concepts perfected. Great quality of ingredients, great performance, Outstanding work all around.If ever there was a tribute to Patricia Nicolai's Guerlain genes, this is it. 9.5/10

#1611 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Got this as a decant, will probably order a bottle. Clove and incense go together like ham and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, pasta and marinara, pizza and Pepsi. Yeah, I skipped breakfast, I'm hungry and lunch is still hours away. But seriously, I love that pairing. Way back when my dad used a shaving cream that had some vague similarity to this. I smelled this and immediately pictured my dad shaving in the bathroom sink with his cinnamon, clove and spice shaving soap. There is some similarity to a couple of scents I've tried and like, but don't yet own, such as Spiritum "Sacred M" and "Shamanism Oud", but I can't think of an inexpensive analog off the top of my head, which usually is a good reason to grab a bottle if it's not ridiculously priced. This is not ridiculously priced, but not a bargain either at $150 and up, though the quality is absolutely excellent. So, I'm thinking about it. I think this is a versatile scent for the suit and tie office, formal wear, date wear. But if you showed up at the beach wearing this under your Hawaiian print shirt it would strike me as out of place, unless you're a Jimmy Buffet "Parrot Head," in which case this will not clash with the "Captain Morgan Spiced Rum" you bathed in last night. More appropriate to cooler weather, but I don't think warm weather would be a real problem either. It's over $100, scentsplit.com has decants at $4.99, so take no chances. Good Luck and Good Hunting!

New York Intense could be transcribed into "the finer things in life." To me, it brings images to my mind: tasteful gold fittings, whitewall tires, white sturgeon caviar, silk scarves, Baccarat whiskey decanters.Yet it can be worn as posh pretend, playtime for the proletariat, "one can dream," an imagination running wild and redolent of several aromatics in a symphony. Two in true sonata form: lavender (escorted by bergamot), smelling both sagacious and idyllic; and an oakmoss (escorted by patchouli) that dares to test the notion that it fails to serve in the 21st century. A warm, reedy chamomile quality beyond the bright tonality recalls classic mid-century chypres. There is a certain vanilla-meets-civet-ish creaminess reminiscent of Guerlinade (which comes as no surprise from de Nicolai). This and the aforementioned lavender echoes that of Pour un Homme de Caron. The comparisons to Bois de Portugal are frequent and fair, and while I had a certain love affair for that Creed chestnut some time ago, NYI comes off as more polished and dynamic. It's remarkable that a fragrance seems so BIG yet be so nuanced. Close to my skin, I swear I smell just a tiny bit of costus or at least something resembling it. The feeling of effervescence, glinting like tinsel, it persists, and so does the clove and cinnamon in the periphery. If and when I ever find myself wearing a tuxedo again, this will likely be my accompaniment to whatever function calls for it.

Bright. Aromatic. Very classy! I’ve always had a fascination with PdN, but I never got around to trying them. Recently I got my first, and I decided that for an intro to the house, nothing better than the classic New York in the Intense edp version. Beautiful!!! You can sense the high pedigree of which Patricia comes from. This is supremely elegant and sparkling. The opening, a melange of herbs, bitter green notes and a splash of citrus - lemon and citron - hark to the classic gentleman colognes of yore; Moustache, Eau Sauvage, Eau pour Monsieur but with added oomph. Bracing, refreshing and intense. The heart notes reveal a more pronounced classic chypre character. It’s mossy, green, with a slight herbal sweetness that reminds me of powder/talcum. Intricate and delicate, it adds a slight veil of floral sweetness without being floral. The lavender is to die for here. A reference to Jicky without being a copy. And a nod to her roots. The drydown becomes more spicy while still being a proper chypre. The oriental side becomes more intense without overshadowing the herbs and green notes. New York Intense is more than i expected. It’s all the beauty I imagined and more, while being predominantly a chypre, my favorite family. The slight animalic vein that carries throughout is simply the cherry on top! And as an introduction to the brand, I feel is one of the best choices. Brava Patricia. Excellent sillage and longevity.

