New York

(Review of a 1996 EdT and a new EdT formulation) I’ve dreaded this review for a long time. It’s one of those reviews, in my favorite arm-by-arm comparison format, that I have felt like I will probably screw up. My trepidation with doing this review has not been due to lack of confidence in what I smell nor in my ability to describe it, it has been out of concern for my ability to be fair and unequivocally clear about a perfume I love that has changed quite a bit. After having a minor epiphany towards this concern, I’ve decided that rather than wrestle with specific words or beat around the bush, I’ll just come right out and say it: I don’t want this review to come off as dismissive of the new formulation because it is different from the original, nor for the original to come off as a piece from the Boomerville Museum, nor for the new to sound too close to the original to not be worth exploration by today’s noses seeking retro modernity. Patricia de Nicolai could not keep to the original formulation of NY, and she knew it was an impossible task to try, which is why she gave us the Intense version for those that thought the less expansive and stiffer presentation of the new EdT formulation was too different from the original (never mind that the Intense version didn’t fully rectify the differences either; see that review of mine if you’re interested). It was a very noble, honest, and commendable effort across the board, but here we will explore the phenotypes of twin EdT formulations that are nearly identical but with some key differences. The new EdT formulation has more pronounced hesperidics that smell sharper, brighter, and simply more synthetic than the vintage’s quieter, darker, oilier and zestier bitterness, the latter also accented with a more photorealistic thyme note. This difference seems to allow the spices to be more readily apparent in the vintage formulation’s opening. What follows is a stunning mix of lavender, patchouli, peppercorn, cloves, and cinnamon. The new EdT formulation is noticeably more peppery and spicy, significantly focusing on peppercorns, the dark earthy woodiness of clove, and an aromatic and slightly citrusy cedar, and less so the lavender and patchouli. To this end the new formulation smells more modern - well insomuch as NY can smell modern. The patchouli in the new formulation comes through a bit more pronounced once the dry down starts, which is also modernly peppery and earthy. The vintage EdT on the other hand achieves impeccable balance with herbal, floral, and soapy lavender, and damp green woody oakmoss, working to keep these big and dark spices, and the loamy brown patchouli, levitating high in the air. The patchouli here is more present pre-dry down but it too comes through a bit more pronounced once the dry down starts, carrying more of a camphoraceous edge to the browns rather than peppery and earthy, which is undoubtedly partly due to the oakmoss. The different patchouli material and the greater use of oakmoss provides the vintage formulation with swooning breadth, cresting a lot more air and space as compared to the new formulation’s more focused presentation. The original formulation has such a gorgeous, seamlees, rich, airy, diffusive, lightweight but muscular and confident heart section. The new formulation is quite excellent too for largely the same reasons, but the note differences are fairly striking. The greater emphasis on spicy notes gives the new EdT formulation a sinewy, taut, and slightly stiffer character. The difference and similarities of the heart sections continue into the dry downs. The vintage EdT goes soft vanillic amber with plenty of suede leather intonations while the newer goes more aromatic woody amber with plenty of cedar and cowboy leathers. Both of these flirt with the lines between fougere, chypre, and oriental, much like many of its classic masculine predecessors did, but the vintage EdT is more convincingly fougere oriental with its rich, soft, and airy vanillic amber notes accented by oakmoss and patchouli, while the newer EdT is more chypre oriental with its focus on spicy woods and leathery amber. Both versions are powerful, with excellent longevity and a big sillage that align to the confidence of the perfume without going towards brash beast mode. Beast mode is a vocalist who cannot sing and so tries to be powerfully loud by screaming, whereas NY can sing and is powerfully loud because it has a rich, talented voice. New York is a retro modern classic, and easily one of the best perfumes Patricia de Nicolai has ever created, perhaps the best. Though its style is very much what Guerlain, Patou, Chanel and others very successfully already delivered prior to 1989, it doesn’t smell like a facsimile of any predecessors either. Despite the differences between the vintage formulation and the new formulation, the new still smells like New York, a gorgeous and masterful perfume composed by a master perfumer. Many of us connoisseurs familiar with Nicolai’s story like to ponder what we might have gotten from Guerlain had they not subscribed to chauvinist and misogynist tropes, and placed Patricia de Nicolai in a deserved position at the legendary maison. I think New York is Patricia de Nicolai’s answer, a perfume to stand shoulder to shoulder with Guerlain’s best.

