Sacrebleu Intense
Nicolaï (2008)

I was worried about the addition of "intense" in the title, as Nicolai's original homage to L'Heure Bleue was plenty intense as it was.

Not to worry though. This smells exactly as it should - the original orange-jasmine-carnation accord is present, perhaps richer, and with much more polish. This has always been an obvious homage to L'Heure Bleue (sacreBLEU) but with violet that made the classic so dusky, swapped for a fun fruit accord. Like adding a dash of hope to one of the most beautifully bleak creations ever made.

Highly recommended.

An update to the current notes: Bergamot, Blackcurrant, Raspberry, Peach; Jasmine, Tuberose, Carnation, Cinnamon, Coriander; Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Styrax, Benzoin, Civet, Castoreum, Amber.

I never got to try the original Sacrebleu – of which Luca Turin wrote one of his most poetic (and non-descriptive) reviews, while stopping one star short of awarding it full honours – and now all that is available is this Intense version. It's a nocturnal white floral, creamy tuberose and jasmine in a languid milky swirl over a sweet vanillic base. The fruity notes tilt it at times slightly towards pink bubble-gum. Cosy, comforting, calorific, but, for my taste, a bit lacking in mystique.

Prepare yourself to be granted a sweet redemption, to gain a second or third youth, to leave the ground and premises in bliss...

Concentrate on happiness!

Notes:
Olibanum and Peru Balsam control the -harsh- tubereuse. Carnation and Tonka Bean rule over the omnipresent cinnamon. Mandarin, Jasmin and Sandal turn your face to the light!

Sacrebleu Intense has lifted me with joy.

I love this perfume. Even though it is so different from my usual taste (I have a sweet tooth). The tuberose is very well done here: not to loud. Present yes, but very sensual. Good sillage too. I really smell Patricia's hand in this perfume.

My husband was enamored. He is just a man, not an enthusiast.

Unlike one reviewer, I do not get a strong impression of cinnamon.

This is (for me) a veil-like mix of white florals, soft woods and just enough frankincense and patchouli to give heft, and therefore solidify this into my regular rotation.

The vanilla falls in the category with Mona di Orio's Vanille, not becoming overly sweet, though it is more of an "edible" type than the scent I get from MdO's masterpiece. Even if you own Vanille, Sacrebleu Intense is well worth having a place in one's wardrobe.

I get cinnamon, but the horrid thing is that on my skin it smells like a cheap cinnamon candle.

You ever been to a candle store, and then felt a bit yuck after smelling a tonne of candles? That's this scent on my skin, unfortunately. :(

Orange, carnation, tuberose, jasmin, touch of cinnamon, bezoinish vanilla. Sweet but not fruity once the initial orange has departed. Close to, the jasmin is not wholly evident, but floats a nose- distance away until displaced by carnation (not cloves). The cinnamon is a mere hint (according to the assistant in PdN in Paris the 'intense' version has vanilla instead of cinnamon, but it's still there to me). Overall less spicy than sacrebleu and therefore easier to wear. Intense is an edp rather than the original sacrebleu which is an edt. However the difference is not just in the concentration, they smell noticeably different, so worth trying both