The opening is bright citrus with clean aromatics, very sharp and classic from the first spray. It gives that old school fougère vibe straight away. I see it very close to Bois du Portugal Creed. Same direction, very similar in the air, but once you wear them they go different ways. This one leans more citrusy aromatic, while the other is smoother and deeper. Performance is very good for this style. Around 8 hours on skin, and on clothes it can go 14 to 16 hours. Sillage is soft but noticeable, people around you will feel it without it being loud. No issue at all for me. This is one of my best discoveries. The DNA itself gives me calm and comfort. Very clean, very elegant. Compared to Heritage Guerlain or Pour Monsieur Chanel Eau de Parfum, those feel lighter in performance. This one has more presence and more clarity in the aromatics and citrus. For me this is a signature scent. I wear it almost daily, especially for work and meetings. It fits that setting perfectly. Very elegant and composed. I’d definitely recommend it if you like classic fougère fragrances. Best for a clean, formal style. Not really for very casual outfits. Spray normally, it stays controlled. Smell: 10/10 Longevity: ~8 hours (skin), 14–16 hours (clothes) Sillage: soft but noticeable Seasons: All seasons Age: 35+ Main accord: citrus, aromatic, fougère, fresh, slightly spicy I love this fragrance.

I tried this when I was just starting out collecting and sampling perfumes, and it was too complex for me to fully appreciate (although I knew I liked it). Now that I've had my nose on more perfumes (particularly of its genres, since it's both a chypre and a fougére), I appeciate its splendors far more readily. This is like a very old school citrus chypre/fougére that could have been done in the 60s, 70s, or 80s. It reminds me most of all of Chanel's Pour Homme, but it lasts much longer than current formulations of that fragrance, and also does not open as big or as brashly. There's an extremely light animalic aspect to it, a decided lavender note, and then also a nice powdery aspect that makes the whole thing seem much more sophisticated and quiet than even Pour Monsieur or its bright citrus chypre kinfolk like Cravache from Robert Piguet or Eau Sauvage from Dior. It suggests less a cut citrus fruit than it does the lovely (but definitely not sweet) fragrance of a powdered lemon cookie right out of the oven. This would be worn best by men over 30, but it absolutely makes a definite statement about the elegance and flair of its wearer. This is now one of my very favorites--it just took me months of sampling to get to this point where I could fully appreciate the quiet, complex magnificence of this.

I wasn't planning on writing a review, but felt compelled after the positive reactions at initial wearing. I've never received a fragrance compliment before. And more astoundingly, the first came from my 17 year old daughter who said several times she really liked the cloud aroma as I walked by. I would never have expected that from an 'old school masculine' perfume. This has a depth that connects it with a rich lineage. I bought it thinking it was a fougere, but I don't get much lavender. The oakmoss shifts it into chypre territory, but with no distinct florals or labdanum. The card in the box from Nicolai calls it an oriental, but I don't get an amber accord. Fragrantica lists it as a woody aromatic, but there are no apparent wood notes. Whatever you call it, it's excellent. What's unique is the citron opening. A bit overwhelming initially, but settles down and lingers much longer than a typical citrus. Leads into the oakmoss heart that is wonderfully green, oily, earthy and addictive, without being animalic. The note card from Nicolai says it has patchouli, so I wonder if that makes up part of the oakmoss accord (since IFRA limits actual oakmoss?). A bit strong for my Spring/Summer signature scent (that is the lighter, sweeter, more powdery Chanel Boy), but I'm glad it's now in my rotation.

I went through a old bottle about 6 years ago of the regular New York. I loved it. Bought the new Intense bottle blind. Thought to myself I already know this its just a stronger version of the original so why not, I have 4 other Nicolaï works and find them amazing, can't go wrong... Got home and sprayed... What?! I thought there has got to be something wrong. This smells nothing like the OG! I did like it but was worried that that was it. Things started to develop SLOWLY. One transition led to the next and the scent kept gradually building layer upon layer of extremely rich opulent notes One by One. I guess I have gone through a lot of perfumes that are one dimensional (2 at best). New York Intense is a journey that does take you to the OG smell but very steadily. In comparison to the OG the transition is quicker from the top notes to the heart, if you like the scent it's there right away in the OG (I like that aspect of the OG). The Intense is a beast of development, jaw dropping actually! It even leaves the heart into a deeeeeep drydown of calming incense. Both perfumes have their plus sides. OG for when you want all the notes to rush to the front and just wrap you up in the glory or the Intense that will showcase the pure genius of a very rare breed of perfume artist.

This is my signature fragrance. It is such a joy! My lady and even her cat like it, too. I struggle to describe the experience of New York Intense through individual notes. So let me ramble about other things I've liked, to help narrow down if your own nose works like mine: My taste in fragrances tends to be a bit basic - what usually attracts me are citrus fruit + vetiver compositions. In college I was captivated enough by this "Lanvin Green" I smelled at a Sephora that here I am, twenty years later, talking about that test strip. Fragrantica helped me identify it as Lanvin Vetyver (2003). Even as a grownup this is my bias: I love Terre d'Hermès with its grapefruit + vetiver. And other fruity upper note + woody-earthy base note compositions, like the pineapple + oakmoss of Creed Aventus. New York Intense pleases my nose too but feels more compositionally sophisticated than those. It smells like classical music to me, with a lot going on - fruity, floral, spicy - with a really careful orchestration to result in something yet new. It's nonlinear, which I enjoy - evolution of scent to mark the progress through a day. Even the drydown is not too easy to characterize given the many notes in play. All I can say is that at 7-8 hours, it dries down calm and relaxing.

I like this, but not as much as the major comparison, Creed Bois du Portugal. Bois du Portugal is about the smoothest fragrance in my collection and that I've ever smelled. New York Intense is a Bois du Portugal with added animalics and some "grittiness" that might be attributable to the pepper and petigrain. Not as smooth , but smooth. The animalics, which typically give me trouble, are done well. Just a little funk. I guess for me it comes down to whether or not the added touch of animalic funk adds some je ne sais quoi above and beyond the unanimalic, non-funky, super-smooth, suave Bois du Portugal. I sense the je ne sais quoi in NYI but it doesn't quite match BdP. But New York Intense is NOT higher quality than BdP. Nor is it an "improved" BdP. I do not think NYI is less dated, either, and I'm one who values "datedness" in a fragrance over moderness. But I like New York Intense. Quite a lot. I just like Bois du Portugal more. Interestingly, New York Intense in structure reminds me of MDCI Chypre Palatin in some ways. They are very different fragrances, but Chypre Palatin is a complex amber scent with chypre touches, whereas New York Intense is a complex Fougere-like fragrance with Chypre touches. Both have mild but noticeable animalic touches.

Boom! Bitter orange, sugar biscuit, heady oakmoss, dreamy lavender, earthy patchouli, and a twang of animalic funk. This is a high-contrast, dirty-fresh, uber saturated masculine with distinctive, high quality materials. It is so complex that it’s taken me months to unravel. Is it a fougère? Yes. Is it a chypre? Yes. Very Guerlain-esque, there are facets of Mitsouko and Habit Rouge and Derby here. (I wore my Dior Jules yesterday and there’s also an echo of its green, damp-herbal, bitter aromatics.) It’s a maximally layered composition. Warm spices, notably clove and cinnamon, meld with dry vanilla and an ambery facet, from the labdanum, while the tartness of the citron and the freshness of its green notes linger throughout. [Side note: I read somewhere that this was Patricia de Nicolaï’s homage to Caron’s Alpona (1939), the last fragrance composed by Ernest Daltroff before his exile from France due to the N*zi occupation, which NYI purportedly emulates in style and composition.] The overall effect is luscious, a bit aristocratic, and somewhat staid. For me, it’s too much in high heat; best reserved for mild or cooler weather. I plan to wear this to my next formal evening gig — should be a banger in that context.

I don’t think I’ll ever have a signature scent, since the situations in which we find ourselves, the weather around us and our personal moods are constantly changing, but New York Intense would be a good candidate for me. After a very sharp opening (don’t put your nose right up to your skin; give it some space), it opens up almost immediately into a sparking, scintillating bubble that slowly evolves into a pleasurable, warm glow. I read somewhere that the fragrance was not intended to literally depict the city, but is rather dedicated to a friend who lives there. Still, I get a New York night that begins with anticipation, grants you a great time at a party or jazz club, and then helps you wind down, satisfied and already cataloging memories, in your comfortable apartment. Given Patricia de Nicolaï’s origins, it’s hard not to play the Guerlain game – I sense similarities with Jicky, Habit Rouge and Shalimar – but New York Intense is its own metropolis. This is a masterful creation. And it hangs around for a while, giving me unexpected wafts of pleasure for hours. There are fragrances I love, but they don’t always feel like “me.” This one does. Full disclosure: I’m a New Yorker, but not particularly intense.

