Royal Bain de Caron Caron for women and men

Opens with a note of candied floral poison - an 18th century pharmacist has made an incense pastille of roses, lilacs, opoponax, labdanum, bergamot, and some ambiguous poison - perhaps for vermin using syrup and champagne as a binding agent; before smoothing the mixture into molds for storage in the cellar until set, rolling each pastille in incense powder afterward. But please don't let that put you off it for good.

This fades after 10-15 minutes; the ambiguous poison becomes nothing, the sweetness resides somewhat, a note of woody-incensy violet, becomes apparent, and the archetypal Caron soft-but-never-dusty powder rears its restraining, taste-imposing head.

It is from this point on that if you were to tell me that this was made for men, I'd believe it, I'd believe it was made for a Southern gentleman who does business in 1920s New Orleans, who uses Lilac Vegetal in the morning, Lilac hair lotion before the business of the day proceeds, and Royal Bain de Caron on a cool, breezy night when he takes his "wife" out to dinner; they sip Dom-Pérignon champagne but eat old fashioned gumbo and scampi in a parsley, white wine, and garlic butter sauce.

If you told me this was for a woman, I'd easily believe that too - with similar imagery, but a decade later.

I can see this as a man's eau de toilette, I can see it as a woman's. But as the same time, it does not conjure the image of 'unisex'. Such an odd quality. Perhaps that's why I like it so much. I use it the way it was intended - I have a hot soapy shower, rinse off, then settle into a bath scented with this. I'll dab a bit on after a bath. Occasionally wear it out with my fiancée who also enjoys it this way. Quite relaxing and luxurious on a cold winter night.

It's always fun to review perfumes from the house of Caron, because everyone knows that everything that anyone says may well be true—about their specific formulation! In this case, my generous vial of ROYAL BAIN DE CHAMPAGNE bears the original name (before the champagne police filed another law suit, or did this one precede CHAMPAGNE/YVRESSE?) and came in a box with the reference/batch #Q6961492 GE.

All of this means, of course, that I can blather on with impunity, with no danger of anyone charging me with anosmia, since the likelihood that anyone reading these words has a sample from this very batch is no doubt vanishingly small. With this feeling of liberation to galvanize my spirit, let me begin by saying that I really had no idea whatsoever what this fragrance was about. The original name, to begin with, was all wrong—at least as regards the contents of my vial from batch #Q6961492 GE. Far from evoking images and memories of champagne, this bain would appear to be filled with chopped up leaves of wilted tuberose. It's not really tuberose, I realize, given the notes said to be in the original perfume, but that's what the overall effect is to my nose, a sort of pseudo-tuberose: thick and tuberose-esque without however approaching the heights (and authenticity) of FRACAS or CARNAL FLOWER. Key word here: thick.

How can she be detecting a thick pseudo-tuberose note in a fragrance devoid of tuberose? you may ask. Probably in the same way that a monkey sitting in front of a typewriter for an infinite amount of time would eventually produce all of the works of William Shakespeare. Just keep mixing the components up again and again, and forget the recipe, and let someone else throw in his two cents' worth of advice, and then start again, and fiddle some more, and eventually, when all the planets are correctly aligned, a vial drawn from batch #Q6961492 GE will find its way into the hands of a single sniffer, on a day with the right humidity, who has precisely the chemical components in her body created through the digestion of eggplant and garlic sauteed in sesame oil and served with sticky brown rice. That person, and that person alone, will smell pseudo-tuberose in ROYAL BAIN DE CHAMPAGNE, batch #Q6961492 GE.

It's not bad, I think, but in order to fairly evaluate this scent, I'll need to try it in a bath. There's no point in complaining that an apple's not an orange, after all. If, as legend has it, ROYAL BAIN DE CHAMPAGNE was composed to be used as a surrogate solution for the champagne with which some wealthy gent scented his baths, then it really must be tested in those waters. I may have to acquire a bottle for that purpose. Do try this at home!

This is a sophisticated, classic fragrance. I bought it an used it maybe 5 times over the several years since I have purchased it. For me, it is too powdery. The sandalwood note is very strong and I really am not a fan of powdery scents. I bought it at the time as this was something that my Aunt used to wear and I loved it on her. It was my homage to her. A very mature, classy scent. I would say the Estee Lauder Private Collection is another classic fragrance. This scent also reminds me of Champagne perfume by Yves Saint Laurent, which I cannot find on this site.

What an amazing champagne scent this is!Warm,confortable,not too sweet,it has the right amount of sweetness!I smell lilac,resins,spicies and a bit of vanilla at the drydown.I have only tried the reformulated version,so I can't imagine how beautiful is the vintage version!It's hard to describe it,slightly powdery,a bit sweet,smooth just like an expensive bottle of champagne!Very special definitely eccentric!Lasts long too!It is love!!

I was a bit dubious about this one at first, now I love it. It's a powerful (more on the feminine side than the masculine side), sweet knockout! I love the longevity and the bottle is quaint too! If I could drink it - I would!!

