Nicki Minaj Perfume Guide: 6 of the Queen of Rap’s Best Perfumes

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Master Perfumer at Scent Chasers

One of the first Christmas presents Juliet received was a perfume collection. Ever since, she's been obsessed with making her own DIY fragrances and teaching others how to do so. She's here to help you find your perfect match!

Pink Friday (2012)

“Pink Friday is a celebration of my life at this moment; it is a reflection of me as a creator and an expression of me as a woman. I know my Barbz (name for her fans) will connect with and appreciate each aspect – from the name to the outrageous bottle design, to the vibrant colors that create their own track. Pink Friday shows off my personality and style; it’s exciting to express my voice through another dimension,”

Nicki Minaj discussing her first perfume Pink Friday

Nicki Minaj’s first perfume was named after her first commercial album Pink Friday Deluxe Edition(2012). Launching in the same year, it was a clever marketing move from Minaj to boost album sales. With hits like Super Bass, Pink Friday was a worldwide hit and put Minaj on the map of rising pop and rap star.

Pink Friday Fragrance – Quick Fire Review

Best Season to Wear: Spring or summer

Scent Type: Intoxicating Floral

Best worn: Shopping with the girls or a club night out

Price: Affordable – £27.95 (Amazon)

Top Notes: Star Fruit, Italian Mandarin and Boysenberry

Heart Notes: Lotus Flower and Jasmine

Base Notes: Vanilla, Cameralised Pear, Musks and Woods

What Does it Look Like?

All of Minaj’s perfumes are shaped in a bust of Nicki’s frame and designed around the name of the fragrance. Pink Friday’s bottle has Minaj’s iconic pink wig she wore during her Pink Friday era. The lid of the perfume is golden, representing Minaj’s “skin” on the bottle. She is wearing a white and baby blue corset with a gold “Nicki Minaj” necklace on her chest.

What Does Pink Friday Perfume Smell Like?

This is a playful and sweet fragrance with tones of star fruit, jasmine, vanilla, and pear – a super juicy signature scent! A perfect fragrance to match Minaj’s bubblegum pink look in 2012 and the pop sound on her Pink Friday album.

Pink Friday perfume was a hit with fans, Minaj then released 2 special editions in 2013 before launching Minajesty. If you want a sweet fragrance that will leave a lasting pear and vanilla scent then this one is for you.

Final Rating

4/5 – Pink Friday was the perfect perfume for Minaj to release as her first fragrance. With such a close link to her hit album, Pink Friday, fans were eager for more iconic bust bottles of Minaj’s. This perfume is a hit with those who like sweet tones (delicious star fruit and vanilla!) but doesn’t get the 5-star rating due to the longevity of the perfume being weak and needing top-ups.

Minajesty (2013)

A more sultry and mature fragrance was released by Minaj in 2013, Minajesty doesn’t link to any of Minaj’s music but Minaj kept the bust model bottle vibrant and color with her iconic pink wig.

Minajesty – Quick Fire Review

Best Season to Wear: All year round

Scent Type: Fruity and spicy blend of berries

Best worn: Date night or dinner out

Price: Affordable – £27.90 (Amazon)

Top Notes: Red Berries, Lemon, and Peach

Heart Notes: Magnolia, Frangipani, and Orchid

Base Notes: Tonka Bean, Vanilla, and Musk

What Does it Look Like?

Again wearing a slightly bolder and curlier pink wig, Minajesty is in a Minaj bust form and the bottle is clear with Minaj wearing a red bralette with tropical patterns on it. This is a bold and quirky bottle to have in your collection and shows a more mature side to Minaj. Minaj keeps it playful with the bright wigs she used to wear.

What Does Minajesty Perfume Smell Like?

This is an upgrade to Pink Friday’s sweet scent due to the lemon and magnolia tones, that give this perfume a mature signature scent. The longevity is short on this perfume so keep it close by you for top-ups. This is a fun and flirty signature scent and can be used for any occasion. Minajesty was another fan favorite, so much so that Minaj released an “Exotic Edition” in 2014.

