Cédrat (2006)
by Parfums de Nicolaï

The following applies "Cédrat Intense," which may or may not differ in content from the original (and discontinued?) Cédrat:

Cédrat Intense’s top note is more lemon than citron (cédrat); specifically, it's the sort of sweet, candied lemon you’d encounter in lemon curd or a citrus crème brulée. A dry, pungent woody-aromatic accord enters by way of a corrective, with hints of rosemary, sage and thyme that quickly direct the citrus away from the dessert tray and toward the brisk, salty-tart grapefruit aura of Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune or Citrus Paradisi.

This scent's heart is more emphatically floral than either of those grapefruit compositions, however, and once its crisp green floral accord emerges in full, Cédrat Intense does indeed approximate the unique, flowery complexity of citron peel. Perhaps I’ve been sniffing fragrances for too long, but I’m fascinated by the way the components of the citron illusion emerge and fall into place in sequence – enough so that I’m tempted to apply Cédrat Intense from time to time just to smell it happen again.

The drydown arrives quickly, as expected in any predominantly citrus scent, but it’s very pleasing in its arrangement of warm, rounded wood notes and gently musk. I’d comfortably recommend this scent to citron fans, alongside Guerlain’s more buoyant, though ephemeral, Eau de Fleurs de Cédrat.

23rd December, 2011.

Remember those red, white, and blue popsicles called "Bomb Pops", which now since the Bush era are called "Patriot Pops". If you like the white section of those, you will LOVE this Eau De Cologne by Patricia Nicolai.

Ok, so it's not 100% white lemon popsicle, it also evokes the smell of high quality Italian Icees, the ones where the seed and peel is still plentiful amidst the frozen treat. I cannot stress enough that this Eau has a certain "frozen" aspect to it, probably due to the Benzyl Benzoate in it. Benzyl Benzoate always reminds me of those pinkish-red ICEE slushie drinks available at every 7-11 in the 80's and 90's here in Chicago.

And while it evokes a not-to-sweet, nicely, pleasantly tart frozen citrus treat, it still manages to stay very classy. The only real downside here is abysmal longevity....but it is, afterall, an Eau De Cologne, so this is sort of expected. Nonetheless, i will always own this one, as when I have a craving for this particular frozen citrus scent, nothing else even comes close.

8th December, 2010.

I just love this fragrance. It dose have a somewhat limited longevity ,but,
if the Intense version is used the fragrance will last all day.

9th August, 2010.

This cedrat doesn't distinguish itself too much from common lemons. Less tart and softer than most lemon fragrances it's certainly more to my liking. But with such a short life, and the only a faint trace of pepper and bergamot to add character this is not something I'd ever consider buying. Although Cedrat is nice enough 'Bois de Cedrat' renders this fragrance obsolete.

25th September, 2009.

This is one of the very newest attempts to capture this Mediterranean citrus scent (Azarro and Roger & Gallet have recent introductions as well). None of these three however can come close to the classic Creed (1875) and Guerlain (1920) successes.

Parfums de Nicolai presents as a very light lemony scent with no middle or base note to my nose. It is undistinguished and fades after two hours - on both my partner and myself. It is not bad, just not of the quality of the Creed and Guerlain. Its lack of uniqueness makes it a poor choice as it is in the same price range as these two. It's just not good enough to demand similar pricing.

27th January, 2009.