A zesty fougere with a mystery at its heart. It's the olfactory equivalent of a tall, dark stranger cutting an elegant swathe through the masses. It opens with an animalic note many perfumes from Patricia Nicolai have, as well as a strong peppery note. I would've picked the pepper as white, but the notes say black... still, it has that distinctly aromatic quality white pepper radiates when grinding it. Animalic, peppery and, to balance that, a clutch of deliciously aromatic notes from bergamot, lemon, bitter petitgrain, artemisia and thyme, as well as my dear old friend lavender. I love pretty much everything with lavender in it and I use the essential oil to cure or ward off most of life's ills, so by this stage I am in love with New York Intense. This is a perfume with a sombre disposition, unlike Jicky, which has similar notes. This one is handsome, focused and radiating a kind of solid dependability. Lemon-infused lavender, given great presence from it's herbs, pepper, petitgrain and animalic-incense. Wonderful stuff. Distillation: sombre lavender on ode to herbal glories with a zest for life

With respect all the main accords and note breakdowns here are in my view radically incorrect. This is an extremely Oriental balsamic Chypre. Yes there is an initial blast of some semblance of citrus. There is a general herbaceous sense. There are some background spices. But this is almost entirely an amber oriental Chypre. The dry down is pure inky mossiness and the perfumer herself (you can see the interview on this site ) described how she achieved this in terms of a combination of an accord comprising seaweed, patchouly, and Evernyl (sp?), which is I believe Firmenich’s synthetic Oakmoss, along with the maximum available amount of actual Oakmoss. This fragrance is the quintessential opposite of a citric or fresh scent except for the first few seconds. Everything thereafter is balsamic oriental spicy, and Chypre. The perfect hybrid! Get it together people! It’s also interminably long and beautifully adjudicated. 12 hours after five sprays and a long airline flight and my family hugs me and say I smell like a spicy mossy balsam.

Incredible Fragrance. I am 22 and absolutely love and wear this fragrance all the time. This fragrance is extremely natural and smells like you are in a green forest. The opening is very complex and on different days I get two main different scent profiles. Some days it opens very green, with a "stemlike" bitterness, and other days I pick up on the citruses and lavender much more. Both smell great and blend together as it dries down. The dry down is my favorite part of this fragrance, it is a beautiful creamy oak moss, musky, animalic and pepper combination. This dry down lasts forever especially on clothes. The scent changes a lot from initial spray to dry down but does so very smoothly. You find yourself sniffing every 30 minutes or so to try to identify the new notes appearing; it keeps you interested all day. I think the opening is fairly unisex but the dry down is definitely masculine. I find this fragrance very clean even with some more challenging notes it never comes across as funky or dirty. Incredible quality

I thought I had discovered a regal potion with Creed’s Bois du Portugal, which this is often compared to. However, New York Intense goes one step beyond. This is smoother and more complex, a magnificent blend that is described as upmarket barbershop by some; Fragrantica calls it a woody aromatic, yet its own creator classifies it as oriental spicy citrus. Whatever label you choose to use this is a veritable niche creation that is indeed worthy of being called "niche" (unlike many offerings out there), and one which I am delighted to have in my collection. A gentlemanly scent that evokes Creed’s BDP, Roja’s Danger Parfum Pour Homme, Chanel Pour Monsieur EDP with a nod to the luxury green found in Sycomore of Chanel’s Les Exclusifs collection. That said, words cannot describe the mystique of this fragrance; a constantly changing constellation of notes that takes you to another world. The only reason I would not call it a signature scent is because it is so special that it is best kept for very special occasions.

New York Intense has to be my favourite fragrance of all time. It stands out to me as a timeless and elegant masculine fragrance that's not apologetic about itself. The herbal/green notes like artemisia and petitgrain work together to create a somewhat medicinal note (some would call it), I think it's reminiscent of old school (like 1950's) gentlemen vibes. The background being a mixture of oakmoss, musk and civet (as well as a very mild castoreum) gives it a robust masculine essence while the green, floral and citrus notes adds a clean freshness that reminds me of barbershops from a time long ago. I would be inclined to agree, that not everyone can pull this off, because it does have a very distinct smell that many would call grandpa-like (depending on how cool your grandpa was), but it has a bit of an old-man smell which I think is amazing, so it might not be ideal if you're <25. Patricia did a masterful job on this one. 10/10

Old school, ultra masculine, simultaneously clean + dirty fougere with a twist. A more complex, thicker, stronger Bois du Portugal. Almost like an elixir version of BdP. Evokes an image of old money. An older gentleman, a gangster, who has money and smells like it. I'm mainly getting a citrusy, peppery, patchouli heavy scent with a hint of an animalic musk which gives it a dirty edge. Performance wise it's very strong and pushes out like a beast. This factor combined with the (admittedly light) animalic notes make it possibly not the best for close encounters, but at an arms length and in the air it smells fantastic. Really great fragrance where you can instantly smell the quality. Edit: After some more time with this, the drydown is reminding me a lot of a cleaner, more modern + wearable + citrusy Kouros/Anataeus. It has the musky animalic base from those fragrances, but done in a much more palatable and less offensive way.

