Extatic Tiger Orchid

Fragrance Review For Extatic Tiger Orchid Balmain Top Notes Solar Notes Ginger Pink Pepper Middle Notes Orchid Ylang Ylang Jasmine Base Notes Patchouli Benzoin Cashmere Wood Extatic Tiger Orchid is a fragrance that would sit on the dresser table of Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. She's a tigress: bold, confident and aggressively fragrant. This sounds like it would be a bad thing for those of us who are perfume intolerant but it's really not that bad. It's a misty fragrance without too much projection and you won't put on a gas mask even if the person wearing it has bathed in it form head to foot. It's a lot of things: sexy, floral, Oriental and smoky/woodsy. Unisex. The opening is unusual with "solar notes" which are rare to find in chemicals but you know what they smell like? Like clothes that have been hung on a line out in the sun, not a detergent sun but warmed up skin or clothing that has been exposed to the sun. There is also just a little bit of a sun tan lotion but it never turns into a beach or sunny tropical sun tan lotion a la Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. It's sunny and warm or hot/spicy as opposed to fresh when it opens. There's ginger and spices which only seem to indicate that this fragrance is for dames and not little schoolgirls. The floral notes in it's heart are exotic orchids, night blooming jasmine and ylang ylang. The ylang matches up with the sun notes and the orchid is not a shy little thing. She is a jungle orchid, like a wild orchid that grows in a rainforest. The night blooming jasmine is her friend and she too is bold and saucy, spicy, and more fragrant for blooming under stars and moonlight. The dry down is Oriental in nature with patchouli shrub leaves and incense. This dry down is smoky, but not in the same big smoke of Opium, nor too much of an Arabic incense. It's just right. This is one of the most wearable incense and benzoins I've encountered in recent years. I loved everything about the dry down but wondered what it would have been like had they included musk or animalic accords. This scent is still pretty powerful and seductive, despite it's lighter texture. For novices getting into florals, particularly smokier florals, and Orientals, this should be a good introduction, just like Fancy Nights by Jessica Simpson or Decadence by Marc Jacobs. This fragrance is in the same league. Exotic, sultry and spicy, but not overwhelming. Absolutely magnificent. Love the bottle.

Tastes change, I suppose. It's also a fact that some perfumes smell better or at least slightly different if they are given time to develop in the bottle, similar to wine. It is because of this that I upgraded this from a "meh" to a "love". The initial pungent that used to turn me off seems to mellow into creamier mid notes faster, and from then on I find myself really liking it! I'm not a big cashmeran fan, and am truly baffled by the aromachemical mash-ups frequently referred to as Solar Notes or other such nonsense, but it they seem to work well here due to some good blending. The weather is getting cooler, and while I would wear this all year, I am already looking forward to giving it a go once things warm up again next spring or summer. I was hoping to swap this a few days ago. I'm now glad that I didnt! PS - I forgot to mention that this layers really well with Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Ylang & Vanilla.

A very warm and inviting scent, wrapping you in a nice veil of sunny floral and a little oriental smell. It is sweet, soft, subtle, yet distinctive and elegant. Ylang-ylang, orchid, cashmere wood and ginger is what I get on my skin. Benzoin and Jasmin bring some sweetness to its spicy floral character, but its not sticky or over the top sweet. Nice and refined. It doesn't yell out 'tigress' to me, more of a classy sunny scent, more like 'queen'. But I truly enjoy it a lot and I had so many people asking what I wear. Lovely bottle and good lasting power. My second big love with Balmain (first being original extatic edp). Recommend!

I love how smooth and suave this is, it's creamy, not overly sweet and slightly exotic. Ylang isn't always easy for me but I love it in this. The musk is subtle and the benzoin is just perfect. I imagine a pretty lady in beige silk shirt and black pencil skirt and mother of pearl jewelry.. But...either a pink pepper note or ambroxan makes it just a bit more modern that most orientals. Bottle is cool and I honestly can't imagine anyone disliking this...i'm sure someone does but most people will enjoy. For some reason this reminds me of pink, beige and iridescent colors! No idea why. Again thanks to my Buddy on here for the sample!

Very pretty, soft oriental - once the top notes dry down! I'm not sure if it's the pepper or the ginger, though I'm inclined to think it's that latter,that makes this very harsh on me when first applied. It takes a good 30 minutes for this to subside before the yummy ylang and woods take over. The orchid adds some delicate spice. I want to test this in the summer, as I think it will be beautiful under the warmth of the sun! The bottle is fun and feels substantial in my hand, making for an elegant presentation.

