New York Parfums de Nicolaï for men

There is a line in the sand of my enjoyment of perfume, which if a perfume crosses it, it is deemed too sweet. Shalimar goes way over that line and Habit Rouge crosses it by a smaller distance. Musc Ravageur commonly jumps back and forth across it and sometimes straddles it, maybe just to annoy me, New York sits exactly on it. Don't expect a wow from this, or an OMG this is the most amazing thing ever; this is a skillful blend of amber citrus and woods, and the point really is in the blending. Though a slightly too harsh note at the start contradicts this (before it disappears) New York is a soft, supple, unisex fragrance, unobtrusive and undemanding. Sometimes it is nice to be nice though, and that seems to be New York's philosophy, and its greatness lies in its easy-going, outward manner. Spray it on and let it be pleasant to you. My bottle is from a few years back, and it has apparently been reformulated. I will be dismayed if the next time I smell it in the shop it doesn't utter its usual conversation.

Unless somebody switched samples on me, this is a powdery old lady's perfume and it gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Initial review: Combine Chanel's Pour Monsieur Concentree with Shulton's Old Spice, and you get PdN's New York! OK, it's not exactly the same, and New York is definitely my preference over cpmc, but you get the idea. Enjoyable scent if you don't mind spending the money.

After trying 4 other P de N fragrances, this one was a real surprise. It's a leather! who knew? I had pretty much decided P de N only did polite, pretty perfume. Maybe because this is meant for men, she was willing to do something more distinctive. Must admit I detested the top notes (very traditionally perfumey, reminded me of Chanel No.5, and smelled like it would give me a headache), but within about 10 minutes it dried down to a soft leather with a slight hint of citrus and floral embellishments. With warmth, a cinnamom/red hots note pops out, too. As leathers go this is (to me) on the more feminine end of the spectrum, nearer to Kelly Caleche than to Knize Ten, but I am a lover of leather and woody fragrances, and I could see giving this one a more extended try-out (as long as I hold my nose for the first 10 minutes). Still smells to me more like it would suit a woman than a man, however; I guess I like more of a hard-edged biker leather on my guys!

New York, along with Shalimar, Guerlains's Vetiver, Cuir de Lancome, Knize Ten and Diorella are my most frequently worn perfumes. Makes me feel a bit stodgy when I look at it, but classical perfumery appeals to me. I do think I have a fairly catholic sense of classicism, though. I find the best of Etat Libre classically formal in construction. Lutens reinvents classical, and most of the Piguet line absolutely venerates the classical. New York has never done me wrong. When I crave it, it satisfies. When I'm uncertain what I want to wear and put on New York, it's like an olfactory moment of kensho.

New York's secret weapon, besides its utterly flawless evolution is its powder. Powder is often mentioned in the context of the old-lady perfumes, tedious dandy fragrances, uninspired aldehydic fragrances. But New York's powder is gunpowder. It is a bitter, powdery dustiness made even darker by orange/bergamot resinousness.

Chypre? Oriental? Powdery Wood? I'd probably give you a different answer on any given day. Like the best perfumes, New York has a deliberate ambiguity that makes it seem less elusive than actually alive.

Not enough of a "wow factor" for me and I don't like the citrus/blossomy quality (which is a bit harsh) in the opening. Too ambery and simple in the base. I'm not sure what the appeal is, and I prefer Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur on the few occasions when I am seeking this kind of fragrance. If you do sample PCPM, I suggest trying the formulation by Tsumura. The others I don't care for, and probably would never bother to wear. For more "wow factor," I'd reach for Shalimar Light, which has sadly been discontinued and is now expensive (such as on ebay). I also prefer Bois du Portugal to NY, but again, these are not my favorite kinds of fragrances.

while I have great respect to Nicolai for many other creations, I think this perfume couldnt be more "frenchy" than it is right now. Nothing New York-ish in here, and if it supposed to represent another era or a certain mood of New York, than I would like to know more about her inspiration. Like this, it just doesnt make sense.

I guess any good perfumisto/perfumista, sooner or later, has arrived to the point to wonder what makes of a fragrance a good fragrance. Uniqueness? Raw Materials? Execution? My personal answer is that, while all this elements can make the difference, at the same time they may not necessarely coexist and New York is a good example of my statement.

This fragrance isn't among the most unique or distinctive around, it doesn't count rare or precious raw materials in the note list, but it's definitely well executed. Don't expect something groundbraking or outstanding as you will be disappointed. All the Luca Turin's talking about New York has created great expectations among perfume lovers, expectations that too oftenly have been unattended. Just try to approach this composition with an open mind, as if it were just one among others and not Turin's favourite and you'll discover a great scent.

