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J.C.Ellena's Iberian Passion.

post #1 of 13
2/21/10 at 10:16pm
Thread Starter 
After much waiting my bottle of Rumba will arrive on or before the 25th. I have read so many reviews that I am confused. The bee's wax and church incense, caramelized plumb, etc. are all descriptions so, non-minimalist that Monsieur Ellena's involvement suggests I have to try this one. So, I call upon those who have this fragrance in their wardrobe to pull it out, dust it off and let's have a group test, or for some a retest of Rumba. Can the sum really exceed the total of its' parts? So, goes the mystique attached to Rumba and if it were said of anyone but J.C.Ellena I would say it could not be done.
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post #2 of 13
2/22/10 at 12:28am
From the descriptions I somehow cannot picture this on you, but good luck...Just wanted to point out it's a bit colonialist to call this an Iberian passion, since the Rumba is (Afro-)Cuban.


Venceremos !
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post #3 of 13
2/22/10 at 6:23pm
Ah, but Senor Ellena's Passion, it ess Iberian, no???
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post #4 of 13
2/23/10 at 1:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hillaire View Post

Ah, but Senor Ellena's Passion, it ess Iberian, no???

Passion gaulois, je crois.
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post #5 of 13
2/23/10 at 6:26am
Oh, my bad. I thought he was of Spanish ancestry.
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post #6 of 13
2/23/10 at 9:50am
I think Rumba is now owned by the Ted Lapidus brand. I have a bottle of Balenciaga Rumba, and just recently an SA gave me a bottle of Rumba in a white tester box as a gift, and Ted Lapidus is printed clearly on the box. The bottles look the same except that one has Balenciaga printed on the front and the other has Ted Lapidus. Also, the gold plate on the top of the bottle is stamped with TL instead of BB and the Lapidus bottle has a clear sticker on the back listing ingredients and other information. The juice in the Lapidus bottle is noticeably lighter than the juice in the Balenciaga bottle.

After doing a quick comparison, I think there are differences. The Balenciaga starts out sharper but becomes very full, fruity, floral, and dark. The Lapidus starts out softer, and while the two become more similar after a few minutes, the Lapidus seems lighter, fresher, not as dark and rich as the Balenciaga. I can't say for sure but I think there has been some reformulation of Rumba. Neither can I say whether this might have happened in Balenciaga's hands or after the rights were transferred to Lapidus'.

I like this fragrance, and my familiarity is with the Balenciaga version, not the Lapidus version. It is very fruity and floral, nearly over the top at first, but as it settles down a tart, dark, plummy, woody backbone comes through, preventing the fragrance from staying overwhelmingly feminine. It flirts with powder for a while but I do not consider the drydown to be powdery.

I'm on the fence about Rumba as far as wearing it. Yes, I wear it at home occasionally, but so far I haven't worn it outside. Sometimes I think it would be fine, and it probably would be, but other times it seems too florally feminine and a bit too fruity to me.

Let us know what you think. I hope you got the Balenciaga version.

noggs
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post #7 of 13
2/23/10 at 9:59am
My bottle of Rumba says BB, and the box says Balenciaga. It starts out so strong I chose to decant it into a roll on vial to control the application better. After about an hour or so, it tames down and becomes really soft and beautiful. It lasts far beyond 24 hours, I have to shower it off if I want it gone.
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post #8 of 13
2/23/10 at 10:50am
Thread Starter 
noggs; Thanks for the information. I hope it is the Balenciaga version too or back it goes!



Quote:
Originally Posted by noggs View Post

I think Rumba is now owned by the Ted Lapidus brand. I have a bottle of Balenciaga Rumba, and just recently an SA gave me a bottle of Rumba in a white tester box as a gift, and Ted Lapidus is printed clearly on the box. The bottles look the same except that one has Balenciaga printed on the front and the other has Ted Lapidus. Also, the gold plate on the top of the bottle is stamped with TL instead of BB and the Lapidus bottle has a clear sticker on the back listing ingredients and other information. The juice in the Lapidus bottle is noticeably lighter than the juice in the Balenciaga bottle.

