Thursday, August 02, 2007

Parfums de Nicolai Mimosaique

I seem to be having a difficult time getting the words out tonight, so you're just getting something short and sweet. Mimosaique has notes of yellow mimosa, green leaves, iris root, jasmine, and anise. The best way I can think to describe this is bottled sunshine. I have a vague feeling I've said that about something else but meant something quite different than what I mean when I say that now, but I'm way too lazy to look it up. Should you come across it somewhere in these "pages," let me know, and perhaps I'll do an actual comparison.

Let's get back to the bottled sunshine at hand, shall we? What does bottled sunshine smell like? Usually, descriptions of bottled sunshine call for words like "bright" and "sparkling," or "citrusy" and "warm." Mimosaique is none of these things. It's not the effect of sunshine--it's the color. It's the color of the sun mid-day at the beach, almost white against a clear blue sky. It's the pale shock of light bouncing off waves. I find it more ethereal and sweet than another mimosa scent I enjoy, Calypso Mimosa. Mimosa has a distinct green note through its early development. In Mimosaique, the green leaves and iris root actually feel more like part of a whole flower. The anise sweetens the mimosa, but luckily does not overpower the delicate yellow floral effect. Which do I prefer? They are different enough that I don't feel I need to choose...or at least to give up my choice! Let's say one is spring (Mimosa) and the other, summer (Mimosaique). What's your choice?

*photo from Luckyscent