Nina Ricci
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
A snappy, almost tart entrance as rhubarb's herbaceous tartness crashes against bergamot's zesty brightness, creating a momentary sharpness that catches you off-guard. There's something almost savoury here, as though you've stepped through the door of a patisserie mid-preparation.
Tuberose and angels trumpet soften that initial edge into something creamier and noticeably sweeter, though never entirely graceful—there remains a slightly waxy, almost artificial quality that prevents it from sinking into conventional prettiness. The patchouli emerges beneath, earthy and grounding, whilst rose adds astringency and a faintly spiced warmth.
The composition settles into a powdery embrace where sandalwood and patchouli become increasingly prominent, creating a soft, almost skin-like base that's decidedly less floral than what came before. The sweetness recedes, revealing something subtly smoky and slightly musty—oddly comforting despite the fragrance's initial waywardness.
Ricci Ricci announces itself as something decidedly quirky—a fragrance that refuses the expected path of linear floral elegance. Aurélien Guichard has constructed a composition where rhubarb's tart, almost vegetative sharpness wrestles with bergamot's citric brightness, creating an opening that feels more culinary than conventional. This is not the soft florality you might anticipate; instead, the perfumer pairs that bracing top accord with tuberose and angels trumpet that arrive thick and creamy, almost dessert-like in their sweetness.
The genius lies in the tension between opposing forces. Where you might expect powdery softness—and the 64% powdery accord certainly delivers—there's instead a slightly green, spiced underbelly courtesy of that 52% spicy character. The tuberose doesn't bloom into voluptuous prettiness; it borders on candied, almost medicinal. Rose offers a tart, slightly tart quality rather than romantic warmth, anchored by patchouli that lends earthiness and a whisper of the smoky.
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3.5/5 (127)