Fleur de Fleurs Nina Ricci for women

I got this vintage item off eBay years ago when I was reliving my youth. I actually could buy Nina Ricci in my regional town chemist (pharmacy/drug store) YIKES fifty years ago. I got Farouche a few times and also fell totally in love with Bigaride, the quintessential citrus orange bergamot chypre which to me also still smells modern. These were actually the sweet gourmands and fruits when Shalimar was your vanilla and Mitsouko was your peach.
This iris-y sweet complex but light floral blows the nasty current metallic woody ‘unisex’ floral iris things INTO THE REEDS. Always hopeful, but I’ve been doomed to disappointment and I basically stopped my iris quest after Iris Silver Mist and Irisss.
I’ve probably been triggered by wearing vintage LHeure Bleue in both a spritz of toilette and then smearing of parfum just like in the olden days for New Years Eve, thinking of the bravest fighting for freedom from invaders in Europe.
Most of the time I’m dragging myself, usually willingly, into the current offerings, but feel myself slumping into another jaded phase regarding my love of perfume.
The tacky cheap white and pink floral plastic container , apparently designed to be easily refillable ( everything old is new again), is a bit cringey, and its bulk makes me store it simply alone on a shelf instead of tucked away in my collections. And, after a desultory spray when I’m looking for something else, I always end up shocked by how beautiful the fragrance is. The aldehydes may open stale and dated with age, but the iris is ultra white and powdered, the floral melange is super pink and lillified. The dry down seems to be totally modern in its sweetly rosey heliotropey white musk. All this with beautiful lasting sillage in a ‘parfum de toilette’, i.e., a body spray.

Holy, Wow this is pretty. It really reminds me of perfumes that women wore when I was a child. Women who seemed very glamourous to a young teenage girl raised on a dairy farm. My mother was a leather crafts woman, and it was a major source of income for us. She got some Italian clients from NJ that liked to come to rural PA and hunt. We became friendly w/ them, (such nice people) and they were allowed to hunt on our lands. Anyway, the men bought a lot of custom-made leather goods from my mother. The wife of one of the men always smelled really beautiful to me. I could tell it was an expensive perfume even at the tender age of 14. It smelled so refined and classy but w/ a hint of sensuality underneath all the bright lemon and herbs, lush and vibrant florals and clean powder. This perfume reminds me of that exquisite Italian wife. She must have worn something like this or maybe it was this perfume. It was 1984 when I met her. She was wearing expensive gold jewelry and had on what appeared to be very fine clothes. Isn't it funny how a perfume takes you back to memories you had not thought of in many years. Anyway, Nina Ricci Fleur de Fleurs opens w/ a nice but soft lemon and I distinctly smell rosemary here, but it is not overpowering at all. As the fragrance travels a bit more vibrant greens, aldehydes, a bouquet of fresh cut hyacinth, lily of the valley and a hint of lilac mingle w/ powdery iris, creamy ylang, lemony magnolia and powders. The dry down here is exquisite. Smells like real civet all the way. It gives this perfume that sensual feeling. This isn't just a nice girl floral perfume. This woman is classy, but she is very sexual as well. A woman of many faces wears a perfume like this. She is knowable but unknown, a mystery. Goes from day to evening like a sultry yet cooling breeze. Gorgeous.

I purchased a mini of this primarily for the stopper: an upside down blossom. The nice fragrance was an additional bonus. The L'air du Temps dna is evident, but FdF is more floral and less nostalgic. Performance is modest and work safe. The scent is feminine, not girly: there's no sugar in this one. FdF is classy and stylish!

Like Moonclaw (hello!) I just recieved my vintage set of four Nina Ricci fragrances. I had to have a sniff of each from their tiny ethereal bottles and spilled Fleur de Fleurs on my fingers in the process. Beautiful vintage floral fragrance. Clean and divine. I sense some Floris Edwardian Bouquet similarities, though Fleur de Fleurs is the better fragrance. So divine and so crisply unique. Amore de Fleurs x

@ingridwinter

Did just called Canada... "Canadump" (and more than once)? I find this outrageously disrespectful. What could inspire such a sentiment, especially now when Canada is a beacon of hope for all freedom loving people across the world?

I understand by scrolling through your reviews that you are disenchanted with marriage, that you hate your life in Canada and spit on most perfumes made after the "glorious 80s". I also see that you have a negative idea of what elderly women smell like and somewhat questionable views on what lesbians and transsexual people are like. I support freedom of expression for all and I do not wish to see your reviews taken down, but seriously, some tact would be appreciated, free expression does not necessarily equate to venom being spat at everything.

