Vent Vert (new) (1990)
by Pierre Balmain

Bought this for my mom, who loved the 1947 version. This version I'm reviewing is undoubtedly the 1999 re-revision. I love greens, and thought I might like this too, but it was a scrubber. Gave me an instant headache. First 30 seconds seemed promising, but then I just wanted to escape.

I tried spraying it onto a paper towel, and letting it waft, just to give it another try. Ended up taking the paper towel all the way to the trashcan outside, and washing that area of the countertop. Gave it to mom, she loved it, and instantly applied 4 spritzes, oh my aching head.

The bottle did have the "blowing grass" top, not the plainer lid I've seen pictured elsewhere. I had thought the grass lid was the 1990 version look, but mine must be the 1999 one, since I just bought it? (from beauty encounter)

the latest version is not the same as becker's formula. (1990)
these days you will find the third version (1999) by feisthauer on the shelves.
they are supposed to be completely different!

the original version from 1947 by cellier has a different page on basenotes.

Vent Vert has recently been reformulated and some bottles of the previous formulation are still in the retail system. It seems clear to me that purplebird7 and ubuandibeme are referring to the new formulation; I agree with them that it is terrible.

What was an invigorating blast of galbanum has become an insipid and evanescent zephyr. When that has gone all that remains is a faint smell of dried seaweed.

Well, purplebird7 and I are on the same page...bought this blindly...big mistake! The galbanum is short lived, morphing into a sickly sweet spicy scrubber. Wish I could have smelled the original...

(This is my first women's perfume review) A green feminine fragrance. Citrus and grass. Very powerful, too. Becomes floral in the middle then an almost hay-like scent in the end. Perhaps I'd wear this on my more adventurous days because it feels like a brighter style Serge Lutens unisex fragrance.

I'm disappointed. This fragrance is too bitter for me, and then it recedes into nothing. And it's not because I'm afraid of galbanum. I actually own a vial of galbanum essentil oil, and it is unbelievably strong. I love galbanum. But this perfume provides one bong-hit of galbanum and, sorry, the ride's over. It moves on to a blast of bitter, salty herbs with some weak citrus in the background. The strength is gone, a washed-out green herbal accord remains. Honestly, I get more pleasure out of smelling straight galbanum.