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Nina Ricci perfumes are some of the best perfumes on the market yet are fiercely underrated. Some of her scents date back to 1987 and she still releases perfume to this day. Formed by Maria “Nina” Ricci herself, the French-Italian owner of the fashion house releases elegant fragrances that are affordably priced.
Reading all of these amazing things online, I was very curious to try her scents for myself. I found a pack of her four most popular scents on FragranceNet: Nina, Nina Bella, Nina Luna, and Nina Luna Blossom. I love most of them. There’s one that smells lovely but doesn’t work on my pheromones.
Features
- Various fragrances in all scent categories
- Expertly crafted scents
- Aimed at a modern and younger audience
Pros
- All of her fragrances are true to their descriptions
- Her fragrances, specifically Luna and Luna Blossom, are some of my new favorites
- All long-lasting
Cons
- Bella didn’t smell good on me at all
- Some of her scents may be too strong for the office or school
The Scents I Ordered
As stated previously, I purchased a set that contains four fragrances:
- Nina Signature
- Nina Bella
- Nina Luna
- Nine Luna Blossom
Each perfume came available in a small 0.14 fl oz bottle. All of the bottles are shaped like apples, which is absolutely adorable! They are the type of bottles with no spray nozzle.
I tried applying the product in two ways: dabbing the liquid on my fingers and applying it to be pulse points (wrists, inner elbows, neck base, and inner knees) and turning the bottle upside down directly on my wrist. The first method resulted in a stronger scent but the second option was the easiest.
Both methods resulted in long-lasting fragrances. Let’s put it this way. I applied Nina Luna YESTERDAY and I still smell like it. I even exercised, showered, and everything.
Individual Perfume Reviews
All four of these fragrances are very different and I had different experiences with all of them. Therefore, it’s easier to review them individually.
Nina
Nina’s Signature fragrance is by far her most famous one. The one that’s available now is actually a revamped one from the original 1987 scent. It has the perfect balance between floral, citrus, and fruit notes. I was a little nervous when I first tried this fragrance; lime and lemon are the first two notes, and my pheromones HATE citrus notes (as we will see with Bella).
When you smell the perfume directly from the bottle, you get whiffs of citrus mixed with floral scents, so it was impossible knowing how it was going to smell on me. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The fragrance turned into a spring-floral concoction. I mainly smelled peony but it’s well-balanced with apple and praline.
Out of all of the scents I reviewed, this is the best daytime fragrance. It smells lovely but isn’t overpowering. Just a pleasant and fresh springtime fragrance that you can easily wear to the office. However, it’s a very feminine scent, making it a great option for a date night.
Nina Bella
When you smell the bottle, it smells lovely. While I smell citrus scents, I also smell sweet fruity notes such as rhubarb. However, this perfume smells really weird on me.
As stated previously, my pheromones hate citrus scents. When I put a citrus-dominant perfume on me, my pheromones either reject the fragrance notes or they smell totally off. This is one where it smells totally off. On me, Bella smells like grass. That could also be the freesia notes in the fragrance, but who knows.
Some other things to note about the fragrance is it’s inspired by the modern princess. It’s a fragrance targeted at young women. That could be another reason why I’m not keen on it; even though I’m not 30 yet, I don’t like the overly fruity scents.
They remind me of the body sprays my family would buy me for holidays and my birthday. Floral and amber/musky fragrances remind me of what a woman smells like: elegant yet intimate.
Nina Luna
This. THIS! This is the epitome of my favorite fragrance ever. It all started when I was younger and smelled Bath and Body Works’ Moonlight Path body spray. From there, that fragrance embodied what sexy smells like. Dark, edgy, and mysterious. It’s so hard to find a prestigious fragrance with this scent profile, but Luna is that fragrance I’ve been trying to find.
Now that I’m more knowledgeable about fragrances, I know their scent notes better so I can stop calling them “moon” fragrances. Amber vanilla is the scent profile. However, this one is more complex than the Moonlight Path body spray. In addition to amber and vanilla, I get whiffs of wild berry.
On my pheromones, this fragrance explodes into a sexy array of amber, caramel, and some jasmine. I also get the sweetness from the berries. Vanilla is more of a base scent; however, my pheromones also reject vanilla, so this perfume smells like straight amber, caramel, and berries. Which is perfectly fine for me.
I know a lot of people don’t like the scents in this category because they tend to smell a bit too musky. However, Luna smells sweeter. That’s thanks to the gourmand notes, specifically caramel. Reading reviews from other users, it seems like everyone has different experiences with this scent, so it’s definitely one to approach with an open mind.
As you can tell, this is definitely marketed to an adult woman audience. It’s definitely not an old lady fragrance but it’s definitely not for the 20-something woman finding a fragrance for the club. It’s a very strong perfume, better-suited as a nighttime and date fragrance as opposed to one you can wear to the office. It’s also not a spring or summer fragrance but works best for fall and winter.
