Destin

I received a free sample of this perfume. I always love trying the free samples, but I have never actually purchased the perfume after trying the free sample until now. The sample card only listed the notes of strawberry, peony, and sandalwood. I was expecting a sweet, candy-like strawberry, so I didn't smell that right on the first try. What I did smell was the peony with a hint of lily, and then this amazing sandalwood drydown. When I tell you I couldn't stop smelling this amazing sandalwood smell all day, I was wondering what set this apart from other sets. After checking out the notes, I see Quentin Bisch is the perfumer, who does a lot of good stuff. Then I see that this also has patchouli in the base, which I love. So, I think the uniqueness of this is that patchouli/sandalwood mix in the base. As I continued to try this, I realized the strawberry is not a sweet, candy-like strawberry - it's a cool, fresh strawberry. That little fresh fruitiness, mixed with the fresh peony, mixed with the slightly dry, woody, earthy sandalwood/patchouli mix, I love this! The longevity is 10+ hours on skin, moderate sillage, this is one where your body heat will help with sillage throughout the day. I bought a 10 mL travel-size and will save up for a full size if I continue to love it as much as I do now. To tell you how much I like this - I have only ever bought perfume from discount stores (TJ Maxx, Burlington, Ross, Bealls, Target). But I actually went to the Balmain Beauty site and paid full price for this. I will say if you order on this site, they wrap it up super pretty in a really nice box, and you get 2 sample size perfumes. I would highly recommend trying this!

How am I not surprised that it’s a Bisch creation. This is lovely! I just picked it up to sniff at Ulta while waiting to be helped and I had to get the travel size to try it for a while. It smells sophisticated, mature yet not vintage, luxurious. It does remind me a bit of LVEB but without the intoxicating sweetness and vanilla notes. This one to me is much more rounded and it has a certain uniqueness or distinction. Will try this travel size. It doesn’t project like beast, I would say it’s perfect for a date night and get a whim up close Edit: it lasts longer than I initially thought, I love to spray my perfumes on the back of my neck close to my hair, and even after several hours I kept getting these whiffs of absolutely heavenly fruity, musky woodiness and I kept going insane trying to figure out if it was my hair products. It was Destin that I had sprayed in the morning 😂 I’m definitely going for a full bottle, this is gorgeous and I never thought I’d say this from a perfume with a strawberry note, it’s just perfect. Boss level perfume, I’d wear this on conferences where you’d want everyone to remember who you were

I wasn’t even shopping for a fragrance. I was casually testing scents at Ulta when I spotted Balmain Beauty Destin. One spray on my arm, one on my clothes, and I couldn’t stop smelling it. I picked up the travel size and headed home. About 20 minutes later, I was still smelling my arm nonstop. That’s when I knew I was in trouble. I literally changed directions, drove to Macy’s, and bought a full bottle. From the first spray, I noticed creamy florals, smooth sandalwood, and a sparkling fruity quality that felt almost champagne-like. It’s bright, luminous, and incredibly addictive. What captivated me most wasn’t a specific note. It was the feeling. Destin gave me the same excitement I remember from the iconic fragrance launches of the ’90s. Not because it smells like them, but because it has that same magnetic presence that keeps drawing you back for another sniff. At the same time, this feels completely modern. It’s youthful, sophisticated, and effortlessly wearable. Every time I thought I was done smelling my wrist, I found myself going right back for another breath. It was love at first sniff.

I was actually taken by this one. Quentin did it again (at least for me). Destin lands in similar territory of Hermès Barenia, or Cartier La Panthere. Big, bold patchouli surrounded by slightly funky-fruity notes. The beginning is sparkly, as if it bared bubbly aldehydes. The strawberry isn’t as apparent (much like in Cartier’s La Panthere), but there’s a fruity note that reminded me of the supposed “miracle berry” note in Hermès Barenia. There are slightly leathery undertones with this one, typical of the Bisch signature (probably osmanthus?)... nevertheless, I found this extremely interesting and beautiful to wear; so much so that I ended up buying a bottle. I’d be interested in seeing how this one wears in summer; feels like it’s versatile enough to use all year round. The scent is empowering, mature, joyful and hopeful. A breath of fresh air amongst the insistent and overwhelming gourmands that have been releasing over the last few years.

Stunning warm sandalwood. I honestly don’t get the “generic designer DNA” criticism. I think this one is being judged a bit unfairly because of the price point. Speaking of which, this release feels like a bold move from Balmain. It shows that designer lines can absolutely compete with niche when they want to. The sandalwood is smooth and enveloping, and the strawberry note adds a subtle brightness without ever becoming overly sweet, jammy, or cloying. The first time I wore this, I was flooded with compliments. It smells polished, warm, and projects like crazy (so go easy on the sprays). I’ll probably grab a backup bottle especially considering the house’s history of discontinuing some of their best work, like Ambre Gris.