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Monsieur Balmain by Pierre Balmain.

post #1 of 18
7/9/10 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 
The reviews I have read extol the virtues of this lemon fragrance, Monsieur Balmain being competitive in terms of quality with other citrus fragrances that are quite costly. I am considering the purchase of a bottle, but thought first to seek the advise of those who have experienced the fragrance. Your thoughts are solicited with my thanks.
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post #2 of 18
7/9/10 at 8:09pm
Nothing to add to the review, save that at the price, Monsieur Balmain is one of the great remaining fragrance bargains.
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post #3 of 18
7/9/10 at 10:06pm
Monsieur Balimain's lemon is not exactly on par with those citruses from the more expensive niche range, but at the given price category, MB punches above its weight and is hard to beat with decent projection & longevity. Unless you are very particular about how your citrus notes shd smell like, I'd say MB is not that a risky blind buy.
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post #4 of 18
7/10/10 at 12:24am
IMO one of the best citruses around for the price. Happy to have it as part of my collection.
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post #5 of 18
7/10/10 at 1:08am
Tesla, you simply cannot go wrong with this. Get it. It's superb.
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post #6 of 18
7/10/10 at 1:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diamondflame View Post

Monsieur Balimain's lemon is not exactly on par with those citruses from the more expensive niche range, but at the given price category, MB punches above its weight and is hard to beat with decent projection & longevity. Unless you are very particular about how your citrus notes shd smell like, I'd say MB is not that a risky blind buy.

How does it compare to Goutal's Eau du Sud?
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post #7 of 18
7/10/10 at 6:12am
It is quite good. (I got a compliment from my mother when I was testing it).
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post #8 of 18
7/10/10 at 6:33am
I have a sample of it, though I'm not sure if it's the old or new one (there are 2 listed in BN). It's a very nice lemon though. I'd probably equate it a bit to Allure Edition Blanche in terms of strength of the lemon. MB is like a lemon sponge cake, whereas AHB is a bit more like a lemon cream pie or something.
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post #9 of 18
7/10/10 at 6:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smeghead View Post

I have a sample of it, though I'm not sure if it's the old or new one (there are 2 listed in BN). It's a very nice lemon though. I'd probably equate it a bit to Allure Edition Blanche in terms of strength of the lemon. MB is like a lemon sponge cake, whereas AHB is a bit more like a lemon cream pie or something.

You bring out a good point: there are two versions of this. I should state that I have only tested the original version.
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post #10 of 18
7/10/10 at 6:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by zliang View Post

How does it compare to Goutal's Eau du Sud?

From what I remember the citrus note in Eau du Sud smells a little more natural in the upper registers (if that makes sense), but may come across a little harsh/bitter with basil & grapefruit. I hear MB uses rosemary for that little herbal kick but it is not that obvious to me. While Eau du Sud is enjoyable it costs almost 10x as much as MB. So when it comes to citruses I rely on MB for a reality check. But thanks for reminding me of the Goutal - I certainly could get re-acquainted.
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post #11 of 18
7/10/10 at 7:22am
Monsieur Balmain is excellent for the money. I couldn't find it anywhere in the UK, so I was more than happy to buy it from a fellow Basenote member when he advertised it on here.
Eau du Sud is also something I use along with a few other citrus/mint fragrances such as Creed's Selection Verte and Royal Water and Heeley's Menthe Fraiche. The mint note in the Balmain on me doesn't come out as much as the other's mentioned, but I like it because it's very fresh and clean, lasts a very long time and is far cheaper than the rest, so it's a good buy.
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post #12 of 18
7/10/10 at 8:57am
I have MB, but I rarely wear it. It is very good, and the lemon smell lasts for a couple of hours, which is impressive. I find it to be a rather sweet lemon, but it is refreshing. I like this because it's got a slight dirtiness to the smell in the base (probably from sandalwood), which gives this some edge. It's so cheap, you can't go wrong.
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post #13 of 18
7/10/10 at 9:14am
One of the few fragrances I have actually completely used up! It is really wonderful and refreshing and surprisingly long lasting.
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post #14 of 18
7/10/10 at 12:35pm
I thought it was nice but nothing special. I suppose if you love lemon as a summer citrus fragrance then this version of lemon might be right for you, but I didn't like it that much. If it is any indication as to how much this fragrance is "loved" it is one of the more often fragrances put up for sale on basenotes marketplace. You can find a bottle for sale on the marketplace often and they usually sell pretty fast. But, the fact that so many people want to sell their Monsieur Balmain tells me that not everyone thinks it is fantastic.
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post #15 of 18
5/4/12 at 4:29pm
Icantbeleive no one has mentioned the vetiver dry down, it's all total Encre Noir for me!
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post #16 of 18
5/4/12 at 4:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SusieSusie View Post

Icantbeleive no one has mentioned the vetiver dry down, it's all total Encre Noir for me!

Never noticed that. I'll have to pay more attention the next time I wear it.
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post #17 of 18
5/5/12 at 4:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SusieSusie View Post

Icantbeleive no one has mentioned the vetiver dry down, it's all total Encre Noir for me!

Not sure it's even in the notes, but I'm definitely getting it!
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post #18 of 18
5/5/12 at 4:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hednic View Post

IMO one of the best citruses around for the price. Happy to have it as part of my collection.

+ 1
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