Saint Honoré

Sebastian "The Perfume Guy" recently did a clip on gourmand fragrances. He raved about this perfume. And I usually align with Sebastian's sentiments and fragrance preferences. So, I blind-bought a full 100ml bottle at a great price. Undoubtedly, this nutty, hazelnut, orange blossom, vanilla fragrance is like NOTHING most people have sniffed or tested, to date. To my nose, this perfume is absolutely, positively wonderful. However, I can see how this is NOT a perfume for everyone, nor is it a safe blind-buy. This fragrance opens with a very nutty, woody, strong hazelnut note. Yup, the opening is a VERY strong, intense, dense, nutty note that is lifted just a bit with the perfect addition of bergamot. The initial notes are not like opening a bag of hazelnut flavored coffee. There is zero "artificial" smelling hazelnut here but a fragrance note that smells more like fresh hazelnuts just released from their cracked shells. The opening smells a bit earthy, or organic. And yes, there is the nuttiness of unshelled hazelnuts. And something to my nose smells like "earth." I imagine this note is the sandalwood, amber and musk combination. With development, creamy, lactonic, milky notes emerge, as do some woody, musky notes. And vanilla. There's definitely a bit of vanilla in the base. However, to me it's the impeccably perfect way in which all the notes are BLENDED that make this fragrance magical! Darn, this stuff smells so good! Cannot stop sniffing my wrists and forearms-smile. Longevity is good and silage is minimal. On me, this fragrance does perform as a skin scent with little throw. So, I'm ecstatic I snagged a full 100ml bottle for a shred under $200 USD. EDITED TO ADD: I'm enjoying the perfume. The opening hazelnut note lasts forever and can become a bit cloying over time. I find I'm happier with this fragrance when I sparingly spray it/apply it. Also, the bottle ATOMIZER is among the BEST I've ever tried! Hat's off to Nicolai Parfumeur for this! Love!!

I also am surprised this perfume isn’t more popular. I just bought a full size bottle. The opening is a powerful cinnamon scent to me, closely followed by Christmas smells. I get nutmeg and a tiny bit of Siberian cedar. It reminds me sometimes of craft stores here in the US that often sell cinnamon scented things. But it is decidedly more elegant than that, there’s a depth and richness to the spices and what at first is instantly associated with Christmas turns into a milky creamy musk- a very wearable cozy sweater. If this had the strong spice all the way through it would be too much- but it rounds out to hover in the background as a sort of subliminal message in the cozy musk. Longevity is amazing. It certainly is the more expensive, refined gourmand of all the gourmands so popular right now. To me it’s the stuff of great classic fragrances. I wouldn’t grab it in summer but as soon as September started I decided to commit. Smelling it on a blotter or in the bottle is not the same as letting it develop on the skin- once on the skin it doesn’t scream Christmas as the other blends come out. I really adore this fragrance. After wearing it yesterday and going to sleep, waking up in the morning there is this delightful milky vanilla musk with just a whisper of nutmeg.

From the very first whiffs, I detect orange accompanied by spices (bergamot, but also clove?). Within just a few minutes, milky notes blended with incense pleasantly take over. After ten minutes, vanilla slowly emerges, evoking something reminiscent of orange and hazelnut bread. A few hours later, it feels like a delicate orange almond paste, paired with a hint of a wood fire. On my skin, it needs to be reapplied after about four hours if you want the scent to continue projecting into the space. Otherwise, it becomes more of a skin scent. It’s gourmand, but with barely any sweetness. I really like it. _________ FRANÇAIS Dès les premières effluves, je sens l’orange accompagnée d’épices (bergamote, mais aussi clou de girofle ?). Après quelques minutes à peine, des notes laiteuses accompagnées d’encens viennent agréablement prendre le dessus. En dix minutes, la vanille apparaît doucement, avec ce qui rappelle un pain à l’orange et aux noisettes. Après quelques heures, j’ai l’impression de sentir une délicate pâte d’amande à l’orange accompagnée d’un feu de bois. Sur ma peau, il faut en remettre après quatre heures environ si on veut continuer de projeter l’odeur dans l’espace. Autrement, parfum de peau. C’est gourmand, mais avec à peine de sucre. J’aime beaucoup.

