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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps: Fragrance Review & History of a True Classic

Reflecting on a classic fragrance which has inspired me into delving deeper into perfume history and appreciation, I can’t disregard L’Air du Temps by Nina Ricci, one of the most recognizable perfumes in the world. Even Hannibal Lecter is quoted smelling it on Clarisse Starling in Silence of the Lambs: “You use Evian skin products and sometimes L’Air du Temps… but not today...”.
Despite any foreboding connotations, the perfume's introduction in 1948 under a name halfway between Marivaux and Cocteau (denoting ‘the spirit of the times’) hallmarked a longed-for return to optimism. Much like Miss Dior was ‘tired of letting off bombs and just wanted to let off fireworks’, L’Air du Temps presented the new found hope for peace after the ravages of WWII, as reflected by the original flacon design of a sun with a dove perched on the stopper by Christian Bérard.

 Iconic Design and Symbolism


L'Air du Temps is a triumph of bottle art and symbolism: The intertwining doves affectionately termed ‘Les Colombes’, a romantic theme by Marc Lalique, originates from 1951 and came to denote the virginal quality of the visual aspects of its representation, perpetuated in its advertising ever since. Originally the 1948 design envisioned by Jean Rebull and materialized by crystallier Marc Lalique involved a rising sun surmounted by a single dove. The interwining doves however marked the "kiss and make up" peace mood after WWII.
The "colombes" kissing motif also reflected the ever feminine, always understated and ethereallly romantic Nina Ricci sartorial fashions; nothing vulgar! The perfume became signage for fashions: "The most romantic gift of fragrance a man can give a woman" came to be accompanied by elfish gowns that draped the female form in a slippery, ethereal, 19th-century-aesthete nostalgic way; lacy ivory and white denoting youthful and -a little faded- aristocracy rusticating in the sunny French countryside.The L'Air du temps advertising mostly matched.
In 1999 the L'Air du Temps flacon was named "perfume bottle of the century".

Scent Description
The formula of L'Air du Temps, composed by Francis Fabron, was simple : no more than 30 ingredients which co-exist in harmony, a chaste -but not quite- bouquet of flowers enrobed into the silken sheath of benzyl salicylate; a massive dose of an –at the time- innovative product aiding the blending and linear evaporation of the other molecules. According to perfumer Bernard Chant “‘[benzyl salicylate] produces a diffusing, blooming effect very pleasing to the public”. Coupled with spicy eugenol and isoeugenol, the effect becomes almost carnation-like with its clove tint : the very heart of L’Air du Temps ! The celestial opening of bergamot and rosewood is undermined by the sensuous note, half-lily, half-carnation, suave with the fuzziness of skin-like peach and a green hint of gardenia. Powdery orris, coupled with dusky woods –poised at the intersection of winter falling into spring- and a faint amber note finish off the fragrance. The effect is peachy-carnation-y and very characteristic: a sort of Doris Day, the way she was, rather staunchy actually, active and hard to eradicate, rather than how she appeared to be in those rom-coms of the 1950s, all mock innocence and eyelashes aflutter.


The success of the classic Nina Ricci fragrance seems to be the sassiness of its aerated, distinctive bouquet coupled with its refined classicism, sometimes maxed out to sentimentality : an aspect which prompted critic Luca Turin to joke it was created for romantics “who shed a tear listening to La Sonate au Clair de Lune*”. Maybe not quite that way, considering how the latter might have been an impromptu requiem on someone’s deathbed. At any rate, the trickle-down effect must speak of the need to do just that: the skeleton of the formula has been imitated in various soaps, deodorants and hairsprays for decades, while in itself L’Air du Temps has influenced many other fragrances from Fidji (Guy Laroche) and Madame Rochas to Anaïs Anaïs (Cacharel).