after spending more time with this, i find new york a very nice fragrance for the well kept man..it portrays a man whom is strong of character but doesn't feel like he needs to announce his presence with an over powering fragrance when he walks into a room.what i get is a confident and classy man that knows who he is and where he belongs in the world.. I think he would be a people person..a good heart and loving man. his actions speak for him, and other men would like to be more like him. maybe for the most interesting man...lol.. excellent , timeless and just class. just plain smells good, this one always makes me feel good about myself when i wear it..not offensive.. this fragrance makes you a considerate person of your surroundings you will be a great smelling guy. people around you will take with them after getting a whiff of you. I love the little blast of lemon at first and i thought ok another citrus , but then it softens and i smell the lavender and all the other notes that patricia de Nicolai.has blended into this magical elixir of scent that has stood the test of time. it was a beautiful fragrance then and it is now. i will always have this fragrance in my possession.. i cannot think of a time when i would ever not love this. this is one i wear for myself. i have read a couple of comments about old spice, and i did not notice that at first , but they might be on to something. , good , i love old spice, i think that only reinforces how good a fragrance old spice really is.., originally purchased the smaller bottle 30 mil.. i went thru that in no time! I repurchased the larger bottle. it is well worth the price in my opinion. one of my top favorite fragrances...and this has a great rating for my list of scents. what i have tried is getting to be a long list.. i think every man who loves fragrances should give this a try. one of the luca turin reviews that i agree 100 % with.. in fact it was his ratings and comments he wrote about it that inspired me to try this, first from the perfumed court on a 1.5 mil spray sample the same day i received it i purchased it form lucky scent since it showed on fragrantica as where to find it. so as they say in the sales world....WRITE IT UP!

NB. This is a review of the vintage formulation. A Masterpiece! Wearing Patricia de Nicolai’s, “New York”, is like kicking-back with your best friend,; enjoying a few ‘cold ones’ and listening to one of the definitive West Coast jazz recordings on "Verve": “Blues in Time” (1957) by the Gerry Mulligan, Paul Desmond Quartet. This recording documents a meeting of two jazz legends whose artistic creativity and respective personalities might be spoken of in the same way as the seminal contributions of "Borg/McEnroe" when discussing an era of great tennis players. Mulligan’s playful, romping, mellifluous baritone bouncing and honking away at its bebop best, trading phrases with the great Paul Desmond whose light-toned alto provides a constant source of mesmerising, sinuous, intricate, logical musical ideas. He plays as if watching someone effortlessly fill-in a ‘hard’ Sudoku board and move to the next puzzle without seeming to pause and take a breath. There's nothing histrionic or showy here, rather one is drawn-in ever closer to the sheer quality of the music even if you've heard this album umpteen times over the decades, and whether playing a ballad or an up-tempo piece, each composition still feels fresh; swings like crazy and, above all, makes one smile! So it is with Patricia de Nicolai's beautiful, “New York”, the notes perfectly swinging in time as the inner chords take turns to project in a sublime, up-beat, performance! 'Start spreadin' the news...' A breath-taking superb: 9.5-10 Dedicated to my brother and to, 'G', who kindly introduced me to this worldly delight!

