Posted by Robin
on
25 January 2011
Parfums de Nicolaï’s new Kiss Me Tender was advertised as a fragrance that “takes you from vanilla to aniseed, via almonds and freshly-cut hay” — hard to resist, at least for me. That it was centered around heliotrope is something I kept in the back of my head as a warning, heliotrope not being a favorite note of mine, at least, not in heavy concentrations.
The opening is bright, sweet and spicy, and it’s strong. If you find it hard going, hang on: Kiss Me Tender is as soft and bashfully romantic as its name within 20 minutes. The ad copy mentions Jordan almonds, and if you picture them in mixed pastels you’ll get the idea, although the marshmallow hearts shown above are perhaps a better fit. This is a pale, fluffy gourmand-floral vanilla, very feminine, with mild green notes countering the sweetness in the early stages…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Robin
on
18 January 2011
Violette in Love, by Parfums de Nicolaï, came out in 2009. I can’t remember when I first tried it, but I think it wasn’t until much later, possibly the following year. At any rate, I thought it was pretty but maybe too charming for my taste, and I set it aside.
Now, there was a time when I tried almost everything — everything I didn’t absolutely detest, anyway — at least a few times. Many fragrances I tried more than that. I might have worn the same fragrance, off and on, for a few weeks: lived with it awhile, in other words, before deciding what I thought of it.
Those days are long gone. It is not just that there are too many fragrances, practically speaking, to spend that much time on each one. It’s also a psychological effect, distantly related, perhaps, to the well-documented studies that show that more choice does not lead to more happiness: when there are so many fragrances, it seems less important (to me, anyway, slacker that I am) if I miss one or two gems. I know I can’t find them all, but surely I’ll find plenty of other gems…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Robin
on
21 December 2010
Her own olfactory signature admits to certain genetic tendencies. "I am influenced by my family!" she admitted with rueful laugh. "Growing up Guerlain was always only nice perfumes, something you could recognize from afar, the sillage, and you would know it was Guerlain. I wanted to have the same approach."
— Perfumer Patricia de Nicolaï of Parfums de Nicolaï, quoted in Scent of a woman at the National Post.
Posted by Robin
on
26 October 2010
Parfums de Nicolaï has launched Kiss Me Tender, a new floriental fragrance for women:
A scent that takes you from vanilla to aniseed…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Erin
on
16 September 2010
Few things in life inspire loyalty in me like the Parfums de Nicolaï line. No doubt the packaging is plain — but surely this can be overlooked when the contents are so beautiful and yet so affordable? Many of the newer niche brands charge a lot more for an equally ugly bottle. Yes, the products seem to be more expensive in North America than in Europe — but it feels churlish to complain when even the inflated USD or CAD price is a bargain. Besides, the dysfunctional website for the line urges you to “Buy Now” without giving the cost of anything in Euros or any other currency — I’m serious, go check it out: the price column reads zero for all products in every size — so North Americans are never going to know what deals they’re missing anyway.¹ Furthermore, the sight of each squat 30 ml bottle of Maharadjah or Sacrebleu warms my heart: may every other perfume company see the light and start providing smaller, reasonably priced packaging across the board!
True, it is often difficult to determine when or whether a Nicolaï fragrance has been discontinued, renamed or reformulated under the same name, and there are clearly some problems with the North American distribution, as many products seem to be on perpetual “backorder” — but even this commercial ineptitude sparks a foolish fondness in me. In this age of the hard sell, it is heartening — if nerve-wracking! — to see fragrances survive simply because they smell darn good…
Read the rest of this article »
