Romano Ricci, the founder of Paris-based fragrance house Juliette Has A Gun, was introduced to the world of fashion by his great grandmother Nina and to perfumery by his grandfather Robert, the creator of the famed 'L’air du temps'. Ricci established his own brand in 2006, naming it after Shakespeare’s Juliet, while the gun is a metaphor for perfume, a weapon of seduction. Having been awarded the Special Prize of the Board at Les Parfums 2011 (FiFi Awards), Ricci has established a name for himself in the industry as someone who has brought a new sense of creativity to the world of fragrance.
To celebrate the brand’s tenth anniversary, the perfume house has now launched two exclusive new fragrances, drawn from two distinct collections: ‘Into the Void’, the inspiration for which was found in black holes, gravity and attraction; and ‘MMMM’, an ultra-feminine concoction that Ricci describes as a 'forbidden fruit'.
Ricci may be the perfumer behind the scents but he’s also taken on the challenge to design the bottles' packaging. 'Into the Void' features a black opaque texture representing the universe, while 'MMMM' has a striking matte fuchsia hue, the colour created specifically to match that of Ricci’s car, the latter being the inspiration for the bottle’s design.
'Into the Void', which belongs to the Luxury Collection, is a woody unisex scent, mixing guaiac wood with cedar, norlimbanol, ambroxan, patchouli and a zingy dash of papyrus. Black orchid absolute blends with tonka bean and an infusion of liquorice, creating a harmonious yet sensual composition, which resembles a rich, musty oud scent (though, Ricci ensures us, it doesn't contain any of that).
'MMMM' is the polar opposite – belonging to the floriental gourmand olfactory family, it is ultra-feminine, sweet, and more poetically, 'a sin to indulge in unreservedly', or 'a zero calorie treat'. It blends distilled neroli, raspberry and geranium unfolding to notes of orange blossom, jasminum sambac, tuberose and powdery iris butter at the heart. Ultimately meeting the rich and smooth notes of sandalwood, patchouli and salicylate at the base of the fragrance, it achieves an addictive olfactory sweetness. Our verdict? We can’t help but murmur 'mmmm' at the result.
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'Into the Void', £200 for 75ml, will launch exclusively at Harrods in September. 'MMMM', from £75 for £50ml, will launch nationwide and at Selfridges in October. For more information, visit the Juliette Has A Gun website
