L'Air du Temps (1948)
by Nina Ricci

Top notes: carnation, peach, neroli, bergamot, rose and Brazilian rosewood
Middle notes:rosemary, carnation, gardenia, violet, orchid, cloves, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang and rose
Base notes: spices, iris, amber, sandalwood, amber, musk, benzoin, oak moss, vetiver and cedar

I disliked this fragrance for so long, despite wanting to like it, and repeatedly testing it, I thought it smelled shrill and headachy and then I tried the vintage.
Let me just say, that whatever yellow water they are churning out these days is not the same L'Air du Temps, the original fragrance by Nina Ricci.
What L'Air du Temps should be is a thick, rich peppery carnation scent with
a healthy dose of gardenia, and not really all that "airy" despite the name.
I also find the Lalique dove/ splash Parfum bottle a little "much", clumsy and awkward to open.
What I did come across online (and am very pleased with,) is a vintage Parfum spray tester.
that provides a big spray of the classic vintage scent without all the packaging. That
has been my experience with L'Air, If you can wrestle the original fragrance from all the subsequent branding and reformulations, it is sheer deliciousness.

29th January, 2012.

I cant come to be friends with this one. I find it very unclassy and cheap-smelling. It -even if it sounds a little harsh here- reminds my of some bathroom-cleaners. Its pretty stinging and artificially. nah, would not want to smell it on my loved-ones. (and said them so :). thumbs down

1st January, 2012.

Because of its oh-so-standard ordinary concept, a multi-floral, some feel it is boring. But this is my favorite Easter-time perfume, as a splash perfume. It is the Primavera of my scent collection. This scent can make you believe in fairies and the Easter Bunny and the sainted miracles. It may seem simple but it is actually orrnately woven, no minor keys, reminiscent of the good spirited smaller fairy kingdom. It dances well, like excellent champagne at a party. It creates a a grand ballroom where everybody is witty, tipsy, and released from the schackles of sarcasm and side-steps double-entendres that might be hurtful.

It is clear in spirit. I will not wear it in autumn or in winter. It is not a wooly spirit, and fine woolens are my favorite fabrics of all time. This is pure silk chiffon and silk oraganza, a pouf de la pouf of crisp flowery headroom, pale green tendrils lovingly wrapped around your body. It feels no pain, which means it is minus some maturity and depth that my favorite scents revel in. There is no irony or surprising juxtaposition in this perfume, but it is luxurious and elevating, and I like flying with it beginning with daffodil season through summertime.

6th November, 2011.

L'Air du Temps is a soapy floral like hundreds of others out there, such as Je Reviens. The only thing that makes it any bit interesting is the carnation, which I enjoy but can come off as old-fashioned. If this was powdery rather than soapy, and a bit darker rather than bright, it would be outstanding for modern tastes. But as it is, it's just meh.

28th October, 2011.

L'air du temps is one of my favourite spicy florals of all times. Unfortunately, where I live, drugstores have been overselling it at ridiculously low prices for over 25 years making it a very common fragrance. L'air du temps ended up being considered a cheap perfume and many women refuse to wear it because of that. It's a pitty. This great classic deserved better.

5th September, 2011.

This fragrance is what I'd call a peachy floral. It's quite airy and fresh, and in my opinion, something that not many people will expect from a 40's fragrance.

L'Air du Temps has a strange opening. I can only describe the top notes as having a very strong soapy smell, which isn't very clean, refreshing or appealing. For a moment I wondered why this was such a popular scent.

Then came the array of florals and spicy notes, supplanting the reason why L'Air du Temps is still on the shelves. Peach, rose and carnation are very dominant here. They give off a rich and distinctive smell which is only complimented by the subtle hints of clove and rosemary.

Heading towards the drydown, L'Air du Temps becomes increasingly powdery and warm. The spices become much stronger as the vetiver note commands attention. On my skin the drydown is quite sweet, however on paper the scent can be quite loud and harsh.

The lasting strength is brilliant. It lasted all day and even after a long shower. I don't think this scent will appeal to everyone, so it's best to try before buying. However, I have a lot of time for this scent. It is unfortunate that I cannot try L'Air du Temps prior to its reformulation.

26th June, 2011.