Rouge

I think that this perfume is absolutely beautiful! It is a moderately spicy floral bouquet with a nice and fluffy, powdery base from the iris and the spiciness from the georgywood. Lily's waxy white floracy is most prominent to me, followed by the sweet apricot-like scent of osmanthus that brings a very feminine sweetness to this fragrance. I smell hints of the magnolia and the ylang ylang, but nothing too obvious. That is my only criticism, that I wish that these two notes were slightly more obvious in the profile of this perfume. The wear time on my skin was about 8 and a half hours and the projection of it was an arm's length radius, enveloping me in a delicious and sexy halo of scent. I love this for all seasons and all times of the day, but feel like it works especially well during either an autumn or winter evening, due to its spiciness. It isn't spice for those who hate spice though, which is perfect for me! This perfume is still firmly a floral one. The smell of this fragrance is definitely unique and Balmain outdid themselves with this one! The bottle is also very beautiful, simple and elegant. I love the shape of the bottle, its expensive feeling weight, the gold accents and how the accents look against the bright red bottle. The ridged look is pretty too. This perfume is for a confident and grounded woman who is not shy and is ready and willing to stick out in the best possible way, which is why I think of this as something that a woman between the ages of 25-34 would love, though all ages can certainly wear it! It isn't your typical gross fruity gourmand or woody and ambery fragrance which is popular these days for women, so you won't smell like everyone else. The price is also great for an exclusive line by a designer fragrance house too, especially compared to Chanel, Dior and even more so, Tom Ford! Altogether, I would give this fragrance an 8.2/10. I highly recommend it to all women!

This is hard to describe. The first spray is like candy but it quickly transitions to osmanthus and iris, which together smell like suede or leather. The iris is subtle at first, but it’s always there and seems to intensify as it dries down giving this earthiness contrasted with succulent fruitiness of the osmanthus. As someone who doesn’t typically go for ylang, you can definitely smell it, and it just works in this fragrance. The lily plays in back to provide some watery white floral effects but is very muted. Sometimes I think I smell indolic tuberose as well. I am really loving this and I feel like I have smelled this profile before, it reminds me of another scent in a red bottle somehow—but I don’t think I’ve ever smelled iris quite like this. While the entire collection solid this is exceptional.

Balmain Rouge is one of those rare fragrances where the composition matters more than the individual notes. There is a slight bitterness in the opening on my skin, but it quickly melts into a beautifully balanced floral heart that feels creamy, soft, rich, and effortlessly luxurious. What impresses me most is the blending. No note sticks out, nothing feels sharp or out of place. Instead, the florals merge into a seamless, rounded aura that is both comforting and elegant. It has presence and excellent longevity, yet never feels heavy. I have been told that I smell like a warm summer evening when I wear Balmain Rouge edp. Sophisticated, soothing, and addictive to smell on skin, this is easily one of the most beautiful modern florals I have worn in a long time. Full-bottle worthy.

A bouquet of pink and yellow flowers, this is a big sweet floral but natural smelling. Reminiscent of 80s powerhouse fragrances that are not really made anymore; loud but at the same time elegant and luxurious smelling. I can see a woman all dressed up going to a wedding or church on Easter Sunday wearing this, but it is beautiful enough for anyone to enjoy. I am impressed with all of the new Balmain fragrances and this is a fine example of what this house offers. Thumbs up.

Delicious. This is utterly spellbinding. It is sweet, so you must be ok with that. However, it is ultimately an airy and beautifully sweet floral. While it may not be what is typically classified as niche in terms of smell, the quality and uniqueness still made this full bottle worthy for me. I can see this garnering many compliments. I smelled it on an associate in store—the dry down—and knew that I wanted it. It is a beautiful scent from start to finish.