This is an old-fashioned but quite lovely and sophisticated style of cologne with an initial fresh citrus burst mixed with the herbaceous green of thyme, and artemisia. It reminds me of a powdery lavender cashmere soap mixed with musk and vanilla. It is a nostalgic scent for me, reminding me of the lavender and cashmere soap my mother used to use. After about 30 minutes, the spices - cinnamon and cloves - are noticeably wafting up and blending seamlessly with the balsamic-sweet floral and somewhat spicy styrax, the vanilla and musk and wrapped around by a light note of incense. The drydown is a mix of powdery lavender and cashmere. It was one of the 'luckyscent' 0.7ml samples that a family member had bought a while ago and found "too strong" so gave to me to try. Whilst it's technically a men's fragrance, as a woman I did like it on my skin. When I wore it out for the first time today I received a lot of lovely compliments for this fragrance which was quite nice. I wouldn't have worn this in my early 20s. However, it's a decade or two on since then and I think it's suited to women if they have a strong and independent nature. It's got a great projection and lasts about 5-6 hours. It suits most occasions, from the office for certain to something to wear during cooler weather curled up by the fire in a cashmere sweater.

(Written concurrently with Creed Bois du Portugal) This is a big, aggressive citrus-wood scent with a lot to say. Opens up sharper and more smoky than BdP, with more orange and lemon peel that persists for a while. It's slightly harsher and more masculine, and I can definitely smell it from farther away than BdP. This to me fits the bill slightly better for the "boardroom", financial tycoon, "powerhouse" scent because of the brassy citrus and the better penetration. Plus, the leafiness of the citrus and the smoke keep the sweetness in check, though just barely. I'd be more afraid of New York getting tiresome simply because of its strength and persistence, nice though it is to begin with. This may be a bit of a leap, but if you want a more strictly spice-oriented scent (getting farther from BdP), think about the cheapo Pierre Cardin because it's more disciplined in keeping its sweetness under control.

Picking up on the question raised by Erok32, I too have noticed that the Nicolai Parfumeur Createur website and the box that New York comes in lists ingredients totally different than what is listed on the Fragrantica page. Frangrantica lists a base of amber, vanilla and leather. Nicolai lists a base of Vanilla, Styrax, Incense, Musk, Civet and Castoreum. I mentioned in an earlier post that there is some element in New York that reminds me of Patou Pour Homme. The base in Patou is leather, civet, vanilla and tonka bean, and the civet/vanilla combination might explain a similarity. (Then again, so too the leather/vanilla.) But the huge difference in the two descriptions of New York between Nicolai and Frangrantica is something I find puzzling. Anyone have an explanation?

It's amazing how a perfumer of talent can take the usual suspects - bergamot, amber, cinnamon, pepper, lavender, cloves - and create something that stands head and shoulders above the usual crowd containing exactly the same ingredients! Simply put, this is one of the best, if not THE best, spicy men's fragrances I have ever smelled. Wonderful. Yes, it is somewhat reminiscent of Creed Bois du Portugal and, yes, some of the notes are like the ones in Chanel Pour Monsieur Concentree (which I wear and love). And yes, this can be considered an upmarket Old Spice. But so what? I love it! UPDATE: I bought a bottle. This stuff is wonderful. I can see why Luca Turin wore it for ten years.

It’s a shame that Patricia had to tone this down in 2008. It has lost a little bit of the magnificent performance and while it’s still obviously New York, it doesn’t tower above other classic masculines the same way. The truly bizarre thing is that New York Intense appears to have just as much of the good stuff. Consider that if you find the performance lacking here. All that said, you can’t do better than this for a suit and tie. And yes, you might mistake it for Derby these days. It costs 1/3rd the price. Pre-2008: Scent: 10/10 Performance 10/10 Overall: 10/10 Post-2008(currently available): Scent: 9/10 Performance: 8/10 Overall: 9/10

This stuff is wild! It's like a cross between Guerlain's Shalimar and Creed's Bois du Portugal, both of which I love. The opening is a kind of 'Shalimar for Men'. A powdery burst of lemon, orange and spice. It's apt that a relative of Pierre Guerlain (Patricia is his grand-daughter apparently) would be so heavily influenced by his work. The complex and multi-faceted development into warm woods, amber and oakmoss is the spark of genius in this classic fragrance. I would have been satisfied if it stopped at 'Shalimar for Men!'. Like all my favourite men's frags, makes me feel like a wiser, older, richer man!

