Grace Elizabeth Arnone Hummel
Independent Perfume Historian | Researcher | Writer | Antique Dealer & Collector
Welcome to My Nina Ricci Perfume Archive
Welcome, and thank you for visiting my Nina Ricci perfume website!
My name is Grace Elizabeth Arnone Hummel, although many in the fragrance community know me as Cleopatra, the founder of Cleopatra's Boudoir. I am an independent perfume historian, researcher, writer, antique dealer, and collector with more than twenty-five years of experience studying antique and vintage perfumes, historic fragrance houses, decorative bottles, cosmetics, and the history of the beauty industry.
Since establishing Cleopatra's Boudoir in 1999, I have devoted myself to uncovering and preserving the often-forgotten history of perfumery. What began as a fascination with antique scent bottles developed into an extensive historical archive documenting thousands of fragrances, manufacturers, advertisements, and surviving artifacts.
I created this website to explore the perfume heritage of Nina Ricci, a house whose romantic fragrances and exquisite crystal bottles have long fascinated collectors. I am particularly drawn to the artistic collaborations between Robert Ricci and Marc Lalique, whose elegant glass creations transformed perfumes into treasured decorative objects.
While L'Air du Temps remains the house's most recognizable fragrance, my interests extend to discontinued classics such as Coeur Joie, Capricci, Farouche, Fille d'Eve, and Fleur de Fleurs, along with their original bottles, packaging, and advertising.
One of my hopes for this website is to give collectors and longtime admirers a place to share memories of these discontinued fragrances. Perhaps renewed appreciation for these beloved classics will one day encourage their return.
Rather than repeating Nina Ricci's company history, which I have documented separately, this page introduces the person behind the research.
My Research and What I Do
I often describe myself as a perfume historian and detective, because much of my work involves reconstructing forgotten histories from scattered pieces of evidence.
I study original newspaper and magazine advertisements, department-store catalogs, perfume trade journals, patents, trademarks, business directories, and surviving bottles and packaging. These primary sources help me establish fragrance introduction dates, identify original presentations, document historical scent descriptions, and distinguish early products from later reformulations.
As an antique dealer and collector, I am especially interested in the relationship between perfumery and the decorative arts. Nina Ricci's celebrated Lalique crystal bottles, including the iconic dove-topped presentation of L'Air du Temps, are wonderful examples of fragrance packaging elevated to an art form.
I also enjoy helping collectors identify vintage bottles, understand packaging variations, and rediscover perfumes associated with cherished memories.
My goal is to make reliable historical perfume information freely accessible, particularly when it concerns discontinued fragrances and forgotten products that are poorly documented elsewhere.
My Work in the Fragrance Community
Over the years, my research has been referenced and appreciated by perfume collectors, writers, journalists, and historians.
I have contributed writing to Fragrantica and The Perfume Magazine, previously served on Sniffapalooza's Fragrance Advisory Board, participated in Allure magazine's Beauty Panel, and have been associated with the International Perfume Bottle Association (IPBA).
I have also authored more than 200 educational eBay guides on antique and vintage perfumes and collecting.
My research has been cited or acknowledged in publications including Lizzie Ostrom's Perfume: A Century of Scents, Gregory N. Daugherty's The Reception of Cleopatra in the Age of Mass Media, and Mary May Robertson's The Marriage between Perfume and the Lyric Stage.
Cleopatra's Boudoir has been affectionately described as a "Temple to Ancient Perfumes" by Beauty Bible, while Scent Grail has called it a "gold mine about dating vintage perfumery." Amelia of The Vintage Perfume Vault has also generously recognized my contributions to the free exchange of historical perfume information online.
These acknowledgments mean a great deal to me because my work has always been driven by curiosity, a love of history, and the desire to share what I discover.
Why Preserving Perfume History Matters
Perfume is a fragile part of our cultural heritage. Fragrances evaporate, formulas change, bottles are discarded, and once-popular creations disappear from memory.
Yet a single advertisement, original box, or surviving perfume bottle can reveal fascinating details about the fashions, artistry, and social customs of its time.
Through this website, I hope to preserve the stories behind Nina Ricci's fragrances, from its earliest creations to its later twentieth-century classics, while documenting the craftsmanship that made their presentations so distinctive.
My research is ongoing, and I welcome historical photographs, advertisements, catalogs, and information from fellow collectors. I also encourage readers to share their memories of discontinued Nina Ricci perfumes in the comments, where others can enjoy them.
Whether you are researching a discontinued fragrance, identifying an inherited bottle, or revisiting a perfume that once held special meaning, I hope you find something here that inspires your curiosity.
Thank You for Visiting
I am sincerely grateful to the readers, collectors, and fellow fragrance enthusiasts who have supported my work throughout the years.
Your questions, discoveries, and encouragement continue to inspire my research.
My greatest hope is that these archives will help preserve the history of perfumery for today's enthusiasts and future generations of collectors and historians.
Thank you for visiting, and happy collecting!
Grace Elizabeth Arnone Hummel
Cleopatra
Founder of Cleopatra's Boudoir
Independent Perfume Historian, Researcher & Writer
Southern New Jersey, USA
Contact: reinedeparfum@gmail.com
Preserving the past, one perfume at a time.
This website is an independent historical and educational resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially associated with Nina Ricci, Parfums Nina Ricci, its current or former owners, trademark holders, or any affiliated companies. All trademarks and brand names remain the property of their respective owners.
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