Our take
What does Vénus de Nina Ricci smell like?
Vénus de Nina Ricci arrived in autumn 2024 as the first fragrance of the Harris Reed era at the house. Alexandra Monet composed it with Nathalie Lorson and Olivier Cresp. The amber glass bottle carries two golden shells, a nod to the goddess born from the sea. It opens on mandarin and magnolia leaves, which smell greener than you'd guess. Then the magnolia flower itself unfolds, lemony and creamy. Jasmine backs it up and a fig milk note softens everything. Nina Ricci calls Vénus a floral chypre. In practice the patchouli in the base stays quiet and vanilla takes over fast. It ends as warm, slightly sweet skin with no real moss to speak of. Guerlain's Idylle comes to mind for the flower and patchouli structure, though Vénus is more vanillic and less rosy. The 50 and 80 ml bottles are refillable, which is a plus.
When to wear it
A daytime floral that fits the office in spring and autumn. Two sprays on the neck are plenty because the vanilla base grows after the first hour.
It belongs to the Floral, Chypre family. Vénus de Nina Ricci is one of 20 creations by Nina Ricci in our encyclopedia.