After doing a quick comparison, I think there are differences. The Balenciaga starts out sharper but becomes very full, fruity, floral, and dark. The Lapidus starts out softer, and while the two become more similar after a few minutes, the Lapidus seems lighter, fresher, not as dark and rich as the Balenciaga. I can't say for sure but I think there has been some reformulation of Rumba. Neither can I say whether this might have happened in Balenciaga's hands or after the rights were transferred to Lapidus'.

I like this fragrance, and my familiarity is with the Balenciaga version, not the Lapidus version. It is very fruity and floral, nearly over the top at first, but as it settles down a tart, dark, plummy, woody backbone comes through, preventing the fragrance from staying overwhelmingly feminine. It flirts with powder for a while but I do not consider the drydown to be powdery.

I'm on the fence about Rumba as far as wearing it. Yes, I wear it at home occasionally, but so far I haven't worn it outside. Sometimes I think it would be fine, and it probably would be, but other times it seems too florally feminine and a bit too fruity to me.

Let us know what you think. I hope you got the Balenciaga version.

noggs
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post #9 of 13
2/23/10 at 7:34pm
I checked the Ted Lapidus website, and Rumba is listed as one of their products. I think the license changed hands in 2009.

Just a few more comments. It is indeed extremely long lasting, even at EDT strength, which is what I have. It is also quite strong, especially in the early stages, so few sprays are needed. I get the beeswax, or what I perceive as beeswax, in the drydown. It has a mellowing effect on the other elements, and acts to bind them together. While the deep drydown is not as loud and effusive as the earlier stages, I would still have to label this as a rather flamboyant fragrance overall.

noggs
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post #10 of 13
2/23/10 at 9:01pm
Oh, this is upsetting, glad mine is Balenciaga, but what a tragedy.
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post #11 of 13
2/24/10 at 4:00pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, here is the update. I did finally receive Rumba and unfortunately have to confirm that Rumba is no longer by Balenciaga. The bottle I got came in a box clearly stating Rumba and Ted Lapidus. Is it reformulated? I don't know personally but if it is, then there goes another fragrance down the reformulation tube. From what I have heard Rumba is a power house and this Rumba that I received is IMO not.
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post #12 of 13
2/24/10 at 4:06pm
Thread Starter 
noggs; You are correct. The bottle I received is indeed marked as Rumba, Ted Lapidus. Another sad turn of events.



Quote:
Originally Posted by noggs View Post

I think Rumba is now owned by the Ted Lapidus brand. I have a bottle of Balenciaga Rumba, and just recently an SA gave me a bottle of Rumba in a white tester box as a gift, and Ted Lapidus is printed clearly on the box. The bottles look the same except that one has Balenciaga printed on the front and the other has Ted Lapidus. Also, the gold plate on the top of the bottle is stamped with TL instead of BB and the Lapidus bottle has a clear sticker on the back listing ingredients and other information. The juice in the Lapidus bottle is noticeably lighter than the juice in the Balenciaga bottle.

After doing a quick comparison, I think there are differences. The Balenciaga starts out sharper but becomes very full, fruity, floral, and dark. The Lapidus starts out softer, and while the two become more similar after a few minutes, the Lapidus seems lighter, fresher, not as dark and rich as the Balenciaga. I can't say for sure but I think there has been some reformulation of Rumba. Neither can I say whether this might have happened in Balenciaga's hands or after the rights were transferred to Lapidus'.

I like this fragrance, and my familiarity is with the Balenciaga version, not the Lapidus version. It is very fruity and floral, nearly over the top at first, but as it settles down a tart, dark, plummy, woody backbone comes through, preventing the fragrance from staying overwhelmingly feminine. It flirts with powder for a while but I do not consider the drydown to be powdery.

I'm on the fence about Rumba as far as wearing it. Yes, I wear it at home occasionally, but so far I haven't worn it outside. Sometimes I think it would be fine, and it probably would be, but other times it seems too florally feminine and a bit too fruity to me.

Let us know what you think. I hope you got the Balenciaga version.

noggs
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post #13 of 13
2/24/10 at 8:06pm
That's disappointing. Was it advertised as being manufactured by Balenciaga or Lapidus? You might consider returning it if it isn't what you ordered.

The Balenciaga catalog is in a pretty bad state these days. Nearly every fragrance they made that was worth a damn has either been discontinued or sold.
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