Reviews of Carbone / Carbone de Balmain (original) by Pierre Balmain
I'm not precisely in to such minimalistic "dimensions" a la Comme des Garcons (2 man jumps indeed on mind among others) or Andrea Maack (with its northern european lands minimalistic aesthetic), guys. Carbone de Balmain is surely affable (a surprise if you consider its name) and is a scent well executing its peculiar perfumed subject (a smooth cedary-dusty "pencil-shavings" accord) but in its complex this creation doesn't match completely my taste (supposedly just since I'm usually in to quite different kind of accords). Yes a straight-forward cedar-pencil shaving kind of olfactory ambience starting misty-peppery and seriously woody (aromatically woody, "on sweet mahogany-oriented" and dusty) and finally morphing down in to such a silky fruity-resinous comforting soapiness (still cedary but more than vaguely incensey, figgy and vanillic). Frankly I hardly catch a remarkable hint of leather (and floral notes as well) while the intensely woody "fig-implementation" seems not so distant from the stouter similar one I use to detect in Gaultier Kokorico (fig, mahogany, vetiver, cedarwood, balsams). Yes Gucci Pour Homme I (and Montana Graphite as well) is immediately under our noses (especially in the opening) but this Gucci's fragrance mantains a superior level of sharpness till the end while Carbone smells finally almost creamy-woody, figgy and spicy. There is actually a final kind of "yummy lacteous" incensey fruitiness neutralizing and enriching the cedary austerity. The final level of evolution is a sort of almost creamy woodiness, intense (probably violet leaves reinforce this intensity) and piquant. A nice scent for the lovers of this dusty-woody theme which is anyway (despite balsams, resins and spices) too markedly woody for my full pleasure.
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An hyper-synth and kind of sticky woody-mysky-incensey thing that sits somewhere between a Gucci Pour Homme I wannabe and Dirty English. Only sweeter (which is often a con in my book especially when it comes to vanilla type of sweetness) and slightly lighter.
I would have probably liked this some years ago, but I've grown terribly bored of these post-Gucci rip-offs.
Meh.
I would have probably liked this some years ago, but I've grown terribly bored of these post-Gucci rip-offs.
Meh.
A floral opening, predominantly violet - on the sinister side - with a lovely ivy note - like standing near an ivy-covered wall - with a heavy sweetish aroma of an overripe fig. The drydown veers into the realm of incense and dark peppery spicy scents, with a tonka base. It sounds sweet and cloying but it isn't.
The concept is quite original; it is a rich, deep and dark experience with good sillage and projection and six hours of longevity in my skin. Wintery I'd say. 3.5/5
The concept is quite original; it is a rich, deep and dark experience with good sillage and projection and six hours of longevity in my skin. Wintery I'd say. 3.5/5
Wow!! What a wonderful fragrance Carbone de Balmain is. It is dark with incense and fig, perfect for the Fall and Winter. Also contains woody and spicy notes. I get a wiff now and then and it makes me and my nose very happy. This is already one of my favorite fragrances.
Another really nice cheapo wort having. Kind of ambery and musky at first, with a heart of cedar, pepper and vetiver(ol) and just a hint of floral dark gracefulness. The general vibe is "trendy" yet also meditative, shady and "pencil sharpener" as other users correctly say - that is the prominent heart of this scent. Some waxy feel too. The fig, I don't get that much honestly: but perhaps it is what causes the slight "lactonic", sweetish creamy note I detect underneath the general woodiness, which blends perfectly with it. Overall much synthetic and "modern", so absolutely safe and elegant for anyone, but also quite distinctive in a way as it's darker and more peculiar than other "safe mainstream scents". I can't say I don't like this, as I find it the perfect example of a solid, unpretentious but quality scent: it does smell good... really good actually (my guilty pleasure: I quite like that "pencil" feel), it feels classy and versatile, it costs pennies. Basically no evolution, bold projection and really good persistence. Encre Noire fans or of other contemporary/dark/synthetic woody scents - from Gucci pour Homme I on, basically - will love this. Separated at birth from Montana Graphite.
7/10
7/10
This is a better version of Lui by Rochas. It is not cloying and has a good sillage.
I get a fresh spicy peppery incense aroma with a hint of sweetness off the top. After a while I can pick up the pencil shavings accord someone else mentioned.
What makes this fragrance a little better than others from the same genre is the nice sweet fig accord that mixes in with the violet leaf. This shows it's head within the spicy woody heart of the fragrance and it's very nice indeed
What makes this fragrance a little better than others from the same genre is the nice sweet fig accord that mixes in with the violet leaf. This shows it's head within the spicy woody heart of the fragrance and it's very nice indeed
Probably one of the 'darkest' fragrances I've ever owned. The name tells you all you need to know about this scent - it's coal. It's dark, metallic, grey and dark all in one.