I have a used, vintage parfum de toilette that I picked up for almost nothing on the Bay. I had received a decant from the gracious Ana, and really liked it. I received my bottle - it's the one that's in a marble looking canister but is actually plastic - and I was a bit apprehensive because it looked a little beat up. I sprayed some on, was hit with the blast of aldehydes, and then the smell of old perfume past it's prime. I put it with the rest bbn of my collection and sort of forgot about it.

Tonight, it caught my eye. So after giving several sprays to clear out the nozzle, I tried bnb it again. Same thing with the aldehydes, some slight staleness at first, then it bloomed into this bright, clean floral grounded by a touch of civet. Yes, this is quite lovely indeed. There is something that calls to mind the original EL White Linen at first, but it becomes much softer, the florals more delicate. Right now, it's winter time, so I will not get much use out of it, but those first days of spring will be with us soon, and I can not wait to give this an official, all day, out of the house wearing.

Oh, how I LOVE this fragrance! Such a well-blended, old-school pretty floral. Over the summer, I was indulged by the very generous Ana here in Fragrantica with several lovely decants. FLeur de Fleurs was one of them and I do believe this is my favorite of the bunch!

The civet is so soft and a perfect anchor for the florals; yes, there is hyacinth, but it is muted, not sharp. Green notes, especially the LOTV, swirl with powderiness of the iris and musk. The aldehydes give it a slight lift with creamy soapiness and briskness. As it dries down is where the magic happens. You will not smell anything like this anymore at the perfume counters so if you see it, and like this style of perfume, snap it up!

My signature spring/summer daytime scent I wore throughout much of the 80s. A few months ago, I purchased a brand new edt. for sentimental reasons. It still starts out powerfully, but the aldehydes are floral infused and add sparkle to this fragrance. Just Beautiful! But, while I still adore it, I think it no longer fits me. Just as some scents are suited to a more mature women, (think Chanel No. 5), I think this scent is really for a younger woman. There is something very youthful about this fragrance, (though not childish), that I can no longer pull off. (Just as a young girl would have trouble pulling off No. 5.) This is bright, vibrant, and alive, but also soft and pillowy.

I think I'll give this to my niece. She's a young, sophisticated professional who loves floral fragrances like Gucci Bloom. I think this scent would suit her perfectly as it is as pretty as she is. I'm sure she'll just love it too.
Edit - She does!

The best fragrance Nina Ricci ever made.

I know this is a pretty sweeping statement; Nina Ricci in its prime made a lot of fabulous fragrances. And I came a little late to the party. I think I had a little bottle of Mademoiselle Ricci sometime in the 1970's, undoubtedly an edt or even a cologne, and I think I was a little underwhelmed at the time. It was in 1997 only when I bought a bottle of Les Belles de Ricci, the green bottle one that's all crisp citrus scents like grapefruit, that I thought I should get to know the Ricci scents better.

By 1982 or so, when Fleur de Fleurs came out, Ricci had made a lot of perfumes that all seemed similar to the casual observer, so I think Fleur de Fleurs got lost in the shuffle. All their advertisements were for L'Air Du Temps, its big moneymaker for decades. It's hard to argue with Rene Lalique designed doves on crystal appearing glass bottles in nearly infinite varieties. I'm sure lots of women collected them, which explains why there are now so many on eBay. The L'Air Du Temps juice isn't bad either.

But it isn't Fleur de Fleurs. It isn't as light as Fleur de Fleurs, which is both light and long lasting, floral but with depth. It lasts 6-8 hours on my skin, with decent sillage for at least 5 of those hours. And it comes in all sorts of bottles, except I don't think they ever made a parfum. I've bought several mni-bottles that were labeled parfum, but I have my doubts because I've never seen an actual parfum in Fleur de Fleurs. If there was one, they didn't make it very often. The soap is also fabulous. Like L'Air Du Temps, they sell Fleur de Fleurs in cute presentations with regular and mini soaps in little plastic covered soap dishes with mini perfume bottles and whatnot. Admittedly, I'm a fool for these.

So for the last 20 years or so, I've found myself reaching for Fleur de Fleurs when I couldn't make a decision in the morning, or when I knew it was going to be a hot day, or even in the winter when I was just tired of winter.

Fortunately there is a lot of this online, much of it at reasonable prices. So even if you're late to the party with Ricci, or really can't believe what they're making today under their label, Fleur de Fleurs is a good place to start.

This sublime beauty was my weapon of mass destruction of obtuse male work colleagues... one sniff of this and they were all reduced to simpering idiots.