Ok, this is interesting, and not quite what I expected, in a good way. It opens with a BLAST of bergamot with black pepper. I love black pepper essence in perfumery, but if you don't, beware that in first 5mins you get a lot of it (I am curious how nobody has commented on that). then it turns first with hazelnuts, which I do get quite distinctly, and sweetens with vanilla, and then...I get Blanche Bête! Really the commentators below who complain about the floral notes in their gourmand are right - that combo of milk with orange blossom and cocoa and vanilla to me is really like in Blanche Bête. i see all the comparisons with Sandalsun by Hermetica and I have both FB of BB and of Sandalsun, so compared all three on my skin - mmmm, really much closer to BB... Sandalsun is more resinous with myrrh and and more nutty and has a touch of sourness of fresh cocoa pod flash, Saint Honore and BB are really sweet-spicy, deeply lactonic and with the touch of white florals. Ordered a bottle immediately because I found it for a great price...

Saint Honoré by Nicolai Parfumeur Createur is so good! I'm mostly getting a semi-sweet hazelnut syrup with a delicate, natural orange blossom note. The bergamot isn't that zesty and acidic and it reminds me of the bergamot in earl grey tea. A soft woody notes slowly grows as the dry down progresses. 10 years ago this fragrance would have been classified as a gourmand, but now I think it is a versatile, sweet, nutty, woody floral with gourmand qualities, which makes Saint Honoré a good candidate for a signature scent. I agree with other reviewers who say this smells like the winter holiday season (because of hazelnut chocolates or liqueur), but I think this will work well in the warmer seasons as well. On me, SH stays close to the skin, but I get at least 8 hours of wear time. Also, I am not getting any cinnamon, maybe a random touch of spice, but cinnamon, no. This is going on my full bottle list. 4.5/5

This fragrance is my favorite of the 3 new gourmand releases. I am initially getting a black peppery freshness in the immediate opening accompanied by the hazelnut nuttiness. The pepper fades into an uplifting freshness that supports the milky notes and orange blossom. About 15 minutes into the wear, I get the vanilla custardy sweetness with the amber. It all together feels whipped, air spun, ethereal, soft and comforting. I do not find this loud wearing. More of a skin scent. Sillage for me is about 3-5 hrs. (I love it so much I might just be over spraying as I am smitten by the scent.) I find it very appealing. I believe it demonstrates Ms. Patricia De Nicolai expertise in blending quality ingredients into a very beautiful fragrance. I liked both Pavlova and Macaron Bourbon (a fall/winter gourmand for me) but my heart was stolen by Saint Honore.

I didn't have high hopes for this since I usually stay away from the "hazelnut paste"-esque perfumes like Le Gourmand from Jousset where it's too sickly sweet (I don't find it appealing to smell like I slathered myself in sticky nutella directly from the jar) or Passeggiata from Trussardi where I find the combination with the white flowers headache inducing. But this one is not too sweet and it lacks the heavy white flowers that Passeggiata has. This one is more milky, a bit woody and has just a little subtle hint of orange blossom in the drydown, which makes it absolutely perfect. The hazelnut and vanilla smells so realistic and it really feels like the most delicious french pastry in a very elegant way. To me, this is exactly how a classic French brand would do a more realistic leaning gourmand without it being too much.

Mums would say about their first child "the one that made me a mother". This perfume is "the one that made me a gourmand enjoyer"! I liked a few individual vanillas, but didn't at all, still don't fully get the hype behind sweet scents and wanting to smell edible; Saint-Honoré, however... is a dream. Cosy, warm and sweet but not too sweet. The nuttiness is realistic. Most of all my mother dearest complimented me when I came home sprayed head to toe in this sample, and that woman has TASTE. I'm going to test it some more in various weathers and moods, but it could be bottle worthy. Thank you to the niche perfume store owner who showed it to me when I only had eyes for my other fav gourmand!

Smells like a fancy candle in the best way. It’s a warm, spiced vanilla scent that feels both lactonic and a little waxy. I feel there’s many missing notes that i get hints of, mainly clove and incense. It’s not edible gourmand. There’s elements of slight smooth powdery musk and there is an incense vibe that contributes to the candle feeling. It wears with a rather thick texture that makes it fitting for fall and winter weather. I wore this in Sicily over Christmas time and it was perfect for this time of year to create a festive vibe. I would probably love this in a nice big candle, however, I still do like it in a perfume for whatever reason.

