Le Rivage des Syrtes / PdN1 (2009)
by MDCI

So hmm.. this is unique. I"ve only been exposed to pineapple a few other times, and here it is quite pronounced.

Pineapple is not crisp and tart like a typical citrus, it is weighty, and in general this opens 'low, full and heavy' to me (so I don't get the refreshing blast that you would expect from these top notes)

At the one hour mark this rounds out and becomes warm and luscious. I like this phase best, its very comforting. I don't detect the incense at all, which is a shame. The pineapple stays with this fragrance throughout, but it is more enjoyable after the one hour mark.

This is a good fragrance, thumbs up. ITs not my favorite from this line (that would Nicolai's other submission, En Coeur en Mai). But it is far from the worst from this house (Vepres S., with its highly stinky caramel note)

23rd July, 2010.

I ordered a sample of this one since it was the only non-feminine fragrance left for me to try from this house (having loved both Ambre Topkapi and Invasions Barbare). The candied fruit top notes of this scent bring Bubblelicious gum to mind a little bit, and never fully pass the baton to the heart notes on my skin. Hours later the florals emerged a little bit more, but only some of the sweetness of the base ever peeked through. I think this one shares some characteristics with her Fig-Tea, which I also enjoyed. It's fruity, very sweet, and clean all the way through. I detect no musc or incense, as listed in the pyramid, that may have made this one a touch more masculine.

I know this didn't sound like a glowing review, but I really do consider it another winner for MDCI....just not one I'm comfortable wearing or calling a unisex.

4th October, 2009.

Parfums MDCI Le Rivage des Syrtes/PdN1

Patricia de Nicolai has been called the spiritual heir to Jean-Paul Guerlain and in her eponymous Parfums de Nicolai label she has created some classic scents of her own, most notably New York which is a representation of her Guerlain bloodline, she is the grand daughter of Pierre Guerlain, and her ability to make it her own. Parfums MDCI has hired Ms. De Nicolai to create two new scents for them and Le Rivage des Syrtes is the first of those scents released in 2009. The name comes from a novel by the French author Julien Gracq. Gracq is known for writing which centers on “….the promise of meaning, but there is no meaning”. That might be the theme but trust me there is as much meaning and intent as a perfumer can bring to bear on a scent. The top starts, with what is becoming clear, is one of Ms. De Nicolai’s skills and that is the deft hand she uses with citrus, namely orange. Here the orange is the lush pulp inside the peel which is paired with a juicy pineapple. This could come off as fruit salad in other’s hands but here it is an incredible start. The heart of this is all floral as the orange does a Benjamin Button and ages in reverse as orange blossom leads the way followed by tuberose and a sheer incense note so light you only get hints of it. The best of Ms. De Nicolai’s scents tend to be built around vanilla and in this one vanilla is the linchpin of the base, there is a little musc but this one ends up vanilla. The interplay here between the fruit at the top and the floral plus incense down to the vanilla shows a perfumer at the top of her game and one living up to and improving on her glorious heritage.

14th March, 2009.