The gremlins were out in full force for this year’s final set of Love At First Scent broadcasts. The audio at the start of one of the videos turned out to be atrocious (for reasons utterly unknown to me) and then the camera placement decided to pull some kind of weird misalignment trick in the final episode. Apologies for the less-than-ideal viewing experience. But hopefully, you’ll be able to put up with the glitches and learn my thoughts on the recent re-launches of Balmain (now part of Estee Lauder) and Bottega Veneta (acquired by Kering). I also made time for a couple of classics which celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2024: Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist and the discontinued Dior Tendre Poison. Here are links to all three videos, followed by timestamps and some further reflections on a few of the releases: Bottega Veneta 2024 re-launch review — Balmain 2024 re-launch review — Christian Dior Tendre Poison and Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist reviews.
Deja Minuit (Pierre-Constantin Gueros) 7:00
Colpo Di Sole (Alexandra Carlin) 11:03
Acqua Sale (Alienor Massenet) 15:05
Alchemie (Pierre-Constantin Gueros) 18:46
Come With Me (Alexandra Carlin) 20:36
Rouge (Quentin Bisch) 5:51
Carbone (Quentin Bisch) 8:57
Ivoire (Dominique Ropion) 13:11
Ebene (Maurice Roucel) 17:30
Bronze (Shyamala Maisondieu) 21:46
Sel D’Ambre (Quentin Bisch) 25:54
Vent Vert (Shyamala Maisondieu & Calice Becker) 29:30
Bleu Infini (Quentin Bisch) 35:29
Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist (Maurice Roucel) 1:26
Christian Dior Tendre Poison (Edouard Flechier) 5:25
The less said about the Bottega Venetas, the better: they are unremarkable and, more importantly, they’re insanely overpriced. A case of style over substance, if ever there was one.
The Balmains are considerably more attention-worthy, as long as you can put aside any expectations you might have for scents that bear the names of the old Balmain classics. Maurice Roucel’s Ebene is a suave, almost too-easy-to-like take on peppery, incense-y amber, very much in the vein of Michel Almairac’s Gucci Pour Homme. It wouldn’t be a 2024 creation if it didn’t feature abrasive woods in the base, but thankfully, their dosage isn’t excessive. Dominique Ropion presents an intriguingly grubby tuberose in Ivoire, covering the flower in pieces of well-worn leather. Shyamala Maisondieu and Calice Becker give us a convincingly green Vent Vert, albeit with a fruity, melon-y inflection that turns the wind into more of a soothing breeze, as opposed to the dramatic tempest that Germaine Cellier’s 1947 original is meant to have been. Sel D’Ambre sees Quentin Bisch conjuring a curious, compelling salty frankincense. And for my money, the most interesting of the lot is Bleu Infini (Bisch again) which features a terrific evocation of a parched, almost petrified landscape, where every footstep causes the twigs and leaves to crackle, releasing clouds of tarragon, thyme, fenugreek, turmeric and cedar into the air. As it develops, it moves ever closer to the gigantic leather-plus-patchouli, Ganymedesque domain beloved by the perfumer, and consequently, doesn’t live up to the promise of originality made by its opening. But it remains a fascinating piece of work, and it’s probably one of Bisch’s best expressions of his signature style.
Persolaise
[Review samples were obtained by me, except for the Balmain ‘minis’ set, which was provided by the brand.]
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