Sweet PeaOpens with
GardeniaHeart
MuskDries down to
Carlos Benaïm189 fragrancesPortrait →
Rosendo Mateu59 fragrancesPortrait →
Sophie Labbé102 fragrancesPortrait →Will you like it? Mark a few fragrances you own or love and we'll tell you.
Nina Ricci · Sold as feminine
Premier Jour
The quiet comfort of a well-loved piece of clothing, where the scent is as familiar as it is soothing.
Full bottle: Mid-range tier, typically $40–100. Links open each seller's own page. We may earn a commission; it never changes the order.
Premier JourMid-range · $40–100
50%Similar accords, often for lessCool Water Sensual Essence · DavidoffBudget tier, under $40 · shares 4 of its 7 notes8 matches →How it wears
From community votes · bars are each option's shareComposition & Character
Notes Pyramid
TopOpening
BaseFoundation
The story behind the bottle.
Premier Jour by Nina Ricci was launched in 2001 and has since become a genuine 'sleeper hit' among fragrance enthusiasts. Created by Sophie Labbé, Carlos Benaïm, and Rosendo Mateu, this floral scent opens with sweet pea and mandarin orange before diving into the heart of gardenia and orchid. The base notes of musk, sandalwood, woods, and vanilla create a warm, comforting embrace that has earned it a devoted following even after its discontinuation.
What sets Premier Jour apart is its ability to generate compliments and evoke nostalgia in wearers who sometimes only appreciate its subtlety over time. It's the kind of scent you might initially overlook but eventually find yourself reaching for again and again.
This fragrance blooms slowly and lasts through the day, so one or two sprays in the morning should suffice. It reads better close to skin than across a room, making it perfect for daytime wear.
Fig. 01 — Premier Jour, Nina Ricci
Where to buy.
Wear it for a week first
A decant costs a fraction of a bottle and tells you how it lasts on your skin.
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Not sure it's you?
Five questions, about a minute, no account. You get a shortlist that fits how you actually wear fragrance.
Carlos Benaïm
The quiet geniusCarlos Benaïm is a master perfumer at IFF whose name may not be widely recognized outside the industry, yet his creations have shaped the olfactory landscape of the past four decades.
“Perfumers always strive to create a scent that will have long lasting appeal but we never fully know in advance.”
Carlos Benaïm · The Candy Perfume Boy, April 2015
Co-created with Rosendo Mateu and Sophie Labbé
The Premier Jour line
3 fragrances, compared side by side
Designer Nina Ricci
More from the house · founded 1932 · France
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Chosen from what wearers say it smells like, what its fans also love, and its notes
Love it, not the price?
Matched by accords and notes. Sample first, then decide.
The originalPremier JourNina Ricci · Mid-range · $40–100Davidoff · 2012Cool Water Sensual EssenceShares 4 of its 7 notesunder $40★ 3.75 (462)55%Match
ALREHAB PERFUMESDelightfulShares 5 of its 9 notesunder $40★ 3.70 (123)52%Match
ZaraFemmeShares Orchid, Musk and Sandalwoodunder $40★ 3.94 (174)48%Match
Zara · 2021Cozy SerenadeAll 3 of its listed notes are in this oneunder $40★ 3.65 (51)
With Salvatore Ferragamo Savane di Seta
Adds iris and earthy; shares sandalwood.
Suggested from accords and notes · not yet tried by wearers
What people
are saying.
Respected, if divisive: loved by 25%, disliked or hated by 15%.