Oh, Parfums de Nicolaï, perfume house of intriguing fragrances and hideous packaging. To me, this line is the Jan Brady of the perfume world. It’s smart, homely, and too easily overlooked in the company of the glamorous Marsha and baby-cheeked Cindy. Parfums de Nicolaï Odalisque is a good example. It’s elegant and unexpected — and resolutely unfashionable. I hope it stays on the market forever.
Odalisque was created by Parfums de Nicolaï’s founder and Guerlain family member Patricia de Nicolaï. The perfume house’s website describes Odalisque as a green woody chypre, and its notes include mandarin, bergamot, lily of the valley, jasmine, iris, oak moss and musk. To me, it’s a light, spring-fresh floral with a kick of post-church luncheons and ocean breeze.
On skin, Odalisque launches in citrus’s soprano register, and it keeps to a feminine pitch as citrus gives way to a sheer, barely powdery lily of the valley and violet-iris. Think baptisms and dry rosé spritzers. Running through Odalisque is a mossy, clean musk that some reviewers have noted is more salty than soapy, and I agree (although I wouldn’t have been clever enough to think of it myself).
Many modern perfume wearers might classify Odalisque as “ladylike” — maybe too much so for them. I wouldn’t dismiss it as old-fashioned, though. To me, its light texture full of blues and whites is modern, just not the style these days. Odalisque doesn’t announce itself as “sexy” or “fresh” or “fun.” It’s simply a lovely fragrance in a classic mode that isn’t particularly vintage smelling but doesn’t pander to trends.
Odalisque wears as an unobtrusive veil with moderate sillage. It lasts at least half a day and sweetens slightly as it ages, but still stays clean. On me, it wears as if I'd showered with a nice quality lily of the valley and iris soap and lots of steamy, mineral-filled water.
Is Odalisque me? Do I need a bottle? No. But I appreciate it, just as I appreciate Degas and Renee Fleming and slick, sheer stockings. I want them in my life, just not every day.
Parfums de Nicolaï fragrances used to be screaming bargains. They’re still reasonably priced compared to many lines, and they often offer 30 ml bottles, but they’re no longer the great deal they used to be. Parfums de Nicolaï Odalisque Eau de Parfum is $155 for 100 ml and $55 for 30 ml.
But I won’t quibble. Parfums de Nicolaï is still available, and that’s what counts. For information on where to buy it, see Parfums de Nicolaï under Perfume Houses.
Note: top image is detail from Grande Odalisque by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres via Wikimedia Commons.
Angela, thanks for giving Parfums de Nicolai some love. This sounds lovely. I can’t say I mind their packaging. I’d much rather a company spend money on quality raw materials and I think this is where this line excels. Imagine my sadness when I remembered I left my beloved pre-reformulation bottle of New York in NY when I relocated last year. *sigh* Hopefully my brother will enjoy it as much as I did!
The packaging does make the line feel like a sort of “hidden treasure” for those in the know. As for your bottle of New York, I feel for you!
I feel for you too! I love many scents from this line and the affordability let me purchase quite a few when I first fell down the rabbit hole. I just wish they didn’t change – New York was one of my favorites that I finished this year and I don’t care for the “intense” version, and I found Vie de Chateaux quite intense enough in it’s original form. Odalisque is very pretty but not me, thanks for the review, Angela.
Sacrebleu is another PdN I adore. I can’t imagine the “intense” version, though. It’s pretty intense as it is.
Why oh why is Patricia so fond of alembics? It looks like they’re selling supplies for science kits rather than perfumes. I’d even prefer a bottle shaped like an alembic, even though it would be a big pain to use.
It’s those crazy little labels that look like they were printed at home that get me.
It’ sounds funny, my heart skipped a beat when I saw that this was a new review! Strangely satisfying in a bit of a fan girl way, I’m so happy to see an overlooked favourite in print.
I agree that it is very ladylike. While not clean and soapy, it doesn’t strike my like a baroque older ladies’ perfume. It is very salty to me, and I have wondered if it is the moss that gives me that impression. Thanks for the review, Angela, and the little moment of “squeeee” it brought
Urghhh, I did not mean “older ladies” I meant older (vintage), ladies’ (elegant variety).
Oh, I know what you mean, and I agree. It feels classic, but contemporary (although I do like the idea of 18th century ladies wearing it!).
I’m so glad you appreciated the review! I was surprised, too, that we hadn’t reviewed it yet. It’s a classic.
I do love this brand, and this is one of my favorite Lilly of the Valley scents. I guess it is a little rich, but it is a beautiful spring scent.
To me the packaging is fine. The rectangular bottles are well made and well proportioned.
It really is a great scent for spring. I’ve heard that it’s a good one for people who love Diorissimo, even though they’re definitely different fragrances.
I wonder if this hasn’t been cleaned up over the years due to restrictions on some of the ingredients. I have a sample from around 2010 and wouldn’t describe it as fresh or clean smelling. Not that it’s heavy or skanky. Something in the direction of a light, soft version of Estee Lauder Private Collection.
I bought PdN New-York recently just because it wasn’t an “intense” flanker. It smells pretty good, but I haven’t compared it with my older samples yet.
I bet it’s been de-mossified a bit. It would be great to be able to compare older with newer samples.
As for New York, it might actually be a blessing not to know what it used to smell like, as long as you like it now. Although, maybe it’s as good as ever.
