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Balmain Carbone de Balmain ~ new fragrance

Posted by Robin on 8 October 2010 28 Comments

Carbone de Balmain cologne for men

Balmain has launched Carbone de Balmain, a new fragrance for men:

A modern and luminous fragrance, both spicy and woody, Carbone de Balmain is an enduring scent, worked around the black fig that is tinted with dark and sensual accents. A fragrance dedicated to a modern and urban man who has a passion for new technologies, performance, resistance and lightness.

The notes for the spicy fragrance include black fig, bourbon pepper, elemi resins, ivy, violet leaf, incense, benzoin, vetiver and musk.

Carbone de Balmain is available in 40 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette, and can be found now at Selfridges in the UK. (via selfridges)

Update: see a review of Carbone de Balmain.

Filed Under: new fragrances
Tagged With: balmain

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28 Comments

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  1. Daisy says:
    8 October 2010 at 11:03 am

    I like all the notes except violet leaf and ivy….seems like violet leaf shows up a lot in “men’s” fragrances …the masculine pink pepper. And my previous experience with ivy is that it was a little bitter…I don’t like bitter.
    On the other hand: Black fig, bourbon pepper, incense, benzoin, etc etc….mmmmm.

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    • miss kitty v. says:
      8 October 2010 at 11:13 am

      I’m with ya. It sounded so good, but violet leaf and ivy are certainly cause for concern. :( And I’m not a modern and urban man with a passion for performance and resistance, so it must not be for me.

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      • Daisy says:
        8 October 2010 at 11:43 am

        and what’s this about “resistance”? For guys who are political insurgents? Or is it code for “pain in the a** “? hmm? Maybe it’s a translation thing.

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        • Dolly2 says:
          8 October 2010 at 3:46 pm

          I am very fortunate not to have a PITA for a husband, so therefore I will not shake it up by trying to get him a sample of this.

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    • Robin says:
      8 October 2010 at 11:21 am

      I don’t mind bitter. But violet leaf is one of those notes that has started to make all men’s fragrances smell the same — just like pink pepper in women’s.

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  2. dominika says:
    8 October 2010 at 11:08 am

    What a pretty bottle :) The juice also sounds nice, but lists of notes aren’t always a good indication of the actual smell, as I’m quickly learning.

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    • Robin says:
      8 October 2010 at 11:21 am

      Agree on the bottle, looks nice & hefty.

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  3. mals86 says:
    8 October 2010 at 11:09 am

    I don’t like fig *leaf* (I find it really unpleasantly bitter), but if they’re saying “black fig” – well, that implies fruit only, no leaf, to me. I might like to sniff this.

    I like the bottle: substantial, subdued, hefty. Nice.

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    • Robin says:
      8 October 2010 at 11:22 am

      Honesty don’t know if there is any difference at all in the chemicals they use to make “fig leaf” as opposed to “fig”. Maybe there is, I don’t know!

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      • mals86 says:
        8 October 2010 at 11:27 am

        I don’t know either. I do know I absolutely hated… make that HATED… Premier Figuier’s cacky green stuff, while the fruity component was rather nice and have liked fig-fruit notes in other stuff (I can’t remember what, now).

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    • mals86 says:
      8 October 2010 at 11:26 am

      Looks like the 40ml runs about $57 USD. The CEO has a birthday coming up – but there’s absolutely no point in buying him something unsniffed… especially as he’s clinging to the dregs of his Acqua di Gio. (“I like this! Why do I have to try something new? I’m still wearing the same kind of Levi’s and khakis and oxford shirts I was wearing in high school!”)

      Selfridges has that Naughty Alice scent too. I think that’s grounds for a quick hop across the pond to sniff in person, don’t you?

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      • Robin says:
        8 October 2010 at 11:30 am

        Absolutely! I want to smell both. And the John Galliano things, although haven’t heard anything much good about them. And want to go try the teas at Miller Harris. Yeah, I can think of a few good reasons.

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      • Daisy says:
        8 October 2010 at 11:45 am

        Road trip….er, boat trip? to the UK woohooo!

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        • mals86 says:
          8 October 2010 at 12:02 pm

          Let’s go!

          Oh wait… I have work. And children. Dang.

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          • Daisy says:
            8 October 2010 at 12:12 pm

            party pooper!

  4. thenoseknows says:
    8 October 2010 at 11:11 am

    WOW! this sounds Powerful! Must Smell!

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    • Robin says:
      8 October 2010 at 11:23 am

      It took their last women’s scent AGES to get officially distributed in the US — hope this is quicker.

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  5. norjunma1 says:
    8 October 2010 at 11:14 am

    I love me some Amber Gris. Looks like this one will be a must-sniff too.

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  6. bjorn says:
    8 October 2010 at 12:55 pm

    I’ll have a black fig on ice please. Splash of vetiver, drop of incense. Hold the rest.

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    • nozknoz says:
      8 October 2010 at 9:26 pm

      :-) Sounds NICE!

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  7. Dolly2 says:
    8 October 2010 at 3:43 pm

    Black fig-yes. Incense-definitely. Pink pepper?- Nye!

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  8. RuthW says:
    8 October 2010 at 4:31 pm

    Worth looking at, if only for the fig and incense and I do like many Balmain fragrances.

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  9. rickbr says:
    8 October 2010 at 8:03 pm

    I loved all notes, except for the violet leaf. It’s a dull note that to me makes all masculines looks cheap and the same. I hope that this fig theme goes more on the green side than on the milky side.
    What i don’t undestand is why Balmain relaunched Ebene but you cannot find it anywhere to be ordered? Their distribution chanel is odd. Here in Brazil, though, you find almost all Lalique scents without difficulty at shops. Flora Bella is one of my favorites, followed by Lalique Le Parfum, Encre Noire and Eau de Lalique.

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  10. Flora says:
    9 October 2010 at 2:23 am

    Oh please let this be good, it sounds wonderful!

    I have been watching out for the Ebene relaunch too, where is it?!

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  11. Style Spy says:
    9 October 2010 at 10:01 am

    I can’t get past the name. All I can think of is that somewhere in my memory is a character in a movie called “Frankie Carbone.” Help me out, people – what am I thinking about?

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  12. Dolly2 says:
    9 October 2010 at 12:37 pm

    Style Spy- That rings a bell w/ me also. Ugh!!!! The Godfather? Maybe Goodfellas? Can’t bring myself to watch that again. Once was enough, thanks.

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  13. eminere says:
    10 October 2010 at 10:36 am

    Sounds positively delightful. I’m a sucker for fig, and add ivy, violet leaf and benzoin in the correct proportions and you’ve got me sold.

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  14. Foggy says:
    15 September 2012 at 2:56 pm

    I have tried and love this cologne, not to strong and not to faint.

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