In the mid-1980s, the House of Nicolaï released a beautiful, stately fragrance for men under the name “New York.” Bright and citrusy, but with distinct floral and spicy elements, it soon became a favorite among men of wealth, power, and prestige. Patricia de Nicolaï herself, catapulted by the success of this and many other masterpieces bearing her signature, eventually became director of the Osmotheque, the world’s scent archive. In the wake of her meteoric rise and continually prolific work for her House, many of her earlier creations, including New York, have been largely forgotten in favor of newer, shinier aquatics and dry, earthy vetiver/citrus creations.
But not everyone has forgotten them.
In the spirit of the title “New York,” we decided to incorporate the scent of pear blossoms, which bloom in Central Park in the springtime and have a famously pungent odor, into a citrus/floral/spice structure to symbolize the beauty of Spring (when the snow finally melts). Because using only our pear blossom accord made the fragrance rather heavy, we decided to lighten it with the scents of apple and cherry blossoms, incorporating all three accords into a base of lemon, orange, orange flower, rose, bay, thyme, sandalwood, patchouli, musk, lavender, and vanilla. The result was a bright, sweet, citrusy scent with a distinctly floral cast and a richly smooth base, perfect for still-chilly Spring mornings where it’s hard to justify getting out of bed. Bright and uplifting, Rhapsody is sure to leave you feeling refreshed and ready to face the day.
We blend all of our fragrances in house and by hand; we do not and never will use pre-blended fragrances for our soaps. Each batch of fragrance is individually blended for a specific batch of soap; we blend our fragrances each and every time to ensure the absolute highest quality.
Please note that our formula produces a very thirsty soap. More water than you are otherwise accustomed to may be required to provide sufficient glide and keep the lather from drying out, but trust us: it’s worth it.
Ingredients: Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Aqua, Glycerin, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Fragrance, Coconut Milk, Potassium Kokum Butterate, Sodium Kokum Butterate, Unrefined Shea Butter, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Lanolin, Allantoin, Silk Protein, Tocopherol Acetate.
however, I couldn't help myself whipping up a test lather for both the SH and B&M and holy moly I've never felt lather like this before! The thickness, the creaminess! I can't wait to have a shave with these soaps!
