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Parfums de Nicolai Ney York what am i missing?

post #1 of 32
8/30/10 at 5:01pm
Thread Starter 
Ok so based on the many many rave reviews of this scent i decided to buy it blind, small bottle so no loss if it goes horribly wrong

and it's nice....it's really nice...but not THAT nice. I get mostly a grapfruit /pomplemousse opening which lingers surprisingly long for a citrus note and a heritage-esque drydown. I would actually prefer 60% heritage 40% Ney York to lghten Heritage up a bit.
So am i missing something here?

Heritage will no longer talk to me because "i'm seeing someone on the side" and my bottle of MPG's RdV just called New York a sissy boy and is now ganging up on him with Mazzolari Lui demanding "protection money". My wardrobe is a tough neighbourhood!
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post #2 of 32
8/30/10 at 5:17pm
My wardrobe's a tough neighborhood, too. My sample of New York is still cowering in a drawer. I don't get all the hoopla either.
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post #3 of 32
8/30/10 at 5:23pm
  • kbe
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I will not eat liver. Absolutely despise it. My mother loved it. Go figure.
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post #4 of 32
8/30/10 at 5:26pm
You're not missing anything. If you think it's just nice, then it's just nice.
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post #5 of 32
8/30/10 at 5:37pm
I think that Parfums de Nicolai is much more about scents that wear well, that are comfortable and well-composed, than about making perfumes that are truly new. It's a very traditional house in the French tradition of Guerlain. So, yeah, a lot of their stuff isn't that exciting but in my experience it's stuff that you can wear over long periods of time and not get tired of.
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post #6 of 32
8/30/10 at 5:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutchy View Post

Heritage will no longer talk to me because "i'm seeing someone on the side" and my bottle of MPG's RdV just called New York a sissy boy and is now ganging up on him with Mazzolari Lui demanding "protection money". My wardrobe is a tough neighbourhood!

I actually saw that before my eyes while reading that.
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post #7 of 32
8/30/10 at 5:54pm
There's no accounting for taste.
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post #8 of 32
8/30/10 at 6:25pm
It's an elegant, nuanced fragrance, more complex than possibly any other scent. So much is revealed over multiple wearings, so much is revealed as it transitions through its countless layers during each wearing. It's refined, gentlemanly, exquisite. Its intelligence and wit run deft rings around all the neighborhood toughs.
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post #9 of 32
8/30/10 at 9:14pm
How many times have you worn it for a full day? At first I had the same reaction you did: nice, but nothing special. Then based on all the adoration (Luca Turin himself wore it for a decade), I decided to give it 3-4 more tries to see if I was missing something. There's the mouth-watering citrus in the beginning that morphs into a sensual leather accord before revealing the spicy sweetness of vetiver and amber.

You're on the money comparing it to Heritage. I think it's Guerlain's Heritage perfected, before turning toward Bois du Portugal in the basenotes.

De Nicolai's New York is like the shy girl at a party who doesn't catch your eye at first, but if you talk to her you just might fall in love.
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post #10 of 32
8/30/10 at 11:28pm
NY is best on a cool rainy day (which is why I don't wear it in LA). It lasts a long, long time and is an amazing value for the price.
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post #11 of 32
8/31/10 at 12:40am
Used to like it before. Not so much enymore. There is that make-up purse smell I can`t tolerate in a mans perfume..
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post #12 of 32
8/31/10 at 12:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Strollyourlobster View Post

I think that Parfums de Nicolai is much more about scents that wear well, that are comfortable and well-composed, than about making perfumes that are truly new. It's a very traditional house in the French tradition of Guerlain. So, yeah, a lot of their stuff isn't that exciting but in my experience it's stuff that you can wear over long periods of time and not get tired of.

These are also my feelings about PdN. Classy, well done, very good smelling fragrances. They are satisfying rather than exciting.

