Barrister and Mann Rhapsody Shaving Soap (4oz)

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 favourite 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 favour of newer, shinier aquatics and dry, earthy vetiver/citrus creations.

But not everyone has forgotten them.

In the spirit of the title "New York", Barrister and Mann decided to incorporate the scent of pear blossoms, which bloom in Central Park in the springtime and have a famously pungent odour, into a citrus/floral/spice structure to symbolise the beauty of Spring (when the snow finally melts). Because using only their pear blossom accord made the fragrance rather heavy, they 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 clean, 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.