Il Mondo di Odore

1980 saw Balmain release Ivoire 3 years years before they would create the counterpoint Ebene. This is a well made floral green chypre that I believe is very wearable by men as well as women. The opening is a smooth green of subtle aldehyde, galbanum and citrus. I find it excellent in not only aroma, but construction as well. The superb floral heart of Ivoire is a balancing act of superior blending. It's loaded with characters and they seem to act as one organism. This is one of the very best floral mid accords I have ever smelled. It is a bomb. The woody amber base is augmented with moss, a touch of musk and raspberry. This is yet another accord whose blending is almost magical. Balmain got everything right in Ivoire and is a must have for serious perfume lifestylists.

This 1998 Balmain creation is kind of a strange bird; albeit strange is very good in this case. This was marketed to women as a floral fragrance, but we have found it to be a really good masculine floral chypre. Uncomplicated and linear on me, it opens with a spicy top, floral heartnotes and an earthy, woody base. Simple......but very wearable in all sorts of situations. I believe the basenotes transform this into a more manly scent than most women care for; especially if they were expecting a feminine floral creation. Great aroma and bang for the buck as it still can be had for next to nothing. An intelligent addition for men wanting to add a floral to their drobe.