Nicolaï / Parfums de Nicolaï
Nicolaï / Parfums de Nicolaï
87 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Galbanum strikes first with an almost aggressive greenness, slightly bitter and aldehydic, immediately supported by opoponax's waxy, resinous undertone. The combination feels slightly uncomfortable, deliberately unpolished—like snapping green branches rather than admiring flowers.
Narcissus and hyacinth emerge with a cool, slightly soapy character that prevents any warmth from developing. The chypre structure solidifies here, building a mossy, slightly indolic florality that becomes increasingly austere as the green notes fade into the background.
Oakmoss and sandalwood create a skeletal, woody dryness—minimal warmth, maximum austerity. Patchouli adds an almost imperceptible earthiness whilst that animalic element surfaces as a faint, slightly musk-tinged whisper that lingers without ever becoming prominent.
Le Temps d'Une Fête arrives as a verdant whisper rather than a shout—a fragrance that understands restraint as sophistication. Patricia de Nicolaï has crafted something deliberately unstable, where galbanum's sharp, almost metallic green cuts against the resinous warmth of opoponax, creating an opening tension that feels almost confrontational. This is not a comfortable green; it's the scent of crushed stems and chlorophyll rather than floral sweetness.
The heart reveals the composer's true intention: narcissus and hyacinth emerge not as delicate florals but as austere, slightly soapy elements that amplify the chypre structure underneath. There's a deliberate coldness here, a classical restraint that refuses to coddle. The oakmoss and patchouli in the base provide earthiness without warmth—they're skeletal, architectural even, grounding the composition rather than embracing it. That 52% animalic accord suggests a subtle muskiness that never announces itself, merely lingering like a whisper about something slightly illicit.
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4.0/5 (186)