Talisman eau Transparente

I have to write something about this beauty and my personal history with it. I am a Balenciaga addict, wanting ALL of them, if available for an acceptable price.. I ADORE the regular Talisman, and in my vintage perfumebooks the Eau de Transparante was described next to the original, with almost exactly the same notes. I think an overlap of 75%. So when I bought it, it seemed quite different.... I thought, how can this be, was my vintage book wrong? But now, quite a while later, I sprayed it on, and INDEED it DID smell the same!! But indeed lighter.. I think my ability to smell is growing after all these years. This perfume is so incredible subtle, that the complexity cannot be read instantly. I am glad I learned to smell better, because I am really getting to understand perfumes better for what they intended to be!

On the opening I get very little, and I'm tricked into thinking it's wishy-washy. No! Over a short period it starts to unfold, and gets stronger, with first white florals, then fruity aspects coming through. I start getting ready to go out, and as I'm moving about and my skin heats up, it gets stronger still. I'm surprised by the performance! This is a crafty little "eau" which isn't very transparent at all in the drydown, and to its credit there's no evident fixative base keeping it going like there would be in such a scent from your average designer or something like MFK. There's also a sort of spiciness underneath it all providing just a touch of warmth which, again, gets stronger the more it heats up.

Here are the notes of this special perfume: Black current Bergamot Mandarin Lemon Grapefruit Violet leaf Olive flower Rum Anjer Freesia Rose Hyacint Orchid Ylang Ylang Sandalwood Oakmoss Amber

Oh and I forgot, for a better overview of the notes involved in this perfume, look at the notes of the regular Talisman and think of an similarity of 75% of the notes all in a lighter touch!

I am totally new to Balenciaga scents. In this I smell Ylang Ylang. freesia,Osmanthus, Rum, Amber. My first impression was of an incense shop, maybe that is the Ylang Ylang, Floral middle notes then back to the incense shop but with an added soapy smell in the drydown. Beautiful little bottle, nice colour, great name but I am simply not getting this one. To me it smells like the perfume of a bygone age but perhaps it is just that the little bottle I have obtained is aged. I wa so determined to like this that I am giving it the benefit of doubt and will try again, but so far not keen.