Oh my, this fragrance is certainly NOT for those "aLphA MaLe"s -actually, they don't even need ANY fragrance (yes, even if it is "Sausage") since all they do is podcasting with other "aLphA MaLe"s on crypto, gym and submissive women etc. in someone's basement. This is a fragrance for a graceful and polite heir/heiress. The trail with oakmoss and artemisia is amazing. It pays its tribute to "old-timey" cult fragrances with little animalic touches here and there but being modern enough to keep them under control of musk, incense and lavender. Smells like a wealthy lecturer with an academic tenure. Edit: I'm not exactly sure of how long it stays on my skin since I've been constantly refreshing it (because I just can't get enough of it) but let me tell you, by now I'm pretty sure that there is a gene that's responsible of creating AMAZING fragrances and Ms. Patricia de Nicolai clearly inherited it. What. A. Masterpiece.

MASTERPIECE. This is a wonderful perfume, balanced and perfectly blended. This is a perfume for people with very good taste in life. Elegant, sophisticated but it does not smell outdated by any means. No, this one is not old fashioned, this is a modern take on the high end perfumery of the past. Anybody can pull this one off, better when dressed up but it works also for a casual walk outside :D. It ́s an amazing perfume, i will never be tired of it. It works well in the heat but also during winter. The perfect seasons are fall and spring, but I use it all year round , no problem at all. This fragrance is pure class in a bottle, it ́s truly a gem. Performances are also great, i can smell it all day long and it projects well without being too much intrusive. I also recevie often compliments. 11/10, this is one of the best fragrances out there and a MUST HAVE. Super happy to have this one in my collection.

I just got my 30m ml in the mail and it was a blind buy. This is an oriental spicy citrus which smells like a well blended retro fragrance say 80's-90's barbershop fougere. I like this one since it has a little mature vibe to it and yet easy to wear. At first, I did a light spray on my wrist just to test and surprisingly, that nice subtle whiff of a fresh green scent seem to follow me around the house. It's like a fresh shower gel vibe kind’a Irish Spring soap. Although this has some animalic notes like the castoreum and civet as listed on the insert, it didn't seem to have any skank or barnyard vibe to it. I would say this is a unique fragrance and I am glad to have this in my collection. A 9/10 for me “Let's spread the scents of peace and kindness. The two most beautiful fragrance in the world that will cost you nothing and will get you a totally different kind of compliments” 🙏

@RJMckInley Patricia de Nicolai never worked at Guerlain because her uncle, the esteemed Jean-Paul Guerlain, wouldn't let her. That's right, Patricia de Nicolai is a Guerlain! Patricia de Nicolaï is the great-granddaughter of Pierre Guerlain and niece of Jean–Paul Guerlain (the last family member to run the House of Guerlain). When Patricia Nicolai was young and first started out with interest in becoming a perfumer in the 1980's she approached her uncle about joining Guerlain as an apprentice perfumer. Uncle Jean-Paul didn't believe Guerlain women should work 😂. Really. "Old-fashioned" French aristocrat. So Patricia sought training and employment elsewhere. Thanks uncle. And Patricia started her own niche Perfumery brand in the late 1980's. My own opinion is Guerlain should NOW offer her the position of house perfumer. Give her the right of refusal.

I have gotten my nose on most of the fragrances in this genre : Bois du Portugal, Heritage, Pour Monsieur, Lalique PH, Habit Rouge, Eau Sauvage and indeed New York Intense seems to have a little from all of them but it's not identical to any of them. Closest so far is Bois du Portugal. It seems like a Frankenstein , with bits and pieces from a lot of other fragrances but so so so beautifully blended and so complex that it tops all of them. It can be a fougere, it can be a chypre, it can be an amber citrus , it does not really matter. It has so much character and beauty that I chose this as the representative of this kind of fragrance. I also think it's one of those fragrances that can be worn year round. It has enough oomph for winter but it's not heavy that you cannot wear in the dead of summer. I would buy boat loads of this stuff.

