Carbone

I tried this thinking it would smell like the original Carbone de Balmain and it’s NOTHING like it at all. Good news is that I’m a sucker for a musk fragrance and this is predominantly a massive hug in a bottle. The challenge or edge to this perfume comes in the shape of translucent, plastic opulence giving saffron/patchouli feel and a gentle rose undertone. I love it. I mean it’s a bit heavy, like being rear naked choked by a Care bear but it’s pretty wonderful. I don’t mean this is cutting edge perfumery or the best thing ever but as I said, I love how similar this is to something like The musc by Essential parfums but still different enough to own both. I think they switched Carbone and Ebene because the new Ebene smells much more like how I remember Carbone being.

A dark scent ( the name I find perfectly fitting ) , deep and powerful, with very strong leathery shadows overwhelming a just hinted rose. An almost primordial fragrance, which with its intensity seems almost to comfort and warm the soul. The enveloping aroma slowly turns to dust and finally, as if reborn from the ashes, the rose emerges, carnal and passionate. Silky and sensual, like a black cat. I wore it on a cold evening, and I must say I found it perfect. Going then to learn about the nose...here comes Quentin Bisch, who, you may have guessed by now, literally stole my heart. His olfactory signature here does not stand out at first sight, but then his style comes through. I really liked it. “Girl with black cat in her arms” painted by Boldini.

Carbone 2024 by Balmain really took me by surprise. It is a daring and refined fragrance that redefines masculinity with a modern twist that musk really takes center stage. The scent opens with the softness of musk, creating a smooth, sensual base. At its heart, delicate rose blooms, adding a touch of elegance and contrast to the composition. The fragrance is anchored by luxurious suede, which gives it a warm, leathery finish, blendinperfectly with the other notes. Carbone 2024 is bold yet sophisticated, perfect for the man who seeks both strength and subtlety in his signature scent. It’s a captivating balance of softness and intensity, ideal for any occasion.

Evocative of smelling the inside of a black pepper grinder: Sharp, dry, and faintly woody. Up close, it’s quite spicy and austere, almost bracing in its dryness. Somewhat challenging. I find this stunning regardless. The more time I spend with it, the more I enjoy it. Refined dry woods with a restrained rose and that persistent, textured pepper (I'm guessing it's the strong suede + wood combo). It’s far more nuanced than the opening suggests. Like Orto Parisi's Boccanera, this is a fragrance you need to spend time with to truly understand.

This fragrance is straight-up opulence. Carbone has the smoky vibe that is comparable to Ombre Nomade but they are in completely different worlds. The suede is *chefs kiss*. The performance is insane - I sprayed it on a tester strip and could still smell it in passing days later (not exaggerating). Bisch nailed the rose-musk blend! It's technically unisex but definitely leans masculine. This stuff projects like crazy and lasts forever. Special occasion fragrance IMO - not for everyday. Potentially my wedding scent. 10/10

Probably the most sophisticated, elegant, and romantic fragrance in my collection, period. The smell is so soft and beautiful. Spicy velvety rose, along with smooth suede coupled with creamy sandalwood and clean musks with a touch of calming smoke, contrasted by.a slight dirtiness, makes this fragrance stand out. Definitely a special occasion, night time only scent. Great longevity, does not leave your clothes for days. However, the projection is moderate. Recommend it a lot, but I find it to be a little bit overpriced.

The sillage is a WOW. I can sense my smell wafting through the entire floor at Neiman Marcus and each passerby compliments me on how I smell. Musky but also fresh and very alluring. Great for day or night. Any weather. For a product as awesome as this, I don’t mind getting the full bottle. I layer this with Balmain Rouge and the effects are astounding. The scent stays on my clothes for days on end - I normally spray my jacket or sweater and the fragrance remains . Great performer . A pleaser and doesn’t disappoint.

This is one of those fragrances I get a different experience each day I wear it, one day it’s all suede/leather with rose, and the next is straight cumin and cooking spices; almost BO-ish as a few others have noted. I love it; I purchased the full bottle! Edit: I can’t stop thinking about this one, wearing again today. I have way too many fragrances and somehow I can’t pull away from Carbone!