It smells pretty good, Angela! I won’t be able to resist comparing it with those older samples, though.
Resist! Ignorance is bliss! (Oh, dang it. I wouldn’t be able to resist, either.)
So glad you reviewed this one. I’ll dig out my decant and go hunt for that salty note. I have always found it a tad too formal, and perhaps lacking emotion? Or something. Not sure.
But I’ve owned a decant for years and in that time have smelled enough perfume to realize that Odalisque is one of the best. I should use up my decant and really think about a longer term commitment.
I’ve had a decant for a while, too, but never felt compared to use it up and go for the whole bottle. I stumbled over it again last week and decided to give it a try–and I like it! It’s not a “best friend” of a match, but I respect it and enjoy it. I could imagine it being someone else’s signature scent, but it would be someone better groomed than I am.
Like a few other commenters, I felt a rush of joy to see the title. Has NST really not reviewed Odalisque?
My decant is almost, almost empty and around 8 or so years old to me, so it’s hard to know the exact age of the original bottle. Like others, I’ve worried about reformulation– some of my favorite early PdNs had a lovely salty, mossy note that was pitch perfect to my nose, including Number 1, Odalisque, the original version of Weekend a Deauville and Juste Un Reve which is my favorite beachy scent ever.
Anyone know? Are they all reformulated. When Weekend a Deauville was re-released as Weekend, it became this terrible aquatic thug. Awful. Tragic!
Oh, “aquatic thug”–the worst! I wish I could tell you more about the old-new comparisons. Hopefully someone will chime in.
And while we’re at it, bring back Eau Exotique!
I get the aquatic thug from the new Weekend. Never smelled the old. ‘orrible.
Ha, I wore L’Eau Mixte today. Very nice but nothing compared to my darling L’Eau Chic!
Odalisque was one of my first sample purchases from Luckyscent and man was I disappointed. There is a very functional green note that completely ruined it for me. I bet that sample is floating around. I’d be happy to try again.
And as the proud owner of a few 30ml, I’m ver satisfied by their lackluster packaging. I’ve had a string of bad luck with leaky sprayers, including a NIB vintage Y by YSL that left more liquid in the cap than my arm. They aren’t gorgeous but they do a damn fine job.
There’s something to be said by that! At least you can hold a bottle and spray it with one hand. And, if the sprayer functions well, so much the better! I love a good atomizer.
I agree with you that their bottles function really well. I love the look of those rectangular Lutens bottles very much, but they do allow for a significant amount of evaporation. So much so that I now seal mine with parafilm.
I haven’t heard of the parafilm trick. I’ll have to look it up. It would be heartbreaking to return to an old favorite and find it half gone.
Victoria explains it here:
http://boisdejasmin.com/2013/06/making-fragrance-decants-and-samples-in-pictures.html
Thank you!
Since I came to France last year and discovered this brand, Mme de Nicolaï has quickly become my favourite perfumer. I now own six of their perfumes! Personally I haven’t nothing against their packaging. The labels are okay, especially the golden labels on the Intense ones and the oud ones.
Are you near a boutique? If so, lucky you!
Well I live in Paris now and there are several Nicolaï boutiques in the city!
Perfect!
I commented above about the sad change to “intense” versions of some of the line but didn’t mention what is, to me, the saddest loss. Le Temps d’Une Fete was just the most perfect spring scent but really it’s good year round. I have a few drops left in my bottle that I just don’t have the heart to wear, although I smell the sprayer occasionally. The packaging never bothered me either, kind of no nonsense, just smell it.
I ADORE Le Temps d’une Fete and cherish my bottle. (Maybe I’ll wear it this morning, in fact.)
Lots of you are a lot more forgiving of her bottles than I am!
Le Temps d’Une Fete is gone? I still have most of a 30 ml…will hang on to that. I also love L’eau a la Folie — I love citrus but find most citrus perfumes too fleeting or noxious. It’s one of the few I can stand. I don’t have a problem with the bottles — especially when it comes in a size I can easily afford.
She has done the 30 ml bottles for a long time, too. I really appreciate it.
One of my favourite lines, and although Odalisque is not my personal favourite I think it’s probably one of their best offerings.
And I love those bottles! Her candles are also very good, I’ve got a great Geranium one at the moment.
So much love for the packaging! I must simply be cranky.
I’d love to try her candles. Next time I’m in Paris, I’ll have to see if I can find one.
They merit at least a try. The Maharadjah is great, as is Lavande Pays, Geranium and Fleurs d’Eté. The last is a gorgeous indolic white floral with a lot of jasmine.
I’m on it!
oh, what luck!
My 1ml sample of Odalisque came in the mail yesterday 6/19, part of my first order from surrender to chance.
So pretty, and I get what you are all saying. It reminds me of the “Tinkerbell” perfume I had (70’s/80’s). Maybe Tinkerbell had lilly of the valley in it?
No women in my family wore Lilly of the Valley heavy perfumes, but generally this scent reminds me of fragrances I smelt on other women, shops, etc when I was a kid.
Oh my gosh, Tinkerbell! I had a Tinkerbell powder mitt that someone brought me from Disneyland when I was a kid. I can’t remember at all what it smelled like, but lily of the valley sounds like a good match.
that’s where it all started for me, I was very glam as a little kid, then no perfume for a long time, now I’m back….thanks for being here!
You’re welcome!