Balenciaga Paris Balenciaga for women

I concur about this being a perfect rainy day scent. it's so gorgeous and signature scent worthy.

This is a pure beautiful fine fine fragrance. Starts off with a strong violent blast but very rapidly sets into a bed of powder and carnations, the tiny ones which smells so beautiful. It's sweet,it's parma violets vibe but it's done extremely fine! One of my favourite 💕

Best rainy day perfume.

One of my favorite perfumes. So sad that Balenciaga has discontinued all of its fragrances (Paris, Florabotanica…).

I never throw away empty bottles once I finish a perfume and today – feeling kinda nostalgic – I happened to resurge the very last drops of Balenciaga Paris. First thing that popped in my mind (sighing): how I wish Balenciaga came up with a new perfume, something like Paris or something completely new but with the same DNA! Violet leaf and carnation are never loud and so graceful. I love the fact that there’s no sweetness at all – it’s kinda stripped down to the basics bitter with a hint of powder to keep it from heartlessness. Carnation is a lovely note indeed, patchouli complements it in the best way possible.

I am surprised that noone got references to Kelly Caleche (EDP), also Creative Inspiration by State of Mind
It's really gentle (watery-violety) at the beginning, but once the top notes fade away it becomes heavier, so definitely try it on your skin

This smells very much like Insolence by guerlain but fresher and there's more airyness to it. it's almost more wet (insolence is very dry in my opinion)

This starts off super strong, almost masculine on me. Then it quickly settles into a nondescript violet that does not develop much if at all. If you like violet, you'll like this.

Powdery violets that smell more like a makeup bag than violet candy. A sophisticated, mature scent. There's very little warmth or sweetness here which gives the scent an air of stuffiness... this is a prim, maybe even uptight woman.

This review is based on a decant of the EDP from Surrender to Chance.

I like this, but it lasted barely 2 hours on my dry, perfume eating skin. It's great while it lasts! It's definitely violet forward. I like violet which is why I wanted to test it. I expected more longevity, and a bit more sillage, from the EDP version. This was more like an EDT.

Is it a safe office scent? I'd say yes, but don't overspray. Is it a safe blind buy? No, test it first and see if you're happy with the sillage and longevity. Is it a safe gift? Hmm. Yes, if you know the recipient doesn't hate violet!

I'm rating it 6/10, and it's not full bottle worthy for me.

Starts off very floral with a hint of wood-y bitterness. It smells almost like church flowers...almost. It never quite tips over into that territory like white flowers do. Very lithe. Almost easily overpowered by other scents. There's supposed to be powderiness here but I'm not getting it yet. I can smell pencil shavings in the background - similar to the pencil shaving scent that is supposed to stand in for "leather" in Bottega Veneta EDP, Eau de Velours and in Hermès' Kelly Caleche.

An hour in, it seems to have actually gotten stronger/denser.

I can smell the powderiness now. It is not an offensive level of powder like in Chanel's No. 5 or Guerlain's L'Homme Ideal. The powder level here reminds me of Hermès' Eau de Merveilles in that it is right behind the main note (violet here, orange in Eau de Merveilles) and is only there to give the star of the show some extra dimension.

The powder doesn't overpower the rest of the composition like in the aforementioned Chanel and Guerlain where the powder is so strong it's almost like there's a screen of powder between you and everything else. This immediately makes Balenciaga Paris a younger person's scent - someone in their 40's. Someone with money.

2hr 30 mins in, the powder has subsided. The violet flower has become sweeter. Other flowers seem to be making their entrance as well.

Not much change after 2hr 30 min mark. Sweet violets all the way through. Lasted about 7 hrs before I could no longer detect it.

This is a very modern and urban scent, a paradox of bright steel and romantic violets. Imagine discovering a lovely flower stall near the base of a Manhattan sky scraper. The velvety sweetness of Parma violets is offset by a crisp metallic aldehyde that elevates the entire fragrance, as if the violet flower has now been suspended in a crystal flute of champagne. The violet is masterfully braided with notes of black peppercorn, cedar, and bright green leaves. A must try for all violet lovers.

This has been a signature scent of mine since my early/mid-20's (maybe 24 or 25). At the time, an older (platonic) girlfriend of mine, about 6 years my senior, wore this fragrance. She was and still is very classy and fabulous in a timeless way. After her sharing the name of this fragrance with me, my boyfriend of that time gifted me a bottle for either my birthday or Christmas. I have loved it ever since. It achieves common fragrance characteristics of warm, clean, and floral in the most unique ways--warmth without amber or vanilla, clean without citrus, floral without rose (which I find either dusty or cloying). Unique, complex, and but unpretentious. In my 20's I would spray this generously to enjoying its lingering and trailing effects, and the compliments would roll in nonstop. Now more mature in my late 30's I wear two sprays and it lasts all day in my personal space bubble of 2-3 feet or so. I have owned at least 5 bottles over the years and am heartbroken this has been discontinued.

Hear me out: is it just me or is there a strong characterological resemblance between this and Narciso edp, despite the lack of note-by-note similarity? Both are smoothly, straightforwardly powdery with a phantom sweetness that seems to come and go (though without being obviously attributed to any one note), seriously floral, and dry down to spiky, pleasantly sharp, masculine-leaning basenotes that just hang on forever (most notably cedar). Both cool in tone and serious, yet without being cold and forbidding. Narciso edp is more cozy and huggable, sure, but do they not have something important in common?

How I love powdery and sweet with cedar! Balenciaga Paris EDP is just about perfect in my book. L’Heure Bleue and Kenzo Amour are the only others I know that match this level of powderiness on me. I reviewed BP earlier and did not like or appreciate it. I put it away and recently returned to it, to find that I now think it’s amazing! I feel that it stays really close, but I receive compliments with every wearing so its soft cloud must extend farther than I realize. It’s so beautiful, with just enough patchouli to give it presence. It takes about an hour to start getting powdery and sweet, and I am not a fan of the opening. The first time I tried it, the opening put me off so much that I almost washed it off. There is a weird oily note that I also find in Fancy Nights that makes it unwearable for me as well as in Fahrenheit (apart from its petroleum/motor oil notes) that could possibly be the patchouli in all three. Fortunately, the masterful blending and balance of BP develop it into the sweet, powdery beauty it is. I would love to heedlessly indulge my overspraying heart with it on every possible occasion - it’s gorgeous!!

I bought this because of the comparisons to Tom Ford Violet Blonde, which is discontinued and extremely expensive at this point, and which I've been wearing alot of lately and am running out of.

At first I thought it smelled a spot on screechy dupe of the TF but then I tried it on a day when I wasn't so desperately looking for a comparison. It's an absolutely gorgeous green violet in its own right, and should be given its due regard. I think the Violet Blonde is noticeably more powdery and sharp/bitter than Balenciaga Paris, and has a distinct personality in cooler weather that the Balenciaga doesn't really hit. Balenciaga leans more green, sweet, and fresh, with a dash of powder, whereas the Tom Ford is powdery with green notes that you can sense in warmer weather. It's not as long lasting l but who cares with the price point - I get a good four hours and can still faintly smell on my body when I move from time to time.

Overall great sub for the Violet Blonde, I like it, not quite the same, but close enough

For those who love this fragrance - I just purchased a second backup bottle on eBay because the prices have really fallen. I assume it's because of the controversy. But these have already been procured by the sellers so Balenciaga isn't getting money from the buyer. If you love this perfume, as I do, but are holding back for whatever reason, check out eBay.

Wow. Just sprayed it on 5 minutes ago and it’s love at first snif 😍😍
I have a very extensive wardrobe with hundreds of bottles and this is easily top 3 of the most elegant and classy perfumes I’ve ever smelled. Absolutely stunning!
There is some green, some powder, light sweetness and lots of elegance.😍

Beautiful clean and smells
Like very put together person and classy it’s lovely it lasts a very long time on my skin I love it

I’ve bought this when it just came out, at the Sephora in the Gare de L’Est train station after a weekend in Paris. It still reminds me of that weekend after all these years and I still love it. It is a soft & creamy violet with a slightly sharp side, and I have never smelled something similar. Longevity & sillage are both perfection and the quality of this juice is excellent! My bottle is still going strong after all these years.

It’s austere, cold, and dignified. It is a serious scent that reminds me of a very crisp white dress shirt tucked into a black pencil skirt. It’s stockings - not bare legs. Very nice but too formal for daily wear.

Please, some respect for the original Balenciaga artists!!!

This was a blind buy for me as I'm obsessed with violets. I got a blast of violent immediately but I'm not liking the dry down. I'm a getting a hairspray scent, maybe the carnation? It's ruining it for me.
UPDATE:
So I've been giving this one another go and I'm liking it better, I got more of the violet note the more I wear it and the powdery notes are more obvious.
Definitely more of a warm weather perfume for me.

Had to leave my comment that people are entitled to their stupidity. If you want to get rid of your perfumes because of an advertisement, send them my way. Anyway, this is a gorgeous neo-chypre. It’s effervescent yet strong. My favorite violet perfume.