If Floris Elite stands for London, Nicolai's New York might actually represent the Big Apple. Both are classic men's fragrences; fresh, always contemporary and created with subtle details. New York is a little bit more a melting pot of different scents than Floris Elite, giving it a slight exotic edge. The citrus and spice are very well balanced, the green notes give it a nice earthly base. Could be a perfect everyday fragrence, although it might be slightly more appropriate in cooler weather. Masterpiece all the way around.

PDN's New York is a classic spicy masculine! New York is definitely a citrus, spicy fragrance. It's basically an old school classic masculine. Definitely mature and in the vibe of Eau Sauvage, Bois de Portugal, Pour Monsieur by Chanel, etc. It lasts about 5-6 hours and projects well during that time. Good but not great performance. Not many compliments with this one. My wife does not like it and says it is powdery. 8.5 of 10.

I was afraid to try this fragrance, because it is for man (I thought). How wrong I was! Now, I have tried it at least and found it beautiful! Reminiscent of Shalimar a bit, but in a unisex kind of way. (However, Patricia is a Guerlain's descendant:) ) I think this female-male signs not so important in a fragrance, rather we should wear what we like, so I will definitely wear this fantastic fragrance! 10/10

Masterpiece, from the begining to the end. Quite strong and impressive in the opening, with lemon, it softens slowly but not in a weak way. it becomes gentle with cloves, lavender and cinnanon in a perfect balance. A calm vanilla comes after that, perhaps the one we can find in Habit rouge, without the leather. A gentleman's fragrance, well educated. I love it. 10/10

Fantastic. Yes, there are similarities to Old Spice, but this exudes class and refinement. I wear this for special occasions. It brings to mind Shalimar at times as well, and unsurprisingly so, considering the creator's ties to the Guerlain house. Scent 9.5 Protection 6 Longevity 9

My signature scent. This is a perfect blending of components from PDN that can be worn anytime of the year and for any occasion and has everything in place from top notes through dry down. Kudos and a heartfelt thank you to Patricia de Nicolai for New York. A masterpiece!

Wonderful, and totally unisex. It lasts forever and projects well. I don't understand why anyone would like to have this in a more potent version. Even though it is quite heavy, I really like to wear it during summer. It has a magical glow that comes out in warm weather.

Oh wow. This is blended to perfection. Amazing use of notes. PERFECT scent to show yourself as a serious and mature man of taste and class. It's all about you, the man in the room with a masterplan. Not for sex (!) 35+

You know, now that I've been wearing this cologne for several weeks, I must say that while there is a notable comparability to Old Spice, it's still entirely unique. I think I have found my "holy grail" to be honest.

Finally got a bottle today as well as the intense version. Wow! This is extremely classy, strong, beautiful. Recommended more for mature gents. I don t think i would have worn that in my 20's and 30's.

This is just art, pure and precious art. Patricia de Nicolai should give some perfumery lessons to all those wannabe, so called perfumers out there. Wear it and just let things happen.

I am sure that I am not the only one who wanted to buy this, but who will NOT buy this because of stupid reformulation. I am so sorry Patricia, I will buy another brand.

A timeless classic. Elegant, classy and sophisticated. The reformulation is weaker than the original, so I can't wait to try the Intense version.

First time having smelled it since I owned it pre-reformulation. A little thinner, but still quite lovely

Nice fragrance, but I wonder why the notes listed on the box are way off from what's listed here?

Notes corrected 4/3; "Main Notes According to Your Votes" may not be accurate.