I want to add to my original review from the beginning of the year. I've since determined that the note that troubles me is the fantasy "solar notes". It has ruined what otherwise might have been a love in any perfume I have tried where the accord is listed. It comes across on my skin as a chemical mess, reminiscent of bug spray. This is one of those fragrances- a would-be love if it wasn't for that accord!!

This is a WOW. I found an inexpensive bottle of this and had low expectations but I get more compliments on it and a few comments asking if I’m wearing Tom a Ford so I guess that’s the orchid coming out. This is deep, spicy and just warm enough to be wearable without throwing itself at you. It hints, it doesn’t shout.

Lovely, smells like Wings/Eternity. Feminine, floral and sweet. This has a lovely warm soapy vanilla. I really like this. The bottle is terrific too!

Surprisingly I get less orchid in Extatic Tiger Orchid than in the original Extatic. There is still quite a bit of it, but the fragrance is just so full of ylang ylang and feels more tropical than powdery, especially in the opening. Almost as if they added a touch of mango to the florals. Maybe that's what they call solar notes here? Otherwise it's rather close to the EDP, but without the pear and with more spice. Both are blended, warm florals on a base of very creamy cashmeran. If you dislike this synthetic woody note, these fragrances really aren't for you. Luckily I don't have any problems with cashmeran, especially not when it's blended with my favorite resin, the sweet and balmy benzoin, like it is here. I was more interested in trying Tiger Orchid, but in the end I decided I like Extatic EDP a little more. Both fragrances are enjoyable, but they don't blow me away. I'm not the biggest fan of the way patchouli and pink pepper are done here, they feel a little scratchy and wouldn't have been needed for the composition. I do like the creaminess and the sunny opening though. All in all this is a nice allrounder scent, very versatile, but nothing I would hunt down for the exaggerated prices that discontinued perfumes are often sold for.

Warm, inviting, truly nice oriental scent. Solar notes just smell warm, I guess. I can also smell orchid, ylang-ylang and cashmere wood. It's all well mixed and it creates bold, sexy feeling. Scent for a tigress who enjoys her life. Bottle is totally beautiful.

Tried this today, this smells so good! Very hot, deep and sexy smelling. At first sniff i swear i smelt leather but it must have been the solar notes.

This scent was absolutely gorgeous and it disappeared off shelves before I got the chance to buy it ☹️ I hope they bring it back!

This is a very beautiful perfume. It's exotic and makes me visualize a woman in a leopard skin gown, like a 1950's super model with a lot of eye make up and rouge, and wearing this long floor length gown with leopard or tiger print design. The solar notes just feel like warmer aldehydes or boiling water. It sounds like it would be bad but it's not. It's like sunshine or the heat of a summer's day. There's ginger and spices, flowers and patchouli. The flowers include indolic jasmine, ylang and orchid. They are exotic jungle type of flowers. Very mature and sexy. A cougar woman perfume. I would recommend this for glamorous women who enjoy wearing vintage clothing and who know themselves very well and are confident and bold. This is sexy but it could only be appreciated by a man who thinks in an old fashioned way. There's musk too at the end. Very sophisticated. I can't wear to wear this tonight.

The bottle design is sublime , truly. The scent evokes a feeling of mystery and has an exotic sensuality. It warm, it’s floral, it’s unique. It could be placed in the family of Tom Ford’s velvet orchid but there is a note that over powers maybe there is too much pink pepper or benzoin or the solar note?you have to give the fragrance a chance to settle The use of cashmere and ylang ylang and jasmine balances out the scent I really like the ginger sweetness in here a great choice of spice! An elegant smooth trail in the end. Try this during cooler weather.

Spicy sweet floral of high quality and seductive potential. At first I thought it might be too sweet, but it doesn't get anywhere near cloying and the sweetnes fades as florals come in unexpectedly and intoxicatingly so and accompanies nicely again the very well done spicy drydown. The scent is like a diaphanous cloud surrounding the wearer. The bottle matches perfectly the entire composition. A most sensual perfume.

Love how deep and woody this fragrance is. I definitely distinguish vanilla and sweetness - at least now I know what sun smells like :) Seriously though, those "sunny notes" in description made me chuckle. Very long-lasting scent that develops so beautifully on the skin. Red pepper and ginger are barely there, but I guess they are this "little something" that gives this scent a rather unique character.

A tru masterpiece!!! Smells like magical sweet love potion alchemistry. Mesmerizing. Uplifting. Sweet sexy dreams are made of these. No nauseating overwhelming but alluring! Well done, Pierre Balmain: 10/10 score.

I love that bottle, I must have it in my collection. The regular one is very nice so I believe this one will be even better:)

Comfy, chic, woody and fruity. Must try again!

Very vulgar. Sure it's gonna be a success ;-)