Fleur de Fleurs (1980)
by Nina Ricci

Top notes: aldehydes, green notes, bergamot and lemon
Middle notes: cyclamen, rosemary, magnolia, iris, lilac, jasmine, hiacynth, ylang ylang and lily-of-the-valley
Base notes: sandalwood, musk and civet
To me this is a classic Nina Ricci floral on a slightly richer base, that sets it apart in maturity from the other young lovelies in the Ricci line-up. While Fleur de Fleurs is still very feminine and soft, it also has a slighly bolder, womanly aspect, that is the teensiest bit sexy.
FdF opens with a lavish cloud of sweet flowers, from which I was able to discern something purplish like violette, iris or lilac as well as the famous Ricci flowers. Immediately, I noticed that Fleur de Fleurs has more staying power than some of her sisters, which I definitely appreciate. For some reason, although they do not smell similar, FdF reminds me of Guerlain's Insolence as they are both classic French florals, with a sweet strong thickness that gives it some presence and strength.
As is true with all NR, these must be experienced in the vintage to be properly appreciated.

23rd January, 2012.

Fleur de Fleurs and Eau de Fleurs are different strengths of the same fragrance; therefore my review for both is almost identical.

I used to wear both regularly, and could see no difference between the two, apart from the strength. I first bought Eau de Fleurs in the mid 80s when a local department store had a promotion on it and L'air Du Temps; they had sold out of L'air Du Temps (which I had already tried and liked), so I bought the Eau de Fleurs instead. It quickly became one of my all time favourites, even though I don't usually go for light, white floral secents. I much prefer it to L'air Du Temps, which I find quite bland in comparison.

The fragrance has very subtle citrus and spice notes against a sumptuous background of creamy white and pink florals; I'd say there's apple blossom note in there. It is light and pretty, without being oversweet.

I'm really not sure if Eau and Fleur de Fleurs are still in production - they're certainly not shown on the Nina Ricci website at the moment, and it's been quite a few years since I've seen it on sale.

23rd March, 2010.

Fleur De Fleurs starts out with a generous rush of citrus, greens, and bergamot. As it calms down you can relax and enjoy the blend of bright white florals including jasmine, lily -of -the -valley, and magnolia. The drydown will reveal a rich sweet sandalwood, smoky civet, vanilla, and a light musk reminiscent of Kiehl's musk oil. This fragrance has a true Southern Belle feel to it, sultry enough to fall in love with.

21st October, 2006.