Mainstream Monday: Sniffing a Popular Perfume
I’m a fairly predictable person. I have my routines. And every spring I want to smell like violets.
Balenciaga Paris opens as a clean, soapy violet leaf with a hint of fresh raspberry fruitiness and dazzling bergamot. The fragrance’s feeling is watery and sheer. A damp and very “light” cedar appears; I think its soul purpose is to keep the violet from fading too quickly. Balenciaga Paris wears rather linear. It’s green violet and then a powdery, sweet violet. The dry-down is a “green” woods and vetiver.
Does Balenciaga Paris extend the fashion house’s image? The house has history and has contributed lots of different looks to the fashion world. To me, this fragrance represents Balenciaga’s vintage bubble skirts (I mean, look at the bottle). Plus, violet is an old-fashioned note. I don’t think this fragrance represents the line as of right now (see Florabotanica instead) but I do feel it represents the line’s elegant and rich past that they are (and should be) proud of.
Notes listed include violet leaf, pepper, cedarwood, patchouli and vetiver. Launch date 2010. PERFUMER – Olivier Polge
Try Balenciaga Paris if you love violet perfumes. Or if you like perfumes like Prada Infusion d’Iris EDT, Cartier Eau de Cartier, Balenciaga L’essence, Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere, and/or Annick Goutal Violette. Maybe I’m crazy but I view Balenciaga Paris as unisex. It’s just clean smelling violets and cedar.
Balenciaga Paris has below average projection and longevity. It wears more like an EDT than an EDP. This is the biggest complaint you’ll hear about Balenciaga Paris.
Balennicaga comes in a few sizes (1 oz-2.5 oz) with prices ranging from $75-$135 at Sephora. Sometimes you can find it on discount at Fragrancenet. or Lily Direct.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Sheer as a wedding veil violet and cedar. I like it but what keeps me from buying it is that I like Balenciaga L’essence even more.
Want more reviews? Try…
Basenotes – Member reviews
This was included with one of the subscription boxes & I can’t even get anyone to swap for it. It has a very light scent & does not last on me so I can’t even really tell you how it smells.
It is very sheer. I prefer L’Essence.
[…] L’Essence is an extension of the original Balenciaga Paris perfume…but it’s better. It opens with a crisp green violet with a clean, iris-like […]
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