Balafre

It’s a shame that these re-releases from Lancôme were so short lived and rarely available. However, I was quick and lucky enough to secure a bottle of Balafre and Sagamore which I will comment on later. Naturally this would have been another blind buy. But I have never really been disappointed by old school perfumes from that era. I really enjoy Pour Monsieur de Chanel, Monsieur Givenchy and Eau Sauvage, although the latter has terrible performance issues on me. Balafre, on the other hand, while having a clear old school vibe, feels quite different. Gone is the citrus explosion followed by oak moss and vetiver. We are talking here about a much more woody and herbal offering. Pine tree is listed as one of the main components and I can affirm it definitely stands out. I always try to link it with something I already smelled or own. And believe it or not, the closest think I have is Montana Homme Black Edition, which also have a strong pine tree note. But while Montana BE is very strong and remind from the worst macho excesses of the 80’s, Balafre takes you to a much quieter place. The woody and herbal side is balanced by lime and florals. However, these remain understated and Balafre is really a man’s scent. Longevity and projection are not huge but I have much worse in my wardrobe, believe me. I won’t say « rush for it », as I see only a few items hanging around on eBay. If these re-releases had been successful Lancôme would probably still produce it. Which they should, as Balafre is a piece of History.

I have had the occasion to test the original vintage one which was really weird balsamic woody foresty green and clean with flash of lights. A real fresh shower. Made to make you feel inside of a forest. Made to be a pleasent smell of true living nature more than a fashion perfume of fantasy. The new version is made to be a classic perfume. Things are changed. Materials as well. This is a nice trip into the legend of that era. '68 was close. Needs of uncontaminated nature. So this is a tribute to a fresh sauvage dirty orgy of vegetal nature. But sporty and classy this time. Less rude. More office than the original then desecrated and deprived of its primary origin. At least it is a different choice if you want to surprise people and be unique. A lot of fresh oakmoss into the background. Unfortunatly it do not remains on so much on the skin..

Имея два винтажа Балафре - Brun и Золотые плечи, а так же новодел, считаю наилучшей именно современную версию. Как наиболее свежую и потрясающе искрящуюся. Вообще, это уникальный класс парфюмерии, я бы сказал - невероятно чудесный. Having two Balafre vintages - Brun and Golden Shoulders, as well as a remake, I consider the modern version to be the best. As the freshest and most amazingly sparkling. In general, this is a unique class of perfumery, I would say - incredibly wonderful.