To me for some reason it has a vintage halston z14 to it love it

Old school classy gentleman- I can see why this is considered a classic. Its character is very much in tune with the man it's meant to present: refined, conservative, and with a depth that makes you curious. Sillage keeps a respectful distance from others and longevity is very respectable at around 6h. An impressively long lingering citrus note kicks things off, paired with artemisia right from the start. As the lemon begins to disappear, lavender comes more to the fore. I don't doubt the presence of the other notes; I can get a sense of them and the richness they bring to this beautifully blended masterpiece, but it's difficult for my nose to pick them out individually. Apart from that they suggest the same type of man, I cannot understand why anyone would say this is similar to Bois du Portugal. If anything, BDP is this with the addition of well blended woods. It's a good choice for the gentleman who doesn't prefer woods, but I think it would have benefitted from just a little. I happened to have tested EDLO's Fat Electrician on the other wrist, and the lovely, light vetiver in that fragrance just elevates New York to another level. Easy enough to accomplish, but for all its positive attributes, even in the space of 'classic gentleman' I find New York a bit too conservative. There are a whole range of other options that just have more to offer. It's beautiful for what it is though. Who knows, it might be worth sourcing a vintage bottle to see if what it lost is what I'm looking for in it.

I can totally see Turin wearing this as his signature (?) for 10 years, but also that he now does not wear it anymore. New York was fantastic, but for another age. Just like english popstars dressed fantastic in the 80s, but that style would seem out of date today. Like Grottola notes below, there is something powdery dandyish about New York, the same powdery sensation you get in Habit Rouge (1965). New York to my nose is much better and more sparkling. But like Habit Rouge, New York's time is out. Perhaps if you are 70 years old, and your clothes are outdated too. Note: I loved New York at first, but after a few months I can only appreciate it for what is once was. New York was old when it was born in 1989, climaxing powdery perfume history from the 60s and 70s, but not looking sideways and forward. Very glad I testet it thoroughly, for it was once one of the greatest of its kind. 7/10 (used to be 10/10)

I looked forward to this and I ended up blind buying it, considering the reviews and because many people are reminded of Bois Du Portugal, which is an all time favorite of mine, but sadly, I can't wear and not even like it. It's well blended, the flacon is beautiful in its simplicity but all I get is lemon, pepper, something which reminds of nutmeg, even though nutmeg is not listed in the pyramid and a hint of vanilla and cedar in the base, together with the still prominent citrus/pepper combo. It reminds me of Cacharels Pour L'Homme mixed with Chanels Pour Monsieur. I see absolutely no connection to Creeds Bois du Portugal, but maybe this was the case with the vintage version of New York, but who knows? Sillage and longevity are decent for a citrus fragrance. Please try this first, if you have a problem with citric scents.

This is a really lovely, complex, and well done fragrance in the classic style. A word of warning; if you don't like old school perfumes, steer clear of this one. It's a bombshell. Has an oakmossy feel (although I don't see any listed), which contrasts with the spices underneath. An old fashion chypre with a bit of the barbershop (probably from the lavender) but it's not overwhelming the way most fragrances with lavender are. In other words, a woman could safely wear this... but you have to have the personality to carry it off.

this review its for the vintage version one of the most elegant,classy and gorgeous scent ,this frag can't b missed by any collector or perfumista ,i really loved it since the first time i've the luck to smell it .and today i was so lucky to find 3 bottles of the vintage version in a little niche perfumery store ... you cannot even imagine the great smile in my face when the seller told me we sell this with 50 % discount :-)))))) 8.5/10

It’s a beautiful spicy aromatic, I’m getting prominent clove supported by the rest of the notes. It does smell quite vintage, I find it kinda difficult to pull off in 2022 but not particularly manly. It would smell very attractive on a man but any gender could pull it off beautifully imo.