Perfection. Perfection. Perfection. Saint Honore is a sweet, dry airy amber layered with a creamy sandalwood, and a smooth vanilla. There's a nectary orange blossom hanging out in the background too that brightens this up. I don't get much milk or hazelnut on skin, which I honestly don't miss. If you love sweet, airy ambers then this is a must try. Edit: Recently wore this on one of those days where my world just felt like it was falling apart, and I found this to be incredibly comforting and cozy. The brightness of the bergamont and orange blossom combined with the dry, earthy amber feels like a hug from loved one.

To me, Saint Honore is the absolute epitome of classic French perfumery. This fragrance is crafted exceedingly well. It’s technically gourmand but it’s no where near edible, or even semi-edible for that matter. So if you’re looking for a sweet treat this may not be for you. This is a classic nutty perfume with added balance from the citrus & orange blossom. The milk adds creaminess for texture but it doesn’t smell like milk or cream in a gourmand-y way. Every note dances together in a cohesive symphony. Just beautiful.

I just got my hands on the discovery set from Nicolai and this was my favourite scent from the lot. From the first sniff I thought ''this is how smiles would smell". It is sweet - but not too sweet, a bit citrusy and the milky hazelnut makes it a really balanced scent. It is rather intimate, on me it doesn't project too much. I don't mind though, as I find it really special and different from the trendy scents. It's really classy and I cannot wait to put my hand on a full bottle when on sale.

This perfume is pure joy for me. I love gourmands and this is a sophisticated version of an oriental vanilla. From first spray to last lingering base notes, it is delicious. I can smell the spice and the vanilla and those two alone suit my esthetic perfectly. It is long lasting and reasonably priced. I don't know what more I could want in a signature scent. This is in my top ten rotation now, and I want to try others from this house.

Delicious stuff. Decadent, unisex gourmand. Rich, creamy, nutty and vanillic that's sweet but (thankfully) not cloying. I don't know that I'd wear this as part of a regular rotation, but it would be beautiful for a festive, cool weather event where good food and drink are involved. People WILL want to know what you're wearing and why you're smelling like such a SSSSSNACK. Be forewarned--the atomizer is pretty generous.

Saint Honore is a very beautiful, rich woody vanilla perfume. Elegantly sweet, well balanced, long lasting, I can still smell it the next morning- it even perfumes my pillow. SH projects enough to get noticed, without becoming overwhelming. I enjoy wearing this, the only gourmand perfume I ever had. It gets better with time. Do try it, you may love it too

Holy deliciousness Batman! I’m so thrilled this scent vibes with my skin chemistry, because to me, it’s the most realistic roasted nut I’ve ever smelled in a fragrance. It’s a quieter, softer Italica (which I adore). An initial hint of pepper, a bergamot breeze, and that incredible hazelnut, followed by fresh-baked pastry heaven. Milky, warming bliss.

Spicy and sweet! Lots of black pepper- I love this note. Almost edible scent with an interesting “Nutella-like” hazelnut note. It’s quite powerful! The projection is crazy but it still feels really nice and note overly synthetic or sugary. On my skin it’s definitely more milky than on the blotter. Absolutely beautiful!! My ig: scent.guide

Weirdly, this keeps transforming on me, from pastry, nuts and cream to the smell of cooked cherries - must be tonka or something? So that after the first few gorgeous buttery-crisp minutes it ends up as Lost Cherry adjacent. It's a smell-hologram that I can't unsee, so even though I really like this I don't think I'd buy a fb.

Delectable!! Opens with a spicy, yet clearly hazelnut-y smell, warm and festive and cozy. A very smooth aroma, not abrasive or chemical. Almost like an oil extract. As much as I love it, I feel it would probably be better as a candle or a room scent? But I would love to smell this in winter, regardless.

This is so good! I think it’s the most accurate hazelnut perfume I have ever tried. At first it smells a little bit like chestnut purée and hazelnut combined after it dries down I smell perfect nougat chocolate. Really lovely perfume with great performance.