Most times I would choose any of them over a fragrance that tries too hard to be provocative or bizarre.
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post #13 of 32
8/31/10 at 1:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by noggs View Post

These are also my feelings about PdN. Classy, well done, very good smelling fragrances. They are satisfying rather than exciting.

Most times I would choose any of them over a fragrance that tries too hard to be provocative or bizarre.

Where do you get your PdN frags, Noggsie? We don't have them here ;(
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post #14 of 32
8/31/10 at 2:11am
Nicolaï perfumes are made with high quality ingredients magnificently blended. NEW YORK, ODALISQUE and PATCHOULI HOMME are truly masterpieces
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post #15 of 32
8/31/10 at 2:32am
[QUOTE=Dutchy;1919476]Ok so based on the many many rave reviews of this scent i decided to buy it blind, small bottle so no loss if it goes horribly wrong

and it's nice....it's really nice...but not THAT nice.QUOTE]

I completely agree. It has got a powdery hint that I don't like, here in the thread someone called it "make-up" smell, and I agree on that. Plus, it has got a very powerful patchouli note that I really do not like. Part of its fame it's probably due to Luca Turin's very good review, I guess. I sampled it time and time again, and ended up deciding that it's not for me!
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post #16 of 32
8/31/10 at 3:18am
BN Lesson No.1: Never buy any fragrance unsniffed or 'blind'.

Buying anything on the back of rave reviews is an even worse mistake imo. With raised expectations, you're just setting yourself up for a fall if for any reason it falls a little short...
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post #17 of 32
8/31/10 at 3:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Killer_Vavoom View Post

Where do you get your PdN frags, Noggsie? We don't have them here ;(

Not here, either.

Well, that's not entirely true. I did find bottles of older PdN fragrances such as Crepuscle de Vanille, which I believe is no longer available, and Juste en Reve in local shops (the Crepuscle de Vanille in Gazzaz), but nothing else. I bought my bottle of New York in Vienna, and got a lot of samples of others last year when I attended Esxence in Milan. I only own three PdN frags, but would like to buy more. But it'll have to wait until my next trip to Europe. ;-)

noggs
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post #18 of 32
8/31/10 at 4:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by noggs View Post

Not here, either.

Well, that's not entirely true. I did find bottles of older PdN fragrances such as Crepuscle de Vanille, which I believe is no longer available, and Juste en Reve in local shops (the Crepuscle de Vanille in Gazzaz), but nothing else. I bought my bottle of New York in Vienna, and got a lot of samples of others last year when I attended Esxence in Milan. I only own three PdN frags, but would like to buy more. But it'll have to wait until my next trip to Europe. ;-)


noggs



Mabrook
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post #19 of 32
8/31/10 at 5:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Killer_Vavoom View Post

Mabrook


Ramadan Kareem!
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post #20 of 32
8/31/10 at 8:18am
New York was everything I expected and more. I like it.
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post #21 of 32
8/31/10 at 9:10am
I think PdN NY smells a lot like an EDT version of Caron's Alpona (one of the Urn extraits). Call me goofy, but I love them both...

