Vie de Chateau Parfums de Nicolaï for women and men

Wonderful creation, very unique. The first impression reminds me the cut grass in the morning after a rainy night with a very light touch of pure tobacco in the background and musk. It's perfect unissex fragrance for women and men no matter where and when.

This is sort of embarrassing, but Vie de Chateau is like an aphrodisiac for me. It reminds me of sexy times on a summer day in an open field out in the country: crushed grass (vetiver), clean sweat (grapefruit) and pheromones (musk, leather). I walk around smiling like an idiot whenever I wear it, it's so beautifully upbeat and sexy in a healthy, sunny way. If VdC were a woman, it would be someone like Reese Witherspoon or Carrie Underwood. Bonus: for a niche frag, the price isn't too painful.

Starts out sweet and melonish-peachish fruity, slightly soapy, slightly green, and strongly chemical-metallic. It’s an odd combination. I suppose the chemical-metallic note has something to do with the tobacco accord, possibly combining badly (to my nose) with the green grass and fuity-floral components. Generally, I dislike “fresh-cut grass” scents, including the real thing, so that accord may be one of the reasons I’m put off by the opening.

As it dries down, the odor of sharp, metallic, macerated green stuff subsides, leaving a pleasant, sweet, fruity-floral scent. I don’t smell citrus at all, but rather something sort of like weak dried peaches. After about an hour, what is left is a very nice, soft chypre base. That part I really enjoy. The whole thing lasts only about 3-4 hours total. Not really my style.

My first wearing was absolutely glorious. I skipped along in thoughts of Ivoire de Balmain while humming the tune 'What a Wonderful World'. This was the day I moved from one third floor apt to another. It was a hot day, and yes I was stinky. But Vie de Chateau was up to the task, so I was up to the love; made more so by not having to smell myself.

But enter day two. Today was a cubicle day. A cotton shirt with no sweat stains day. Oi, what a difference. Vie wore like a wet sock, and I found myself wondering what the hell happened.

This just tanked. I agree that its an herbal chypre, and I think it's the citrus thats making this sour. Is it my sample? I don't know. I get no grass, no mouth watering hay, no leather. Boo. I even reapplied at night time, hopping for a come back, but truly this smells like a wet, herbaceous disaster.

Moving on...

(Vie de Chateau Intense.)

Vie de Chateau tucks neatly into the citrus chypre genre, with connections to Diorella, Eau Sauvage (compare the very first sniff of each side by side!), Moustache and its own sibling Weekend a Deauville. It has that fresh sophistication that citrus chypres tend to have.

VdC’s smart twist, though, is that it has a strong note of hay that ties it directly to the fougère and indirectly to leather chypres. The hay note is a bit nut-like at first, but eventually pulls VdC toward a dry dark, base that is the perfect conclusion to the crisp yet disenchanted spirit of the best citrus chypres.

Love it. It has a great melon note in the beginning before settling down to a more traditional cologne structure. Probably more suited as a masculine fragrance but I loved it. - Very refreshing.

Vie de Chateau sits right between Eau Sauvage and Diorella. It is a lemony chypre with a herbal touch.
I love the wonderful start - exhilarating, fresh, simply wonderful, but the drydown is not 100% up my alley... might be due to the herbs used (tarragon, cistus). There's a faint hint of leather, too, but it remains in the background. Given the fact that this is an Eau fraiche, the lasting-power is good (about 3 hs). Not my favourite Patricia de Nicolai scent, but better than many others in the field.
7 out of 10 points on my personal scale.

I really love this creation. Definitely my favorite from Parfums de Nicolai. At the beginning my nose catches the smell of fresh cut grass, a little of grapefruit and a hint of leather. Later it mostly smells like hay with a little of vetyver and moss. Vie de Chateau is modern and classic at the same time, though easy to wear. Definitely unisex. It's a perfect choice for women who like interesting, non-sweet, manly fragrances.