This is not a scent profile I go for— that said— it is so well done. It is a very chic soapy musk scent that screams expensive and clean. It is a bit vintage in smell to my nose, almost giving me some sense of an aldehyde although none is acknowledged. Regardless, who cares, it’s good. If I stepped out of my usual scent territory, I’d excitedly step here. Sexy, seductive, and clean.

Dry, black leather with charcoal and just a hint of rose. Really sexy. Reads masc to me. Fortunately, I dont detect cumin—No unwashed armpit here! However, I tried the last drops from a bottle of oil, so maybe the top notes had already burned off. 15 hrs later, it’s a sweeter, almost vanillic sandalwood with a hint of that sexy charred note.

Nostalgic, Addictive, Hot Vegas summer nights after party vibes. Cigarettes and vodka sodas with lime. For me this is my favourite leather scent (not listed) maybe its the “suede” that im smelling. Underrated, don't hear many talking about this. Another QB hitter. On clothes this scent is eternal!!! Longevity on skin is great too!!

Wow! The name was well chosen! You feel the smell of a rose burned, but not the smoke of it. Something more of a plastic rose burned, a leathery smoke rose ?! I cannot stop smelling myself and enjoying that. I am not a « smoke or leather perfume » person. But this is unique, interesting and beautiful. Definitively unisex.

Amazing. One of the best suede fragrances I’ve had my nose on. Also, it isnt a beast on me like others have mentioned; maybe three hours (or perhaps I go little anosmic to its charm). It’s the fragrance I always reach to smell, even if I choose another frag for that day.

Carbone by Balmain is a spicy, elegant scent with a fresh cumin twist—great projection and sillage, and a real compliment magnet for cumin lovers. Every time Quentin Bisch creates for a brand, it’s a total boom—and this one’s already sold out at Macy’s US.

If you were a fan of the discontinued seducer "Skin on Skin by L'Artisan Parfumeur " amd master perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour this is going to be impressive to you. It's one of the few i wore an entire flacon of and was waiting for a reemergence.

Smells like money. Rich, well put together vibes. Not the nicest opening to me but give it a few minutes and it's gorgeous. Scent trail is enormous. Dark, spicy rose and pepper blend. Lasts forever.

I like it. It basically smells like a Neiman Marcus. Musky and very strong performance.

Love it, dark rose leathery femme fatale scent

Such a beautiful rose scent. Love it.

Since this is a couture fragrance and the bottle and presentation scream sophistication, the reviews here seem to compete over who can perfectly describe this complex beast of a fragrance. Here is the mystery solved: it is not a complicated fragrance at all. It is, in fact, very easy to wear. The only unusual thing you have to be able to pull off when you wear this, in today's climate of fragrances, is that it is not the slightest bit sweet. It is anti-sweet. That should be stressed because having the rose be a prominent part of their poster campaign is almost misleading in an entertaining kind of way. I think they have done it to show off, to play with people's perception: "Look you think this is going to smell of rose but it.. doesn't." The only thing the tiny bit of rose does in this perfume is to create a softer kind of darkness, to make sure the leathery core of this scent isn't too rubbery or artificial. But this is actually a very versatile fragrance. You could wear this as a clean-girl scent in the day, because it is not loaded with different elements; it is a straightforward soft leather. You could wear this as an evening scent as a man. You could even wear this to the office because it isn't screechy or too loud despite its unique composition. So in other words, you can bring yourself to the fragrance, it actually expects you to. That might be the only downside to this fragrance: it cannot make you feel confident, because it doesn't point in a clear direction. You already have to be confident wearing it.

It’s a heavy, deep, challenging, and truly unique fragrance. Honestly, this is the kind of scent for special moments when you want to be noticed. The performance is room-filling, though the scent itself isn’t very airy. Still, there’s something about it that pulls me in. When I smell it up close on my skin, I get quite a strong plasticky nuance. But when I move my arm and let the scent reach me through the air, I absolutely love it. At first sniff, it can be very challenging — in my opinion, even more challenging than Ombre Nomade. However, as it settles, it transforms into a uniquely deep, dominant “I’m here” kind of scent. I think, with the right season, the right timing, and the right outfit, it can be an incredible finishing touch. It has a masculine structure with a Guidance vibe. I didn’t really like Guidance — maybe because it felt too feminine to me — but I do like this fragrance. Its usage might be somewhat limited, yet I definitely think it deserves a place in my collection

