Our take
What does Mademoiselle Ricci smell like?
Nina Ricci launched Mademoiselle Ricci in 2012. Alberto Morillas of Firmenich built this floral woody musk around a rose. The opening pairs wild rose with pink pepper, the soft pepper that fizzes without burning. The heart keeps the rose and adds oleander, a flower you rarely see named on a perfume card. It brings a slightly green, bitter edge, and that is the most interesting part. The base is more predictable. White musks and pale woods give a clean laundry feel that lasts for hours. Morillas knows this territory well, having also signed Flower by Kenzo. Here he plays it safe. You get neither the powder of Flower nor the candy of Nina, the house’s other big seller. Mademoiselle Ricci sits somewhere in between. The result is clean and a little faint, the kind of perfume you wear without thinking about it.
When to wear it
A model office scent that won’t bother anyone in a lift. Wear it in spring and summer, on clean skin or on a cotton scarf.
It belongs to the Floral, Woody, Musky family. Mademoiselle Ricci is one of 20 creations by Nina Ricci in our encyclopedia.
