Balmain's Beauty Launch Is as Fearless as Its Fashion
The wait is over: Balmain Beauty is finally here. Two years after creative director Olivier Rousteing first announced the brand's expansion into fragrance, Balmain has unveiled a first look at its inaugural perfume collection.
Dubbed "Les Éternels," the range of eight scents pays homage to Balmain's fragrant past. The French maison released its first perfume, Elysées 64-83, back in 1946. A year later it introduced Vent Vert, a scent considered groundbreaking at the time, thanks to its distinctively fresh, "green" smell — a rarity in the '40s, which was dominated by heavy, animalic perfumes.
Further cementing Vent Vert's significance: It was formulated by Germaine Cellier, the industry's first well-known woman perfumer.
Despite Balmain's early success with the category, the brand discontinued all of its fragrance circa 2016. Eight years later, the label is resurrecting its perfume division — and its new launches are just as fearless as its vintage creations.
“I’m a witness of my time. Balmain’s DNA is a twist of past and future together," Rousteing said of the launch. "I want to create something that has a heritage but looks up to the future. Something that stays forever.”
Fans of Balmain's original fragrance line will recognize references to its packaging and inspiration in the new collection. They'll also appreciate Rousteing's reinterpretations of Vent Vert and Ébène, a perfume founder Pierre Balmain released in 1983 as an ode to his travels across Africa.
The seven other scents in the collection, which will be available to purchase in early September, span a range of notes and olfactive profiles, from spicy and musky (Carbone) to fruity and floral (Rouge) to aromatic and woody (Bleu Infini).
As varied as the perfumes are, they all share a common thread: They're unapologetically head-turning, reminiscent of the big, bold scents popularized in the '80s. Kind of like Rousteing's fashion, they're for the adventurous — so wear with abandon.
