The Lamtern Maker's Courtship by William Holman Hunt

If you have read CaFleureBon for any length of time you will know that one of our favorite styles of art to use to illustrate reviews is that of the Orientalists. Orientalism was a style of painting popular throughout the Nineteenth Century. This was as European expansionism had begun to encompass North Africa and the Middle East and so the artists of the day would make a trip to the region and essentially be the visuals for which European audiences would come to first know the East. The style and subject of these paintings have been seen as not really depicting reality but fantasy through Western sensibilities. We often use these paintings when we are writing about the latest releases featuring oud as the use of that very Middle Eastern ingredient is fused into traditional European perfumery. The parallels really crystallized for me as I wore the two new oud fragrances from Parfums de Nicolai Amber Oud and Rose Oud. These felt like Orientalist perfumes to me as I wore them.

Patricia de Nicolai

There is certainly no more representative bloodline of European perfumery than that of Guerlain and Patricia de Nicolai is part of the modern generation of perfumers directly descended from Aime Guerlain who ushered in the era of modern perfumery. For her first foray into using oud, Mme de Nicolai wanted to explore oud by pairing it with two of its more familiar partners in perfume; amber and rose. What I found fascinating is these smell different than other fragrances which feature these familiar pairs. It was that realization that turned my thoughts to thinking how these are Western fantasies of how we might imagine the mysterious East to smell.

Samarkand by Richard-Karl Karlovitch Sommer

Amber Oud is the more striking example of my analogy. The beginning of Amber Oud hearkens back to the classic opening of traditional cologne with a lavender dominated start. There is no more tried and true exemplar of Western perfumery than cologne. Soon enough cinnamon and saffron indicate a shift of olfactory location and the oud comes in quietly. So often oud arrives in a fragrance almost like a disruption throwing everything out of its way. Mme de Nicolai lets it almost trickle in, escorted by cedar and sandalwood, to make sure it stays well-behaved. The woody spicy heart of Amber Oud is the transition to a base of intense amber, patchouli, castoreum, and styrax. This feels like a fantasy of what it might be like to walk the streets of the caravansary; heady and animalic. Or is it just my Western fantasy of the caravansary? Amber Oud is a fascinating fragrance, without all of my tortured comparisons, and a different take on amber and oud than others I have tried.

The Slave and The Lion by Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse

If the oud is more mannered in Amber Oud for Rose Oud it is back to being a wild child. Which is fine because the rose that Mme de Nicolai pairs with the oud is a bit of a whirlwind itself. Before we get to the rambunctious pair Mme de Nicolai serves up top notes of raspberry and osmanthus. The last time I remember these two notes leading off a fragrance was the long discontinued Nina Ricci Deci-Dela. I don’t know why they are not used more often as they complement each other quite beautifully. In Rose Oud they set the stage as the raspberry and the leathery apricot nature of osmanthus are the perfect consorts to bring forward the rose and oud as they stride onto the scene. For the next few hours you will be enveloped by a rose and oud synergy that underlines why these two notes work so well together. Mme de Nicolai is one of the few perfumers who strikes the right balance allowing both of the key notes to exist in good-natured competition. The base is the same notes as in Amber Oud; amber, patchouli, castoreum, and styrax. They are slightly different in composition but it is clear that in the end both of these fragrances share a common hand in creation.

Amber Oud and Rose Oud have outstanding longevity and way above average sillage. These definitely need to be applied judiciously to avoid overwhelming those you will be spending the day or evening with.

Like those nineteenth century Europeans I use the perfumes produced today as my fantasy of what it would be like to travel throughout the East. With Amber Oud and Rose Oud Patricia de Nicolai has woven a fantasy as rich as any I have encountered within this genre and one which I will want to return to often.

Happy Thanksgiving to our US readers from all of us at CaFleureBon

Disclosure: This review was based on samples provided by Parfums de Nicolai.

Thanks to Parfums de Nicolai we have a sample set of both Amber Oud and Rose Oud to giveaway. This is an international draw. To be eligible leave a comment on your favorite Parfums de Nicolai fragrance or your favorite Orientalist painting. The draw will end December 1, 2013.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor