Balmain Carbone (2010) {New Fragrance} {Men's Cologne}

Following up on their feminine launch of 2008, Ambre Gris, Balmain just introduced a new men's fragrance called Carbone. Its name is a reference to the masculine universe of an aesthet who lives both for high art and high technology enjoying the sensuality of dark, high-tech materials like carbon. The semantics echo a feminine perfume from the brand, Ivoire, an iconic perfume of the 1980s...

The fragrance was composed by perfumer Nathalie Lorson who is known for a noted masculine, Lalique Encre Noire and art-directed by Balmain's Christophe Decarnin. Carbone is described as a woody-spicy-musky work featuring "deep and mysterious" scent notes.

The composition is said to rest on a very short formula built around black fig, benzoin and incense.

The eau de toilette opens on Bourbon pepper, elemi resin, ivy green. The heart includes black fig and incense. The deep notes are benzoin from Siam, musks, vetiver, black vanilla bean.

Prices: 37€ for 40 ml; 68€ for 100 ml.