Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur Bois Bélize Intense Review (Patricia de Nicolaï) Review + Tropical Woods Draw

September 29, 2020September 29, 2020

Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur Bois Bélize Intense (photo/digital effects: Despina Veneti)©

After the delightful fruity/floral chypre Angelys Pear and the thirst-quenching eau fraîche Eau de Yuzu, Patricia de Nicolaï presents her third 2020 creation, Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur Bois Bélize Intense, a woody/aromatic eau de parfum that translates the notion of ideal tropical woods into scent through the prism of timeless French elegance. The fragrance’s name references the woods of beautiful Belize, the Central American former British colony that was granted independence in 1981, situated between Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea. Belize may be more famous for its long coastline, idyllic beaches and spectacular coral reef system, however more than 60% of the mainland is covered with dense rainforests, known for their impressive biodiversity. Mme de Nicolaï composed her personal fragrant interpretation of the Belizean forests using two (previously paired in her Thé Narghilé home fragrance collection) key ingredients that aptly take the wearer on a fantasy trip to this tropical paradise: Guaiac Wood and Mate.

Patricia de Nicolaï & Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur Bois Bélize Intense (photos courtesy of Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur)©

Guaiac Wood comes from a small blooming tree with evergreen foliage (Bulnesia Sarmientoi, also known as “Palo Santo”, a name it shares with the Bursera Graveolens species) that grows wildly in the Central/South American jungles. In those parts of the world, this “Sacred Wood” has been cherished for centuries, used as multi-purpose incense (to scent/purify the air, heal serious ailments, and ward off evil spirits). The precious aromatic wood is protectively engulfed by the tree’s bark, and the essence used in perfumery is derived from from the stripped heartwood. The guaiac wood oil started being systematically produced in 1938, when the first local oil-producing factory opened in Paraguay; the ever-growing demand for this exceptional natural ingredient brought on the inevitable danger of the plant’s extinction, and the wood’s harvest is currently being regulated. The guaiac oil has a complex, fascinating aromatic profile, ranging from sweetly balsamic to tar-like smokey.

Guaiac Wood (photo: Judith Fuchs, via knisterwelt.com)©, traditionally served mate infusion (photo via bibamagazine.fr)© & Belizean jungle forest (photo: Colin Dodgson)©

Mate (or maté) is another ingredient that instantly transports mind and senses to Central/South America. National beverage of several countries there, mate is a caffeine-rich infusion that is prepared by soaking dried leaves of the yerba mate plant (a type of holly) in hot water, traditionally served in a calabash gourd and drunk with a bombilla (a metal straw that also serves as strainer). This highly stimulating drink is often shared communally, as a social activity with its own etiquette. As a fragrance ingredient, mate exists in both oil and absolute form, with its aromatic properties largely depending on the method of process (for instance, the bleached mate absolute places the emphasis on the fruity and ambery facets of the raw material, as opposed to the prominent leathery, phenolic aspects of the darker absolute). Mate is still somewhat underused in perfumery, but its variety of achievable aromatic effects, as well as its fougère/chypre tonalities, have already attracted the interest of several gifted perfumers, like Mme de Nicolaï.

Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur Bois Bélize Intense (photo/digital effects: Despina Veneti)©

Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur Bois Bélize Intense opens like an invigorating, energising cup of smoked tea with a slice of bergamot, sweetened by sandalwood-like milkiness, and generously spiced by mind-clearing cardamom and heart-warming clove. The use of guaiac wood here is exemplary, being so much more than a base note; in fact, the ingredient shines right from the beginning, complimenting and underscoring all the other raw materials. Its citrusy/fruity undertones add depth to the top notes of juicy bergamot and apricoty osmanthus, while its woody rosiness interestingly tames the floralcy of the rose itself; finally, its lactonic, honeyed woodiness crowns the fragrance’s earthy base (patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss) with a creamy, almost vanillic halo. Equally masterly is the use of the mate absolute; its bitter-sweet, dry and moist, herbaceous scent decidedly aids the guaiac wood in generating the composition’s mystical cloud of incense-like smokiness, with its tobacco leaf and hay accents. On paper, the listed ingredients might give an impression of dark, sober woodiness; however, Mme de Nicolaï’s ever-polished, luminous touch elevates the tangibly earthy notes to the realm of the ethereal.

Notes: Bergamot, Osmanthus, Ambrette Seed; Rose, Cardamom, Clove; Guaiac Wood, Patchouli, Mate, Vetiver, Oakmoss, Musk.

Editor’s note: Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur Bois Bélize Intense is currently exclusively available for purchase at the Nicolaï stores in Paris, Neuilly-sur-Seine and London; from mid-October 2020, it will also be sold through the brand’s online shop.

Disclaimer: I’d like to thank Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur for my bottle of Bois Bélize Intense. The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur, we have a draw for a 30ml bottle of Nicolaï Parfumeur-Créateur Bois Bélize Intense for one registered reader WORLDWIDE. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Despina’s review, if you have a favorite Nicolaï fragrance, and where you live. Draw closes October 2, 2020

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