Fleur de Fleurs (1980)

Fleur de Fleurs by Nina Ricci: launched in 1980, created by Betty Busse of Creations Aromatiques. The fragrance was marketed as "Eau de Fleurs" in Europe. In 1981, Jean-Louis Rici explained "Americans don't like the French word eau (water in English). They like everything strong, highly concentrated, sickening sweet. So we changed the name. The French tend to like the opposite."

Press materials read: "A breathtaking burst of fragrant beauty, this newest addition to the Nina Ricci fragrance collection captures the delicate heart of the flower in a blend of floral, fruit and citrus notes. The perfect complement to L'Air du Temps, Fleur de Fleurs can be appropriately worn on all occasions to enhance the appearance of any woman with overtones of sophistication and a hint of seduction."

 "In Fleur de Fleurs, there are approximately 4,000 components involved, with 50 different flowers. We've been working on the formula for the past five years. One day my father smelled a flower in a garden in Italy - that was it. He insisted it be copied and Fleur de Fleurs was created," said Jean-Louis Ricci in 1982.

The fragrance was issued in a one-strength, Parfum de Toilette. this strength, not to be confused with Eau de Toilette, is a concentration only slightly below Parfum's intensity, it is comparable to today's modern Eau de Parfums. Parfum de Toilette combines the lasting performance of parfum with a light, lingering natural scent. 

The press materials read: "Parfum de Toilette, a new fragrance form to America, is "just a breath away from perfume," Packaged in muted pinks, and encased in Lalique designed flacons.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Fleur de Fleurs is classified as an aldehydic white floral fragrance for women. It begins with a fresh flowery top, followed by a delicate floral heart, layered over a floral base. A delicately refined distillation of countless floral essences: hyacinth, jasmine, white flowers, may rose, ylang ylang melded with iris, soft woody undertones and fruity amber notes. 

• Top notes: aldehydes, bergamot, lemon, flower calyx note, galbanum, leafy green note, narcissus  
• Middle notes: gardenia, orange blossom, iris, May rose, cyclamen, rosemary, magnolia, orris, lilac, Grasse jasmine, hyacinth, Cormoran ylang-ylang and lily-of-the-valley
• Base notes: ambergris, vetiver, sandalwood, musk and civet

Scent Profile:

Fleur de Fleurs opens in a luminous, almost crystalline wash of aldehydes—those abstract, sparkling molecules (notably C10, C11, and C12 aliphatic aldehydes) that smell like chilled air over polished linen, faintly waxy and citrus-tinged, with a champagne-like effervescence. They do not exist in nature in this purified form, yet they elevate everything around them, diffusing the composition and lending an almost weightless glow. 

Beneath this shimmer, bergamot—most prized from Calabria—offers a refined citrus softness, less biting than lemon, with a delicate floral facet that feels almost perfumed in its own right. Lemon sharpens the edges, bright and fleeting, while the “flower calyx” and leafy green notes are illusions built from green molecules such as cis-3-hexenol and stemone, conjuring the scent of snapped stems and crushed buds. Galbanum, traditionally from Iran, cuts through with its unmistakable bitter-green intensity—resinous, sappy, almost lacquered—while narcissus, often associated with French and Moroccan fields, brings a darker floral nuance: hay-like, slightly animalic, with a honeyed bitterness that hints at the deeper floral heart to come.

The heart unfolds as a seamless tapestry of white and pastel florals, each rendered with both natural essences and meticulous reconstruction. Gardenia, a flower that refuses to yield its scent through extraction, is recreated through creamy lactones and jasmine-like molecules, producing that lush, velvety, almost coconut-tinged bloom. Orange blossom—often distilled from Tunisian or Moroccan neroli—adds a radiant, sunlit sweetness, both fresh and faintly indolic, while magnolia contributes a lemony, dewy softness. 

At the center lies May rose from Grasse, historically prized for its short harvest and nuanced aroma—honeyed, slightly spicy, and gently green—enhanced by rose molecules such as citronellol and phenethyl alcohol to extend its delicate life. Alongside it blooms Grasse jasmine, richer and more indolic than its Egyptian counterpart, its narcotic warmth softened and expanded by Hedione, a modern molecule that lends a transparent, almost airy diffusion, allowing the jasmine to breathe.