It's like rubbing yourself with coal... at the beginning it takes you some time to adapt to it... because it's strong and somehow weird, but after you let the strong spices and pepper do their work, you will know and understand that in fact you're not wearing the fragrance... it's wearing you.
I'm not going to lie... it is incredibly strong and heavy. It's not for everyone, but I guess the people at 'Balmain' had that in mind from the beginning.
It's like rubbing yourself with coal... at the beginning it takes you some time to adapt to it... because it's strong and somehow weird, but after you let the strong spices and pepper do their work, you will know and understand that in fact you're not wearing the fragrance... it's wearing you.
I'm not going to lie... it is incredibly strong and heavy. It's not for everyone, but I guess the people at 'Balmain' had that in mind from the beginning.
Not the most exciting scent on the shelf but an office-friendly cedar made more interesting by a bit of sweet fig and a light incense note. Won't win any awards but nothing dislikeable either. Longevity, like the fragrance overall, is average.
Very masculine and dark. It does have a resemblance to pencil shavings. Could be a near cousin to Encre Noire. I am also associating this with one of the scents from the lil' Niche wonderkin house "Slumberhouse". I cannot recall with certainty which one.
There is nothing clean, soapy, sweet or aquatic about this one. It's all earth, spice, wood, shadows and sin.
8/10 for the low price ($34 incld shipping on ebay) it's a good blind buy!
There is nothing clean, soapy, sweet or aquatic about this one. It's all earth, spice, wood, shadows and sin.
8/10 for the low price ($34 incld shipping on ebay) it's a good blind buy!
There's a candy called "Nik-L-Nips" which are essentially little wax bottles filled with colored fruit flavored sugar water. The opening of Carbone smells very much like these candies to my nose.
But since that's an obscure, personal reference, I'll put it in simpler terms. Carbone opens with a slightly sweet, slightly dark fruit note (fig, I guess) over some woods which predominantly smell of cedar and possess a definite waxiness. It reminds me very much of a new pencil with an eraser, freshly sharpened with some of the shavings still lying around. However, the incense, elemi, and benzoin are blended very well with the woods, and maintain a certain kind of low vibration which envelopes the cedar and restrains it. What results is a soft, round fragrance that is accentuated by just a touch of sweetness.
Carbone is quiet and stays close to the skin. I wouldn't mind if it were a little bit louder, but there is something I appreciate about its reservedness as well. It is easy to wear and I can't see it ever becoming intrusive or offending anyone. A nice, casual choice for Fall and Winter wear, Carbone bears some resemblance to Gucci Pour Homme,Eau Des Baux, and even Tommy Bahama original, though it is quieter and ultimately different than both. As stated earlier, projection is soft to moderate. Longevity is moderate also. The bottle is nothing to write home about and I find the cap and atomizer below average. Still, a 100ml bottle can be had for under $35, and in my opinion, it's worth the juice inside.
But since that's an obscure, personal reference, I'll put it in simpler terms. Carbone opens with a slightly sweet, slightly dark fruit note (fig, I guess) over some woods which predominantly smell of cedar and possess a definite waxiness. It reminds me very much of a new pencil with an eraser, freshly sharpened with some of the shavings still lying around. However, the incense, elemi, and benzoin are blended very well with the woods, and maintain a certain kind of low vibration which envelopes the cedar and restrains it. What results is a soft, round fragrance that is accentuated by just a touch of sweetness.
Carbone is quiet and stays close to the skin. I wouldn't mind if it were a little bit louder, but there is something I appreciate about its reservedness as well. It is easy to wear and I can't see it ever becoming intrusive or offending anyone. A nice, casual choice for Fall and Winter wear, Carbone bears some resemblance to Gucci Pour Homme,Eau Des Baux, and even Tommy Bahama original, though it is quieter and ultimately different than both. As stated earlier, projection is soft to moderate. Longevity is moderate also. The bottle is nothing to write home about and I find the cap and atomizer below average. Still, a 100ml bottle can be had for under $35, and in my opinion, it's worth the juice inside.
Nice wood scent (similar to pencil shavings) with a touch of light spice. At first, I gave Carbone a neutal rating. Inoffensive and a compliment getter. After wearing this a few times, I have to give it a thumbs up.
One to try!
One to try!
I received a sample of this when ordering some other scents. I hadn't heard of it but I was pleasantly surprised. Opening of pepper and spice, and also a small amount of leather gives this a very masculine scent. As it dries it stays very close to the skin, and I wish it would broadcast louder for longer. But I really enjoy it and will be picking up a bottle soon.