Patchouli Intense

"Patchouli oil is a raw material of great importance in the perfumer`s palette. It plays a first violin in the orchestra. Patchouli has many facets. There is always more to discover about its damp, wet, mossy, dry, almost dusty earthiness. It evokes power and depth", writes Patricia de Nicolaï. With Patchouli Intense, the perfumer wanted to compose a woody oriental for men, but she ended up selling it to women too. And why not? This distinctly un-hippie patchouli straddles both sides of the olfactory gender spectrum…

Opening with a rounded spiciness – cinnamon and bay according to the notes – this perfume never becomes so male that it’s easily identifiable as such. The elegance is a patchouli tamed by floral notes – clearly rose, but there are other supporting facets there too. It’s slightly bitter, slightly green, pretty floral, a touch leathery and complex. A unique blend of dry, sweet grasses sprinkled with a few flowers; a green dampness mingled with the dusty dryness of the grass as if one was standing next to a river on an early fall day of low humidity. Evocative.