Teddius
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post #22 of 32
8/31/10 at 1:22pm
There's an accord in it that I just don't like. I find it mildly irritating. The drydown is nice but a bit forgettable, and I'd call it unisex for sure, not that it matters to me. There's not enough dynamism for me, though it's natural and there's nothing "wrong" with it. However, I do have a criticism of LT with regard to this one. He thinks it's great yet dismisses similar frags, such as Individuel by Mont Blanc. The notes are not all the same, of course, but they are both pleasant and technically sound. There is a lack of dynamism, and you either like the notes or you don't. There is no need to dismiss one and praise the other. It's a matter of personal preference, but for some reason some people can't accept that. One can say that a frag is not dynamic, and relative to many other frags, he or she might be "objectively" correct, but to criticize one frag while praising another based upon the notes is to demonstrate too much subjectivity, IMO.
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post #23 of 32
8/31/10 at 4:17pm
If your looking for somebody to say something that may convince you to like this fragrance I think you will be disappointed. All fragrances are not for all people, if you don't like It that's alright, you don't have to like It. My thought's on New York are as follows.At first spray I get the most lovely Citrus opening that is well balanced with notes of Lemon, Bergamot, and is tempered with Cloves which add a distinct counter balance to the Citrus. As it transitions into the heart the Cloves meet in perfect harmony with the notes of thyme, cinnamon, and a perfect blend of Pepper, which by the way seems to be a consistent note found in many of PdN's fragrances. I guess one could call it perhaps a house note? At any rate she uses paprika to balance out the heart of this fragrance. The drydown is long, and smooth, and well pronounced as witnessed by the superb blending of Oakmoss, along with a hint of Amber, and is anchored by the subtle use of Vetiver. So as for me, I find this fragrance most wearable, and each time I wear it I develop a further fondness, and appreciation for this marvelous creation.
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post #24 of 32
8/31/10 at 4:26pm
Thread Starter 
he ron thanks for that detailed description, your nose is evidently much better trained than mine i dont get the clove but will give it some more attention. I do enjoy the frag though, dont get me wrong, but i've already noticed that my skin, compared to others , does WEIRD things to scents in general. may have something to do with it.
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post #25 of 32
8/31/10 at 10:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teddius View Post

I think PdN NY smells a lot like an EDT version of Caron's Alpona (one of the Urn extraits). Call me goofy, but I love them both...

Teddius

Agreed 100%
I have smaples of both and they are really close to each other. Actually, it is Diane (TPC) who sent me the samples a few years ago and pointed that out to me. There'a also a faint likeness in both to Giorgio Beverly Hill PH--very faint.
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post #26 of 32
2/19/11 at 1:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oslo-Fjord View Post

Used to like it before. Not so much enymore. There is that make-up purse smell I can`t tolerate in a mans perfume..

Hmm.. That was in August 2010. I think I have don a "heel-turn" on this fragrance, because now I have started to like it..Very much! Maby I didn`t give it enough wearings back then. Very refined, elegant, and gentleman-ish, and not to much "old-man" aura. The dry-down that I before described as a make-up purse note, has change to a more delicious, soft, elegant , and very pleasant smell. I think the trick here is to go easy on the trigger. It`s strange how much your nose can change after re-testing some fragrances after a long time. The same thing happened with YSL Opium. It`s almost like been hit by a lightning.. ;-)
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post #27 of 32
2/19/11 at 9:09pm
New York joined my wardrobe recently. I have to confess that I can't help comparing it to Habit Rouge, that I have worn for years and that is so familiar to my nose. But New York is growing slowly on me and the more I see how different it is from Habit Rouge and why I love both.
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post #28 of 32
2/20/11 at 4:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reminiscent View Post

New York joined my wardrobe recently. I have to confess that I can't help comparing it to Habit Rouge, that I have worn for years and that is so familiar to my nose. But New York is growing slowly on me and the more I see how different it is from Habit Rouge and why I love both.

Do you think these two are similar?
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post #29 of 32
2/20/11 at 7:09am
I've sampled it and, for me, it lacked something... it's too much of a nice guy, it's so correct it's bland. Nice blend anyway and still thinking about a 30ml bottle!
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post #30 of 32
2/20/11 at 7:25am
I own a bottle, but it just sits there collecting dust. I never planned it that way. I think it's overrated. Too many others out there that have surpassed it since its release in 1989. I think it was a winner in 1989, but in the last 22 years there are better alternatives.
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post #31 of 32
2/20/11 at 7:39am
I think what it's missing is something interesting. I found it similar to bulgari pour homme in that sense. Just too well-mannered.
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post #32 of 32
2/20/11 at 8:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oslo-Fjord View Post

Do you think these two are similar?

Yes, I find HR and NY similar in a way, they both conjure up a sort of orangey color leaning towards red. Warm without being spicy or sweet.
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