Rose Oud

A perfumery ode to Artemisia and Osmanthus, which together create invisible, wearable art. It opens with an Artemisia-infused raspberry at its juicy best. The Artemisia is a concoction only vaguely resembling the real thing in nature, which I'd describe as pungent and kind of medicinal... here we get all the best from this silvery herb and none of the apothecary sourness. About 7 minutes in the Osmanthus surges up; a delicious apricot-drenched flower with a slight suede-plushness perfectly balanced by the Artemisia/raspberry concoction. Sandalwood and ambery warmth radiate after 20 minutes, but its the green-chocolate patchouli which makes this perfume sing for me when combined with the Osmanthus and Artemisia. I don't get much of the rose or the oud apart from a general, deep woodiness but I'm not familiar with oud, so can't seperate it from the other notes in any perfume yet. I keep getting wafts of this gorgeous perfume for hours, without having to go looking for it on my skin. A gorgeous, complex, luxuriously plush perfume. Distillation: luxurious scent silvery-plush osmanthus soft ode to beauty

Perfume Royalty If Jacques Geurlain is the King of Perfumery, then surely Patricia de Nicolai is the Queen. Not just because she is related to the Guerlain's, but because her style transports time. I have yet to come across a scent that she has made that I do not like, and many(including this one) I love. Better yet, many are masterpieces and define categories. New York Intense is one of the best classic masculine scents, Patchouli intense is also one of the best modern Patchouli scents. This Rose Oud is a little different than her other scents as it has more animalic nuances than others but the blending and quality showcases a perfumer that is in a class by herself. The smell itself has a slight resemblance to Mitsouko or possibly what Mitsouko used to smell like when it was mostly natural ingredients and more luxury than the current formulation from Geurlain but still as timeless as that masterpiece. The oud is real and kept in check, just like the rose and sweetness. The perfume itself is as smooth as it is well priced, well rounded and perfectly unisex. Long live the Queen. 4.65/5

This opens beautifully with sweet Rasberry and beautiful osmanthus which settles into a delightfully soft rose which is further sweetened by Lily of the valley. I love this perfume, it's classy, joyful and exuberant, the longevity is excellent and projection is also very good, a bit of a powerbomb IMO. The only thing that this perfume does not have is Oud. I don't care what it's called or what the notes say, Oud is about the only note that I can detect a mile away, but this perfume, beautiful as it is, does not have any oud in it according to my nose, so if Oud is not your favourite note, worry not and try it with wild abandon, but if you are expecting something remotely oud like, you will be dissapointed!

You have to love when someone votes for weak and intimate sillage, and then trashes the fragrance saying it’s « cloying » and « stuffy ». Make it make sense. And find a new hobby. Nicolai is obviously not for everyone.

Another gorgeous fragrance from Patricia de Nicolai. Every one I’ve purchased from this house so far (and I have a few) has been divine. Well priced too. It’s a love from me.