L'Air Du Temps by Nina Ricci, 1948

Nina Ricci may have come out with some great fragrances over the years but this isn't one of them. Despite the famous Lalique bottle and the phenominal sales history, this simple, linear perfume is sad and doesn't even smell very good. When I was growing up, this was considered to be an appropriate fragrance for a girl just coming into womanhood--it was expensive, French and not too--how shall we say--provocative? Instead it is the olfactory equivalent of virginity. Worse still, of frigidity. This is not the ripe friut waiting to be plucked--this has spinster written all over it. On a young woman it smells pretty, sexless and off-putting; on a mature woman it is just ridiculous. My sister, as a well brought up young lady, was given a bottle of this and it sat for years on her dresser--admired for its frosted crystal stopper but unused, while she went through bottles of her favorite perfumes. A cousin of mine who is a lesbian chose this for her scent early on--not the feminine perfume-wearing type, she liked it because there was nothing remotely sexy or threatening about it. Sadly, now that it has become a cheap drugstore fragrance, it doesn't even have the prestige of the couturier's brand to support it. If you ever wondered how to suck any sensuality out of a fragrance, study L'Air du Temps.

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.

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.

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.