This is what I wanted Creed BDP to be. It's less herbal, more lavender, musk and musk forward. No corriander overdose which makes BDP go off the rails on my skin. This is a dandy fragrance. The lavender and other ingredients are not done in a way that makes it feel like a baby wipe like another popular dandy fragrance in HDP 1725. There's enough pepper and clove to keep it fairly masculine. Looking at the notes I'd expect it to be more on the dirty side with civet and castoreum but it's blended and dosed well. Incense appears on my skin after an hour or so. This is great perfumery, and I'd consider a bottle of this one. It just keeps getting better and better on my skin as time goes by. Superbly blended and constructed. I understand the hype. --------------------------------------------- Scent 9/10 Performance TBD

Basically, it's the oriental twin brother of Chanel Pour Monsieur. Opening is almost similar with sour, tart citruses and petitgrain. This stage might be unappealing, oldschool, especially if someone got used to modern amberwood-ambroxan perfumes. After that, New York turns to another direction, blending gets smoother, and you can experience a heavenly vanilla, musk, patchouli and incence drydown, supported by restrained animalic notes. Many things going on here, but the blendig is very confident. Very gentlemanly and "dandy-ish" feel , something like luxury perfumery was a hundred years ago. I have never smelt Creed's Bois de Portugal, but that one also must be great if it is so close to New York. To me, it's for occasions like theatre or dinner nights. Maybe evokes the city that never sleeps.

10/10 for me. Just got it last week after reading about it; it was a blind buy. Couldn't be happier! Absolutely love NYI. Been wearing it every day just about. Kinda reminds me of something made at Guerlain, on a really good day. I think Ms. Nicolai used to work there? Anyway, it's maybe almost my new "Go to." Daily wear, a night on the town, a date, whatever... this stuff just works perfectly. I'm not the best at descriptions but do love the way it dries down. It seems to take a lot of twists and turns from first application to an hour in. It's just fabulous. It's old school money, it's modern intrigue, it's seems to be, for me anyway, just a killer timeless fragrance. I ordered a 1oz bottle to start with. Just ordered the larger size. NYI is the bee's knees. Get you some!

I've seen all of the comparisons between NYI & BdP, and though there are some comparative points, I don't see them being all that similar. And I should also go to say that BdP is quite likely my favourite perfume (if I had to pick just one). They start off somewhat similar to my nose but nothing like they're twins. I think the reason I like the Creed more is the Lavender in it feels very much a focal point to my nose, and it's such a ridiculously smooth Lavender. NYI doesn't seem to focus on Lavender as much, BUT the Civet & Castorium (2 notes I usually step towards with caution) add a very nice & unique touch to NYI. Those, along with the subtle Vanilla (I believe) almost come off as a sweet & smooth, fresh/unsmoked Leather. That twist makes NYI very special to my nose.

Bling bought this and couldn’t be happier. This is class. Old fashioned? Perfumery from the past, yes but not dated. Some things never go out of style. I have never smelt BDP but to me this instantly reminded me of Fendi Uomo. They are not identical obviously but it gives me those vibes. New York is much more complex and smooth. It’s not as beastly as my Fendi but that’s fine as the Fendi can be too much for the first 45mins or so. Will be wearing this often when I just want a mood lift. At around the 5-6hr Mark this just becomes f*cking magic. People can call it old fashioned but you just don’t get this with 90% of the fragrances out there. If you love these types of scents it’s a no brainer. Buy blind, it won’t disappoint. 10/10

A ton of bergamot gives way to a great chypre accord. It reminds me a bit of a cross between Guerlain Habit Rouge Prive and Chanel Pour Monsieur. Also similar to Bois du Portugal however I feel this is more citric and herbal. I like this more than any of those scents and I have a hard time explaining why. It just feels like the “good stuff” is amplified here. It smells old fashioned but I think it is eminently wearable. All of spicy, sour, sweet, clean, dirty, and bitter in its several distinctly different stages. The sweet late drydown is my favorite of them all. A timeless and regal sort of thing. I’m not coming at this fragrance as a fanatic of vintage Guerlain or anything, but this one is real nice!!! 9.0/10

On balance, Creed’s Bois du Portugal is better, though more expensive. However, I’d pay extra for the development of the scent, its creaminess and longevity. BdP is the best “eau sauvage” type modern fragrance if you’re into this kind of perfumery. Another option is Roja’s Scandal (any concentration). Strangely, people around here (along with Mr Luca Turin) eulogize the NYI as the ultimate masculine scent, but I don’t share this opinion. To my nose, it’s just too simple and doesn’t offer anything different from what’s already been said. The good thing is that it’s affordable, with a 30 ml bottle selling for 75 eur, the longevity is decent, and the quality is fine. But personally I’d save up and go for the BdP.