I totally get the Violet in this stunning fragrance. I love it so much that I’ve gifted it to my family - a family that was a one fragrance forever girl and her words were ‘ I love, love, love this! Beautiful, classy, sensuous and lasting - politics aside this fragrance is the bomb!

This smells clean and creamy to me. Not a strong violet in my opinion, and I’m surprised that it’s the first accord listed. Mostly creamy with a tiny bit of woody spice, and then a touch of violet.

Coming here and seeing comments, that's the first I've heard about the "controversial" promo shots/ad campaigns.

Just came here to whine that I accidentally broke a bottle of Balenciaga Paris today and my house and my hands stink of it.

Whyyyyyyy?!

So sad! (Smells great though eh!)

stop hate! this perfume came out in 2010 with a completely different creative team. nowadays balenciaga deserves the hate but this MASTERPIECE IS NOT!

I'm really glad I got to see their true colors before actually buying any of their perfumes. Their ad campaigns are vomit.

What an utterly beautiful fragrance! I am writing this minutes after unwrapping and testing my 7ml miniature. I bought Paris because numerous people said it was to some extent similar to Tom Ford’s Violet Blonde, my all time favourite and sadly discontinued fragrance.

There definitely are similarities. Though I cannot speak note by note, I find these two fragrances to be similar in their general feel. With Paris being Violet Blonde’s tamer, slightly sweeter and less edgy cousine.

I test it by dabbing and it does not project much on me. Hoping that once I rebottle it in a spray automiser I’ll be able to get more projection.

@angelcode Where are these online shops where one can find it? I haven’t found any.

An amazing fragrance! It is so comforting and unique. Violets that are powdery but not in the "old lady" way. So chic and classy! Although it was always available in my country, I was devastated that it was discontinued. But I read somewhere a statement by Balenciaga saying that it wasn't available in some countries but they started production again and now anyone can find it at online stores!

I have been wearing this for a few days and I just love it. It does not last long on me and it is more like a skin scent. I hate anything too sweet, masculine, aquatic or screetchy. It is a comforting scent and reminds me a bit of Kenzo Flower or Byredo Blanche. It is very elegant and never vulgar and I feel like I am myself wearing this one.

I want this fragrance, is it discontinued?

I bought a large sample size bottle of this as I heard it has violet in it. I've worn it several times and I don't smell violet at all (and I have a bookcase filled with violet/violets/violette/violettes/violetta perfumes, eau de toilettes, etc. No violet at all. I'll keep trying it here and there.

I am surprised to say that I really like this perfume and I think I may buy a travel size! I don't think I tend to like powdery perfumes, but I really appreciate this one. It does smell a little old fashioned, but I think in a very elegant way. I get delicate florals and a little bit of woody spice coming from the cedar and patchouli.

This is just not it. It’s a very powdery old lady smell, stuffed with decaying violets. I love sweet perfumes, but this is sickeningly so. But wow it is just so powdery sweet, like crushed up smarties were shoved up my nose along with someone’s grandmas couch.

Well I must start with a disclaimer, I dislike most sweet scent and thus I mostly use unisex woodsy scebt. If the scent is distinctly girly, it must hit the spot.

To me this perfume didn't hit the spot.

To a not flower scens lover as myself the perfume was too distinctly 'flowery' and I wasn't intrigued or interested enough to get out of my box. When I wore it.. I felt as if I'm wearing a flowery scent and didn't quite felt like myself... at the end of the day, it is flowers.


To a flowery scent lover.. it might come across as quite unique. The violets gives the perfume a watery scent that personaly I enjoyed and the concoction is not very sweet. Which is also a refreshing change.

+ it is very long lasting moderately to large projection, and not obnoxious in no way. A very calm, elegant, mature yet not old, scent.

I struggled for a while to write a review because I felt I wasn't the audience for the perfume, I won't wear it but I can't help but appreciate it.

I picked up a tiny bottle of Balenciaga at a local antique shop and fell in love with it. To my nose it reminds me of Eau Des Merveilles by Hermes only a little sweeter. EDM always smells like a pencil box but in a good way - cedar-like and I get the same sense with Balenciaga. I would say it's a safe fragrance but somewhat unique. I can't imagine it offending anyone. The violet really comes through to make this just a very lovely fragrance.

Balenciaga Paris is a light airy fragrance. It has a ok fragrance at initial spay. but the dry down is when this gets a little sweeter. This not a sweet fragrance at all but it does get sweeter over time. I would not blind buy buy the fragrance is not bad for those interested in a light airy fragrance

This perfume is nothing like anything else in my collection. This is a very classy daytime spring scent. It opens as a very sweet violet candy and dries down to an elegant powdery sweet floral. It reminds me so much of a perfume my mother wore in the early 90’s. It has a timeless quality. Really quite a shame that it’s been discontinued.

"Every kind of love, or at least my kind of love, must be an imaginary love to start with." This refrain from a beautiful Rufus Wainwright song describes something akin to what happened to me upon encountering Balenciaga Paris back in 2010. It was a blind buy a friend of mine brought me from Italy and, in a noisy café, when I first inhaled its radiant violet scent, rich with both flower and leaf, I knew I had found the perfume I'd always been waiting for...the one I'd yearned for but could only imagine in a nebulous, imprecise way. The search was guided by (inner) voices :) I intuited that this emotionally resonant perfume existed. Upon inaugural sniff the fragrance immediately connected with my subconscious memory: it was a totally new scent but - like an ancient philosophical theory which one discovers, amazed at its perennial pertinence - I feel countless others have lived through this perfume long before me (if that makes any sense). Years on, its vintage air provokes the same mix of nostalgia and happiness every single time i wear it: habit seems to have no effect on this creation from Olivier Polge! Balenciaga Paris speaks to our deepest self (and maybe a past life or two) through the most primitive - and thusly most evocative - sense: smell. This beautiful alchemy between eternal violet, carnation, cedar and patchouli fulfills a certain longing for old-school substance in these virtual times. You could call it time travel in a bottle, although its far-from-dense quality lends it a modern feel. I'm heartbroken that it's been discontinued but hope anyone lucky enough to come across this romantic - in the Novalis sense - fragrance will not pass up the chance to try a genuine olfactive poem :)

Soft, elegant, pretty violet scent. Not ground-breaking but timeless.

I just purchased this from a remnants seller after meaning to years ago, but then not finding it again on the shelves ... reminder once again to buy something if you like it, because it will be discontinued!

I'm finding it to be very soft and a definite skin scent. It starts off quite woodsy and powdery, then dries down to a gentle white-purple floral. Cozy, then fresh and light. Poor longevity for me. I would envision the scent as a light cashmere sweater on a spring day. Very office- or travel-appropriate.

I bought this about 15 years ago and wore it for a while then forgot about it. However I am now in a violet craze (brought on by my obsession with FM Dans Tes Bras) and rediscovered this when hunting for violet perfumes in my collection. I really love that this is not a candy violet perfume but a woody and slightly melancholic one. It is gently powdery, but no hint of makeup. This is the opposite of Misia and all those very feminine perfumes but I would say it still leans more feminine. The woods are warming and there is nothing harsh or brittle in this scent at all. It is like the touch silky smooth polished mahogany.

I think this will be a love but I need more time with it.

Opening is a soapy floral with a bit of lavender. Then the syrupy violet (not my favorite). But dry down is relaxing into a warm somewhat soapy soothing violet with amber. If the violets and iris stay under control (get very sharp on me) will be a sophisticated love as many reviewers have noted.

Update—this is a love! It occurred to me today that it is one of the only fragrances I own with zero vanilla or amber. Despite that, I find it so calming and comforting—there is nothing heavy; some powder and soft violets and just a bit of sharpness from patchouli. I love wearing this to bed. It puts me at peace.

This is well balanced and beautiful. For me, it evokes elegance and poise. It’s powdery and soft, which I love. The violet is prominent and leads the notes but it doesn’t take over as in Insolence, which I find cloying. It’s a really feminine scent, just lovely!

This somehow manages to smell like an outright downpour, violets, metal handrails, and forest floor while still maintaining delicacy and balance. It also wrangles the violets into behaving - very faint on the powder and sweet. This lingers fairly close to the wearer, and praises you with gentle caresses all day long.

This is not my normal type of fragrance. I go for masc scents, think leather and smoke and spicy vetivers. I was inspired by a r/fragrance post about Korean fragrances to find something lighter, more intimate, and soapier/linen/floral I'd enjoy on occasion.

This was a blind buy at a discounter that was *massively* discounted and I do not regret it the tiniest bit. I'm so enchanted by this elegant little chypre gem.

I'm only sad there were no more bottles when I went to buy back-ups the next day.

This was a bonus sample from somewhere that I had set aside because it tested overly floral for my tastes on paper.
I came back to it today after my experience with Hummingbird (zoologist) yesterday where I was surprised to find a modern floral balancing act that didn’t teeter into “old lady” powdery violet territory.

Well, here I am two days in a row being proven wrong by a florals! This one is violet for sure, but stays quite green and so far (30mins in) has very little to no powder poking through.

My nose understands this Balenciaga as chypre more so than Nomade, as the basenotes on the latter don’t really come through on my skin.

