"My Own Private Classic" by Perfume Shrine

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 in 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, its 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.

The intertwining doves affectionately termed ‘Les Colombes’, a more 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. But it also reflected the ever feminine, always understated and ethereal Nina Ricci sartorial fashions; nothing vulgar !

The formula 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 “‘it 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.
Its success 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 other fragrances from Fidji (Guy Laroche) and Madame Rochas to Anaïs Anaïs (Cacharel).

Nowadays the suaveness of the original formula has been somewhat compromised, due to necessary surgery dictated by allergens concerns… yet L’Air du Temps is instantly recognizable in the sillage, the trail left by the many that pass by wearing it : the mark of a true classic !

My future classic?

Narciso Rodriguez For Her from 2003, composed by Francis Kurkdjian and Christine Nagel. Technically a floral woody, yet poised as a modern ‘nouveau chypre’ (thanks to its vetiver and fractalized patchouli woody facet) it has already inspired a herd of modern fragrances.

Its inclusion of the relatively novel Amberlyn plus musks supporting the abstract floralcy (orange blossom) and fruitiness (osmanthus) of the top reminds me of the innovations of yore, while the concept echoes the sleek and suave fashion sense of the Narciso Rodriguez brand to a T ! This fusion of classicism and refinement seen through the porthole of modern eyes assures me that Narciso Rodriguez for Her will be amongst us for many years to come.

About the author

Elena Vosnaki is a fragrance writer & historian and the editor of the independent site The Perfume Shrine (mentioned in the Washington Times, the Financial Times and awarded in best blogs competitions) as well as a founding member of perfumery discourse platform PERFUMism.com. She is a finalist for the 2009 Fifi Awards for Editorial Excellence in Fragrance Coverage, a published author in magazines around the world and writing professionally on numerous sites. Her aim? Helping readers both dream & understand, putting feelings into words and encouraging the quest for creativity and originality in the industry.
See her blog: http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com

(*) Piano sonata N°14 by Beethoven