Sublime Balkiss

I have to put on my "Sophisticated" gentleman's fedora to describe this one. Late June. Walking through a freshly watered garden, painted with rows of glistening, aromatic green bell peppers, unrelenting but softly and persistently projecting. Somewhere there's a token Bergamot tree. The day is overcast grey and pleasantly breezy. The greyness is enhanced by an eerie silence in your surroundings, accented only by the faint murmurs of the polite conversations of strangers. Not directly in this garden but somewhere in an adjacent lot, someone has recently mowed a small stretch of grass. But there's also something else painted among the green, vegetal rows here, though you haven't found it yet. Something with a touch of floral sweetness yet somehow teasingly gourmand. You search only to stumble upon some odd, purple budded flowery thing. You don't know if it's edible or poisonous, you're just resolved to quietly observe how the scent is tantalizing in it's subdued sweetness. You resolve to ask the gardener, >>if<< you happen to see him/her, but for now, You're reminded that you had originally intended on getting in a few chapters of that new, page turning mystery novel that you haven't been able to put down since yesterday. So you're just satisfied with looking for a dry place to sit so that you can continue to enjoy the green, cool, misty, aromatic environment....undisturbed.

Like father, like daughter. You can really smell that it's an Ellena creation, good or bad, but it just is. I am not a fan of JCE, although I agree that he's a master and although I do like minimalist compositions (minimalist a la Kurkdjian to be exact: a different take on minimalism, but it's another story). SUBLIME BALKISS is an anorexic chypre, just like some of Celine's father's perfumes are anorexic woody florals. It's still a positive review, by the way. I quite like this perfume, there's something very appealing about it. The opening is just glorious: juicy citruses and tartly sweet black currant berries (like in my beloved L'Ombre Dans L'Eau), after that the freshness of lilac and the soft powderiness of violet leaves, and then, yeah, ISO-E Super. I like its juniper-y woody smell, but only in thicker, denser compositions, in JHaG line, for example. SUBLIME BALKISS falls a bit flat on my skin. I'm not in love, although overall it's just right down my alley. I would like to receive it in a swap, but would not buy it. For my black currant fix I have L'Ombre Dans L'Eau, which is much cheaper and unmistakably better. For aquatic floweriness I would choose some Heeley, his fragrances all smell very natural. However, I see how people can fall in love with this one. If you like JCE's signature style and/or Perles de Lalique, try it, you might fall for it.

I don't know why but this reminds me of Istanbul during summer... such a beautifully mixed perfume. this isn't for the daytime, in my opinion, however, that is just my opinion but you do you and wear it in the daytime and be sure to please the crowd... it's such an original citrusy blend of sweetness, so yeah this definitely will compliment you and your collection, and I can see why this is targeted for both males and females as it has this aquatic almost earthy feel to it that would work for any fresh scent lovers. I think I have not smelled anything like this, this is a definite win. however this could almost be like an air freshener, but it's on the verge of it because the lovely rose in it saves it. strong powerful yet not too heady and a very mature scent that could maybe lean towards female fragrances but fret not wear it even if you are a man and like sweeter perfumes Update: Weeks later and I still want to smell that scent again... it is like a story you wish to hear again or a place you want to visit again, it is very memorable.

I have to admit that I'm dying for chypre perfumes so it was an absolutely must-try for me. Especially as The Different Company describes Sublime Balkiss as a chypre, but a modern chypre, which uses two types of patchouli instead of oakmoss. Those who, like me, might be scared by the patchouli in the description of Sublime Balkiss, fear not; the accord is very soft. I am also unable to smell the leather here. So, what one really get? I'm pretty sure that it opens on a sweet elderflower note even though it is not mentioned amongst the notes. The elderflower is combined with soft creamy flowers. Although Sublime Balkiss is classified as a chypre I think of it as an aquatic floral - it took me quite a while to figure it out -, it permanently makes me think of a summer day near the sea lounging in the sun, sipping icecold teas and doing nothing... However, for either category I find it light as opposed to heavy and very easy to wear, it works beautifully as a spring or summer-time fragrance. A fragrance I hope never be without.

The Different Company describes Sublime Balkiss as a modern chypre, which is ridiculous. Adding a dash of clean, completely innocuous patchouli does not a chypre make. Nonetheless, SB is a wonderful fruity floral with the transparent, ethereal quality that seems to distinguish an Ellena fragrance. The top notes are a mixture of berries and bergamot. Without the tartness of the bergamot, the blueberries in particular might be cloying, but the two in combination are effervescent and lovely. The floral heart notes of lilac, rose and lily of the valley are balanced by the green, herbal note of the violet leaves. If there's a leather note in the base, it's too subtle for my nose. The patchouli is bright and gentle, and therefore doesn't weigh down this delicate fragrance. Overall, SB has an evanescent, otherworldly quality, and even though it fails utterly as a chypre, it is certainly a thing of beauty.