It gives me the same clean, fresh, confident woman feel of YSL Libre, but maybe a little more unique? Anyway I really like it

A reminder to us all that it’s always worth sampling first and that first impressions can be woefully misleading.

Update/Came back a month later to say I purchased more from a Canadian discounter (and actually received a larger bottle than I ordered!). It’s still love, through and through.

Interesting take on violet. It has a woody, sparkling quality.
Androgynous, serious, academic; modern but classy; non conforming to the latest trends, but not really vintage or outdated. Simple but beautiful.

Imagine you are out for a walk on a foggy morning after a heavy thunderstorm the previous night, among the fog you notice a violet plant, with raindrops on its flowers and leaves. Next to it there is a cedar tree covered in oakmoss. You take a deep breath as you take in all that beautiful scent around you. That is what Paris is to me. It's such a pleasure to wear on a foggy, rainy spring or autumn day 💜

I just received my bottle of Balenciaga Paris. I bought it because I saw it at an excellent price and another reviewer commented that it was a Violet Blonde dupe, which is discontinued. Tom Ford's Violet Blonde is a stunning, bold, and quite mature fragrance. While I can detect a slight similarity to VB in the opening of this fragrance, it fairly quickly dries down to regular, pretty floral. In contrast, VB has an edge (a good one) that stays for days and days. Many describe this fragrance as mature. If this reads as mature, it is your sweet little grandma, and Violet Blonde is the sexiest old bitch in heels you can think of.

On first spray this fragrance is green, woody, and ultra feminine. I think the addition of violet leaf allows the scent to remain modern in the face of strong violet, which many associate with dated perfumes. I absolutely love this and think it's a dupe for Tom Ford Violet Blonde, which has sadly been discontinued. During the dry down a beautiful warm amber note takes over and turns this into a creamy, cozy and ultra comforting scent. A must for violet lovers!

Gives me a similar vibe to Prada infusion d’iris. Prada is lighter, more airy. I enjoy powdery scents, but don’t like this on me. It’s a bit thick and gives me the sensation of cold metal. Elegant, and mature, but not dated.

This is not for me but at least I know exactly why. Since 3 of the 5 notes are all flowers, this was never going to be a win.
It was also nice just for my education to realize that violet as a main note is not my jam. I like several fragrances that have it as an ingredient but when it is one of many other players in a perfume it's hard to learn whether you like or dislike a single note.
I agree with others that it is elegant though-- and mainly for spring/summer. Leans feminine to me.

Balenciaga Paris EDP notes listed by Fragrantica are incomplete. Missing notes are Labdanum and Vetiver.

I get a bright citrus opening without Violet attributed to the Bergamot. Never do I sense Violet in the way of most perfumes. Rather the Violet imparts a very powdery note completely to the dry down.

What I am more interested in with this fragrance is the use of Violet Leaf. Violet Leaf extract is one of the costliest perfume ingredients and is very concentrated and tenacious. Many comment on how Paris EDP is not strong or powerful enough for their tastes compared to other perfumes. Allow me to share some wisdom about Violet Leaf which might explain the logic behind its composition. As far as scent, Violet Leaf is soft earthy, woody and green and will fade in the dry down. What is most interesting is that Violet Leaf has been used dating back to 900 AD by Persians for overcoming fear, developing trust and for trauma to overcome the desire to retreat.

My view: a perfect fragrance for these “post”COVID-19 times! Get your vaccine and some Balenciaga Paris as your perfect antidote. If you are afraid of getting your COVID-19 vaccine then I suggest you begin with Balenciaga Paris EDP to overcome your anxiety.

So we know this fragrance is not designed to attract attention. It has a higher purpose and will give a confidence and calmness and sense of assurance. Plus it smells very expensive and classy.

Finally the other note Fragrantica fails to list: Galbanum. Galbanum is the sweet balsamic extraction from the white Cistus flower/plant
(commonly known as Rock Rose) used exclusively for perfumery and a staple of chypre fragrances, which Paris EDP is one of. (Cistus extract is the less potent steam distilled version suitable for aromatherapy.) Galbanum is responsible for the honeyed and persistent Amber note in this lovely fragrance. Galbanum is used as a substitute for Ambergris. Combined with the powdery Violet Flower scent that trails all the way thru, it adds a sweet and balsamic ending. So calming.

Vetiver and Patchouli as base notes are definitely softened and sweetened by the Galbanum.

Wow, this is something if you like violets like I do. This was a blind buy because I'd been wanting to try it and I found a good deal. I have this and the EDT of Guerlain Insolence and they are different. This has the distinct smell of violets that Insolence has but is a less ethereal, creamy version, if that makes any sense. I think Insolence is very warm-weather geared and this can be more sexy and all-season. Insolence feels like floating, while the patchouli seems to ground Balenciaga. This performs well, and if this is discontinued (as I've heard) a backup bottle is imminent. This quickly became a top ten for me.

Ive wanted this for a while and finally own it.. I wish there was a "Especially Love" key to hit for this one. Perfect exercise in tasteful restraint - violet done right. Violet is often cursed to be either too old fashioned/"mumsy", or too saccharine and girly. This is easy Parisian sophistication. I can picture myself in a silk blouse opened juuuuust high enough, with a nice pair of jeans, simple gold hoops and bracelet, sitting at an outdoor table at a coffeehouse in the Paris or NY springtime, alone and reading a novel or a newspaper.I'd be hard pressed to name a better springtime fragrance. Others may be as good, but I can't think of any in my collection that are better!!

However... I could weep over the poor longevity, especially knowing it has been discontinued. I have so many perfumes that I can't say for sure I'll ever need a backup, yet I don't want to risk not having this anymore. I'll probably cave and purchase because I'm neurotic about that, but also because it gives me the freedom to spray more frequently knowing I have one in reserve.

I bought this due to liking violets and Bottega Veneta, which was likened to this scent on here, maybe the same fragrance family? It is a nice chypre, a very light scent on me, wears more like an edt, but I don't mind. It smells both expensive and elegant. I think this might be best worn in spring and summer. The violets here are fresh, light and pretty.. photorealistic, wet with morning dew. It is nothing like the thick cloying violet in Marc Jacobs Daisy. Very pretty, with a contrasting hint of masculine in the drydown that makes it an interesting scent.

being an avid fan of charlotte gainsbourg, it was natural for me to be interested in the perfume that was inspired by her.

i got the l’essence first because the notes appeal to me more but i ended up not liking it. something about it was just nauseating for me.

but then i was curious about this one lmao 🙄 i persuaded myself not to get it because i didn’t even like the flanker.. but NOPE! i got it!! and wow! stunning. i am so so glad i did. there’s an extremely soapy quality to this, reminded me of the dove bar. the violets are there, especially in the opening. pure violets. slightly similar to l’essence in this part. sillage and longevity are moderate on me. it wasn’t as sharp as i expected. i find it very clean and serene.. definitely an “easy wear” kind of perfume.

this was an amazing blind buy!! already one of my favorites, if it’s a little stronger i might make it a signature ;)

Paris was a blind buy, but wow it was a good one. It’s a powerhouse, very strong so you don’t need a lot, to me it is sweet, fresh, green, it reminds me of sweet hay and fresh cut grass and violets. It wafts around you and it is a huge compliment getter. I don’t get the “cold” vibe at all. I am stocking up on this gem.

Paris, while initially pleasant, is just too strong for my nose.

It simply isn't the correct fit for me, and that's fine. Upon initial sniff, it seemed decent enough. I applied one good spray to my wrist to see how it performed on my skin, and that's where it went wrong. The scent didn't do anything funky, but the sillage was ENORMOUS. It took maybe 20 minutes for me to develop a headache from how strong it was. It took over the whole room and multiple handwashing attempts failed to dampen its enthusiasm. By the time I turned in for the night, it was still strong enough that I didn't have to bring my wrist anywhere near my face in order to get a good whiff.
Woody-musky-florals are normally my happy wheelhouse, but after the disastrous test trial, even just smelling the spritzer is enough to make me recoil. A shame, but a learning experience nonetheless.

I bought Balenciaga Paris on the strength of the fantastic reviews here. I was looking for a feminine voilet fragrance.Unfortunately, I have to pass on this one. It is way too masculine for me in its woody, minty cedar scent and so strong. I would really enjoy being around a man who wore it though. I just want to get it off me as I feel I am in a dense forest with a lot of rain making all the leaves trees pungent. Maybe half a spray would be safer and not so overwhelming to the nose. I feel like a room of people would smell it on me, it's that strong and I wouldn't want the attention because of the masculine vibe.

What a pretty violet fragrance. I get violet & woods- and a ever so light pepper which is probably carnation. Pretty in purple. This fragrance is ballerinas, silk scarves, and a chiffon dress. This is great for anytime or any environment.