Hot take or not, NYI reads totally unisex on my skin. The lavender here is so low in the mix it's wearing more like a unisex green fragrance than a fougere. The thyme is more floral than herbal, giving lily of the valley adjacent. There are thyme varieties, lemon thyme, pineapple thyme, etc. This would be a lily of the valley thyme. Actually, there's a variety of thyme called orange balsam, so who knows?! This opens fresh, citrusy green with the bergamot and artemisia leading the way. After the opening it's all about the warm spices bringing up the temperature after a chilly opening. The green remains with the spices dipping in and out. In the deep dry down it's thyme, incense and musk. Anyway, it's a love!

So happy, so optimistic. Starts with citrusy and aromatic notes coming straight from a garden. There is citrus, lavender, petitgrain (hello Miss Dior originale!) - a noseful of summer, and a bite from peppercorns. The dry down adds woods. They smell natural, and almost like there was a fire that was put out with water so there is just a slight charred note somewhere in the background. None of that awful synthetic sandalwood stuff thankfully! Everything is kept rounded by the animalic notes, but they are not overpowering. Obviously more masculine but I spritz this from time to time privately at home. Parfums de Nicolai, as many others have said, really do great men's scents.

This fragrance is a masterpiece full stop. It opens as a strong traditional aromatic-citrus oakmoss fougére in the same vain as Habit Rouge EDP (or less popular: Creed BDP) but after that opening, this fragrance chooses a totally different direction then the others, from this traditional fragrance it evolves to a mix of oakmoss, spices and crème brûlée, it is the best Holiday/Winter fragrance because of this drydown. Longevity is easily 8 hours noticeable and radiates around you, it stays a skin-scent till the next morning if applied in the morning. The opening is a little difficult to pull off if you are unmature, but the rest is easiely wearable with 18+.

My first review on Fragrantica. This is an homage to perfumes from the past, especially 80's masculines. A symphony of notes playing different partitions, but the goal is one and the same, an aura of dirty cleanliness. As it dries down it smells like a clean, powdery, yet animalic, carnal, smoky ashtray. The opening is effervescent, juicy, aromatic, citrusy. The effort to capture this in words doesn't do it justice at all. To fully experience and appreciate it in all its glory, it will take you several wearings, because it's a cameleon of many colours and shades. Simple, yet complex and challenging. A piece of art, piece of fragrant history and time itself.

New York Intense by Nicolai Parfumeur Createur feels like a modern take on the 80s-90s New York yuppie vibe. Inspired by scents like Bois du Portugal, Pour Monsieur, and Lalique Lion, it has that elegant and confident touch of the era. It opens with fresh notes like oakmoss, bergamot, lavender, and citron, with a hint of spice from black pepper and cloves. As it develops, you get warmth from castoreum, civet, cinnamon, artemisia, and thyme, adding depth without being too strong. The base of musk, vanilla, incense, chamomile, and styrax wraps it all up warmly. It’s a great choice if you want that classic yet modern feel of New York elegance.

The scent of a mature, cultured gentleman — a fragrance worthy of being a signature scent. It opens with citrus notes, moves through green aromatic accords, and carries an animalic nuance, resulting in a sophisticated composition. Only someone from the Guerlain lineage could create such a fragrance — the other being Guerlain Derby itself. Modern types who prefer unisex, feminine, or sweet perfumes won’t like it. This is the scent of a true man — ELEGANT. A fragrance for a cultured man who understands the meaning of life, who has found his balance, is free from ego, and is at peace with life — an ELEGANT masculine perfume.

One of the most pleasant fougére/babershop fragrances I've ever smelled. NYI is like the new and improved Creed Bois Du Portugal. Although I love BDP this one seems to take it to another level of sophistication and complexity. I want to bury my face in it and keep smelling it all day. There's just nothing wrong with it. I don't see women really rocking this but with that said the dry down does soften quite a bit from the more citrus/lavender opening. It's nothing groundbreaking but all of those notes just work together so perfectly. No note is overplayed at all. I'll be buying a 30 ml. soon.