 Comparing Vintage vs. Modern L'Air du Temps Perfume

Nowadays the suaveness of the original formula has been somewhat compromised, due to necessary surgery dictated by allergens concerns… The peach base is mollified into synthetic submission, the carnation is less spicy and rich than before, the whole excellent exercise seems less itself as if it has been Botoxed into a perpetual complacent smile....yet L’Air du Temps is still instantly recognizable in its sillage, the trail left by the many that pass by wearing it : the mark of a true classic !
The bottle design can be a gauge of age: Vintage Eau de Toilette from the 1970s and 1980s circulates in the amphora-like bottle with the gold cap in splash, while spray bottles are long and encased in white bakelite. If the front of the bottle has the doves in relief and the plastic cap is rounded and in relief as well, your specimen comes from the 1990s.

The vintage parfum is in the characteristic Lalique design with the perched doves atop. Old models of diluted concentration can also be in ribbed sprayers with gold overimposed sprayer mechanisms in squarish design. Really old versions can be in a round flask bottle with a boule cap in splash form.
Modern  eau de toilette on the contrary is in the familiar fluted oval-shaped bottle, reprising the dove design on the top in transparent plastic, the cap going over the sprayer mechanism. 

(*) Piano sonata N°14 by L.van Beethoven

This review is based on a text I had previously composed for Osmoz.com

25 comments:

  1. annemariec22:18

    A mini of L"Air was a rabbit hole into perfumista-hood for me. How I loved it! Later, I was thrilled to be able to afford a 100 ml tester, but when I got it home and tried it, it smelled like a sad, papery, synthetic version of the L'Air that I had had before. This was only in the mid-2000s and not much time had passed between purchasing the mini and the tester. Later still I stumbled upon the parfum going cheap and pounced on it, thinking it would solve the problem. But no, it still has that shallow, synthetic papery feel.

    Every now and again I get it out for another test but it always turns m off. I guess my perceptions must have changed, because my original min cannot have been vintage.

    I would love to love L'Air because it's history is so interesting. And there is nothing else in my collection that has that carnation theme. Still, I enjoy reading about it, so thanks for your review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous18:25

      I used to wear this fragrance 40 years ago, decided to try it again. It’s unrecognizable to me. Why would they change the formula. Any chance that the old formula will be brought back?

      Delete
  2. Oh the glories of the ancient L'Air du Temps!

    This was the perfume (from the late 1970s) that opened my nose (and sinuses) to the joy of perfumes. It was my gateway perfume. From it, I went to Chloe and Miss Dior. I had a perfume collection of over 30 bottles of various kinds but heavy on the orientals.

    These days, I wouldn't give it or Miss Dior or Chloe or most of my first perfumes a sniff of the day. The current formulation doesn't even have a smell for me. It is nothing. And a shame.

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  3. Sofi09:44

    When I was eight years old I used to take my mum's soap of L'air du temps. Despite my age (I was a little child), I couln't resist to its unique, fresh, elegant scent.I think that it must belong to the legend perfumes like Chanel No. 5. Do you agree?

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  4. I love L'Air! My Mother wears it often and I suppose it was my first perfume in that I stole spritzes from her. It's so sunny and a little bit heady and it makes me think of Carribean nights, but then my family spent a lot of time there so I'm probably thinking of them. It's also just so yellow! I love it, nice for it to have some attention

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  5. Anonymous09:52

    they destroyed a beautiful scent ..
    the reformulation is nasty in comparison ..
    for shame !!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous15:56

    L'Air du Temps in Lalique single Dove bottle, UNopened, is listed on Kijiji Ottawa ("lost in storage-mostly kept in darkness since 1970s"). I'm researching because I'm considering it, but can you tell by how much the colour has darkened how well the perfume has lasted?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you are still looking... I have an unopened still in original Lalique. Still full and the wonderful scent lingers...

