Le Paradis de Nina

At the opening it is very similar to the original Nina (which I love). However, the tart lemon is sweet orange, and the crisp apple is a faint soft red apple instead. You don't have to wait for the sweetness with Paradis - it jumps out right at the beginning. It is notably sweeter than Nina. The vanilla note in this is like a handful of pastel marshmallows. It has a dry down that is so pretty and kind of elusive. It plays hide and seek. One moment you forget you have a scent on, and then suddenly you're thinking-- what is that beautiful aroma? --- oh yeah, it's my perfume! The almond essence is soft, musky, sweet, confectionery almost - but you can also tell that there are flowers in this mix. I think I'm smelling mostly gardenia, but it definitely isn't the gardenia of "old lady". It really retains the sweet orange.... not really huge on apple for my skin as the note table indicates. It is just so well blended that nothing really jumps out and screams at you. It has a lovely rich sweetness. It is not without a hint of citrus freshness and sultry musk though. The sandalwood in this keeps it from flying off to candyland. It keeps it grounded and rounds it out. I really love the way that Nina Ricci fragrances are so alluringly sweet, but also somehow reserved and sigh inducing. It is just a REALLY well blended scent. It is sweet with sophistication. You could be adored, but also taken seriously in this scent. If the original Nina is among your "love it" shelf, I suspect you definitely will like this.... perhaps even love it as well. It is a special sweet scent. At first it might knock your socks off, but give it time to dry down before coming to a conclusion. Gorgeous. Long Lasting. Perfect Sillage.

I adore this scent! It's lovely ,soft ,and sweet! I want to squeal and pass out because of it! Ridiculous yes, but true. It starts out very lightly citrusy and with a nice dose of a flower garden and also a powdery note but not baby powder (thankfully as I don't particularly care fore baby powder) . It is kind of cool in the beginning and the becomes warm as it progresses on me. As it opens up more it begins to get more of that "madeleine " cake smell. Vanilla but very far from the cheap kind in most perfume. It has a nice floral tinge to it which keeps it from being sickly sweet and that fake smell that comes from those sickly sweet fragrances. And while apple is listed in the notes, it mild. Which is also great because it seems almost every perfume I pick up has apple it in! I like apple but it doesn't need to be in EVERYTHING! The almond which I believe is part of where the powder scent comes from, is simply divine. Then near the end its sweet and it balances itself between all the fragrances in it. This is my signature scent because its light and airy yet sweet. Its something even a baby could wear in terms of scent! I wish it wasn't limited edition. It can still be found online, but I plan I finding a perfumer who can remake the scent. It will be interesting to see what it smells like made with natural oils instead of the synthetic ones.

I've just sprayed some on, and it's very lovely. Not sure if I like it better than Love (green apple), though, but I do like it better than Nina (first red apple). It's not as intense, and has a citrus note (mandarin and orange, I presume) that make it smell a bit yummier than the red berries in Nina. Will wait for the drydown and report! Update: Drydown is very nice too, although it does not smell very different to the opening notes, just mellower, but quietly intense at the same time. I would say that Le Paradis smells more intensive than Love, but weaker than Nina (which in my opinion, is a bit too strong for me, especially in the opening). The main notes I can smell in the drydown are vanilla, indescriptive foody notes, and a hint of white flowers. Overall, it smells very feminine- I can envision a young woman in a long flowy pink dress, running up or down a ballroom staircase! Longevity: I've been wearing it for 7 hours and it still smells fresh. Definitely a 'love' and possibly also a favourite! Update two: After frequent wear, I have placed the scent of the drydown: Mariah Carey M without the incense note! Now I'm wishing I didn't buy that one!

I love it, I just bought it today!! This is lighter, softer, and sweeter than Nina. To me it does not smell the same at all. They're no where near related scent wise. Paradis is so much nicer than Nina. I did a side by side test on both wrists; Paradis is soft, sweet, powdery and feminine. It has a foody feel to it like a small fluffy almond cake with frosting. It is so much nicer than Nina. Did a side by side test on both wrists. Paradis soft, sweet, powdery and feminine. Has a foody feel to it like a small fluffy almond cake drizzled with sweet lemon frosting. The smell seems to last and on me, and I am adoring it! I get various notes at various times, though all are similar and lovely and I have smelled the Madeline cake which is delicious. It's a lovely sweet feminine smell that isn't too foody that you smell exactly like cake, but is yummy and the dry down is a lovely feminine sweetness.

very sweet in the bottle, but i gave it a shot and it mellows on my skin. very much like a bag of dolly mixture (seriously it really reminds me of these!) but with a slight spiced-vanillary undertone. the almond definitely takes the sweetness down a notch and this is perfect for me if i want something light and away from my usual heavy woody scents.