Romano Ricci and the idea behind Juliette
Although he is Nina Ricci's great-grandson, Romano Ricci chose not to build on the family legacy and founded a brand of his own, where he is artistic director and signs every creation. The house says it designs its fragrances for a woman who is by turns romantic, boyish, authoritative or seductive, and gives each scent a distinct character rather than just an olfactory identity. Often the name points to the main note, like the pear in Pear Inc., the vanilla in Vanilla Vibes or the cocktail in Moscow Mule.
The fragrances in our selection
Not a Perfume and Superdose: a single ingredient
Not a Perfume is made from just one ingredient, Cetalox, which perfumers usually use as a base note and which here becomes the entire fragrance. Romano Ricci describes the result as minimalist, elegant and pure, and the house speaks of a discreet woody note with a clean trail. According to the house it is allergen-free and also works for layering, as a booster worn over another perfume. If it doesn't come through at full intensity on your skin and you want a stronger sillage, try Not a Perfume Superdose, the overdosed version of the same composition, with Cetalox as the heart note.
Florals and musks
Among the florals is Lady Vengeance, with a rich, sophisticated trail that pairs Bulgarian rose with patchouli and vanilla over a lavender opening. Musc Invisible opens on creamy jasmine and cotton flowers with musk in the base, and the house describes it as an intimate, warm, enveloping composition, "like a second skin." Finally, Magnolia Bliss pairs magnolia with mirabelle plum.
Gourmands and fruity scents
Vanilla Vibes puts natural vanilla center stage, reinterpreted with sea salt. Pear Inc. is built on green pear with musks and Ambroxan, and the house presents it as a refreshing fragrance with a gourmand touch, born from the fruit Romano Ricci likes best. Then there is Mmmm..., a delicious accord of vanilla and neroli with raspberry, jasmine and sandalwood, and Sunny Side Up, which pairs sandalwood and vanilla. The eau de parfum that bears the house's name, Juliette, combines dark cherry with pink pepper, Cashmeran and jasmine absolute.
Ambers, citrus and spicy scents
Launched as a limited edition of 999 bottles, Oil Fiction brings together saffron, tuberose and amber and plays on the opulence of oriental notes. Liquid Illusion is an amber floral with orris butter, vanilla, amber and heliotropin, with its characteristic almond-like nuance. On the fresh side, Moscow Mule recreates the cocktail of the same name with notes of vodka, ginger ale, lime, bergamot and ginger, in a metal bottle inspired by copper mugs. Ego Stratis puts a new spin on eau de cologne with mandarin and calone. Ode to Dullness, with star anise, cashmere flower, sandalwood and tonka bean, is described by the house as fresh and soothing.
How to choose a Juliette Has a Gun perfume
If you're after vanilla, choose between Vanilla Vibes with sea salt, Sunny Side Up with sandalwood and Mmmm... with neroli. For a floral there's Lady Vengeance with Bulgarian rose, Magnolia Bliss with magnolia and Musc Invisible, with jasmine and cotton flowers over musk. If you love amber, start with Oil Fiction, with saffron, or Liquid Illusion, with orris. For citrus and fresh notes there are Moscow Mule, Ego Stratis and Pear Inc. And if you want a single note, there's Not a Perfume, or Superdose if the original barely comes through on your skin.
If you like compositions built around one note, also take a look at gourmand perfumes and white musk perfumes from other houses.
The Not a line: body and home
The Not a line carries the scent of Not a Perfume over to body and home. Not a Lozione Corpo is inspired by Not a Perfume and, according to the house, absorbs well and leaves skin soft and velvety. For the home there's the candle, which diffuses the scent of Not a Perfume and is made up mainly of base notes such as ambroxan and musks. There's also the room spray, inspired by the same notes and free of artificial colorants, and the diffuser, designed as a decorative object too, with an opacified alcohol that has a milky look.
Frequently asked questions
Who created Juliette Has a Gun?
Juliette Has a Gun was created in 2006 by Romano Ricci, great-grandson of the designer Nina Ricci. Romano Ricci founded the house as a personal project, separate from the family legacy, and serves as its artistic director: every fragrance in the collection carries his signature and his own precise idea of femininity.
What is the Cetalox in Not a Perfume?
Cetalox is an ingredient perfumers use mainly as a base note. In Not a Perfume, Romano Ricci made it the only element of the composition, with a result he describes as minimalist, elegant and pure. The house suggests wearing it on its own or layering it with other fragrances.
What is the difference between Not a Perfume and Not a Perfume Superdose?
The difference between Not a Perfume and Not a Perfume Superdose is intensity: Superdose is the overdosed version of the same Cetalox composition. It's meant for people who don't perceive Not a Perfume at its full intensity and want a stronger sillage, with the same clean, fresh and elegant character.
Can you layer Not a Perfume with other perfumes?
Yes, Not a Perfume can be layered with other perfumes. The house describes its single-ingredient formula as suited to layering, worn as a booster over another fragrance to amplify it. Worn on its own, the house describes it instead as a discreet woody note with a clean, modern trail.
What is the Juliette Has a Gun vanilla perfume?
The Juliette Has a Gun vanilla perfume is Vanilla Vibes, where natural vanilla takes the lead and is reinterpreted with sea salt. Vanilla also appears in Sunny Side Up, alongside sandalwood, and in Mmmm..., which the house describes as a delicious accord of vanilla and neroli.
What does Lady Vengeance smell like?
Lady Vengeance is a Juliette Has a Gun floral built on Bulgarian rose, with patchouli, vanilla and a lavender opening. Romano Ricci describes it as a perfume with a rich, sophisticated trail, a portrait of confident, sensual femininity and of a woman for whom seduction holds no secrets.
What does Juliette Eau de Parfum smell like?
Juliette Eau de Parfum is the fragrance that bears the house's name, built on dark cherry. Pink pepper and Cashmeran give it a contemporary woody tone, and at its heart is jasmine absolute: the product description calls it intense and deep, but not just floral.
Which citrus or fresh perfumes does Juliette Has a Gun make?
The Juliette Has a Gun citrus perfumes are Moscow Mule, with lime, bergamot and ginger inspired by the cocktail of the same name, and Ego Stratis, a reworked eau de cologne with mandarin and calone. The house also calls Pear Inc., built on green pear, refreshing, and Ode to Dullness fresh and soothing.
Does Juliette Has a Gun make home fragrances?
Yes, Juliette Has a Gun has a home line tied to Not a Perfume. The candle diffuses its scent, with base notes of ambroxan and musks, and the room spray is inspired by its notes. The diffuser creates an atmosphere the house calls clean and pure, with an opacified alcohol that has a milky look.
