Six Scents Series Two 5 Richard Nicoll: Nicoll 17
Built for people who want to smell genuinely fresh without smelling like a shower gel or sweet candy, this botanical creation offers a bright, restorative daily reset. Wearers who love authentic herb gardens, crisp caraway seeds, and feathery fennel pollen will feel right at home with its breezy green personality. It shines during relaxed spring afternoons, sunny outdoor brunches, and focused work days when heavy colognes feel overwhelming. A gentle powdery base of white iris petals and earthy angelica root keeps the dry-down polite, grounded, and close to the body, making it a reliable signature for fans of crisp, natural perfumery.
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Performance Metrics
52 VOTESOpen Performance Breakdown 1 TAKE
On bare skin, longevity averages 4 to 6 hours before receding into an intimate musk, while spraying on cotton clothing extends the herbal heart to 7 or 8 hours. Projection reaches about arm's length for the first 45 minutes, creating a 2 to 3 foot personal scent bubble before settling close to the body.
Notes Pyramid
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The scent profile centers on crisp Florentine fennel, bright Tarocco sweet orange, and aromatic black basil over a base of white iris petals and earthy angelica root. It opens with crunchy, watery green stalks and a sweet anise snap, then softens into a clean, sun-warmed garden breeze on skin.
Main Accords
10 MAPPEDFresh spicy and green accords dominate the initial hour, smelling like snappy fennel stalks and torn basil leaves. Over the second and third hours, an aromatic and powdery texture develops as iris and angelica soften the sharpness. The late dry-down rests on a gentle skin musk with a faint, clean woody warmth.
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When to Wear
TAP TO VOTETIME OF DAY · TAP TO VOTE
OCCASIONS · TAP TO VOTE
It looks easiest to wear in summer and spring. The vote picture leans most toward daytime. It makes the most sense for casual wear and work.
Pros & Cons
Quick take before you sampleWHY PEOPLE MAY LIKE IT
Realistic, mouthwatering fresh fennel and basil opening
Completely unisex with a refreshing herbal personality
Safe and polite for close-quarters office environments
Natural botanical scent profile with zero synthetic screechiness
Comfortable, soothing iris and angelica skin-scent dry-down
Excellent breathability during hot spring and summer days
Creative niche collaboration between Richard Nicoll and Rodrigo Flores-Roux
Individually numbered limited edition bottle appealing to collectors
Versatile fit for weekend brunches, casual walks, and daytime work
Distinctive aromatic profile that stands out from typical citrus colognes
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
Intimate projection that pulls close to skin after an hour
Moderate 4 to 6 hour longevity requires reapplying on skin
Rare 2009 limited release of 2,000 bottles that is hard to find
Prominent anise and fennel aroma may alienate licorice skeptics
Lacks the heavy base notes needed for cold winter wear
Too quiet and subtle for evening clubbing or loud parties
Minimal sweetness makes it unsuitable for gourmand lovers
May smell too much like a savory herb garden to mainstream noses
Spray nozzle on vintage Six Scents bottles can feel delicate
Higher secondary market prices due to limited collector supply
Fragranxe Review
EDITORIAL“Six Scents Series Two 5 Richard Nicoll: Nicoll 17 Perfume Review”
Spraying Six Scents Series Two 5 Richard Nicoll: Nicoll 17 feels like slicing open a chilled Florentine fennel bulb on a sun-drenched wooden kitchen counter. The immediate burst is crisp, watery, and unmistakably green, with the natural sweet anise facets of fennel taking the lead. Alongside that distinctive herbal snap, a splash of Tarocco sweet orange cuts through with cheerful citrus sparkle, preventing the opening from feeling too savory. It is bright, energetic, and instantly wakes up your senses without any chemical harshness.
As the initial citrus fizz calms down around the twenty minute mark, the heart unfolds into a rich green garden bed. Exotic black basil steps forward, bringing a warm, sweet, peppery edge that blends seamlessly into the lingering fennel. A sprinkle of caraway seeds adds dry aromatic warmth, while Southern magnolia petals lend a light, lemony floral moisture that keeps the herbs from drying out into culinary potpourri. The composition smells three-dimensional and lively, like real plants swaying under an open summer sky.
On skin, the fragrance transitions from crunchy garden vegetation into a soft, textured second-skin aroma. Watercress and ivy buds introduce an earthy, leafy moisture before powdery white iris petals gently envelop the spices. This powdery iris accord works wonders here, smoothing out the sharper edges of caraway and basil without turning the scent into cosmetic makeup powder. It keeps the scent feeling clean, airy, and deeply comforting as your body heat warms the blend.
