Parfums de Nicolai: Le Temps D'Une Fête and Maharadjah

I've only tested two fragrances so far from Paris perfume house Parfums de Nicolai (New York and Odalisque), so I figured it was long past time for some further exploring within the brand.

LE TEMPS D'UNE FETE: Le Temps D'une Fête gets a lot of rapturous reviews and spontaneous praise across the Net for its old-school feel. A complex, shadowy floral that's often classified within the chypre genre due to the presence of oakmoss in its base, LTDF unfolds in layers, from sweet florals to light incense resins to green mosses and smooth sandalwood.

The overall effect is that of a slightly candied, green floral -- I think the "candied" bits might result from the inclusion of the galbanum and opoponax resins. The oakmoss in the base adds just the necessary touch of dark earthiness to ground the fragrance, giving it an air of sleek sophistication where otherwise it might have been just another sweet floral.

The sandalwood in the drydown is beautifully done, as well, wrapping up the production so nicely that you'll want to run right back to the front of the line, buy another ticket and start all over again.

MAHARADJAH: Maharadjah is not quite what I was expecting from Parfums de Nicolai, and that's the bad news. The good news is that I can save you grief and a bit of cash by recommending that you buy a bottle of L'Oiseau de Nuit, instead.

Maharadjah is available as a home fragrance and candle, as well as a perfume, and I would say that its function as a home fragrance is far more suitable than its use as a personal fragrance. While it offers a terrific patchouli in its base, the lavender, clove and cinnamon top notes are off-putting on the skin, and smell nearly identical to a spicy solid-gel air freshener a friend of mine once used to mask the foul odors emanating from the kitty litter box stashed in a corner of her bathroom.

I realize there are people out there who love Maharadjah (and I apologize if I've offended you), but there are so many other (and so many other wonderful) perfumes available on the market (including Parfums de Nicolai's own Odalisque and Le Temps D'Une Fête, for example) that I think it would actually be a shame to shell out hard earned cash on a perfume that exhibits more than passing similarities to a drugstore room freshener.

If you're looking for exotic, it would be a dereliction of duty if I didn't steer you toward fragrances from Parfumerie Generale, Annick Goutal or Amouage, instead. Parfums de Nicolai does a great job with traditional florals and classic ambers, but this spicy routine doesn't appear to be their specialty.