Nina Ricci

L’Air du Temps vintage extrait by Nina Ricci
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L’Air du Temps vintage extrait by Nina Ricci

Hellooooo Crew. Today I wanted to chat with you about a historic fragrance that seems to be long forgotten to the modern perfume community. L’Air du Temps was created for Nina Ricci by perfumer Fabrice Fabron with her son Robert, released in 1948 after WWII with a doves symbolizing peace and renewal. When I was a squirt bitch Nina Ricci was one of my counters perfume houses. Even then it was often eschewed for newer, glossier, better advertised fragrances and only its long time lovers continue to buy it. Actually, it was usually the men who bought L’Air du Temps for their loved ones.

L’Air du Temps by Nina Ricci 1948

L'Air du Temps Nina Ricci

Nina Ricci gives these current featured accords:
Top: Carnation, Gardenia
Heart: Centifolia Rose, Grasse Jasmine
Base: Mysore Sandalwood, Iris

While not being a beast mode, attack fragrance that will enter the room before you and dry clean the curtains L’Air du Temps is still a lovely fragrance. Ostensibly a pretty carnation forward floral, which is rare enough in the day of glutinous sweetness, it also still has a little growl of its animals in the base. Yes, even in the newest versions. I have a 30ml EdT bought in the last couple of years. Lighter, fresher but still unmistakable as L’Air du Temps.

The heart is a vivid amalgam bouquet and veers towards a Patou Joy type lushness but with the aldehydes of CHANEL No 5. Not exactly the same as either, and far less strident than both. L’Air du Temps feels like their cousin who never felt the need to try so hard. They’re comfortable, self possessed and, dare I say it, satisfied with their life cousin. The one who has thought about life and the world and accepts their place in it, chooses solid trustworthy friends and takes pleasure in their home and work.

As you will see below, my review bottle today is a 1990s extrait spray. Only 7.5ml and it doesn’t seem like the extrait is available to buy anymore. Shame, because it’s ridiculously beautiful.

Dry down is a floral amber/sandalwood with soft, mossy backbone. The extrait lasts for hours and hours but if I’m wearing the modern EdT it needs refreshing a couple of times a day to make it through to the end.

Aimed at the feminine but perfectly gorgeous on the dudes too.

Did you ever L’Air du Temps?
Portia xx

L’Air du Temps parfum by Nina Ricci
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L’Air du Temps parfum by Nina Ricci

Hello Fellow Fumies,

Some of you may know that way back in the dimness of time I was a Squirt Bitch for a department store in Sydney’s suburbs, my fragrance section was Guerlain, Oscar de la Renta, Worth and Nina Ricci. At the time I was so dazzled by the Guerlains and Oscars that poor old Nina Ricci got left behind, it was the 1980s and very few people were after such subtlety, especially once I started on my “Make a statement” spiel. I recently purchased some L’Air du Temps parfum just for old times sake. Then I found  on Fragrantica Miguel Matos did a sensational 2013 L’Air du Temps 65th Birthday piece and judging by the packaging on my acquisition it’s 1986-2008 juice, except the parfum has gold doves on the box. Which is a SCORE. Today was always going to be about L’Air du Temps but now it has an extra special reason, Happy 75th Birthday L’Air du Temps.

L’Air du Temps parfum by Nina Ricci 1948

L’Air du Temps parfum by Nina Ricci 1948

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Neroli, Rosewood, Spices, Bergamot, Peach
Heart: Carnation, Lily, Ylang, Iris, May rose, Orchid
Base: Sandalwood, Ambergris, Benzoin, Moss, Musk, Cedar, Vetiver

I love a floral, fruity, aldehydic opening of yesteryear, there is so much depth and glamour. It’s spicy and sugared, crisp and warm and fizzy, L’Air du Temps is fun! The parfum version is so much fuller and more powerful in the opening than my memories of the EdT back in the 1980s but the scent is still the same, no not the same but same enough to feel the memories flood back. Both cozy and starched elegance at the same time. Luminous! I am back in time over 20 years and just getting my first perfumista stars.

After the first ten minutes L’Air du Temps takes a definite step towards soft, there becomes space between the various notes and the wall of scent becomes a lovely warm floral aura that is still spicy and punchy but more restrained. There is so much going on in L’Air du Temps that I find it hard to pick individual notes. The cloves are most discernible and I can smell flowers but it’s a dream of flowers nothing specific. While half the time feeling totally old fashioned and dated it also is still spare and pretty enough through the heart to be at ease in today’s fragrant climate. An hour in and I am softly fragrant, maybe if I was sitting in a small room for a while you’d smell a change in the air but otherwise you’d have to hug me to know I’m perfumed.

L’Air du Temps parfum by Nina Ricci 1948 parfum

Amber and sandalwood/cedar are what I smell most of in the dry down, there are other things but I can’t decipher them as notes it’s more of a harmonious background hum. After around 4 hours L’Air du Temps goes so soft I can barely register it but I know that I’m not smelling me, it is definitely other, an amorphous wash that I lose at around 5-6 hours.

How does L’Air du Temps make me feel? Pretty, I feel pretty, no bold statement, very laid back and comfortable. Wearable on any occasion, even close working quarters would not be offended by L’Air du Temps parfum. It is subtle and glamorous without the hard work of appearing to be.

Do you have any L’Air du Temps memories you’d like to share?
Portia xx