If you are looking for something distinctly gourmand then you would be wise to look no further than Fragrance number 10 by Nikkos-Oskol. If you’re a fan of edible notes, particularly chocolate and vanilla, then you’re definitely on to a winner with this scent.

We’ve been banging on about the Nikkos-Oskol oil based fragrances for a while now and in Fragrance number 10 we see another great example of a perfume that moves with a languid sensuality due to it’s oil-based (rather than alcohol-based) formulation. No 10 is very different to the others we have reviewed from this range (Fragrance no 3, Fragrance no 7, Fragrance no 13 and Fragrance no 21) in that it will very much appeal to those who like their perfumes to smell edible and delicious. The notes say woody, but we think they must have been referring to chocolate logs because this is gourmand all the way!

Listed notes

Sage, patchouli, labdanum, musk, amber, vanilla.

The brand

If you’ve visited us before then you will know that Nikkos-Oskol perfumes are different because they are oil, rather than alcohol based. This means that the fragrances last exceptionally well, are much less harsh (both on the skin and on the nose), and release their fragrance slowly over the course of wearing. Definitely a brand to check out if you like longevity, or have sensitive skin which needs delicate handling.

Top notes

When you apply this scent, although it smells immediately, it takes a while to fully open up with the warmth of your body. There is also no initial burst of alcohol to work through which means that the notes tend to unfurl over the course of several minutes rather than exploding on to your skin and then quickly moving on.

What initially comes through with Fragrance no 10 is chocolate. It evokes the scent of tearing into a foil wrapped bar and catching that heady whiff of cocoa and milk rising up to greet you. It almost makes your mouth water it’s that nice.

Tonka and vanilla gradually enter and mix with the chocolate to give some nuances of light and shade to the fragrance.

The top note listed is sage and we couldn’t get that at all even when tested on a couple of different people. There is a herbal note right at the very extreme-most end of an inhale of this fragrance but even though we love sage, we couldn’t identify it as such.

Heart notes

The sweet and gourmandy start gradually subsides and a heavier, denser note creeps in. This is very much how it is wearing an oil-based fragrance; one note does ever so gradually fade away and another one tip-toes in, so quietly that you don’t realise the first one has gone until you look back at the notes you made and realise it’s receded.

The heart of the fragrance does have wood in it, but it also has an almost moist, stoney soil-like note to it too. Both are subtle, but they serve the purpose of really grounding the fragrance after a sweet and transient start. These notes really flesh out the scent and differentiate it from the less deftly handled gourmands.

The patchouli also sneaks in here, but it’s very delicately handled so it smells nothing like a hippy shop at all (why do hippy shops always smell of patchouli, incidentally?). Patchouli has a very distinct woody, earthy, green smell, which is sometimes reminiscent of incense (maybe that’s the hippy shop connection?), however, it’s use in perfume varies wildly from the sublime to the ridiculous. Thankfully this perfume is very much towards the sublime end of the spectrum (and I say that as someone who really struggles with patchouli). If you don’t like patchouli then definitely don’t be put off by its inclusion here.

Here’s a really interesting article about patchouli from Aromatherapy Bible if you want to read more.

Base notes

As fluidly as day slips into night, so this perfume gradually eases towards its base. Here we get more of the woody, dense notes with the thickness of amber rising up slowly as well. Sexy, musky notes also become apparent giving just the slightest of animalistic edges. The sweet chocolate, vanilla and tonka notes never vanish entirely so the perfume remains cohesive throughout, but the thickness in the heart and base really tie the scent down and ground it close to the skin. They give it a thick quality which feels a little like you are inhaling the perfume equivalent of creme patissiere, in a very pleasant way though.

The other stuff

The longevity of this scent is really good, it lasts and lasts all day without the need for reapplication. The sillage, or projection, of the scent is moderate and tends towards the sweeter notes. We haven’t found any of the Nikkos-Oskol oils to be particularly ‘shouty’ perfumes that announce their arrival three minutes before you actually enter the room, but there is something classy and elegant about that. What they lack in volume they certainly make up for in staying power.

Due to the sweet, dense nature of the perfume, we felt that it would wear best in the Autumn when the crisper air would really allow those cosy notes to shine and be extra delicious.

We have found all the Nikkos-Oskol range to be extremely easy to wear scents that would suit a range of people. An excellent choice if you are looking for a fragrance for someone as a gift, particularly if you know that they already enjoy – for example – gourmand fragrances. This perfume in particular is described as unisex and we felt that it comfortably was so, perhaps tending slightly towards the more stereotypically masculine end of the spectrum.

Nikkos-Oskol fragrances are available exclusively in the UK through Bloom Perfume, London, who kindly supplied us with a sample of this gourmandy delight. Fragrance number 10 is priced at £98 for 35ml extrait in oil. As mentioned previously, this sounds expensive for the volume that you get but you need far less than you do with an alcohol based spray scent and it lasts really well. We reckon that wear for wear it will actually represent good value for money.

Have you tried any of the Nikkos-Oskol fragrances yet? Get in touch and let us know what you think.