The only downside is it doesn’t project very well, even though it lasts a long time. But I honestly think that’s the point. These amber vanilla “moon” fragrances are very intimate, reserved for yourself and your lover to smell on you.
Nina Luna Blossom
I absolutely love this one. Maybe not as much as Luna, but it still smells amazing. As the name suggests, it smells like its predecessor but only with more floral notes. When you smell the bottle, you get whiffs of bergamot, pear, and a hodge-podge of sexy floral notes. On me, I smell more of the sexy floral notes, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I specifically smell peony, magnolia, and jasmine.
I notice this scent is more popular than the traditional Luna scent, probably because it smells more feminine and fresh as opposed to its predecessor. I like it because it’s a bold fragrance but is still soft enough for everyday wear. It also still holds that mysterious and “moonlight” scent, but with more of a floral arrangement added to it. So if you want something softer and/or a daytime version of the classic Luna, I suggest trying Luna Blossom.
My Favorite Nina Ricci Fragrance
If you haven’t figured it out yet, my favorite Nina Ricci fragrance is Luna. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and musky. However, it’s not too sweet or ambery. While I would wear it literally anywhere, it’s the perfect nighttime fragrance.
Unfortunately, I’m just discovering it’s been discontinued. I’m absolutely distraught! Now I have to find another amber vanilla fragrance. Fortunately, for the time being, I am seeing it still available on Amazon and FragranceNet. I’m going to order myself one of the large-size bottles before it’s gone for good.
The Most Popular Nina Ricci Fragrance
If you would rather stick with Nina’s most popular fragrance, that one is her tried and true signature Nina fragrance. It has a sweet yet clean scent, making it very versatile. It has a classic feminine scent that practically anyone will like. The fruit and floral notes are perfectly balanced. While it’s more targeted to the youthful crowd, anyone can easily wear it.
Alternatives
For this section, it’s easier to find alternatives for each individual fragrance as opposed to the brand as a whole. That’s because all of the fragrances are so different.
- Nina Signature: Clinique Happy
- Nina Bella: Marc Jacobs Eau So Fresh
- Nina Luna: Bath & Body Works Moonlight Path
- Nina Luna Blossom: Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb
These are all fragrances that I tried before and absolutely love. Many of them I use on a regular basis. I do wish I could find a better alternative to Luna, though. Even digging through Google and various perfume websites, that Bath and Body Works body spray is still the closest thing I could find. Guess I will have to keep buying it until another brand decides to come out with a more exquisite amber vanilla “moon” fragrance.
FAQs
Question: Does Nina Ricci Still Make Perfume?
Answer: Yes! While she has revamped some of her classic fragrances, such as her signature Nina, she very much still makes perfume and is always releasing new fragrances. Other classic fragrances, such as l’Air du Temps, are still in production today and receive tremendous success. Nina Ricci also makes men’s cologne.
Question: Is Nina Ricci Considered a Luxury Brand?
Answer: Even though her scents are inexpensive, Nina Ricci is very much a luxury brand. Ricci actually has the sixth oldest brand; Ricci and her son, Robert, formed the brand in 1932. It’s even older than Dior! In addition to perfumes, Nina Ricci sells clothing, accessories, leather goods, footwear, skincare, and cosmetics.
Question: What Is the Newest Nina Ricci Perfume?
Answer: Nina Rose is the latest perfume offered by Nina Ricci. The brand released the fragrance in 2020. Surprisingly, it doesn’t seem too rosy. Citrus notes and pear make up the bulk of the fragrance. While it got good reviews, it seems like reviewers like this scent because it’s fun enough for the young crowd. It’s balanced with wood and floral notes. Honestly, if a scent markets itself as “rose,” I want to smell like I’m picking a rose from the garden and crushing it on my wrists. The only scent I’ve used that offers that is Dahlia and Vines by NEST.
Question: What Was Nina Ricci’s First Perfume?
Answer: Nina Ricci released Coeur Joie in 1946. It’s described as a very feminine and floral fragrance with notes of bergamot, violet, iris, rose, and jasmine. While it’s still sold today, it’s extremely hard to find. That’s why it’s more expensive than most Nina Ricci perfumes. As an alternative, l’Air du Temps is Nina Ricci’s second fragrance and has been in regular production for 70 years. It’s a warm and spicy fragrance, featuring the notes of carnation, rose, peach, rosewood, cloves, bergamot, jasmine, gardenia, ylang-ylang, rose, violet, orchid, and rosemary.
Nina Ricci Perfume Review: Bottomline
Thanks to this review, I’m now in love with Nina Ricci fragrances. Nina Ricci has a diverse profile of fragrances. She makes new fragrances for the modern woman but also still sells her classic fragrances. What I really like is how the fragrances are true to their description.
I also found my new favorite fragrance, Luna, which is unfortunately discontinued. Bella didn’t smell too good on me, but that isn’t stopping me from discovering other Nina Ricci fragrances. Overall, I highly recommend this brand.