One of the fragrances I’ve been most obsessed with lately. This is pure Sofia Falcone Gigante energy; dark, mysterious, dangerous, commanding. It may have been designed with a masculine audience in mind, but to me it’s a bold, perfectly unisex masterpiece. Cumin takes the lead, joined by leather, incense, patchouli, and a blood-red rose; every shadowy Gotham element woven together. The city is dark, and so is this scent: intense, moody, and magnetic. As it dries down, the musky undertones grow stronger. No fragrance truly stays the same from start to finish, but this one sustains its ultra-dense, brooding core impressively long. Tag(s): Bold, edgy, gothic, dark, gotham

I really like fragrances that do what this does. It’s smells like a time, like a place. It doesn’t smell like you PUT ON a fragrance. It’s like the smell is a part of you. Carbone smells like you’ve been in a time period and brought some piece of it back with you. It’s earthy and the smoky woody powderyness has a sexy to it. This isn’t for everyone and I imagine many will opt for something more on the beaten path. This is grown man. Silver or salt and pepper grown man.

Got my free sample today and I am so impressed. I am afraid of modern musk heavy fragrances because I have been traumatized for life by Kirke. This musk is not like Kirke, which is a heaping pile of garbage, Carbone's musk is reminiscent of provocative and sensual musk of Musks Koublai Khan by Lutens. It absolutely does give me a subtle body odor/sweat impression, but it somehow works beautifully with roses, soft old suede, and patchouli. I love this!

A soft, velvety leather note... of course, it's not leather but suede, much more delicate. The spices give it a sensual touch, and the lovely rose note adds an almost tender quality. This fragrance is like a handsome man - warm, comforting, elegant and sexy all at once; he really has it all. A very pleasant surprise for me, as I wasn’t expecting anything from it. Labeled unisex, but to me, it definitely leans more masculine.

It’s interesting that people say this smells like Amouage Guidance because I tried Guidance and I do not like it but I really like Carbone. Very pretty and rosy musk and suede. Great longevity and projection, one spray to my wrist and it’s LASTING.

smells like a bad bitch. It gives cat energy. Really strong and reminds me of guidance with musk and this leathery touch.

Dusty soil and lightning ions, broken aged asphalt, and dirt-covered oil drums. I think this one is appropriately named. It's challenging. It's well crafted and cleverly balanced to blend notes of sandalwood and suede into something very much more than the sum of its parts. Rose hides in the background adding a touch of depth and a slight hint of sweetness that turns the composition toward organics, rather than strictly mineral. I am impressed with Bisch's work (as always!) but would never want to wear this. I will say that while I find no substantial similarities in scent profile, the staying power is similar to Guidance. One tiny smear on my hand is still unchanged after a full night of sleep.

Vintage-inspired juxtaposition of powdery suede and a creamy smooth musked patchouli. People may think I'm losing it when I say I'm reminded of DS & Durga Pistachio. Hear me out. I sprayed Carbone on one arm and Pistachio on the other. Yes, Pistachio is super sweetened but the saffron and patchouli (Pistachio dries down to mostly patchouli) smells very similar to the suede and patchouli of Carbone. Now, imagine this suede and patchouli was covered in a haze of musk and rubbed with rose petals instead of going in a gourmand direction. This scent is sophisticated, mature, and strong. Best for fall and winter. Pretty unisex.

Received a free sample of this fragrance in mail last night and I have mix feelings about it. Very potent, punch in the face type of scent. I would like to smell it on other people on a cold winter day than smelling it on myself.

The only notes I get from this is celery and soft suede and skin. The beginning is straight up celery but it gets better as time goes on...It is interesting, I would never buy a bottle though.

This perfume reminds me of Guidance. Tested on paper and it has been more than 12 hrs and still strong.

I wanted to love this but it could be better balanced, the suede/leatheriness is overpowering

I hate it. My mom decided to wear this a few months ago, it's a nightmare. I hate the cumin and I hate that suede scent. It smells like a rose that you tried to smocked with some spices that are now roasted. Also it's so strong, if someone is wearing that next to you during lunch you eat Carbone instead of wathever you were trying to enjoy. But it's not bad, it's a old school/vintage scent with an enormous sillage and longevity. The bottle is ugly, as all of the other from that collection. I'm gonna gift her another beast rose perfume so she hopefully stop wearing this when we see each other.