Opens dirty dry woody floral but not a sweet floral. I liked getting kicked by a very masculine beginning. Spice starts to come out. Suddenly flashing back to Old Spice in a gym bag in the 60's After an hour: let my wife smell it. "Ugh that's nasty! Old man smell" Buzzkill

Initial review: Combine Chanel's Pour Monsieur Concentree with Shulton's Old Spice, and you get PdN's New York! OK, it's not exactly the same, and New York is definitely my preference over cpmc, but you get the idea. Enjoyable scent if you don't mind spending the money.

Powdery, clean, strong and classic. A powerful, refined harmonic chypre. Heavy lavender, clove, herbs and moss, with citrus in the overtone, and deep nuance. Opening is like a watered down take on Viking (Creed). This smells nice. Easy on the trigger.

Fresh and spicey. I like this but not enough to buy it. 8/10

Les Alyscamps (F569) by Vincent van Gogh 1888

New York, should have been named "Los Angeles", not because it's glitzy but because it has no substance. I live in California so I'm allowed to make that joke. The citrus and lavender and the barest hint on leather are all very nice and the scent is really "classic must-have worthy" but it's all surface glitz. I've had a decant for a while and I adore the smell but dammit it has no staying power or performance! Ugh! Under ideal scenarios (pulse point, no clothing rubbing against it, cool air etc) I get two hours. Seriously two hours max. I had some on today on my wrists and about 40 minutes after spraying it on, had to wash my hands. Just water, and I was careful not to get it on my wrists. A few stray drops got on the application areas and blotting it dry, sucked all the scent out. I have to scrub Tom Ford's Venetian Bergamot off my skin if I want it gone after 6 hours...this just can't wait to die like a fruit fly. I'm saddened and mourn it's early demise each time I wear it. Scent: 7/10 for a fresh scent it's a real beauty. No arguments. Longevity: 2/10 garbage performance on my skin. Projection: 3/10 for the first 30 minutes then it vanishes unless I'm cramming your face against my flesh. Boo. Sillage: 1/10 basically none after the first spray. People can smell my hair spray (john masters organics non-aerosol which has an amazing citrus salt vibe) longer and more strongly when I walk by then this. And that's with me prompting them if they noticed. Would I buy a full bottle: Nope. Not a chance. The scent is beautiful but the garbage performance seals the coffin on this. I can't justify even $20 (nevermind the actual cost) for the performance alone when my $24 hairspray is more potent and in the same scent family.

Not that bad and not that good. opens with stale lemon juice, light green herbs, cinnamon and dry amber with hints of leather and a touch of chocolate. It comes off as very old world and conservative with a slightly sharp edge. There's nothing wrong with it, just not something I would wear being a guy in his early 30's that's more casual and slightly left of center. I could see a 45+ yr old accomplished guy loving this juice or anyone that likes herbs, dry amber, cinnamon and leather. It does get a bit better with time, the stale citrus blows off revealing wood, light herbs, anise and hints of leather. Clearly it's not for me but check it out if you like the notes described in this review. Update : the drydown brings out leather covered with baby powder with a hint of hot pepper, amber and raw cinnamon.

After all the glowing reviews, including Turin's, I had high hopes for this. But it smells so old-ladyish that I had to scrub it. It was ruining my day. It really reminds me of the smell of an old plastic dopp kit that's been sitting in a dark, dank, moldy bathroom vanity for two decades. It's truly horrific. I get the similarities with PM (the ugly concentrée made for the American market) and BdP, but they are few and fleeting. It's uric and powdery, musty and acidic. I really doubt the sample was bad because I got it from Osswald. I'll give it a few more tries just to make sure I don't dismiss it out of hand, but it's not looking good. I'm so glad I didn't blind-buy this.

This fragrance reminds me of something that I used in junior high school - model glue! It smells exactly like what I used to put model cars and planes together, opening to dry down. I'll take a pass on this one, however, New York Intense is impressive. it still has a hint of DNA of New York but whatever changes they made to it, New York Intense is by far the better fragrance.