      Delete
  7. Anon,

    that would be a calculated risk at best. I should think that the color of this one shouldn't go beyond a warm amber. Brown or red should be warming signs.
    Hope this helps a little!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous17:19

    L'Air du Temps was my signature fragrance since 1972. I can't count the compliments I received from both men and women. Now, the reformulation is just not worth buying. It doesn't have any staying power, and just seems so weak. The reformulation ruined one of a true classic scents.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can sympathize. Still, it's rather better than some of the other reformulations going on! Some have substituted a completely different perfume it seems.
      I think the "weaker" accusation is due to thinning out the formula to meet current allergens' standards. :-(

      Delete
  9. Anonymous21:01

    They destroyed a true classic scent. I wore it for years starting in 1974. Everyday, I was complemented on the wonderful, fresh, scent. The reformulated version of L'air du Temps isn't worth spending your money on. Nina Ricci should have never altered it. Like I said, don't waste your money.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup, please see above comment on one of the reasons. It's happening across the industry, it's not just Nina Ricci. :-((

      Delete
    2. I am actually broken hearted over the loss of the original fragrance of l'air du Temps. I wore it faithfully for 40 years. Not worth buying now.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous21:28

    So terribly sad, the lovely talc is no longer being made. My 90-year-old mother enjoyed it so much.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have the same bottle as the first picture. Can't remember when I bought it-maybe late '70s? But I believe I bought it at a shop at O'Hare airport when I was in the sevice. It only has a little left in it. It's just been on my dresser forever. It's a yellow color now. I tried it and it still smells good-not like alcohol like some old perfumes. I used it sparingly because just a touch still smells wonderful!

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  12. Anonymous19:48

    I agree it is not the formula it used to be. Not worth the money. So disappointed I could cry

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous21:54

    I have been using nothing but L'Air Due Temps for 40 years - the scent is in every drawer, every piece of my clothing, my bathroom, etc. I just recently finished my last bottle of eau de parfum so went and purchased another along with an eau de toilette for everyday use. What a disappointment!! the reformulation of one of the classics is criminal and I will not purchase it again. What a shame they have ruined one of the all time great fragrances that was so subtle as to ask yourself every time you spritzed it "what is that amazing scent?". Am crushed!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous19:28

    I wore it for the 34 years I nursed full time and was complimented daily by my patients until the formulation changed. My staff and the doctors would also comment when they knew I was on duty, until the formulation changed. My husband always commented on my 'delicious smell', until the formulation changed. Nin Ricci you have cheated not only me but so many people, such a shame.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have no problem with the reformulation; in fact, I love it! But that may be because I do have a reaction to strong scents, as do almost all individuals who have fibromyalgia. A really good scent for me precisely because it is "weaker". Thank you, Nina Ricci!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love modern L'Air du Temps. It smells like a cold sunny day when you can smell spring in the air!
    I never smelled vintage, just like with my beloved Vol de Nuit - modern versions are still the only things I know and I think they are out of this word anyway :)
    I just bought edt, edp and perfume versions of l'Air to explore it's glory in every concentration.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Just bought my first bottle..if the old version was better i would be even more in live with it..very classy delicious fragrance

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  18. Anonymous20:47

    I too mourn this ‘new’ scent. I wore original in early 70’d BECAUSE I was NOT allergic— only scent fir this!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous22:58

    I wore L’aire in the late 70’s as my first grown up fragrance. I loved it. I somehow lost touch with it. I recently stumbled across it again, and bought a new bottle. I sprayed it on, and it first, I didn’t care for it, and I was disappointed. Then I waited, and Shazam! I fell in love again. This fragrance is simply amazing. It smells like sunshine on a breezy riverbank, whilst cuddling a kitten. If you can imagine doing this and putting the experience into a bottle, this is what it would smell like. But you have to wait! It doesn’t develop until your about an hour in. The opening note is very “peppery,” then it evolves, and it’s worth the wait. No wonder it’s so timeless.

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  20. Anonymous09:32

    I’ve gone back to two perfumes I wore in the early seventies when I lived in France and every woman wore perfume. Assistants in perfume shops took the time to match you to perfumes and I wore l’air du temps and ô de Lancôme. Both have changed. Ô is not nearly as fresh and nice but I still enjoy L’air and get comments when I wear it. It is a shame that perfumes need to be reformulated. Perfume is so evocative of past memories. When they change so des the experience.

    ReplyDelete

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