Nina Ricci Les Monstres de Nina Ricci Review

I’m not a believer in the old idiom that, when it comes to perfume, it’s all about the juice. Yes, of course, the smell is the most important thing in a perfume, that’s undeniable, but my philosophy is, if you’re going to drop some dollar on a nice bottle of perfume, it should look as good as it smells. Now, a good bottle can come in many forms, it can be something simplistic and elegant, or maybe something statuesque and sculpture-like, but there’s room for the weird and the wacky too. Speaking of weird and wacky bottles here’s something of definite interest…

…This spring, Nina Ricci is treating us to something a little bit quirky and whole lotta fun: the Nina Ricci Monsters Edition. That’s right, your eyes are not deceiving you, Nina Ricci has repackaged their famous Nina and Luna fragrances (which already come in pretty bottles, let’s be real) in adorably monstrous bottles designed by Brazilian artists Anna Strumpg and Guto Requena, complete with a brightly-coloured pom-pom. The pom-pom is very important! Anyway, the scents have had a bit of a remix too so let’s dive into the monster’s den and get to know these crazy little critters a little bit better.

 

Nina-Ricci-Nina-Monsters-Edition-Eau-de-Toilette

Nina Monsters Edition

Nina, in Monster form, smells red. It starts with the freshest, juiciest citrus note, somewhere between a bright red macintosh apple and a ripe green pear. Further juiciness comes in the form of a tart, sharp and vibrant blackcurrant note that brings a bit of a spike to the proceedings. Altogether, it has a surprisingly autumnal feel, bringing to mind deeply spiced baked goods filled to the brim with rich fruits.

But Nina the Monster takes an unexpected left turn after the initial impression subdues. She moves from autumnal-spiced fruits to something a bit more lightweight and sweet, namely candy floss. That’s right, this Monster Edition unravels a cotton candy coated flower – a pink, sugary peony with a luminous, effervescent pink quality, before dissolving into a plush cushion of amber and tonka bean. Don’t be put off by her monstrous appearance (as if that bottle is anything but cute, come on), this Monster is a total kitty cat!

 

Nina-Ricci-Luna-Monsters-Edition-Eau-de-Toilette

Luna Monsters Edition

Sherbet, that’s what I get from this cute, little, fuzzy demon of Luna. Perhaps a brightly flavoured sorbet too. There’s something wonderfully fizzy about Luna the Monster – it’s almost as if the fragrance is stuck inside the bottle, eager to get out, so that once the sprayer is pressed it flies out at warp speed, fizzing like a pineapple soda. It’s so juicy, with hints of grapefruit and berries, one almost wants to take a sip!

Underneath all of that zingy freshness is a surprisingly warm base of woods and caramel. It goes from fruity to foodie pretty quickly, wrapping the pineapple cocktail of the opening in a silky veil of soft sugar. There are hints of deeper, richer things to temper the sweetness – a sprinkling of coffee, a slice of anise and a dollop of toffee – all folded into to smooth, blond woods, creating a fun fragrance with a seriously warm backbone.

 

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