Iris and orris—derived from the aged rhizomes of Florentine iris—bring a powdery, cool elegance, violet-tinged and faintly earthy, shaped by ionones that give the illusion of soft-focus petals and cosmetic refinement. Hyacinth and lily of the valley, like gardenia, are “impossible” flowers—recreated through green, watery, and slightly spicy accords that evoke their living scent: hyacinth crisp and dewy, muguet (lily of the valley) luminous and чистely soapy through molecules like hydroxycitronellal.

Cyclamen adds a sheer aquatic floralcy, lilac a tender almond-powder nuance, and rosemary a fleeting aromatic lift—herbal, slightly camphoraceous, cutting through the florals with a breath of clarity. Narcissus echoes quietly from the top, deepening the bouquet with its hayed warmth. The ylang-ylang—here specified as Cormoran, a high-quality fraction likely from the Comoros—introduces a creamy, almost banana-like floral richness, its fractions carefully distilled to emphasize its luminous, floral heart rather than its heavier, more indolic base.

As the fragrance settles, the base reveals a softly glowing structure that supports rather than anchors the florals. Ambergris—once a rare marine treasure, now recreated through molecules such as Ambroxan—radiates a subtle warmth: mineral, slightly salty, with a skin-like glow that seems to emanate rather than sit. Vetiver, often from Haiti where it is prized for its clean, dry profile, lends a refined earthiness—smoky yet transparent, less rooty than its Javan counterpart. 

Sandalwood, historically Mysore in origin and famed for its creamy, milky smoothness, is now often enhanced or replaced with sandalwood synthetics like Javanol, which amplify its radiant, silky woodiness and extend its persistence. Musk, entirely synthetic in modern perfumery, wraps the composition in a soft, clean aura—powdery, slightly sweet, and intimately close to the skin.

Finally, civet—once derived from the animal secretion but now rendered through synthetic civetone—adds only the faintest whisper of warmth, a subtle animalic undertone that gives life and sensuality to the otherwise pristine florals. It is this interplay—between the immaculate brightness of aldehydes, the lush yet controlled floral heart, and the gently glowing base—that defines Fleur de Fleurs. The synthetics do not merely replace what nature cannot provide; they refine and extend it, giving impossible flowers a voice and allowing fleeting blossoms to linger in a state of perpetual bloom, as though the entire composition were a distillation of flowers suspended in light.

 

Bottles:

The bottle was designed by sculptor Serge Mansau in 1982. The bottles were produced in France by Pochet et du Courval. While the spray versions of the scent were moderately priced when introduced, a signed, numbered Lalique bottle containing the parfum retailed for about $350.

In 1984/1985, Fleur de Fleurs was available in the following formats:

• Presentations: Parfum de Toilette in original crystal bottle, signed Lalique (400ml); "Presentation" bottles signed Lalique (100ml, 200ml); Luxury gold-plated metal spray, refillable (100ml); "Decorative" spray, refillable (50ml)
• Related Products: Eau de Toilette "Eau de Fleurs" in engraved gold bottles (100ml, 200ml, 400ml); Eau de Fleurs large atomizer (120ml); Eau de Fleurs natural spray, refillable (50ml)
• Ancillary Products: Perfumed soaps (100g); Perfumed body cream, luxury size (150ml); Perfumed body cream, travel size, tube (75ml); Perfumed lotion-cream (200ml); Perfumed foaming bath, flexible bottle (200ml); Perfumed talcum powder, luxury size, refillable (200g); Perfumed talcum powder, travel size, flexible bottle (150g); Cream soap (200ml)

Fate of the Fragrance:

Despite the high quality of the Nina Ricci perfumes, four fragrances were unsuccessful in the American market (Coeur Joie, Capricci, Farouche and Fleurs de Fleurs), yet, they are successful in Europe. Why? Because most American women prefer stronger fragrances rather than the light, flowery scents enjoyed by European women. Furthermore, European women believe femininity is enhanced by a perfume, and they place more importance on the decorative crystal bottles and packaging than American women do. “ The French image of perfume is very romantic, feminine and sophisticated,” says Lina Vitali, vice president of Parfums Nina Ricci, USA in 1989. “The American perfume’s image is more aggressive, sexual and overpowering.”