This scent is somehow sophisticated and laid-back, warm and cold, fleeting and long-lasting, urban and forest, dewy and dry, metallic and velvety, and feminine and masculine. This is a shapeshifting scent, much like the violet itself. In and out it goes from your senses, and when you think you grasp it, it's gone again (it's long-lasting though, it's just a scent that doesn't slap you in the face). The spicy vegetal carnation note keeps it from being powdery and in my brain, makes it smell like a "cold" spicy. I worked around floral refrigerators for a while, and carnations being the beautifully versatile flowers that they are, were abundant, and gave off that indescribable cold spicy smell (similar to the vibe in Florabotanica and can totally see how they're in the same house). This is, to my nose, an unmistakably violet-based perfume, though, and is balanced out by that carnation, keeping this scent from being powdery. I feel that it's suited for every type of person and for every type of season. Young, old, male, female, hot, humid, frigid...I can see this working well with all. It may be confusing, but this scent is also simultaneously uplifting and melancholy. It is very long-lasting and I can smell it on me and my clothes the following day when I wear it. Happy to have blind-bought a bottle a few months ago and I love it way more than I like Florabotanica or Rosabotanica, which are both "really" likes. From what people wrote on here, and due to my love of violet, violet leaf, carnation, and patchouli notes, I had to know what it smelt like. I wouldn't have been able to guess this, and I love that. Gorgeous.

As many previous reviews have pointed out, Paris just has that "wearable" feel about it. Extremely well blended and balanced, clean as a whistle, and possessing a hard to find quality cedar. My wife won't get to keep this one for herself, Paris has some value for everybody throughout the year. I have and enjoy Fahrenheit Cologne, and I can say without hesitation that FC's violet aspects are eventually far more candied and sweet than these, while Paris' veer towards (not too)powdery - with a faint, sweet-ish musk - but still quite fresh. 100% unisex, but I do have to say that the late remnants of Paris are incredibly appealing on a woman!

Are all these belived and unique Balenciaga fragrances being discontinued?! This and Florabotanica too?!
These are both masterpieces, with uniqness, seldom sophistication and staying power! Something must have happened with the house of Balenciaga I assume.

“Effortless Charm”

Balenciaga Paris is a hidden gem.

I love violets, but only a few have ever made my heart sing. I have several which are for super specific moods and occasions. Guerlain Insolence EDP for spring time fun and casual weekends. Balmain Jolie Madame for when I want to remember how badass and butchy perfume used to be. Terry de Gunzberg Ombré Mercure for that boudoir but goth vibe. I probably have a few more but am forgetting.

Anyway Balenciaga Paris is the perfect green peppery violet scent with a dash of powder that doesn’t smell of candies or plastic at all. It’s a natural smelling scent that evokes tender dewy violets on an early spring day, yet it’s still a sophisticated “cosmetic smell” with a peppery greenness. For me it’s the perfect scent for a brunch or a baby shower, a wedding or the office. It’s feminine and pretty with a strong presence. Moderate longevity and sillage. 10/10. Effortless charm.

PS: I've read some reviews from a while back (back when the perfume world consisted of bloggers and writers). I have to strongly disagree that Balenciaga Paris is a wallflower. This stuff has tenacity and presence. It might be a green/ethereal/powdery/violet sort of presence but this fragrance has some serious backbone. She's that seemingly quiet and reserved woman who has the strength and perseverance of superhero. I'm off to get a back-up bottle now that I believe this has been discontinued.

Oh my a beautiful Violet scented perfume that smells so appealing and lovely on my skin with a sweet powdery and spicy background. At times it a cold scent but without notice it goes very warm and enticing. The notes are bergamot, spices, pepper, violet, carnation, oakmoss, cedar, vetiver, patchouli, labdanum.

I miss out on the pepper note but in the final dry down I notice the oakmoss and cedar with the patchouli, balancing them into a creamy, soft, feminine, intoxicating scent that is sexy and just down right pretty. The projection is very good, it is appealing to others around you leaving a lovely trail that others enjoy catching a scent of.

Perfect date night perfume, trust me my husband loves this scent calls it yummy goodness and I agree. Working good in this cold weather and thinking it would actually be a good year round, day plus night scent. Oh yes it is long lasting over 8 hours before it becomes a total skin scent.

Sweet but cold. Elegant with a bit of an edge. The opening is syrupy like a medicinal grape syrup. The violet syrup tones down within minutes to a violet musk with a hint of sweetness and a very faint dash of powder. Sophisticated, fresh, mildly sweet, and respectfully non-inviting. There's a sheerness that makes it wearable in any space. In terms of performance, it has low projection and moderate lasting power.

It was a combination of the cute bottle with its marbled lid and Charlotte Gainsbourg as the face that first caught my attention. Said bottle contains a nuanced, subdued feminine fragrance that opens with soft, slightly syrupy violet notes along with something of a white floral. The patchouli is subtle and grassy (rarely do I find patchouli subtle, but here it is used sparingly) and acts as an unusual counterpoint to the sweet violet.

After a little while, the violet and patchouli fade, but remain detectable, while the woodier base notes round out the scent with a deeper, warmer, subtle sweetness in contrast to the candied opening. The drydown is powdery, fading to a musky skin scent. Every stage of wearing this fragrance brings another note to the fore. Very well-crafted with an unusual combination of notes.

I love violet scents, a favourite being Insolence, but this iteration of violet is much more subtle and delicate than in fragrances like Insolence. A very sophisticated, wearable day scent. Floral, but not sweet, BP is feminine but not too girly. Sillage and longevity are moderate.

Shrinking violet? Maybe, but still a subtly elegant, grown-up scent. Modern yet timeless violets. 3.5/5.

It's so subtle and shape-shifting, which is why I like it. At first it smelled decadent and a bit older (I imagined someone's well-to-do auntie circa 1961). Then it moved into candied violets and settled in to a woodsier smell. I don't know whether any of these stages are a favorite but I enjoy the journey.

Balenciaga Paris is one of my top 5 favourite perfumes 🥰 this year I bought my 5th bottle 😇
In short words: Very elegant, a bit powdery, a bit fresh.
I get mix of slightly suffocating notes of violet flower and leafs and at the same time, there is something fresh, light, luminous in them. Quite contradictiory and fascinating blend.
Patchouli in Paris is one of the best ever done! 👏 Not earthy and dirty note, just crisp and puffy. Woody, but not too cosy, having just a hint of sweetness at drydown.
It is very durable and rather flat - that is, the fragrance notes do not change over time. After 5 hours it smells the same as after a quarter of an hour from application.
Aslo the heat seems to make this scent even more pleasant and original.
It never gets me so many compliments, like in the hot summer months.

When I first smelled Paris, I thought „ fantastic, but not for me”.
It created a picture of mature, cool and elegant woman with a Nordic type of beauty: fair skin, light blonde hair and blue eyes.... and then I fall in love with it. I wear my beloved Paris in spite of my dark hair and dark green eyes 😂
and can’t get enough of it!

To me, the candied violets in this smell of cough syrup, so there is something slightly medicinal and thick about the opening. The woody notes, which are just as prominent as the violet, are wet. It smells like a cypress or juniper bush after it's rained. The opening is simultaneously thick and syrupy and astringent and edgy. It softens *slightly* and becomes more powdery but never loses its edge. It manages to be sweet and sharp without being screechy. This is the sister or best friend of Botegga Veneta’s EDP.

This is undoubtedly floral but not girly. There is something cold and austere about this fragrance. this is the type of person with whom you only exchange a head nod. interrupting their conversation to “just say hi” is not welcome, and a hug is out of the question.

I have been flirting with Balenciaga Paris for years. Every time I put it on I feel sexy, young and irresistible. It is the violet which feels round and fresh on my skin, sweet without giving me a headache. A refined fragrance in which I envelop myself when I want to feel cosy but still charming. I do not know why I only choose it for cold winter evenings, maybe because it helps me believe that Spring is there round the corner and I have to be just a little more patient..
Delightful.

isn't my love ones, but I like Balenciaga Paris, except the name, the name Paris deep in my thoughts is belonged to the other. still BP wins a special place in my heart. it's pure and innocent, and not just simple as so.

sometimes this kind of freshness brings back my inescapable nostalgia of old Grey Flannel, though GF was much more bitter and moody, they all brought me into the realm of forests simultaneously where I was complete lost, happily voluntary.

for me Flora by Gucci Generous Violet is my most violet-like fragrance. BP isn't this kind of violet, it's like another species from a lowland country, more watery, with a little juicy. Balenciaga Paris isn't my main meal every day, it's my salad for every meal, it's not indispensable but I like its company as a friend.

PS the longevity makes it my best friend.

No shrinking violet.

I love a beautiful violet perfume. This is a beautiful violet perfume.

The very first time I wore this (one spray), it came across as a lovely, almost lively, musky violet. The next day, I sprayed twice and a different picture bloomed.

I find nothing light or whimsical about this violet. Not sweet "feminine". I find this heavier than Misia (who is an assertive violet in her own right). And those lovely peppered woods again, that come across sometimes as a bit incensey. And a salicylate (?) enhancing the violet and cloves, making them a bit golden and almost green tinged soapy / shampoo-like (like the effects on the lily in Baiser Vole). I don't know what I'm on about, but this is a note strong enough for me to need to comment and it appears to be a note that not everyone enjoys in this composition.