Starts off very citrusy and spicy, almost cloying. I really dislike the opening of this fragrance, as it's just too loud. However, where this gets interesting is the drydown. The citrus notes are suddenly gone and you're left with a soft lavender and quite a lot of incense. There are touches of animalic notes, which never get too skanky. The herbal/aromatic notes are also apparent, along with the oakmoss at the base. Overall, I'd say I like the drydown quite a lot. It still seems to have quite strong sillage, even though is nowhere near as loud as the opening.

Men or mature men precisely are the targets of this beautiful creation Starts with a blast of citrus mixed with moss very sharp but bearable When it tones down in the mid it gets very fougere-esk In the dry down I was struck with such awe and the reason is it resembled a softer take on patchouli intense which doesn’t seem to be the case for all of the other reviewers that being said I’m confident with my deduction since I literally have PI engraved in my soul that I can detect it anywhere And since I have a big bottle of PI this is for me a redundant purchase

VERY similar to one of my favorite fragrances, Bois du Portugal. NYI leans a little more into the clove/cinnamon direction. Almost as if you combined Bois du Portugal with another Creed fragrance, Viking. I’m not sure I’m convinced that I would wear NYI in the heat of summer though, like I would the two Creeds. I’ll have to try it next summer and see. I feel no need to rush out and buy a full bottle of NYI, at least not until my bottle of BdP runs out, but I will definitely consider it at that point. It’s a truly faultless, gentlemanly scent.

Nicolai New York Intense (2014) - fresh oriental - #patriciadenicolai creates one of the greats in modern masculine-marketed perfumes. Starts with a fougere-like opening with Thyme & Lavender complimented by fresh Citrus and a dry citrus note from Citron fruit. This transitions to a spicy & smokey accord: Black Pepper, Clove, Incense. The dry down is what I like the most with amber & vanilla-like facets mixed with white musks and animalic accords. The perfume is never dense or goes flat, but is pitch perfect, radiant and with substance.

Amazing Fragrance ! A Modern perfume with the shadow of classic style. In my opinion, It is a MASTERPIECE by Nicolai House ! The name of perfume explains everything : New York a modern city with old neighborhood . I received a sample of that and I love it, This is on my Radar and I will buy it . New York Intense has a masterful well-blended and Niche Super High Quality Composition. If you like Hermes Equipage pour Homme, You will like this one. Longevity is very good. Highly Recommended. Two Thumbs Up. Bravo Nicolai ! Rating : 9 / 10

I agree with The Wolf. While this often gets compared to Creed's Bois Du Portugal, I find New York Intense to be better for me, by far, even if they were priced the same. NYI is masculine without beating you over the head, doesn't overdo it with the lavender, and is just expertly blended. It's like a more refined Yatagan, not so much in scent profile but in how they both make me feel - quietly and confidently masculine without shouting or being obnoxious. Can women wear NYI? Absolutely. It's very sexy. So glad I found this.

Well, where do begin, other than to say Fantastic...simply fantastic. I don't think I can say what hasn't already been said about this fragrance. The rich, spicy, luxurious, creamy opulence of this scent screams quality. No one wearing it will be mistaken for wearing something else. They may not be able to describe it, but it's definitely not Boucheron pour Homme edp, although in the same ball park. If Chanel no.5 had a Pour Homme, this would be it. But, it isn't Chanel. It's Nicolai. And it's Excellence in a bottle...

Classic fougere opening with the zesty pop of citrus and fresh spices, lavender, and mossy greens. Fresh, clean but ever-so-slightly bitter, enough to hark back to its predecessors but without the same biting astringency. Beneath it all sits a sweet, somewhat resinous woody base. Straight green and woody as a skin scent. Consistently moderate projection for ~4hr, longevity 8-10hr. Sits under Rogue Bon Monsieur for me but this is otherwise one of the best fougeres I've put my nose to. Solid performance too.

This.....this is amazing, absolutely amazing, I have no idea why I kept onlooking at this, reflecting on the prices and thinking 'nah, at this price level they wont bring anything special to the table' how wrong was I!?!? This is indeed very close to Creed's Bois du Portugal, but if im honest it's slightly deeper, and has an element of slight creaminess to it, a bit like hand cream creamy if that makes sense, and the hint of rose is in there just blended very Weill into the citruses and lavender