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Fragrance review: Nina Ricci Signoricci

Posted by Marlen on 26 August 2005 8 Comments

Nina Ricci Signoricci cologne for men

First, a little history: in 1964, Nina Ricci launched her first men’s fragrance, Signoricci. When the company followed up on the theme with a second scent, Signoricci 2 in 1976, the name of the original changed to Signoricci 1. Upon the sad discontinuation of the original, the "2" was dropped from the name of the newer scent and today we simply have "Signoricci" — are you still with me? Ok… This 1976 incarnation has notes of mandarin, petitgrain, sage, alpine lavender, haitian vetiver, exotic woods, and oak moss.

Signoricci is a unique fragrance in that this is one citrus scent that, thankfully, doesn't remind me of bathroom cleaner! The zesty top notes give way to a fresh, slightly green herbal middle, ending in a light trail of white woods (I smell birch or cedar, and sandalwood) and vetiver. It is primarily a citrus scent, but the warmer notes in the base (and by the way, I'm not a vetiver fan, and here, the note is barely detectable as it merges harmoniously with the other notes) provide depth and fullness that other citrus scents lack.

Where Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien stops at being a simple lemon scent, and doesn't last on my skin, and Creed's citrus scents usually offer only a hint of top notes, moving quickly to the complex millesime base, Signoricci is so much more, offering a more complete composition, excellent lasting power, and a gentle, comforting warmth in the base notes.

A popular scent that has been the source of many compliments for me, Signoricci is by far one of the most beautiful citrus fragrances I've encountered. It has been a staple scent of mine since I first discovered it about 10 years ago, and a bottle is always present in my wardrobe. To me this eau de toilette has a quiet sophistication that no other men’s fragrance manages to capture. It is as easily worn with shorts and sandals as with a business suit, and considering that it was created 30 years ago, let me add one more adjective — timeless.

Nina Ricci Signoricci is an Eau de Toilette, and is sold as both 50ml and 100 ml sprays.

[Note: Marlen would love to hear your comments, but due to time zone differences and real-life responsibilities, he will not be able to respond promptly.]

Possibly of interest

Nina Ricci Nina Rouge Crush ~ new fragrance
Nina Ricci Nina Precious Gold ~ new fragrance
Venus de Nina Ricci ~ new perfume

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: cheap thrills, nina ricci

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8 Comments

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  1. Anonymous says:
    26 August 2005 at 10:24 am

    I almost had a heart attack! Diddy is charging $300 for Unforgivable and Robin is suddenly declaring she's “not a vetiver fan”? Thank goodness I finally realized Marlen wrote this review, because it would be depressing for my world to fall apart on a Friday! Anyway, now that I'm sane again, I would like to say that I am fascinated by this “light trail of white woods”. I would like to walk on it, although petitgrain, lavender, and vetiver are high on my long list of least favorite notes. Is Signoricci carried at department stores?

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  2. Anonymous says:
    26 August 2005 at 10:31 am

    Hi Marlen,

    Very interesting your comment about Nina Ricci's Signoricci. Regarding fragrances that don't remind you of bathroom cleaner: have you ever tried Dior's Higher Energy? A very nice citrus herbal accord on top with spicy and woody nuances. Grapefruit does a great job here! Very masculine, I would say, and a definite must for summer days or when a boost is needed, it's really worth having in your drawer.

    Hope you find this of interest.

    Regards, R.

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  3. Anonymous says:
    26 August 2005 at 10:46 am

    LOL — maybe we need the author names in a larger font!!

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  4. Anonymous says:
    26 August 2005 at 8:32 pm

    Fascinating – it's nice to hear about scents that have been around for a while but get overlooked sometimes. Thanks for the review.

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  5. Anonymous says:
    27 August 2005 at 5:36 am

    Hey Keeter! Are u ok – shall I UPS over some Oxygen? Lavender and vetiver are two of MY least favorites scents also, but in this scent, it works quite well, and subtly I might add. Sadly, this scent is not a staple of American department store fragrance counters. But if you are very interested, send me an email and we'll chat more about it!

    Hi Rafael! I do have Higher Energy and was quite smitten with it on first application. But after acquiring a bottle, it never grew on me, as it just doesn't develop. I prefer the original Higher to HE. Thanks for your comments!

    Hey Katie! I'm so happy that NR has kept this one around – sometimes fragrance companies discontinue scents that really deserve relaunches instead. I was happy to see that Signoricci has gotten a new look and packaging. Maybe this is a sign of a relaunch?

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  6. Anonymous says:
    27 August 2005 at 6:22 pm

    “sometimes fragrance companies discontinue scents that really deserve relaunches instead”

    You're so right – Organza Indecence, Theorema, and I have a sinking feeling this is what will happen to Magie Noire eventually, too.

    It's comes as such a relief to me sometimes when companies work to preserve the integrity and availability of their not-so-shiny-and-new scents.

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  7. Anonymous says:
    27 August 2005 at 9:54 pm

    I've just heard that Emporio Armani is d/c-ing their White scents, which I LOVE….so sad…I wish more houses would start to revive classics – glad to see Lancome and Guerlain starting what will hopefully become a trend!

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  8. sparklingwater says:
    2 December 2009 at 6:35 am

    “It has been a staple scent of mine since I first discovered it about 10 years ago, and a bottle is always present in my wardrobe.”

    Woolfie, we are so alike sometimes it’s spooky!

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