The sprayer smells a bit fruity, perhaps pears, but this does not transcend onto skin. I can smell carnation (plenty of clove) in the opening, some tickley pepper, with violet leaf, a dash of sweaty cedar. The carnation somehow morphs over time into rose.
This perfume develops beautifully and has a wonderful (modern) chypre feel in the drydown, yet somehow retains a slightly vintage colour.

There is definitely a deep labdanum note (leather, amber) in there, that comes through middle - end and on second wearing was the most dominant note to my nose, alongside the violets. Oakmoss, vetiver, patchouli and of course, more violets! It lasts an entire day, projects really well. Being a violet marketed to women, this violet beauty comes across as rather resolute and verging unisex, more so than Misia (same nose).

It doesn't remind me of anything I have tried!
But I can sniff some one-off note resemblances in Simply (the violet leather) and SheWood (the violet cedar). And the far dry down vintage feel, has a hint of L'Heure Bleu / Apres L'Ondee. Paris indeed.

A beautiful violet fragrance that I would highly recommend to all violet lovers.

Agree with below. I adore the violet in Guerlain Insolence but I've found it much too potent to wear to work. This is definitely a softer more subtle violet that I will be able to wear to work without knocking anyone out.

a fresher, brighter, violet. A "work appropriate" modern violet.

I ordered a sample based on the favorable reviews. Unfortunately this isn't for me. Others have described it as light, powdery and possesing a dominant violet note. Alas, on my skin it's mainly sweetened patchouli.

Have a sample of this and it is gorgeous. But I applied it and less than 5 minutes later, there is nothing left.

Does anyone else have this issue with this fragrance?

So as beautiful as it smells, so far no sillage or longevity. Can anyone help me out?

Long term love affair.
Whenever I wear, my brain leaps to these self same comparisons and conclusion:
Kenzo Flower - Sweet. Parma Violet Candies. Warm, earthy resonance.
McQueen's MYQUEEN - Dry, woody, crisp white floral laden violet.
Balenciaga Paris - Dew dropped, green stemmed, violet a la eau naturelle.
My three favorite violet dominant fragrances.
While all three share magnificent interpretations of the violet, each sings its own song.

This feels like spring in a forest. First it is tearing a tender, fresh leaf then walking through the damp evergreens. Stop for a rest on a fallen tree where even after brushing away the powdery bark dust its mossy essence clings to your skin, hair and clothes until you feel at home in nature and almost alien to city life.

The opening has a fresh, aquatic green almost pear scent. It is spicy with pepper throughout. The woods and pepper are even more pronounced after the initial watery freshness die away.

Peppery, ozonic, green woods. aquatic opening with cedar base. Very easily unisex.

This is NOT an overtly feminine or sweet violet.

Very feminine, soft scent that smells very elegant. The smell you walk after when someone leaves a trail of this. You would regret not having asked. Been testing loads of niche perfumes where the price blows me away and this came up. What a welcome fragrance, finally something worth wearing and the price is not ridiculously high as most niche perfumes.
The violet is well done, blends perfect with the patchouli without being too heavy or harsh.

I've had a bottle of this for about 4 or 5 years and today I wore it to work and we had a staff meeting. My team got into the meeting room early. As a few of the others entered they remarked about how good it smelled in the room. I didn't think much about it until they kept going on that it must be someone's lotion. I do believe it was my Balenciaga Paris and I'd only sprayed 2 spritzes on before I left for work! They were probably getting the dry down by then so I suppose we can add that it masquerades as a delicious lotion scent, too!

I love violet fragrances and this one possesses a modern touch that makes it a bit more sophisticated than most violet based scents. I've also found the older it gets, the more depth it seems to gain. It seemed rather aquatic when I first bought it but has warmed as it's aged with a deeper wood and richer violet! If you have a bottle in the back of your perfume armoire it's worth seeking out and trying again. You might find it changed for the better!

I didn't think I was going to like this from the ozonic and peppery opening, but it transformed into an elegant scent. When the violet emerged, it became powdery and delicate. The carnation is noticeable too and gives it a bit of a retro vibe. It also has one of the loveliest mossy-woody dry downs. Pleasantly surprised by this fragrance!

If anything is a Spring Fragrance: this is. It is so, so fresh and lively lovely, soft, warm and cool breezy. Sure - it can be a summer fragrance as well. But I think that to it’s essence it Is Spring. So refined. But with a strong personality. Not anything like all the new flingyflankers of just about everything that enters the perfume market almost daily.
It can be a hard job to find the jewels that will stay with you like foreverish - at least in this world, then. Human skills are limited. But here I think they did a good job.
And this violetty beauty stays with me.

I have a lifelong love of violet centric fragrances, and somehow without even trying, I have built up a fragrance wardrobe of violets to suit my every mood.

Paris is that polite one, and a bit of a Goldilocks. It’s never too powdery, the violet leaves are not too aquatic, the herbals not too vegetal. It’s juuuuusssstttt right.

Having said that, it’s not my favourite, but it is probably the fragrance which to me just smells of the best that violets in all their forms have to offer.

I wore this perfume when I was 30. I chose it because I wanted a more grown up fragrance and thought it fit the type of woman that I was hopefully becoming. The problem was it didn’t fit the woman I was then, so after using most of my bottle I gave the rest to my mom. Since then, my perfume addiction has reached a critical point, and my nose has matured along with the rest of my life. I haven’t been able to get this fragrance out of my mind for the past few weeks so when I spotted a good deal, I went ahead and grabbed it up, curious about how my tastes have changed over the decade. And oh my goodness- this fragrance now fits me like it was a bespoke creation, tailored to my style, life and personality. What a happy realization that I actually have become what I was hoping to be! And a great reminder to revisit some fragrances that maybe haven’t completely worked in the past.

Lovely, interesting, rather urban and polished. There is no violet in this at all, to my nose. However, it IS softly powdery, with a touch of herbiness -- vetiver perhaps? I think many people equate powder with violets. While I agree violets are powdery they are not interchangeable. Not really deeply floral, and I got an odd rubbery/vinyl note in the opening that faded, thankfully. No sweet note to this, but nothing pointed and sharp, either. Polished, sophisticated, feminine and confident without being brash. I think a gent could likely pull this off as well.

How these notes pyramides irritate me.
Fragrantica does not list bergamot, labdanum, pepper, spices, vetiver, oakmoss. If that is correct, in Balenciaga Paris 6 notes are missing. Seriously, 6 notes.

Basenotes:
Bergamot, violet, carnation, pepper, patchouli, violet leaf, labdanum, vetiver, cedarwood, oakmoss.
Notino:
Bergamot, Carnation, Cedar, Labdanum, Patchouli, Pepper, Spices, Vetiver, Violet. (They even mention sandalwood)
Sephora:
Violet leaf, pepper, cedar, patchouli, vetyver.

Edit: Also, why does Fragrantica state this is aquatic? Where does that come from? There are no aquatic notes as far as I know. Paris does not smell one little bit aquatic. It's anything but.

This is a very powdery floral feminine scent. It's not bad, but I'm not in love with it. On me, it doesn't last very long at all and fades quite quickly. It's kind of a flat fragrance which to me doesn't have a lot of depth. Flat fragrances aren't necessarily unpleasant but I find this one to just be meh and not worth the price, especially with its lasting power.

6/10

Perhaps not the most remarkable scent out there, but it is beautiful, sophisticated, and elegant. Smells professional, intelligent, eloquent, contemporary, a little aloof. Not boring at all. Envelops gently - can't always smell it on my skin, but then it will suddenly just waft around me. Lovely.

Powdery, old school, has a Chanel vibe to it. it’s not my cup of tea, but i can‘t say it is bad. And it’s classy with a somehow comforting vibe to it.
If you like soapy powdery fragrances, it is worth a try.
Sillage is soft. Can‘t talk about longevity yet.

Hahaha! I think I might have something in common with @Fragaria and @LunaMystic, I had this fragrance a few years ago and remember frequently receiving compliments on it; but on me, I could detect an oakmoss base, that simply, ruins the fragrance for me. Even though it is a crowd pleaser, my fragrance must first please me, so the last person who payed me a compliment, was the lucky recepient of an 80% full bottle of Balenciaga Paris. I´m happy she enjoyed it.

@Fragaria, Thank You, for expressing my experience with so many fragrances. You have the ones you love, and the ones that love you, and occasionally a perfect match! Not that any of this has stopped my from wearing a fragrance, I want to wear.💕

This is a perfume I must have. It's always the one I choose when I am scared of being too sweet, childish, loud, sharp, cheap, and just "out of character" or improper for the event.
It's got me covered. Do I love it? NOPE. I can't even think of a real positive comment for it. The bottle is UGLY...to me personally.
This is a perfume that loves me to death. I don't have to like it! It doesn't ever let me down. It's a coating of my own skin. Maybe because it's so perfect for me is the reason that I can't love it. "Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."
This is my best perfect scent for me. Like it or not, it's just plain me in a bottle. I am so confident in this scent that if I ever got a complaint, I would just assume the comment was a direct attack on myself and not the perfume at all.
I like this review! It's so honest and shows my true opinion of something that I don't want to be me...and is.
It's amazing whether I like it or not!

