Vent Vert

I’ve gatekeeped the house of Balmain for some time now. They used to produce niche quality perfumes at affordable prices. But now that they discontinued such beauties, reinterpreted many of them. Repackaged and offer them at exorbitant prices beyond my means, there is no point of staying quiet. Vent Vert is truly a niche quality green fragrance. As green as green can get. I have not graced my nose with the original Germaine Cellier iteration or any other reformulation than this in the cube bottle with the silver round cap. Galbanum: an intense, bitter, green resin Hyacinth: an intense, sharp green floral Oakmoss: an inky, bitter forest, green lichen Basil: a fresh aromatic green herb Vetiver: an earthy woody green dry grass Neroli: a slightly bitter citrus oil with aromatic green nuances. Did I say green enough? Green gorgeousness in a bottle.

This is a vintage redone right! I never smelled the original, but the vintage roots of this are very clear. Soapy and substantial. But wow, what a beauty! I'm almost frustrated at all the gorgeous fresh scents I've been finding. Then again, people "in the know" have been sending me the samples, and they chose extremely well! I'm finding this one to be addictive. This could be the perfect hot weather fresh scent. I know I've said that before . . . But I really want this one! Unlike anything else I have!

Nathalie Feisthauer's iteration of 1999 is my most favourite of the Vent Vert reformulations... it's hyacinth/galbanum pairing elevates this scent into the register of the divine. As a male, I enjoy wearing this to usher in a sense of perpetual summer. Magical!

Il est bien agréable ce nouveau Vent Vert mais alors quelle déception : au bout d'1/2 heure, il s'est littéralement volatilisé .... sûrement emporté par le vent ... frais celui- là.

Alas, I’ve had the extreme pleasure of owning and wearing many bottles of the original, my signature scent, until one day I couldn’t find it! So I purchased this disco ball and the windy-capped formulation thinking they’d simply changed the bottle. Was I ever wrong! At first sniff it was blatantly obvious that this wasn’t the same Vent Vert, so much so that I even checked the label. I didn’t know why it was different, just that it was...and what a disappointment. Much like the passion of my first real love affair, I regret not realizing what I had when I had it until years later, happily married and content. I continue to wear Vent Vert now and then but the passion has left me and I pine for what once was but can never be again.