Once again, the cumin and patchouli notes work together to form a musty accord similar to body odor that drowns out nearly everything else. I was initially optimistic at the beginning when the rose and suede notes predominated, but it all went downhill once the cumin became more noticeable. The powdery accord didn’t help much either, nor did the strange rubbery accord that pops up after a couple of hours. It certainly is rather long-lasting, though; I could see it working as a good cool weather scent for someone who can tolerate cumin and patchouli in their fragrances.

I only bought a 10 ml bottle, out of caution, and I really made the right choice. It's a total NO, and I say it as a fan of leather&suede in perfumery! It smells like a medicinal cream against rheumatism from the 80s plus some leather (leather jacket type, not suede). Too bad it lasts all day and others can feel it too. 3/10.

This unfortunately smells like BO on me. It's quite long-lasting and the drydown is nice, but I absolutely can't get past the first few hours. It has that unmistakable Quentin Bisch DNA which I usually like, but not this time. I think people are going to love it or hate it.

This smells terrible on me. Manifesting cat-litter terrible. Acrylic, acidic, astringent, bitter and chemical. It's also HUGE. Judging from the other reviews, it could be personal chemistry but I am so disappointed.

Hate this one! It’s a worse version of Amouage Guidance. Quentin Bisch is the perfumer for both fragrances and has clearly used a similar formula with maybe a few subtle differences. Carbone has a dirty cumin note which I don’t get in Guidance but they practically smell the same in the air. A very polarising scent profile do not blind buy!

A hint of rose and a blast of stinky bleu cheese. Almost retched when a sales rep sprayed this on a card for me. Before, I never suspected that I disliked musk--many perfumes that I love have musk as a base note. I guess there can be too much of a good thing.

this is sharp at first but the dry down on my skin is absolutely disgusting and pungent. it's like trying on a leather jacket at a thrift store and getting a waft of aged leathery sweat.

an other twist Guidance (more leathery and rosy), thx Quentin for the creativity again !

This was the talk of the town for a while, so I was super excited to try it! There was a tension before spraying this scent, will it surprise me, will it be soooo good as everyone is saying!? Will it be THAT perfume that people just fall in love with immediately? Everyone was just saying YOU HAVE TO TRY IT! I was so hyped I was almost ready to drop my cash without trying this stuff. :O Well well to my surprise... this is very very into Guidance DNA :D And I am an absolute lover of Guidance, I loooove Amouage - Guidance so Carbon is for sure a no-brainer for me. Instant love. Was it a surprising perfume? Actually no, but if I would never tried Guidance before, this would be THE scent for me for sure! I saw a lot of males liking this on social media, but I feel like Guidance for example, is liked more by females, while this it seems, are more liked by men. I do not know why it is, maybe the packaging is playing a part on this psychological trick. It feels like Carbon is a bit softer and maybe more warable not so so dense as Guidance, but in a way this is also a beast and very heavy heavy duty perfume, this is a perfume with a beautiful sillage for sure just like Guidance. There is no way I can talk about these scents while not mentioning the other. So this is why I am comparing them, because they have the same DNA for sure! Maybeee just mayyyybe I get a bit of that dusty patchouly more, like Barrois Encelade motifs???? Maybe that is what is making this a bit more masculine compared to Guidance. Maybe I'm just crazy? Overall, an absolute bomb of a perfume! Beautiful! If I would not have Guidance already, I would for sure buy this! I don;t know... I see a lot of downvoting of Guidance as not similar but I have Guidance and I get a lot of similarities, like I would absolutely say this is similar to Guidance for sure.

Thank you to the couple previous reviewers that said this smells like oud, ...as in real oud giving off a barnyard funk. Otherwise, I would suspect madness or a bottling error. (I sample here from a Balmain-branded sample vial). Overall, judging from the reviews, there must be something here that many are nose-blind about. Could a leathery rose-patchouli with plenty of cumin mimic real oud? No, not alone; there must be other unlisted woody synthetics in this too. However, cumin oil can create odd animalic pongs, ...but this odd? If so, it's doubly odd that cumin is so undervoted on Fragrantica's note pyramid, ...bu then again, this isn't an easily identifiable curry-gourmand cumin. Of course, that sandalwood, with its particularly distorted tang of dill is also adding to the mystery. Anyway, I happen to enjoy sampling full-bodied real oud, ...or its simulacra. Though I don't usually deem it easy as a full wear. I now feel the same way about this new version of Balmain's Carbone. In reality, this Carbone is a stealth oud, with leather, wood, and rose. ...But the listed notes and main accords are also at least semi-bonkers. Eventually in the drydown the "cumin-oud" does diminish, and the rose and sandalwood notes rise up together.