Final Rating

4/5 – Another popular fan favorite! Fans were eager for another iconic bust bottle and Minaj delivered an ‘on-brand bottle with her iconic pink wig. This perfume was a change from Minaj’s earlier star fruit sweet tones, as it used tonka beans and musk tones to create a more mature fragrance. Again this perfume doesn’t last super long so (sadly) doesn’t get a 5 star from me.

Onika (2014)

“It smells like angels in the garden of … perfection.”

Nicki Minaj discussing her Onika perfume

Onika links very closely to Minaj as it is Nicki Minaj first name ( Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty is Minaj’s birth name). This is a fruity sweet scent that had a more natural look for Minaj with its bust bottle. Minaj made sure to boost sales of this perfume by using it in her music video ‘Pills N Potions’.

Onika – Quick Fire Review

Best Season to Wear: Autumn

Scent Type: Fruity, sweet scent

Best worn: Daytime errands or lunch out

Price: Affordable – £27.90 (Amazon)

Top Notes: Pear, Carambola (Star Fruit) and Mandarin Orange

Heart Notes: Orchid, Osmanthus and Water Lily

Base Notes: Sugar Cane, White Musk and Cedar

What Does it Look Like?

This bust bottle is showing a more natural look for Minaj (no pink wigs in sight!). This time Minaj’s hair is black and straight, with her iconic full fringe. The face is gold with pink lips but the bust has a clear, see-through design with a black bralette and straps on the body. Less bubblegum pink and more mature rap artist in this bottle design.

What Does Onika Perfume Smell Like?

Linking back to Pink Friday, Minaj uses star fruit tones again in this perfume to create a sweet scent. But if you love pear scents then this fragrance is for you. Its scent can be slightly overpowering with its pear tones but settles with floral notes, thanks to its heart tones of orchid, osmanthus, and water lily. The sugar cane gives this fragrance a sweet hit but it is best worn in the autumn due to its floral and pear tones.

Final Rating

3/5 – Minaj surprised fans with this perfume due to its toned-down look (compared to her bright, vibrant perfume bottles in previous years). If you are a fan of pears then this perfume could be your next go-to spray if you are heading out with friends. However, having it rely on a pear scent so much limits the perfume to a specific scent and doesn’t stand out as much as her older perfumes.

The Pinkprint (2015)

To help promote Minaj’s eagerly awaited album and world tour, The Pinkprint perfume was released in 2015. This distinctive bottle chimes back to Minaj’s first perfume release, Pink Friday but has a more mature look and the fragrance has tropical tones instead.

The Pinkprint – Quick Fire Review

Best Season to Wear: Spring or Summertime

Scent Type: Floral & Feminine and Super Fruity

Best worn: Date night or summertime cocktails with the girls

Price: Affordable – £27.95 (All Beauty UK)

Top Notes: Passionfruit, Grapefruit and Bergamot

Heart Notes: Nectarine, Frangipani, Orange Blossom, Heliotrope and Rose

Base Notes: Coconut, Musk, Driftwood, Patchouli and Sandalwood

What Does it Look Like?

To link with Minaj’s The Pink Print album release, Minaj’s bust bottle clothing is using the same pink ‘finger print’ design that is on the album cover. Wearing a similar bralette to Onika’s perfume, The Pink Print stands out with its hot pink colors and crystal white wig. Again Minaj uses gold on her face and bright pink lips on the lid of the bottle.

What Does The Pinkprint Perfume Smell Like?

