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CrysTaLL – :
Cedrat Intense was created by the perfumer Patricia de Nicolai in 2007, through her own line called Parfums de Nicolai. Top notes include lemon, citron, and orange. Middle notes are pink pepper and spicy notes. Base notes are patchouli and woody notes. I would classify this as a (woody) aromatic citrus.
For those unfamiliar with the perfumer, Patricia de Nicolai is the grandson of Pierre Guerlain. Pierre’s brother, Jacques (creator of most of the Guerlain masterpieces from the first third of the twentieth century), is Jean-Paul Guerlain’s father, the last master-perfumer of the Guerlain family. After Jean-Paul breathlessly explained that he “worked like a Negro” on Samsara, adding, “I don’t know if Negroes have always worked like that, but anyway,” he was publicly shamed, fined by the French government, and removed as the creative director of the house, at which point Thierry Wasser officially took over. Therefore, Patricia de Nicolai, despite not carrying the name and having a comparatively obscure perfume house, might be one of the last publically visible family members that is 1) alive, 2) still working, and 3) hasn’t proven themselves to be a racist buffoon.
On to the scent. I find it to be a fairly “simple wear” on my skin, so my review isn’t going to ramble on as they usually do. Cedrat Intense opens with a fresh, cooling blast of high-quality citrus (specifically lemon and citron) that is quite nice. The catch here, and what I think sets it apart from many different citrus perfumes, is that it contains a good dose of sharp pink pepper – not quite enough to make you sneeze, but it definitely sets off the citrus nicely. As it dries down a bit, you start to get some of the green notes (moss) as it dies into a warm, woody base. I really admire how well the cooling effect of the citrus balances off of the warmth of the green moss and woods as the perfume matures on the skin.
One positive and one negative thing that is Parfums de Nicolai-specific. I love that they offer small, 30 ml bottles. (30 ml of Cedrat Intense can be had for $62 USD at Lucky Scent.) Needless to say, this is wonderful for collectors, or for people who need another 100 ml bottle like they need another hole in the head. (You know who you are.) On the other hand, the price per milliliter is still a bit high for a citrus fragrance, especially one that is mostly citrus and pepper. 100 ml of this will cost you $175. This is about at the upper limit for what I would ever spend on any bottle of perfume, and I wouldn’t ever spend it on a something that was so citrus-based and evanescent on the skin.
Of course, being a citrus fragrance, you know what the major gripe will be: its longevity leaves a lot to be desired, even from someone like me who doesn’t expect something to last all day. (However, despite the presence of the word “intense” in the name, this is still advertised as only an eau de toilette, so that might be part of the explanation.) This lasts perhaps a couple of hours on my skin, maybe a little more if it’s exceedingly hot outside. Before I consider purchasing something, I usually want it to pass my four-hour test, and this doesn’t really cut the mustard. If you’re someone who doesn’t mind applying three or four times a day, though, this is really beautifully made perfume. As you can probably tell from the review, it’s certainly nothing groundbreaking, but it’s very nicely put together. The house also has a number of perfumes that seem better-suited for colder weather, including an Amber Cashmere Intense, Incense Oud, Cuir Cuba Intense, Patchouli Intense, Amber Oud, and Rose Oud. They also offer an Oud Sublime in exilir de parfum concentration that will set you back $425 for 35 ml. I plan on trying as many of these as possible and reporting back with any good news.
Postscript: I love how at least two people have mentioned that they can smell cedar in this, especially considering there is no cedar in it. “Cedrat” is French for “citron,” people. That would be the citrus that you’re smelling, not the woody base. You sound like an idiot when you smell something like this and say that you smell cedar because 1) you clearly don’t, and 2) it shows that you didn’t take the 5 seconds to look up what “cedrat” means.
Sanek055 – :
Class in a bottle, what else can I say…
Perfectly executed, this scent is fresh and radiant, but has just enough going on in the base (creamy woods, pepper and a generous amount of oakmoss) to give the sparkling top some depth and a hint of bitterness. It’s a rather understated scent, and therefore incredibly versatile. Can be worn to the office as well as on a night out or after a work-out. You’ll just be a beacon of good taste where ever you go! Puts a smile on my face all day long…….
Валерка – :
Nice scent, but really more masculine than I like. For me, it’s the cedar that makes it so masculine.
CubaRe – :
At first I thought very similar to Boucheron Pour homme. Same bitter/tangy lemon open with dare I saw an oakmoss smell.
When this quiets down it reminds me of Chanel Cristalle EAU VERTE. Same fizzie lemonade type of smell.
Conclusion:
A cross between Boucheron Pour Homme and Cristalle EAU VERTE.
Nicely done with quality ingredients but nothing ground breaking. Maybe worth a sniff if you are looking specifically for a lemon scent.
Jocelyn_fromAF – :
On Patricia Nicolai’s webpage this fragrance is listed as “for men”. I could not find it under the “for women” section, and the notes are the same as listed here on Fragranctica… Also the place I ordered it sold it as a “for men” fragrance. Anyways this is a very pleasant scent. Fresh and peppery with a woody/patchouli base. Good for every occasion. Could be labeled as unisex. The ingredients are the highest quality! Recommended!
aaa011speagoessenda – :
Starts out really citrucy and you get the smell of cedar tree that spicy-resinous scent that reminds me of Mediterranean.I believe that it blends wonderful with leather and can be used daily.Refreshing!
DWERROURN – :
I really love a number of PdN fragrances (Vanille Tonka, Balkis, Just un Reve, Sacrebleu, and Le Temps d’Une Fete), but Cedrat Intense is not for me.
I love the sharp, sinus-clearing lemony/citron opening — it smells great but like most citrus, doesn’t last long. I do tend to like woody scents, but something in CI (leather? patchouli?) seems far too masculine for my taste. I fully admit that I prefer more feminine scents, and if you are either male yourself or quite comfortable wearing masculine-leaning stuff, this one is well-put-together and very pleasant.
I just found myself wishing that I could smell this one on a man, instead of on me.
Amortizator – :
I tried so hard to become friends with Parfums de Nicolai and I finaly managed. All PdN fragrances I’ve ever tried seemed to be not for me, but everything changed after trying Cedrat intense.
This fragrance is citrus-woody with a very bright note of fresh edible ginger (even though it’s not in the pyramid of notes) at the beginning. I find Cedrat intense more or less linear scent, but not flat at all. The scent doesn’t change too much in time, it just “sticks” more to the skin and becomes more woody and more spicy. The dry down, for my nose, smells of tequila with green lime, which was just sliced on the wooden table. Very juicy!
The lasting power is really good – I sprayed it on yesterday and still can smell it this morning!
Worth trying!