It's one of those rare fragrances that is so soft and sophisticated yet hugely sexual at the same time... It's animalistic but it's all done very expensively indeed. You'll feel feminine, you'll feel spellbound, you'll be sniffing yourself all the time because you just cannot get enough of it, it enslaves you... like rolling around in a pile of cashmere throws... and now it's gone... not even an historical re-release... these Houses need to cherish their classics, this deserves to be an exclusive and permanent member of the House of Ricci.

Le parfum que je portais pour mon mariage : romantique à souhait, vert, poudré, il était idéal pour la jeune femme que j'étais dans les années 1980. Une telle composition, hélas difficile à trouver, ne trouverait plus sa place ni son public sur'le marché actuel . Emblématique d'une époque, d'un état d'esprit et d'un savoir-faire désormais révolus.

Very similar to Safari - Ralph Lauren.

Civet bomb. If ladylike florals are your thing, why not take it to the next level? I can't think of one other scent with more civet, tbh. Perhaps Houbigant's old Civet oil? Anyway, it's fabulous, however off-putting it may be to the "modern" nose. A masterpiece really.

Also from 1982 (must have been a good year), Nina Ricci Fleur de Fleurs is aptly named! This perfume offers a big, bodacious, non-stop blooming floral bouquet. There is a green facet to the composition as well, but mainly this is a celebration of all things floral. I am reminded of Creed Fleurissimo a bit by this creation, which is not as sharp as 2000 Fleurs or Fantasia de Fleurs. All of these perfumes are super-feminine and super-floral. This particular member of the genre is slightly sharp but without being aggressive.

Oddly, my miniature bottle looks identical to the bottle of Eau de Fleurs, and nothing like the one pictured above. Perhaps they are related compositionally. Civet and aldehydes are listed among the notes for Fleur de Fleurs but not for Eau de Fleurs, so I'm not sure what to think, since I smell a smidgeon of aldehyde but no civet whatsoever.

Anyway, once again, I have enjoyed the generosity of Action, who sent me a vintage miniature bottle of Fleur de Fleurs in perfect condition. This perfume smells as fresh as though it were produced yesterday. In fact, it was discontinued some time ago, and it's anyone's guess how old this particular specimen is. The only thing I can say for sure is that it was produced between 1982 and 2010 (when Action sent it to me). It has not suffered in the least from more than three years of confinement in one of my bureau drawers.

I should perhaps add that this mini, unlike most, has a tight plastic plug, in addition to the usual stopper. No doubt this helped enormously in preserving the precious perfume inside.

This is the big sister of l'air du temps, a sassy broad who exudes femininity and adds a little mystery. While l'air du temps is sweet and floral, girly and soft, this is pure woman! The spices and musk scream sensuality from the floral base. Ideal for the business meeting, that first date, or to just celebrate being a W O M A N !!

This used to be my favourite perfume, the one in the tall white container (not exactly a bottle) from the 80`s. I was so sad when they stopped making it. It was the most beautiful, flowery, soft, feminine perfume. We lived in Germany at the time and my husband always bought it for me in duty free when we visited family in the UK. I still have fond memories of the perfume. Why oh why do they need to discontinue or reformulate perfumes that are loved?

It is indeed a masterpiece Moonclaw!

Just got this one in a vintage set of 4 Ricci perfumes. It is the EDT. Oh, this is a lovely bouquet of flowers! Yes, a warm spring morning looking out the window at all the new flowers, but it's still just a little too chilly to put away the fuzzy sweaters. This is bright and beautiful, it sings of spring. Sad am I to discover yet another lovely but discontinued fragrance. I hope the perfume companies read this site, so many comments lament the discontinuation of classic favourites! Maybe someone will pay attention eventually - seems there are loads of us who love classic perfume! Hello? Any companies reading this? Take a hint!

Soft and delicate,but many people would find it a bit old fashioned.

I was just wondering if anyone ever used the Nina that the company discontinued..I loved it so much and I was so disappointed to see they no longer made it..That white bottle with bird engravings on it..That was an out of this world clean scent..I also wonder if anyone let me know any of these Nina Riccis' are any close to the one I'm referring..Thank you all perfume lovers!

update-since I wrote a comment on this one in 2012 lol--I now know almost everything about this one (and other vintage perfumes I'm obsessed with) This is no longer around and has been a long time..You can find some people sell (of their own collection) but there's always a risk of getting a rancid one. @NinaRicci I RESENT you for not bringing this back. If you won't do it exactly the way it was, don't even bother illusioning us with a new formula. We want this exact one back. And we all know that is not going to happen.