Now this perfume packs in a punch of tones! This fruity blend has a very distinctive scent and stands out compared to Minaj’s pear-scented Onika perfume the year before. With a host of tropical blends of passionfruit, grapefruit, and nectarine, this perfume is perfect for the spring or summertime. To help not make this perfume too overpowering, it has tones of musk and driftwood that settle well over the day,

Final Rating

4.5/5 – Almost hit that sweet 5-star spot! The Pink Print is by far one of my favorite Nicki Minaj perfumes. Its bottle links perfectly to Minaj’s hit album and the longevity is slightly better with this perfume. One negative is that its tones aren’t suitable for the colder months! Its tropical tones suit the spring and summer months perfectly but leave its wearer feeling colder in the winter. However what makes this perfume so good is its clever blend of tropical fruits and musky tones – go out and get this product once winter ends.

Trini Girl (2016)

Named after Minaj’s birthplace, Trinidad, Trini Girl has tones similar to Onika but with a sweet blend of sorbet and coconut. To make this perfume more impressive is that it was produced by the beauty cosmetics company, Elizabeth Arden.

Trini Girl – Quick Fire Review

Best Season to Wear: Autumn or Wintertime

Scent Type: A spicy twist with a strong coconut scent

Best worn: Date night or night out

Price: Very Affordable – £20.00 (The Fragrance Shop)

Top Notes: Sorbet, Litchi, Quince and Blood Orange

Heart Notes: Dew Drop, Green Leaves, Floral Notes and Apple

Base Notes: Coconut and White Musk

What Does it Look Like?

Minaj’s hair colour has changed once more in this bottle design. Similar to Onika, Trini Girl has the Minaj bust with a black wig and full fringe. Minaj has kept on-brand with the gold face and pink lips but has gone bolder with the colour of the bottle. Instead of a clear see-through bottle, Minaj has used the bold colour red and a gold bralette, which helps make this bottle stand out in your perfume collection.

What Does Trini Girl Perfume Smell Like?

With the name of this perfume linking to Minaj’s Trinidad roots, it makes sense that this has a blend of warm, juicy tones with exciting notes like blood orange and dew drop. Trini Girl is the perfect scent if you have a night out approaching on a cold evening as its tropical tones help you stand out and leaves a lasting impression.

Final Rating

3/5 – While Trini Girl’s bottle stands out from the other Minaj perfumes, it lacks a strong link to Minaj’s image at the time and feels like a “fill-in” for her later perfume Queen. It has an interesting blend of fragrances but the longevity is weak. Keep this perfume close once the leaves start turning brown but grab Minaj’s Pink Friday perfume instead for a hot summers day.

Queen (2019)

queen

“Be the QUEEN and let the world know with this new Limited Edition fragrance by Nicki Minaj. Inspired by Nicki’s bold and unapologetic approach to life, the Queen limited edition exudes luxury, attitude and strength – the ultimate way to celebrate the “Queen” in all of us”

Queen described on Nicki Minaj’s perfume website

Minaj’s last perfume linked perfectly with her Queen album release in 2018. It is clear Minaj wanted her fans to celebrate the “Queen in all of us” and this perfume stands out as a bold and confident fragrance.

Queen is currently unavailable as Minaj’s website is under maintenance (new perfume release incoming perhaps?) but keep an eye out. Now let’s dive into Minaj’s final fragrance.

Queen – Quick Fire Review

Best Season to Wear: Any season

Scent Type: A mature but sweet scent

Best worn: Daytime errands or dinner out

Price: Currently Unavailable to Buy

Top Notes: Pear and Bergamot

Heart Notes: Floral Notes

Base Notes: Musk, Woody Notes and Praline

What Does it Look Like?

Compared to Minaj’s other bust bottles, Queen really stands out from the rest. With a shiny gold face and body, this bottle oozes glamour. With a simple black tube top, Minaj has a gold plated “Nicki Minaj” necklace. Minaj again has a similar wig to Onika and Trini Girl with a straight black haircut and full fringe. What makes Queen stand out is her dramatic gold headpiece that links to Minaj’s Queen album cover look. While her other perfume bottles can look on the cheaper side, Queen is a perfume to be proud to have with your perfume collection.

What Does Queen Perfume Smell Like?