Classic, old-school masculine scent. Starts out with a strong, bitter citrus. Bitter orange, bitter lemon. It dries down to a soapy smell. Reminds me of older men. While it's not horrifying, it's not something I would buy.

The smell made a beeline from my nose to my brain. Just smells spicy and like a sort of wood. Definitely for men. Didn't enjoy it myself.

Unless somebody switched samples on me, this is a powdery old lady's perfume and it gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Ah, the coveted New York by Patricia de Nicolaï. For a niche fragrance, this one seems to have quite the cult following and a reputation preceding it - Luca Turin even admitted to having worn it for ten years, which is quite a feat for perfumisto's and perfumista's always searching for their "Holy Grail". So, does New York really live up to the reputation? Not for me. The good: New York is pleasant and pretty, simply put. It's along the lines of Habit Rouge (but not as sparkly) and similar to the long-gone Ungaro II. In fact, if you love Ungaro II, but can't find it (or you don't like the civet note), then New York makes a fantastic alternative. It's rich, refined, and noticeably well-made with good materials; the powdery, ambery orange and peppery pimento, when combined, are smooth like a creamsicle. Unique but still civilized. Like many other powdery dandy fragrances such as Habit Rouge and Heritage, New York smells very "pretty", very "delicate". Freshly powdered, well-groomed, and conservative as all get out with a bib choking your neck. The bad: The "civilized" part is perhaps where New York's downfall is, for me. It's nice but it's not fun or free. It's too damn stuffy for me, very formal. I'm reminded also of Tiffany for Men, which is about as powdery as I can tolerate a fragrance. There's no doubt that New York is refined but it feels watered down and lacking in character, like something unfinished. The longevity of New York is good (the city itself will be around until the end of the world, I know that much), but the sillage is lacking - New York is very much a skin scent on me. The ugly: I don't really find there to be anything ugly about New York, despite its flaws. Bottom line: Despite New York not working for me, I'd still say try it, given the hype. It may very well work for you, but it doesn't for me. The closest fragrances I would compare New York to are Habit Rouge, Ungaro II, Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, Tiffany for Men, and Heritage by Guerlain. I don't really see as many similarities between this on Bois du Portugal, which I find stronger, more masculine, and less powdery. Nevertheless, New York is a quality fragrance that would probably smell great on someone else but it's not something I'd wear. If I wanted this kinda fragrance I'd rather just wear the vintage Habit Rouge. Get sample from Luckyscent first before you think you want New York.

I guess any good perfumisto/perfumista, sooner or later, has arrived to the point to wonder what makes of a fragrance a good fragrance. Uniqueness? Raw Materials? Execution? My personal answer is that, while all this elements can make the difference, at the same time they may not necessarely coexist and New York is a good example of my statement. This fragrance isn't among the most unique or distinctive around, it doesn't count rare or precious raw materials in the note list, but it's definitely well executed. Don't expect something groundbraking or outstanding as you will be disappointed. All the Luca Turin's talking about New York has created great expectations among perfume lovers, expectations that too often have been unattended. Just try to approach this composition with an open mind, as if it were just one among others and not Turin's favourite and you'll discover a great scent. The first comparison that came to my mind when I first smelled New York is the one with an old armchair your family bought in the 70's. It was handmade, not particularly beautiful but extremely comfortable and solidly crafted that rapidly became your family's favourite. During the years it survived to several relocations, to new eye-catching designer fournitures, to technology and it's still there in your living room. Worn-out, somehow out of date but still your favourite. New York is all of this. It's not original, it's not the most catchy fragrance around and it's definitely old-fashioned but it's still tremendously reliable and honest. These aspects are its points of strenght. I won't go through note explanation as you can find billions of descriptions anywere but let me report one thing a good friend of mine used to quote: "Don't try to be original. Be simple. Be good technically, and if there is something in you, it will come out". Henri Matisse. Thanks Saripatates. Rating: 9/10