I think this is a beautifully balanced perfume perfect for warm weather or those living in temperate climates. Starts a little sharp from the green but quickly evolves into a lightly sweet but not overwhelmingly so, violet dominated fragrance. I normally am not crazy about violet in a scent but here it is soft and very natural, as if just picked from the garden. It is giving this scent a soft and slightly powdery essence. This is a very clean, fresh fragrance. There is nothing cloying here.

Silage is wonderful. It seemed to get stronger the longer I wore it. Longevity is amazingly good for a modern frag. A couple of spritzes lasted all day. 3 people asked me what was the beautiful scent I was wearing hours after I had it on. One was the teller at my bank. Amazing since she was quite a distance away from me. I was afraid it was too strong and asked her if it was but she said no, she thought it was wonderful and wrote the name of the fragrance down. I think it is wonderful too. I'm so glad I now own this lovely scent.

I fell in love with this today, however it reminds me to much of FLOWER by Kenzo.

Opens up with a beautiful fruity nuance, then it turns to a mildly sweet violet/carnation. So beautiful.

also, so similar to musc imperial by atelier cologne.

This is very metallic, sharp...and a strange soapy wetness that i really do not enjoy. Violet leaf gives it a nice fresh garden feeling but the garden is not realistic...very plastic to my nose...like as if someone sprayed the inside of a grocery bag with perfume. Definitely not for me.

I don't like it at all. On me this is a prominent medicinal patchouli, blended with violet leaves and topped up by cedar. Very difficult, sharp and cubersome, not pleasant at all.

It reminds me of Tiffany &Co.

Try Before you buy

A beautiful modern violet perfume, with good sillage and lasting power. Violet perfumes can be too powdery and/or too sweet. B. gets it right!

Very wearable and work safe.

@minnoshh
As for the shaving products. I'm one that has stated it in my review. It's not really shaving products per se, at least not the modern/current ones. It's that wonderful, creamy, classy, old school "barbershop" smell that is almost a genre in itself. Like the beautiful Rive Gauche Pour Homme.
Comparing Paris to barbershop scents is at least in my review meant to be a compliment. "Barbershop scent for women" is something lovely and clean, like an expensive soap.

I don’t believe Polge Jr could create it. Most likely Father Polge helped him. I love Chanel 5 Premiere, first release in tall bottle, used up few of these bottles. So I know the smell very well. Daddy gave formula of chanel premiere to son, but put a lot of violet in it, instead of vanilla

I don't understand what smells like shaving products for this fragrance. It is very fresh like the spring smell of it for me. I wear it day or night all the time. Love for sugarless just smells the flowers.

A friend gave me what was left of a 5 ml mini so that I could sample it. It wasn't a great experience for me personally, but that doesn't mean others won't enjoy it. The issue with me is I don't believe in the notion of "modern chypres" as in my opinion, if there's no oakmaoss, it's not a real chypre, so make a new category. The other issue for me is that any scents that have 'aquatic" or "ozonic" notes never work for me and this one has both. Those notes along with the violet make this scent something that's difficult to leave on. Like I said, this is just my experience, but I'm posting this just in case others have a problem with those notes...it will save you some time and money. As someone has already stated, there's already a YSL "Paris" scent, so why couldn't Balenciaga come up with a another name?

I wear this when I don't know what to wear to feel elegant and chic, when I don't want anything sweet, or powdery, or too fresh, or too heavy, or too light, or too anything. This is perfection. It suits any occasion. It is a solid, reliable, clean and chic scent.

Tom Ford's violet Blond does it better.

I don't have anything too novel to say about this, but I can confirm some of what I've read below...

> Has a definite barbershop/shaving cream vibe. The violet leaf and cedar make for that clean-shaved, masculine sharpness

> Strikes me as a crisp, cool-toned, buttoned-up fragrance. Think starched-white shirt and a killer haircut.

> There's a double-edged sweet/salty quality to the violet that is quite unusual. I think the sweet quality is winning.

This smells like it could be the masculine counter-part to Ellen Tracy Bronze!

The nicest violet scent I have encountered in my long perfume journey. Not a sweet candy violet and not a powdery talc violet either, this is a realistic wet green woody violet and it's exactly what I have been hoping for. It's almost a violet soliflore but not quite, because there's enough of the woodsy cedar and patchouli in there to make it modern and different than some old fashioned violet water like Penhaligon's or something. This might have to go onto my wants list.

I wanted so badly to like this and based on the ingredients and reviews I was sure I would but unfortunately on me i felt it smelt sour but my daughter loved it and loved the way it smelt on my wrist so go figure??? We all smell things differently:)

A touch of Elegance. Most preferred in the fall.

Chic, cold, and ruthlessly modern. The flowers lean clean, fresh, and green. They smell true to life, as if fresh from a florist fridge. The violet is just barely sweet, while the carnation lends mild spice. I get a little powder, but this smells more aquatic on my skin. This perfume is a contradiction in the sense that I imagine metropolitan business types in sleek black dresses (think Anna Wintour) wearing this, but it also reminds me of Barbasol and teeters on masculine. Balenciaga Paris smells good and I like it a lot, but it doesnt suit my style.

A clean, simple, aromatic violet perfume. Doesn't turn to candy or become powdery, with decent performance. I can understand the reviewer below picking up on a citrus note, but I think that's the cedar and carnation notes coming through in the dry-down.

For me this is very natural with a bit of a resemblance to the forest aquatic scent of L'essence. I tend to wear that often because my husband likes it. Paris feels more appropriate for Summer/Fall, and l'Essence is a Spring into Summer scent. The distinction being that Paris is a little heavier with the addition of the carnation note.

A solid like from me.

This is a very citrusy perfume...to my surprise it lasted all day on me as i figure citrus perfume suits on a hot day....the sillage was enormous too..but guys dont overspray this as it can be offensive..my friend told me once tht he got headache sniffing me wearing this perfume...7/10

Nice elegant earthy, woody powdery modern chypre type of violet scent, but not a sweet fruitchouli type scent masquerading as a chypre just because there's patch in the base, but it's more in the vein of Bottega Veneta or Rue Cambon as oakmoss free chypres, although they don't smell alike. It's not sweet or cloying. Good for office or casual or evening. It doesn't project like crazy so it is more discreet and won't blow out those around you, and it's got that confident elegant/sophisticated vibe that is workplace appropriate. Nicely done.

After few years i came back to this scent i still have small bottle 15ml i recieved when i was buying big one
Therefore i want to update my review

On first spray and few minutes maybe half hour it is powdery beautiful violet but green not sweet and cloying
After maybe one hour it dries down to a woody more masculine scent

Very unique and elegant fragrance, after many years (9, I bought it when it came out) i can still say it is very nice scent and i am keeping it in my collection.

This is simply gorgeous! This I feel is a beautifully blended fragrance that isn’t quite completely soapy- powdery but has that luxurious fresh element aswell. I love violets and patchouli in my perfumes and I can definitely detect them here. It’s modern, classic and leans more feminine than masculine. It’s such a beautiful fragrance!

I truly don’t understand the negative reviews for this lovely perfume. I’m no fragrance expert, but I would not consider myself a novice either. Balenciaga Paris is a powdery, ladylike fragrance with definite violet notes. Not many people wear it ( at least in south Louisiana) which is a plus in my book! I find it appropriate for day or evening wear, and somehow, it seems at home during any season of the year. I wear many scents depending on my mood, but when I really want to feel feminine and special I wear this! The longevity and spillage is really good in my opinion. I have to admit I use a lot when I wear it though. I love this scent so much I could literally bathe in it. I really don’t think you will be dissapointed with this one!

The opening is very well constructed, for 5 minutes or more you can smell a true violet scent. Than the carnation and a little patch gets in the way and steal the show. The cedar finally gives all the foundation for the architecture of the perfume. It would be an amazing composition if there was at least a little natural ingredient in it, although very well executed, there's not enough vibration to become a masterpiece.

I agree with the users saying that this smells like shaving products. That's all I get from it. I prefer more feminine scents, so this is not my cup of tea, but it is a distinctive perfume, nonetheless.

Finally I tried this scent after 2 years of having it. First, it's green, so green, with patchouli and green leaves, cool vibe. Then about 3 hours later, it changes to sweet flowers, a little powdery sweet of vanilla. The silage is within arm-length, and it last 6-7 hours. Very pleasant scent.

I recently discovered this beauty and am really enjoying it! (although I did not enjoy the 1st spray - had to give it a while) The florals in it smell to my nose like walking through a nursery, rather than smelling a bouquet of cut flowers. There is an herbaceous quality that combined with the violet smells very "garden" to me. The dry-down is a pleasant musk with the violets hanging around. I agree with other reviewers who describe it as a cold fragrance - it is supremely ladylike, a touch aloof, and very beautiful.

This lovely perfume (regardless of the official notes), to me, smells like: iris, orris root, violet, carnation, patchouli, some aldehydes and shaving cream. A great powdery, flowery, creamy barbershop scent for women.

Fragranticas description above states ozonic and aquatic qualities. Ozonic, earthy, green, flowery, woody, yes to all that. But the aquatic claim simply must be a mistake. As far from an aquatic as possibly can be.

