Nina Ricci
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Twin citrus notes assault with genuine sharpness—an insistent lime-and-lemon combination that sparkles with aldehydic snap and genuine zest. Within the first few breaths, however, that candied apple note begins its inexorable rise, already threatening to overwhelm the brighter elements with its sticky-sweet presence.
The candy-apple accord fully takes command, sweet and somewhat artificial-smelling, while the citrus retreats to a tart background whisper. A whisper of gardenia materialises—delicate, waxy, almost apologetic—attempting to lend some floral dignity to what is otherwise an unabashedly fruity-sweet composition. The fragrance at this stage smells like a confectionery counter rather than a bouquet.
Musk and white cedar emerge as increasingly prominent, offering faint woody warmth and a skin-like softness that prevents the scent from remaining purely sugary. The overall impression becomes more generic and diffuse, with the opening's citrus brightness and the heart's fruit-forward character fading into a pale, powdery sweetness that clings rather than projects.
Les Belles de Nina represents a peculiar moment in the mid-2000s fragrance zeitgeist—when fruity florals were being pushed towards increasingly candied territory, yet still tethered to citrus freshness. Olivier Cresp has constructed something genuinely bifurcated here: a fragrance that cannot quite decide whether it wants to be a sparkling morning shower or a dessert course.
The lime and lemon arrive with genuine bite, the kind of tart green-skinned citrus that suggests you've just twisted peel over your wrist. But within minutes, a cloying candied apple note musclesits way forward—not the crisp, juicy apple of nature, but rather the fairground iteration, glossy with sugar and artificial-tasting in the most compelling way. This collision of tart citrus meeting saccharine fruit creates an almost jarring personality: simultaneously refreshing and cloying, bright yet syrupy.
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3.6/5 (224)