This fragrance made me so curious just by reading the comments. Some say its animalic, some say its Guidance, some say it's challenging leathery, some say it's easy to wear and only powdery. So I just ordered the 10ml travel size. First impression: What is this?? Oud? I tried a lot of leather scents in my life but this rather reminds me of slighty stinky oud. Later, the rose came into play and somehow it makes me smell my wrist again and again, trying to figure out what is going on and sometimes even liking it. When I woke up, next morning and smelled my wrist, I liked it better because all that was left was a make-up like powderness and rose. This is definitely a scent you have to give multiple wears (especially on skin!!) to understand. Longevity is good/strong but I honestly dont think it's that powerful like other Bisch fragrances. Edit: Also, close to the skin you get that spicy animalic leather smell, in the air it is more rose and powdery make-up like. Edit 2: This thing confuses me. I wore it again and it was pure Patchouli. A LOT OF PATCHOULI

its so profound yet tender and warming, like spritzing a hug through a nozzle Smooth suede , cloud of sandalwood and a halo of musk are the most prominent notes to my nose , which explains the comforting feel im getting from carbone , it has tiny touch of spice coming from cumin, dont let it turn u off, its masterfully blended to add an edge making it suitable for both genders despite the ultra feminine base , also i'm so picky about rose notes but this one isnt sticking out much so no bothersome, it shows very faintly amongst the rest of the notes It has nothing to do with noir de noir , but i understand the resemblence with guidence, its not the same either but has the same soft "cashmerey" feel to it .. i much prefer carbone though .. Good sillage and longevity , very overpriced though (value per ml) so only to be treasered occasionally

Total Bisch style. She is STRONG! Not really my normal type of scent but I cannot deny that whenever I wear this I get so many compliments on it. You have to like spice and patchouli and also a leather type scent. I’ll be honest this fragrance has a bit of a funk to it on initial spray, kind of like BO which made me be like oh no, I cannot wear this. But it works. Guidance has the same type of thing to it. Smells a bit like sweaty skin but then it’s settles. In the air its magical. Up close it can be challenging. Don’t overspray. Less is truly more. It’s kind of an atomic bomb and the performance and projection needs to be studied. I think it’s nice to try for sure but won’t be for everyone. I need to be in the mood to wear this.

Oh.. this is very similar to TF white suede mixed with Rosie by Rosie Jane. The musky mocha thing mixed with cumin comes off strong to me. It has this really elegant vibe at the same time. On the right person it comes across really high class and sultry — imagine a really fuckinh rich lady on a leather lounger smoking a cigarette on a clip wearing a 1940s silk dressing gown, face ruggedly sharp and statuesque. Cumin with suede really comes across as sweat. The comment below really illustrated what it smells like. But beneath that leather note it’s honestly really beautiful and clean, wish there was more of that. Honestly this whole collection feels grungy to me. It’s not at all pleasant and pleasing.

I was at a party yesterday and I smelled something amazing. I asked him if he was wearing Ganymede. No? I asked if it was Guidance. No? He then told me it was Carbone. So I had to look it up. Yep, QB. I think he's super, super talented (and I love Ganymede)...but not sure why this same DNA is in a lot of his work. Bois Imperiale has the exact same profile. While Carbone smelled wonderful with incredible sillage (as expected from this master perfumer) I'm kind of itching for something new from him. Like a totally different direction.

Absolutely a compliment monster..If you're a MAN, it ABSOLUTELY works..Seems most females in these comments cant pull this off..This is more towards people who thrive in being naturally fearless and there ARE women who would absolutely captivate a room with this. Tbh the less people who like it the better for me. And btw this smells NOTHING like Ombre Nomade but its kinda in that realm of dark and mysterious. Velvet loafers and a black, indigo or maroon button up with a gold Chain showing in a dark but luxurious bar 🍸 vibes