I've got a vintage version of that fragrance, yet called Royal Bain de Champagne. And that's what it really is - some good dry champagne made of ripe sun-warmed grapes with soft musk undertones...

If there was such a thing as a default cologne for women, this would be it....in the beginning anyway. Fresh, breezy and cooling. However within a few minutes it turns into a Palmolive Beauty Soap clone and stays that way right through to the drydown. It is not particularly long-lasting. If only it could keep those lovely fresh top notes.

I agree with Stella by Starlight, it is harsh and synthetic, some other reviewer compare it wiht Flower by Kenzo, and I think Flower is muth easier to wear then RBC.
I bought Royal bain de caron blind and regret it.Awful staf.

I love Royal Bain de Caron. Great lasting power and sillage. Another masterpiece from the venerable house of Caron

quite awful. oldish, strange, not pleasant, harsh and synthetic. something between hairspary and insecticide.

This is awfully comfortable. It's sweet, slightly powdery and floral all at once. I'm surprised that this is so inexpensive! Personally, I find this to be of a much higher quality and composition than fragrances of similar compositions. Sometimes, there really is no substitute for the original. I picked up a 250ml bottle (probably enough for a lifetime in my collection). Body heat gives this classic a seductive sillage. I'm sure that this will get any man or woman followed. I love how balanced this is on my skin. None of the notes overpower the others. This would be a pure joy to spray (enter decanting) and I'm glad to have this part of perfume history. This is my gateway to the house of Caron.

The whole story of how I've got this parfume is weird. I was in the shop to try it and the saleswoman instead of spraying it on my wrist, sprayed it in to my eye! I hope, accidentally... She was so sorry, that just has sold me a bottle for 20 Eur. And... I like it. It is so sweet, but the same time bitter. It's very unusual. And I can't stop sniffing myself. I can't tell what exactly unusual in this scent, but it is just not like others. I've worn it already two times and I'm very satisfied with this purchase.

Upd. The parfum smells like he doesn't know, what he wants: to be sweet or bitter, angel or devil-like... I love It! It is a part of me and it reflects my individuality so exact.

I sampled it in dubai a week ago after reading reviews , and all i can say is that is a very different fragrance it last 24 hours at least even if u shower u can still smell it , i dont think i can wear these kind of frangrance ,, the lady offerd me the big bottle which looked like a beer bottle for half price but i wouldnt buy it ,, it's for bold people .. weird

What I have is the same bottle as on the picture, a splash bottle with "Royal Bain de Caron" written on it and no "champagne" is mentioned. It's warm, sweet, powdery and with a light incense note. Not nasty or overwhelming. I like it very much, it's my favorite sweet fragrance.
P.S. After gathering some information I've found out that the Royal Bain de Champagne was the previous name of this fragrance (which was started in 1941). The modern is without "champagne". Hope I'll be lucky some day to find the old version.

I’m sure this is the new formula since it’s a recently acquired sample. I’ve never smelled the old version, so have nothing to compare it to. The sample vial was labeled Caron Royal Bain de Champagne, but I’m pretty sure it’s the same as the “Bain de Caron” listed here. When I first put it on, I immediately smelled candied violets that seemed very light and … yes, bubbly and transparent. However, it quickly developed a harsh note that reminded me of paint remover and lasted for about 10 or 15 minutes. After that the scent became gentler and lighter again, like clover, honey, and - something really odd in the sillage. Then it struck me. Banana pudding! The kind they serve in the US South with lots of vanilla, sliced-up grey, mushy, overripe bananas, and soggy vanilla wafers at the edges. It’s absolutely disgusting as a dessert, but in BdC it’s lovely. It’s as if a banana were transformed into a clean, frothy, vanilla and violet flavored mousse without any of the funky aspects of the banana smell. This is an unusual, light, cheerful scent that I think would be nice sprayed on rather than dabbed.

I have a sample from mid summer 2009, and just purchased a vintage bottle. The new sample, on my left hand, has incredible staying power, a delicious, powdery, sensual, almond-y lilac note. The vintage formula, on my right hand, smelled identical, at first, but after an hour hour, the powdery lilac has muted. And, the formula on my right hand makes me sneeze, whereas the modern one, on my left hand, does not make me sneeze. There you have it. Both are beautiful. The modern formulation has more depth and staying power. An hour on into the drydown, it has a nice hot chocolate kind of quality. I was about to say no chocolate on my right hand, but yes, it is there-- a slight chocolate on the vintage version drydown. Maybe nuttier and richer on the modern formula, with a touch of the tabac blonde vanilla pipe tobacco. I think both versions are absolutely wonderful. The old one seems more floral. I actually prefer the new version.

I'm the lucky owner of the old formulated perfume. It's a warm powdery close-to-skin scent, very nostalgic and romantic yet sophisticated and full of life.

This used to be one of the most beautiful perfumes on the planet, but has been reformulated - and is a shadow of what it used to be. Nevertheless, it still has a charming, powdery touch to it, and the topnotes still speak of champagne and sparkle in the rain...
So much better than Flower by Kenzo which copied its structure, and still a very extravagant choice.