Eau d`Ete de Balmain Summer Pierre Balmain for women

Pierre Balmain EAU D'ETE is a mild, pleasant summer scent with a fruity-floral quality but without being either very fruity or very floral! From the notes, one might have thought that this would be an aromatic citrus scent. Far from it, in fact! The composition is very smooth and even approaches the resinous feeling of EAU D'AMAZONIE, which I regard as a distant cousin to EAU D'ETE. The difference here is that, while also entirely natural smelling, there is no juicy mango to bite into, only a harmonious melange of light fruitiness, woodiness, and florality.

EAU D'ETE is more musky and less watery than most "made for summer eaux," but it is not for that less appropriate for hot weather. I've been spraying this likeable creation all over the place without experiencing any adverse effects such as one would with less summer-friendly scents in super-humid hot weather such as we are experiencing in Boston today.

So, EAU D'ETE passes the hot weather test! Mrs. Thurston Howell, III, probably toted a large bottle of CHANEL NO 5 in her trunk when she embarked upon her fated "three-hour cruise." She would have been much better off with EAU D'ETE--or, better yet: the complete line-up of the fragrance creations of the house of Pierre Balmain! (it's official: I'm now a cultist...(-:)

The dominant notes for me in Eau d'Ete are rosemary and lime. This cannot be more different from modern summertime fragrances, with airy citruses and juicy tropical notes. Rather, Eau d'Ete's opening is Heavy with a bold appearance of leafy rosemary smelling like the inside of an herbal medicine shop. The eye-watering acidity of the lime does nothing to soften the impact, lol.

But however harsh those two notes appear in the opening, the way they play out throughout the heart reveals the genius that is Balmain. The rosemary dampens slightly, and the pucker-lipped lime turns slightly juicy. Then the gentle juxtapposition between the lime and the cedar gives the illusion of sweetness, without ever actually being sweet. The rosemary-citrus-cedar dominates for about two hours before settling down into a powdery (orris) and musky skin-scent base. Eau d'Ete does not last very long, as per usual with summertime editions.

I'll give Eau d'Ete points for being an unconventional summer fragrance in a typical aquatic vessel. But here I am without any desire to own my own bottle.