While the base of earthy angelica root anchors the skin, performance remains restrained in keeping with its minimalist botanical concept. On bare skin, you can expect between 4 and 6 hours of longevity, with the first 45 minutes projecting roughly two to three feet before it recedes into a personal scent bubble. Spritzing your clothing will easily push the wear time past the 7 hour mark. Its sheer, polite nature makes it ideal for warm spring and summer days, quiet office spaces, weekend farm trips, and relaxed patio dinners where heavier colognes would prove suffocating.
This bottle is crafted for intermediate collectors and perfume enthusiasts who are genuinely fatigued by generic blue shower-gel colognes and sticky gourmands. If you appreciate the crisp aroma of garden greens, crushed fennel pollen, and subtle botanical spices, you will fall in love with its quiet authenticity. It is completely unisex and wears just as comfortably on a man in a linen button-down as it does on a woman in a casual summer dress.
While some wearers might wish for louder sillage or an extra two hours of projection, Nicoll 17 never tries to be a crowd-pleasing room filler. Instead, perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux and fashion designer Richard Nicoll delivered a focused, joyful study of Florentine fennel that smells natural, refreshing, and distinct. It is a memorable green scent that rewards close sniffing and belongs in any serious botanical perfume collection.
FAQs
What does Six Scents Series Two 5 Richard Nicoll: Nicoll 17 smell like when first sprayed?+
It opens with a crisp, crunchy blast of freshly sliced Florentine fennel, sweet orange juice, and crushed ivy buds. The initial smell is green, watery, and subtly sweet, resembling a sunlit kitchen garden where aromatic herbs and citrus have just been sliced for a summer salad.
How does the scent develop from the top notes into the dry-down?+
After thirty minutes, the sharp fennel softens into a heart of peppery black basil, Southern magnolia, and warm caraway seeds. As the hours pass, the herbal spices settle onto a gentle bed of powdery white iris petals, clean musk, and earthy angelica root, becoming an intimate, comforting skin scent.
How long does Nicoll 17 last on skin compared to clothing?+
On bare skin, Nicoll 17 typically lasts between 4 and 6 hours before fading into a faint musky trail. On clothing fibers like cotton shirts or linen jackets, the herbal fennel and caraway heart holds on much longer, offering reliable longevity of 7 to 8 hours without turning sour.
How far does Nicoll 17 project off the body?+
Projection is moderate for the first 45 minutes, creating a clean scent bubble of about two to three feet around you. After the first hour, it pulls inward, sitting within arm's reach and eventually lingering as an intimate scent that people only detect when hugging you.
What seasons and weather conditions suit Nicoll 17 best?+
Nicoll 17 performs at its absolute best during spring and summer, particularly in temperatures between 68 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmth allows the botanical fennel and citrus to radiate naturally without suffocating, whereas frigid winter air tends to suppress its delicate green and floral accords.
What occasions and dress codes are best suited for this fragrance?+
It is ideal for daytime office wear, casual weekend brunches, farmers market trips, and outdoor gatherings. Because its projection is polite and unobtrusive, it never offends coworkers in shared spaces. It is generally too light and informal for black-tie galas or high-energy nightclub parties.
Is Nicoll 17 truly unisex, and who does it lean toward?+
Nicoll 17 is genuinely unisex with a balanced center. It features neither heavy sugary sweetness nor bitter barbershop woods. Men will appreciate its crisp herbal aromatics and clean musk, while women will enjoy its fresh green foliage and soft white iris dry-down. Anyone who loves natural herbs can wear it.
How does Nicoll 17 compare to Diptyque Eau de Lierre?+
While both fragrances celebrate crisp green garden foliage and ivy, Diptyque Eau de Lierre is dewier, woodier, and more focused on wet ivy leaves and cyclamen. Nicoll 17 feels warmer and more aromatic thanks to its distinct Florentine fennel, sweet orange, and peppery black basil notes.
What is the concentration and bottle format of Nicoll 17?+
Nicoll 17 was released as an Eau de Parfum in 2009 as part of the Six Scents Series Two initiative. Each fragrance was packaged in an individually numbered 50ml bottle, limited to a worldwide run of only 2,000 bottles, supporting environmental conservation through Pro-Natura.
What fragrance families or notes layer well with Nicoll 17?+
It layers beautifully with sparkling citrus colognes, neroli soliflores, and clean woody cedar fragrances. Adding a simple cedar or vetiver base gives the airy fennel extra grounding and longevity, while spraying a light bergamot over top amplifies its sunny Mediterranean summer personality.
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Fans of its crisp botanical bite will find similar herbal charm in Diptyque Eau de Lierre, which shares a watery ivy greenness, and Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil for its bright vegetable garden energy. Miller Harris Poirier d'un Soir and Carthusia Io Capri also explore comparable aromatic Mediterranean herbs.
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