New York, along with Shalimar, Guerlains's Vetiver, Cuir de Lancome, Knize Ten and Diorella are my most frequently worn perfumes. Makes me feel a bit stodgy when I look at it, but classical perfumery appeals to me. I do think I have a fairly catholic sense of classicism, though. I find the best of Etat Libre classically formal in construction. Lutens reinvents classical, and most of the Piguet line absolutely venerates the classical. New York has never done me wrong. When I crave it, it satisfies. When I'm uncertain what I want to wear and put on New York, it's like an olfactory moment of kensho. New York's secret weapon, besides its utterly flawless evolution is its powder. Powder is often mentioned in the context of the old-lady perfumes, tedious dandy fragrances, uninspired aldehydic fragrances. But New York's powder is gunpowder. It is a bitter, powdery dustiness made even darker by orange/bergamot resinousness. Chypre? Oriental? Powdery Wood? I'd probably give you a different answer on any given day. Like the best perfumes, New York has a deliberate ambiguity that makes it seem less elusive than actually alive. Update: Seeing Luca Turin’s note in the “Little Book” I tried the most recent iteration. Light orange cologne. Heartbreaking.

Safer is always better it seems. Lemons on top, but on warmer days you can feel the ' full effect ' of the scent's other notes there aswell, then drying down to vanilla, leather and even hints of incense, this is almost unbeatable. Flaws (which aren't exactly minute must say) are lack of EDP and sometimes the bergamot does grate a little with the Top lemon note, turning it less sweet and comforting. Thing I found most disappointing was the lack of punch from the oriental notes. The amber and cinammon were just too tame and muffled by the vanilla which was equally as watery. Also roses much better for me, as I cannot tolerate lavender. It also prevents this from dating which it has. It is not very modern as the recent sweeter, less herby and richer compositions we have today. I do think Byredo's Gypsy Water is much better however, mainly because that is an EDP but the opening of it feel a little smoother and sweeter and it also has a richness plus an great incense note that gives it a dual oriental personality. Check that 1 out, it's great! But I certainly think it's the men's ChanelNo5, and that said even women can wear this too! 7/10. edit: An Intense version has been released now!

The IFRA is a product regulation body whos job imo is to make sure there are no neurotoxins in perfumes, wich is fine and desirable, however I DONT dont want the ifra turning into a perfume hating biased ideological group with an agenda to cripple the perfume industry and quality scents and i believe perfumes buyers should question the ifra for truthful declarations verifiable stats and accountability and just clearly ask why a chemical is capped at a specific amount limit, or banned and what effects they claimed it had on the human body to be banned or restricted, when modifications to an appreciated product occurs, because they could at some point claim lies just to serve an unkown ideological protocol , especially if its unverifiable by the common citizen, so they had better come out with verifiable claims that a chemical is neurotoxic or bad and perfume buyers should question them ,if a volatile chemical does not affect heart rate or central nervous system in an exitory manner it is NOT neurotoxic, caffeine aspartame energy drinks and v.o.c paints qualify as neurotoxic and are not banned so perfume byers should be suspicious

This I reckon is the Equivalent of Viagra for women. There I was standing the queue in the Bank, when all the women in the queue were whispering what is that smell. I thought oh God it's another one of those fragrances that is disliked or people purport to dislike when worn by the wrong person. I had literally 5 mins prior spritzed it on and walked into the bank. I got to the bank teller who must have smelt it on the notes I had just given in to be deposited. She held them to her nose and said wow! I thought this woman loves cash and money lucky she works in a bank! She then disappears. Opens the security door, smells my neck and says wow this is beautiful. Can you write down the yes...yes I though so I wrote it down for her....She then sits there and says so when are you talking me to New York? I said hey, what's she on about? I said no you nana, that's the name of the perfume. She said no I think that's where you're taking me on....she became my girlfriend until the New York ran out! Lovely peppery musky smell, with a hint of citrus in the opening.