This was my signature fragrance when I was about 25, I found it really different from the other fragrances on the market. I did not know much about perfumes and notes then, I just adored how clean and different it smelled. Unfortunately, it didn't last long on my skin. Now I am planning to buy the L'Essence, which I found close enough, but not quite the same. I cannot find it anywhere though, maybe it was discontinued?

For the life of me I cannot understand why people liken this to L'Essence. In my opinion it's a flanker in name only. They are so completely different to me I really have to put in an effort to detect some very slight similarities in their bases. Other than that they are about as similar as a spoon and a fork.

People who have read reviews from me before probably know that I'm all about an experience, a fantasy not a perfume. Closing my eyes, the ingenious L'Essence transports me to a lush, dark forest after rainfall.
This one however has me standing amidst a garden of orange trees in Southern France (I'm surprised really that orange isn't listed here, it seems obvious to me). It's warm and sunny; a soft, fresh breeze making my light fabric summer dress dance to the music of the rustling leaves.

It's a lovely scent of its own, far more conventionally feminine than the green forest fairy that is supposedly its sister, though it's still unique enough to stand out.

All in all a nice fragrance, not too present, not offensive at all but definitely beating L'Essence in both sillage and longevity.

I unfortunately miss the coldness of L'Essence here. But for people who are looking for a light, warm, slightly sweet scent for summer this is perfect.

Clean, sophisticated, tasteful. Perfect for a job interview or to meet the in-laws !

Very over the top florals to the point of a headache which rarely happens to me when I smell fragrances. It's so strong that when you smell it you can taste it. Maybe I'm just too low class to appreciate the ridiculously strong intrusive florals.

This is such a middle-of-the-road fragrance to me. Floral, yes, but very crisp and somehow "professional." The business casual of florals. Not sweet, not sexy. Modern, hard-edged. I own it but don't reach for it. It's polished in a way I am not. I'll probably swap it away.

The cap reminds me of Ser Jorah Mormont's forearm after he gets touched by the Stone Men.

Slightly sweet violet laid over a ton of green violet leaf, slightly spicy carnation and a woodsy base of ceder and patchouli. I love it! The silage is pretty good and this smells very elegant yet has a unique edge. Nope there is no candy violet here, but if you want fresh green violet and woods this is IT. Beautiful!

A perfect violet for springtime if you are not looking for a "sweet as candy" violet, a murky grassy violet or a girlish and youthful violet. This is the grown-up violet in a 90's power suit (the carnation).

it's a fucking chameleon on my skin. sometimes soapy, sometimes earthy and like dried petals, grass and moss, and another time it's peppery, leathery and "edgy". one of my favourite. melancholy and sophisticated. clean and dirty at the same time.

soft , clean and sophisticated very good.

mildly powdery i really like it

It's a nice scent, but something rather cold stops me from loving it - violet maybe?..

The notes stick sharply in my nose and there's something about it that's headache induing. The violet and carnation are somewhat cold and alienating - I know that sounds odd, I'm just not sure how else to describe it. I get the same feeling with other fragrances that use those ingredients too so please don't be too influenced by my review if you are typically drawn to this genre. It is fabulous quality, which is to be expected from Balenciaga.

Just started wearing this for late fall/winter due to the powderiness, despite having it for 5 months.

I really like/love this scent of powdery violets right after a bath, this is when this perfume is at it's best.

My only concern is that it's longevity and sillage are fairly poor. Since it wears close to the body , it would make a good office or fragrance sensitive area, perfume.

Overall a very beautiful scent, but could have more longevity and sillage for those who really like to WEAR their 'fumes.

I dont understand how these few notes can create such an intoxicating perfume!
I dont smell floral overload and i definitely don't smell carnation, as i can't stand it.
The is sparkling, powder, classic. Not too soapy, not too powdery..
Its so simply beautiful

I dont know why I waited so long to try this beautiful perfume, but as I was on a no-buy for a while, I kept reading great reviews and promised myself I WILL buy this, even if its a blind buy....
That day came last month, and oh my! it's beautiful. My favourite notes are Violet, Cedar and Patchouli... I have quite a few violet perfumes, and this one is BY FAR my favourite. I can smell the wonderful cedar, and there is the patchouli in small doses. Even someone who doesnt usually like Patchouli would surely love this perfume because the Patch is not strong. I wouldnt say this is particularly powdery, and its not the sweet violet candy smell that so many perfumes have, such as Insolence...( which by the way is a favourite of mine so it wasnt a negative to those perfumes that DO smell of violet candy) this feels like a reserved and beautiful and elegant violet woody combo. It lasts on my skin for approx 12 hours, and there are those changes throughout the day, each change more beautiful than the last. I have a 50ml bottle and will be buying a 75ml back up bottle soon, as I would never want to be without this beautiful fragrance in my collection.

It's a four note scent: carnation, patchouli, cedar and violet. Its clean and simple and nice. Although not overly complex, its a well made quality fragrance. Id list the notes as violet first, carnation second, cedar a strong third, and patchouli way last in forth but in the dry down it makes more of an appearance. The violet is sweet and has an old fashioned violet candy vibe making this very feminine and not unisex at all. Its old fashioned and familiar but clean and modern at the same time. Its more sweetly green than flowery or powdery. I like how evasive it is, and how it's not an in your face flower bomb. It reminds me a little of vintage Alfred Sung from the late 80's. Overall a classic, crisp fragrance. Thumbs up.

A sweet violet at first spray. The sweetness becomes powdery but creamy. No sour or sharp here. Violet is a flower, but this is deeper and I would consider it for warm evenings-Summer or Fall-because the heaviness of evening would bring out the creaminess. It also stays close to you. Endearing.

I just bought the perfumed body cream of this fragrance. It's a lovely sweet violet with a warm spicy tone in the background. Years ago I had a perfume called Trussardii Jeans and this is an awfully close duplicate. The Trussardi might have been a tad more synthetic, but if you like creamy woodsy Violets with a powdery note, you'll love this one.

Disquieting opening, rather sharp and unpleasant. That passes, but all that appears from my skin is a bitter floral. Eventually, there is a cedar/warm woody undertone in the dry-down, but it definitely does not work for me.

I received a sample of this with a purchase. The sample broke and saturated the paper box. I loved the way it smelled on the paper and this went on for several months before I decided to blind buy this scent (I kept the box around just for the smell :) ). I do wish that I tested first because it's much warmer on my skin (I fell in love with the crisp green smell). Also, it's made by coty and there is something in the base of the fragrance that I can pick out as a "Coty" fragrance (I can usually do the same with fragrances by Elizabeth Arden). It's not a bad thing, it simply reminds me of something from when I was younger. I do like it, although, the warmth keeps it from being a refreshing green violet scent that I was hoping for.

Balenciaga Paris is sharp initially. Not sharp enough to do harm, or to be off putting in any way, but sharp enough to get your attention, and (thankfully)keep it.

It's the beautiful violet leaves, I think. Greens can be natural and earthy, even free-spirited. Not so in Balenciaga Paris. Here they come with just a wee pierce. It merely opens the way for the remaining notes to have an unobstructed opportunity to win you over. In my case, it worked beautifully.

What I was free to learn about Balenciaga Paris was wrapped in elegance. She's a very serious fragrance. Tailored. Well bred. Intelligent. The violet is feminine; the cedar strong. This is quite obviously a strong female. If not the CEO, certainly the real power behind the CEO. There's just enough carnation to add a little spice...a little curiosity about her. The powder typically associated with violet is not nearly enough to lure you into comfort. It's not a soothing composition. Wearing lounge wear is out of the question. The appeal is in the poise, the bearing.

You'll get hours of wear, make sure you are up to the challenge. Keep your head up and back straight. You are in the presence of a lady :)

Fragrance Review For Paris Balenciaga

Notes: Violet Leaves Violet Carnation Patchouli Cedar

What a different animal than Yves Saint Laurent's Paris which a radical flower bomb detonating every time you spray it. This is a soft floral whisper, a sweet and delicate scent of violet and woods. Even though they don't smell anything alike it has that lightness almost aquatic feel as Waterford Lismore. The opening was a carnation. It's more of a violet as the violet and it's shrub leaves become more pronounced with a green and watery freshness. If there is patchouli here it's asleep. This is a subdued patchouli and more of a cedar wood. One touch of wood. Very simple. Easy to wear, inoffensive, subtle, and enjoyable in spring and summer weather. It's the kind of baby you can take with you anywhere because this baby doesn't make a sound. It won't cry. It won't scream and it won't throw out enormous sillage. It doesn't really remind me of Paris which is very smelly in a good way but this is not bad either.

It is pretty, and it is floral, but is not just another pretty floral. Violet is a most interesting floral note to capture; naturally sweet with that metallic tang underscored by clean musk. That is what makes up Balenciaga Paris to me. No creaminess and no vanilla to winterize it; this is fresh for springtime.

I received it in a swap about a year ago and at that time considered it pretty bland but nice enough for warm weather. I wore it maybe 3 times then shelved it. I've just pulled it out today because I had a yen for violets and can now feel there is much more depth to it than I originally thought. It is beautiful, really. No powdery or make-up nuances to be found, it is deeply woody, musky and Violet all the way.

