Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps, which refers to a French expression meaning “the spirit of the times” became a classic French perfume and one of the top five fragrances in the world. Created in 1948 by Francis Fabron, it is soft, feminine, romantic and beautiful - an ode to peace, love and freedom. This essence of absolute femininity celebrates eternal youth. L'Air du Temps is also the air that we breathe, the mood of the moment, the reflection of each era. "L'Air du Temps is a little olfactory miracle" Robert Ricci.

From Bois de Jasmin's webite:

"Ask many older perfumers what fragrance they find beautiful and L’Air du Temps is very likely to be the answer. It has the most exquisite balance of accords, which cascade from the spicy bergamot and rosewood top note through the soft heart of jasmine and rose absolute and on to the elegant backdrop of iris, sandalwood and musk. The accents of spicy carnation, dark wintergreen and vetiver add beautiful embellishments to the main structure. L’Air du Temps has an exhilarating quality: bright, luminous, yet irresistibly seductive. One can study this fragrance for hours, if not days, because it is built in a classical multifaceted style with many surprising twists of the plot. The spicy floral bouquet of Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps has inspired many great fragrances such as Givenchy Le De, Guy Laroche Fidji, Revlon Norell and Revlon Charlie. Green floral benzyl salicylate is an important ingredient in L’Air du Temps which gives its floral structure a polished, luminous quality."

L’Air du Temps is still one of the best-selling French perfumes today. According to the company, in 2008, a bottle of L'Air du Temps was sold somewhere in the world every 15 seconds. L'Air du Temps won a FiFi Fragrance Hall of Fame Award in 1988 and was selected for French Perfume Legends as a game-changer in perfumery for its use of benzyl salicylate which is now banned. In massive doses, this synthetic molecule rounds the bouquet of natural flowers—jasmine, rose, gardenia and spicy carnation—to perfection, while giving the finished blend perfect purity and great fluidity. Today, benzyl salicylate is subject to restrictions on use in fragrances under standards issued by the International Fragrance Association.

Nina Ricci's son Robert was the one who started their perfume line and L'Air du Temps came about because he was inspired by young post-war girls. It was opposite of the heady fragrances of the time and its scent coincided with the desire to feel light and floaty. In his own words, “When I create a fragrance, I begin by 'sensing' it in my mind. I have a very clear sense of the fragrance I want to smell on the shoulders of the woman I love. I created L'Air du Temps for a very feminine woman, perhaps for somebody just seen or met, but certainly dreamed of and idealized. For me, a fragrance is an act of love, whether experienced or imaginary. I am a romantic, and I cannot conceive of life without dreams.” 

It is still available for purchase.

This is the original vintage eau de toilette version of the fragrance.