I love Parfums de Nicolai, and when I heard about the launch of Week-end a Deauville (a Paris exclusive at the time and a limited edition) I knew that I had to have it in my collection. At the time, I had not yet purchased a full bottle unsniffed, so I was weary of buying an expensive bottle from Paris and wasn't sure exactly how to go about it, though I had purchased from "theparisshopper" on ebay before with some success... and I considered asking her to pick up a bottle for me.
As luck would have it, a fellow MUA'er (J) was kind enough to send me a sample. Along with it in this package, she sent Violette in Love, MDCI Un Coeur en Mai, and a few other "spring time" scents which were created by Patricia Nicolai. Violette in Love was the other limited edition that was released at the same time as Week-end a Deauville, and I expected to love both.
Week-end A Deauville
From the beginning, I loved Week-end a Deauville: it's a charming spring floral with a salty edge, very natural and very pretty. Some perfumes smell like a color to me, and this smells yellow and makes me think of yellow powdered pollen. It smells natural. It's commonly classified as a "dry chypre" or a "floral chypre", which seems to fit. I do find it dry, but I would classify it as a "green floral chypre" myself. It's a well blended bouquet of flowers to my nose. There's not much development, and for once, that doesn't bother me at all. It stays approachable and pretty throughout the day and lasts fairly well on my skin. It's in my top 10 most favorite perfumes, and I have purchased a decant and worn it at least once a week since then. When I found a bottle on ebay, I snatched it up immediately: it's one of the highlights of my collection. I've read that Week-end a Deauville was discontinued and no longer in production, but shortly after that BeautyHabit in the US added it to their site. Either that is a lucky coincidence or fellow perfumistas should consider immediately buying a bottle. (I even considered a backup bottle when I saw it on their site.)
For those of you who are trying to get an idea if you would like it unsniffed, I think that it is very similar to MDCI Un Coeur en Mai, but with less bergamot and petitgrain. Week-end a Deauville is also more sheer and more salty, with a less dominent rose note. It's most simialar to Parfums de Nicolai Eau du Lude, but lacks the cloying aspects and smells more natural. Other reviewers compare it sometimes to Guerlain Chamade, but I don't find it to be very similar myself. On my skin, Chamade is far sharper, heavier and less natural smelling.
Violette In Love
At first, I didn't appreciate this one. My first impressions was that they were both spring time scents, but Violette in Love was more than just a pretty floral, with notes of lemon, a soft fruity rasberry, in addition to the rose and violets. It was pretty but it was also fruity, and I suppose that I've become jaded against fruity florals which seem mainstream to me now. Add to this the fact that I had a full packet of new samples to explore. I was so blinded by how beautiful Week-end a Deauville and Un Coeur en Mai smelled that I didn't really pay enough attention to ViL. Violette In Love made a stronger impression on me after I smelled Ormonde Jayne Seraphim and was looking for a cheaper alternative; then, as I sampled more rose/violet perfumes, I found Violette in Love to be a perfect, cheerful, citrus-y alternative in a cologne style with good sillage.
Photo taken by me and my husband. All rights reserved.
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SOTD Perfume Review: Week-end a Deauville by Parfums de Nicolai
Perfume House: Parfums de Nicolai
Creator / Nose: Patricia Nicolai
Year: 2009
Classification: Green Floral Chypre
Perfume Notes: You'll see different notes listed everywhere you look. Almost all refer to galbanum, lily-of-the-valley, bergamot, petitgrain, rose, mimosa, pink pepper, and hyacinth. Some also mention styrax, oakmoss and clove.
What you mostly smell: A well blended spring floral with a salty edge. It smells very natural without any chemical harshness. It's salty without being beachy, and though it has a lot of lily of the valley, it doesn't smell like soap the way many LoTV perfumes tend to.
Lasting Power: Good, but I recommend heavily pre-moisturizing your skin before you wear it. It lasts, but it is very sheer and doesn't have great projection. If you are wearing it for your own pleasure, that won't bother you at all.
Similar to: I find it most VERY similar to Parfums de Nicolai's Eau du Lude, but Eau du Lude tends to be a bit cloying and heavy. If you are looking for a more complex and more sheer Eau du Lude, this is for you! Also similar to MDCI Un Coeur en Mai. Other reviewers mention similarities to Guerlain Chamade and Le Temps d'une fête but personally, I don't find it to be very similar to those.
Other Reviews at: I Smell Therefore I am, MimiFrouFrou and
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