Minaj has gone back to some of her favorite tones with this perfume. Using pear and bergamot, she creates a mature scent but as it settles you get scents of praline and woody notes. This is the perfect perfume for any occasion and any season.

Final Rating

5/5 – Given Queen was a platinum-selling album, this perfume lives up to glamorous expectations. Due to its tones of pear (but not too overpowering!) and praline, it creates a fresh daytime scent. Its musky, woody notes also make the perfume appropriate for evening events. This is my favorite perfume of Minaj’s, it’s glamorous, cool, mature, and has a delicious scent that will keep people on their toes once they get a smell of you.

Alternatives to Consider

Pink Friday Alternative: Someday by Justin Bieber – that’s right Bieber has a women’s fragrance. With red berries, vanilla and musk, this sweet perfume has similarities with Pink Friday’s sweet tones.
Minajesty Exotic Edition Alternative: Rogue Love by Rihanna – another celebrity perfume, with tones of peach, coconut and jasmine.
Onika Alternative: Meow by Katy Perry – another fun and flirty perfume! This fruity, floral fragrance is a hit with fans and has similar tones to Onika.
The Pinkprint Alternative: Miami Glow by Jennifer Lopez – if you want to smell like Jenny from the Black then grab Miami Glow, it has delicious, sweet tones of passionfruit and coconut milk.
Trini Girl Alternative: Fantasy by Britney Spears – another sweet but musky scent – go try it out!
Queen Alternative: CLOUD by Ariana Grande – if you want a perfume similar to Queen then grab Ariana Grande’s perfume CLOUD. With a creamy coconut base, this is an affordable daytime perfume.

Nicki Minaj Perfumes – Round-Up

Now if you are feeling overwhelmed by Minaj’s growing perfume collection then have a look below at my quick round-up on which perfume is perfect for you.

Pink Friday (2012) Rating 4/5

Overview – A fan favorite and Minaj’s first perfume that she launched back in 2012. A super sweet fragrance that is perfect for the spring or summertime.

Minajesty Exotic Edition(2013) Rating 4/5

Overview – A delicious scent and bold perfume bottle – one to recommend!

Onika (2014) Rating 3/5

Overview – Onika sadly did not stand out compared to Minaj’s other perfumes. With strong tones of pear and a more dulled-down bottle design, this is one you can skip.

The Pinkprint (2015) Rating 4.5/5

Overview – Almost my favorite! With tropical tones and creative bottle design – this is one of my favs to recommend.

Trini Girl (2016) Rating 3/5

Overview – One of Minaj’s weaker “filler” perfumes, try Pink Friday or Queen instead unless you are wanting to have the entire Nicki Minaj perfume collection.

Queen (2019) Rating 5/5

Overview – My all-time favorite Nicki Minaj perfume. With praline tones, this perfume can be worn anywhere and anytime. It has a cool, fresh scent that develops into musky and woody tones. The bottle design is bold and confident, linking immediately to Minaj’s Queen album.

FAQs

Question – Does Nicki Minaj Still Make Perfume?

Answer – Yes she does! Her latest release was in 2019 but fans are eagerly waiting for her next perfume.

Question – When Did Nicki Minaj Produce Her First Perfume?

Answer – Almost 10 years ago, in 2012. She released Pink Friday as her first perfume.

Question – How Much Does Nicki Minaj’s Perfume Cost?

Answer – On average her perfumes tend to cost between £27.00 – £29.00. Very affordable for a celebrity perfume.

Final Thoughts

Nicki Minaj perfumes aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. With iconic bust bottles to collect, Minja has excited fans every time she releases a new perfume and knows exactly when to coincide it with a new album release. She is not shy about switching up tones and has given perfume fans a large variety of fragrances to choose from.

While some of her perfumes lack identity and sophistication, her perfumes like Pink Friday and Queen are ones to grab for their unique scents and glamorous bottle designs. From pop star to reigning rap queen, Minaj has kept her perfume collection in line with her brand. Have a look at which Minaj perfume is the right one for you.