I like this fragrance a lot. I have used it in the past. The one fragrance that is my absolute favorite however, is Joya by Myrurgia. Unfortunately, I cannot find it anywhere except possibly Ebay. Does anyone know where it can be found?

love this fragrance! It is a great floral for spring and summer. It is classy and elegant,very lady like yet there is a hidden sex appeal as well. It starts off of strong white flowers and dries down to lovely lily of the valley,jasmine and musk, at least on my skin. Action compared this to Diorissimo and she is right, it makes a great contender for Dior but it is richer more sexy after being worn awhile. It last a good 4 hours if not more and seems to stay an elegant floral. I am going to enjoy this one soooo much this spring and summer. Shame is has become so hard to find.

My cousin used to wear Fleur de Fleurs in its parfum de toilette concentration back in the early 90's. She once said, " I like this fragrance coz it plunges me into a pinky world of flowers'.... .

The flowery scents are quite obvious for sure, the citrus notes blended along with the white powdery flowers mixed with the uniqueness of the metallic spirits provided by the aldehydes make it, a conspicuously true floral scent. Nonetheless, and this is the deal here, with Fleur de Fleurs by Nina Ricci, the Civet's molecules put on the last deep layers of the nectar, well, supposedly to better fixate the most volatile notes, has made THE WHOLE difference in here!

Unexpectedly, very, very unexpectedly it came out an outrageously animalistic, ferocious almost untamed bouquet...I would rather say these are the most carnivore flower de flowers bouquets in the floral family.

Nice and addictive ....

I would say a very strong interpretation of the same concept - more modern however- is Carolina Herrera Flore.
Good luck!

Dear all friends here:
Best wishes from far, Thailand. Yes! a perfume makes good memory universally. I've still loved this by Nina Ricci as much as heaven. Bought 1 from eBay which disappointed me because the juice turned sour.

The question is: I'd like to know you guys' opinion what other brands do come close Fleur de Fleurs, besides Diorissimo?
Thank you in advance. I appreciate every opinions.

I thought i will give it a try based on a good reviews here but i must confess it is not my type of fragrance. It is not bad, but it is not outstanding.
The opening is really green but then it becomes very warm scent. I would compare it with a very warm sunny day on a field of sunflower. I don´t know why, but in some notes it associates in my mind with Elizabeth Arden´s "Sunflowers" or even more with Estee Lauder´s "White linen". I can´t get rid of the feeling that there is a sunflower oil note in it, though it is not listed.
After a while i becomes incredibly heavy on me and sort of depressing. I would like the bitter note to be more prominent, but it is very weak and overwhelemed with mix of flower notes which reminds me of sunflower oil. I guess the lack of fresh note turns me off.
I like how Harlequin 1572 described it that it opens right away and stays like that until the end, this is true, but it is also very annoying. At least for me.
Staying power is good and it lasts long (i have a parfum de toilette).

I definitely see the parallel with Diorissimo, but Fleur de Fleurs is waaaay more musky and animalic, a more base-grounded bouquet overall. Fleur de Fleurs is also a noticeably more complex floral, and even though the LOTV is individually detectable, it doesn't stand out nearly as much as it does in Diorissimo.

This scent is almost freakishly balanced on me, both "horizontally" and "vertically" - no single note dominates within a layer (top, middle, base), and no layer dominates over the other two (except for the first few seconds, when aldehydes rule). It is one of those glorious fragrances that doesn't really go through stages on me, but appears all at once in all its symphonic complexity, and stays that way till the end. The notes are all in perfect harmony, united by a light veil of powder.

I don't think I'm a balanced enough person to wear this, but I am incredibly impressed by the masterful restraint of this composition.

This is the Ricci interpretation of the floral concept 'Jasmine & Lily of the Valley'. I find it an equivalent of Diorissimo, one of my favorite floral perfumes. EXCELLENT!!

Lovely, just lovely, very floral and suited for spring in my opinion. Auctionned it from e bay and won it, I am the proud owner of a 100 ml EDT bottle. I tested it and is longlasting with perfect sillage.
Combination of flowers smells like a natural spring bouquet,with aldehydic notes, but not oldladish, lilac, daffodils mostly. Great!!!

Used to love this so much. I had a couple of bottles when I had just started college, away from home for the first time in the 80s - lifetimes ago!
A hallmate strangely said it smelled like fly spray but I strongly disagree!
This was a beautiful fragrance and came in beautiful bottles too.
I had two different ones, the first one was glass and the second was glass within a white ceramic looking (but it was plastic) cylinder marked with elegant swirled lines from top to bottom.
Surprised there are not more reviews here for this beautiful feminine floral gem!
The other perfume that I found to be very much like this one in its soft sweet fuzziness was 'Emma' by Laura Ashley. That came in beautiful smudgy pastel packaging too I think. Emma isn't listed on Fragrantica at the moment but I've asked for it to be.
It seems to be much missed by many as I'm sure Fleur de Fleurs is too!

it like a lot,is clean soap and podwery.