The first comparison that came to my mind when I first smelled New York is the one with an old armchair your family bought in the 70's. It was handmade, not particularly beautiful but extremely comfortable and solidly crafted that rapidly became your family's favourite. During the years it survived to several relocations, to new eye-catching designer fournitures, to technology and it's still there in your living room. Worn-out, somehow out of date but still your favourite. New York is all of this. It's not original, it's not the most catchy fragrance around and it's definitely old-fashioned but it's still tremendously reliable and honest. These aspects are its points of strenght.

I won't go through note explanation as you can find billions of descriptions anywere but let me report one thing a good friend of mine used to quote:

"Don't try to be original. Be simple. Be good technically, and if there is something in you, it will come out". Henri Matisse.

Thanks Saripatates.

Rating: 9/10

Ah, the coveted New York by Patricia de Nicolaï. For a niche fragrance, this one seems to have quite the cult following and a reputation preceding it - Luca Turin even admitted to having worn it for ten years, which is quite a feat for perfumisto's and perfumista's always searching for their "Holy Grail". So, does New York really live up to the reputation? Not for me.

The good: New York is pleasant and pretty, simply put. It's along the lines of Habit Rouge (but not as sparkly) and similar to the long-gone Ungaro II. In fact, if you love Ungaro II, but can't find it (or you don't like the civet note), then New York makes a fantastic alternative. It's rich, refined, and noticeably well-made with good materials; the powdery, ambery orange and peppery pimento, when combined, are smooth like a creamsicle. Unique but still civilized. Like many other powdery dandy fragrances such as Habit Rouge and Heritage, New York smells very "pretty", very "delicate". Freshly powdered, well-groomed, and conservative as all get out with a bib choking your neck.

The bad: The "civilized" part is perhaps where New York's downfall is, for me. It's nice but it's not fun or free. It's too damn stuffy for me, very formal. I'm reminded also of Tiffany for Men, which is about as powdery as I can tolerate a fragrance. There's no doubt that New York is refined but it feels watered down and lacking in character, like something unfinished. The longevity of New York is good (the city itself will be around until the end of the world, I know that much), but the sillage is lacking - New York is very much a skin scent on me.

The ugly: I don't really find there to be anything ugly about New York, despite its flaws.

Bottom line: Despite New York not working for me, I'd still say try it, given the hype. It may very well work for you, but it doesn't for me. The closest fragrances I would compare New York to are Habit Rouge, Ungaro II, Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, Tiffany for Men, and Heritage by Guerlain. I don't really see as many similarities between this on Bois du Portugal, which I find stronger, more masculine, and less powdery. Nevertheless, New York is a quality fragrance that would probably smell great on someone else but it's not something I'd wear. If I wanted this kinda fragrance I'd rather just wear the vintage Habit Rouge. Get sample from Luckyscent first before you think you want New York.

This stuff is wild! It's like a cross between Guerlain's Shalimar and Creed's Bois du Portugal, both of which I love. The opening is a kind of 'Shalimar for Men'. A powdery burst of lemon, orange and spice. It's apt that a relative of Pierre Guerlain (Patricia is his grand-daughter apparently) would be so heavily influenced by his work.

The complex and multi-faceted development into warm woods, amber and oakmoss is the spark of genius in this classic fragrance. I would have been satisfied if it stopped at 'Shalimar for Men!'.

Like all my favourite men's frags, makes me feel like a wiser, older, richer man!

My signature scent. This is a perfect blending of components from PDN that can be worn anytime of the year and for any occasion and has everything in place from top notes through dry down. Kudos and a heartfelt thank you to Patricia de Nicolai for New York. A masterpiece!

flawless, absolutely flawless

This is just art, pure and precious art. Patricia de Nicolai should give some perfumery lessons to all those wannabe, so called perfumers out there. Wear it and just let things happen.

This is a marvelous fragrance. It`s classic, timeless, masculine elegance in a bottle. It smells very luxurious. If I had to pick just one fragrance for the rest of my life, I would probably pick New York. It`s in the same category as Creed B-D-P and CHANEL Pour Monsieur, but New York is much more complex and better balanced. It`s like 3 fragrances in one. Fragrance expert Luca Turin gave this fragrance 5-stars. His highest rating. I can easily understand why! It`s the highest level of elegance and style. The only thing i regret is that i didn`t buy the 100ml bottle instead of the 30ml..

Fresh and spicey. I like this but not enough to buy it.


8/10

With a honey and citrus opening and a smooth, powdery drydown, this is a scent that can be worn year-round, and by males and females alike. As Goldilocks might say, "This one is just right!"

I looked forward to try this. Top notes reminds me about Aqua de parma Colonia, classic and fresh fragrance. Somehow I think that kind of perfume fits good for travelling. Though this is known as a male fragrance that is enjoyed and used by women, I don't want to wear it myself.

I think I would enjoy it very much on someone else, since it smells natural and different from todays mainstream fragrances.