Normally I am not a fan of the crushed leaves effect in fragrances, but here, though sharp in the opening, it settles with the other notes and dries down to a whisper. One of the better blended fragrances I've ever tried, it is a new springtime favorite for me.

Balenciaga Paris and Balenciaga L'Essence are similar scents and I love them both, but I must say that my taste has changed and when I initially smelled both upon their release several years ago, I dismissed them too quickly. I can confidently say that I now will be repurchasing Paris for life.

I started off revisiting L'Essence because it was easier to wear and lighter to my nose than the original. I loved it in the Spring and Summer because in the warm humid air, the scent of green mossiness and violets in a woodland forest came alive on my skin. There is a trace of vetiver in both scents that I realize I love and is in a lot of the perfumes I love.

The remarkable truth lies in the way Balenciaga Paris makes me feel, emotionally, which is so special- there is this odd familiarity bringing me back to memories spent at our lakehouse as a child, amid the moss, ferns and clover plants that would grow in the shade near the water. I spent so much time outside, drinking in the Spring and Summer air of our cozy lakehouse in Northern Massachusetts.

The strong memory of violets/moss/greenness permeating the air of all those humid Summers of my youth, is a scent that I now find extremely comforting. I feel so "at home" and at peace while wearing Paris and L'essence because wearing this scent becomes an experience of living in the moment, not just a 'subconscious scent for the day'. Not to mention the imagery present in the advertisements is so fitting and Charlotte Gainsbourg is so beautiful.

Tested and bought this today. Again, I state, that these type of scents...you need to let "evolve" on your skin,before final judgement. Spend a little "time" with it. Usually, with most chypres...this is needed..PATIENCE. I really am enjoying this classic...but modernized chypre. Thanks to Olivier Polge. I do get non-powdery violets....good....and just enough spiciness from the carnation and woody notes.
I find this can be unisex, but not in the typical masculine way. I am getting decent sillage/projection out of this scent so far.

EDIT: WOW !!! I am really loving this scent.....like I said...."patience"
Spend quality time with your scents !!! Get to know them, and let them get to know ....YOU !!!!
Love/Peace

EDIT: on the second wearing.....wore it all day/night. Sillage is great.
The unexpected thing to me is......the dry-down reminds me of the old classic men's scent......GREY FLANNEL !!!! But..I will say not 100 %.
This one is a more "feminine" Grey Flannel smell....but the evidence is there.

Balenciaga is so masterful at scent-blending! This one is no different. It balances floral, chypre woody and almost powdery notes so subtlely that none rise too far above the other, yet all sing in perfect harmony to create one overwhelmingly unique "blended" scent. I should add that the bottle is a work of art too.
I do pick out a green violet and the cedar. To me, the scent is whimsical - more about fairies and elves than picking violets out of grandma's cottage garden.
As the scent develops, the woody, almost mossy tones become stronger, yet retains a frail sweetness. Thankfully, not a whiff of patchouli on my skin (not a fan of that note!)
For comparison, I'm wearing "Balenciage Paris L'Essence" on my other wrist. The two are so very comparable in the opening, and while they retain similarities in the violet and woodiness throughout, Paris dries more woody, while L'Essssence dries down to a slightly more lemony scent with a hint of patchouli. Overall, L'Essence is slightly more powdery and subtle. I prefer the original. Longevity is better too, at around 8 hours, which is HUGE on me!
In summary, another subtle masterpiece that invited me to journey along (i.e. sniff often and deeply!!) to the end.
Edit... slightly warmer day today... can't believe the mandarin I'm smelling today??! I love it even more today. Need to find a way to get a bottle of this marvellous creation!

This is the most floral perfume I own and it's for the olfactive memory. The scent reminds me of going to Paris when I was 17. It's comforting and warm, but clean.

Wet violets and wood branches waiting to bloom, water vapors coming out of a green soil in a forest after rain is what I get. Not sweet, not bitter, patchouli is just a guess, no overwhelming freshness. Despite the low sillage and longevity it smells like real nature, classy, somehow mysterious and unique. I imagine the spring fee should be smelling like this. I love it!

This is my favorite perfume and I will always use it. It smells unlike anything else. This speaks confidence, sexy, and perfection. I just love it and it lasts all day.

Lovely, lovely violet. A little cold, and a stand-offish sort of fresh. Neither the powder nor the sweetness overpowers, so I can't imagine anyone being offended by it.

This was my blind buy 2 days ago after checking out the reviews on here & knowing I'm not a flower scent person lol. I have fallen head over heals for this scent! This violet that reminds me of thrills gum or parmaviolet candies from the UK - it's odd and hard to describe but it is definitely a scent I will wear for me. It's not harsh or in your face, it's soft & creamy, daydream like - almost alluring. Such a good blind buy...I went back for another bottle.

I thought I didn’t like this perfume for a long time. I always preferred the L’Essence flanker which is greener and more unique. I find that I now like Paris. I still don’t think it’s worth owning both Paris and L’Essence at the same time because they are still very similar.

Paris is a woody violet. Soft, dry, slightly powdery. The violet is a little sweet, but it’s NOT a fruity violet like many on the market already. This perfume is very ladylike and feminine. I think it’s a classy beautiful perfume for daytime or romantic dates. Much more minimal than any of Guerlain’s famous and popular violet perfumes but not a girlish Victorian style soliflore either. It's a modern take on violet.

I think this is a bit too generic to my taste. starts well but frankly this is a floral and nothing overtly special. I wanted to like it because I like the bottle. I may yet buy it because I think it makes a good perfume for work...overall the perfume is too forgettable. Well behaved and subtle. I would try on my skin first because on mine it lasted only four hours.

It's a woody, non-sweet scent, I dare say it's perfectly unisex. Probably because of the strong violet which reminds me of Fahrenheit quite a lot. And violet leaf with cedar. It's fresh and woody at the same time, long-lasting, avant-guarde but not loud. As regards patchouli - yes, there is some really delicate patchouli note in it - if you have ever smelled the pure natural essential patchouli oil, you'll know what I mean - this exotic woody scent. Nothing like the "patch" we think of in mainstream perfumes. That is nowhere near the natural. Here, in Balenciaga - IT IS!!! But you have to breathe this perfume in really closely and deeply in order to be able to smell it at all. If you dislike the real patchouli, don't worry - here it shouldn't be a problem really. It's a very peaceful and mind-clearing scent.
I recommend this scent to anyone who wants go get away from the mainstream or from their everyday perfumes, even if just for a while. It's a relaxing experience.

Tried this one paper and actually initially reminded me of Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir except multiplied by 10. So I obviously got jasmine or what I thought was neroli or tuberose (similar to amarige). Shocked to see it's supposed to be violet as I didn't get that at all. Need to retest obviously. Perhaps it is a unique combination of carnation, violet and patchouli that does this. I usually associate patchouli with Angel or Chopard Wish so its difficult to see this association. Hmmm...

This perfume is a very perfumey and gives me a headache. The patchouli in this is dominant.

Well behaved unisex violet. Cedar wood is very distinctive in the drydown. Modern, but vintage inspired. I have it, and wear it with pleasure when I'm in the mood for violets. Slightly melancholic and makes great fall perfume.

To my knowledge, the full line of Balenciaga is being discontinued...at least in Canada. I don't know about globally. Apparently it's not doing so well.

This is like someone I want to date because he looks good -- sophisticated, kinda European, worldly, well-groomed, urbane -- but know that we'll never really click once we get past the small talk and get to know each other. I'll longingly watch him from across the cafe table with his artistic scarf and tiny espresso cup and then longingly eye the "frites" on the menu. We just don't get each other.

I'll be honest: I really wanted to like this for stupid reasons, chief among them the packaging. I am absolutely in love with the composition of the bottle shape and stopper with its cracked-paint design.

I think it's a sophisticated and high-class fragrance, as ngmama says, but it's just not for me. It smells better on the sample card I spritzed than on my skin. It lies there on my bedside table, smelling elusively nice but distant. On my skin, there was something sickly-fresh for the first few hours, and now seven hours later I'm left with a straightforward spice I don't much like (cedar or patchouli, I'm guessing).

That said, I'm not much of one for scents that prominently feature spice unless they have something lush (floral) and sweet like vanilla to warm them up (Dior Addict and Tom Ford Black Orchid, to a lesser extent), and I think I'm coming to the realization that chypre is nauseating to me. (Oak Moss ... Charming in theory, kinda slimy and wet in execution. Something that literally doesn't see the light of day. Yeah, bottle that sh*t up!) Sooo, down on spice and down on the chypre. I guess it's not surprising that I'm not enamored. It's not the perfume's fault, poor thing. I just took a wrong turn.

On the plus side, if you do like it, is that longevity! I applied it before 6 pm and it's now 1 am ... I just had to scrub it off.

IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT, BALIENCIAGA PARIS. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.

I should have reviewed this a long time ago but didn't get round to it. I love violet perfumes. I loved this perfume. It hit all the right notes for me. Nicely balanced, little bit too much carnation for my liking but it wouldn't have put me off. I never got the chance to find out how it would develop though. Within 15 minutes it had vanished in a wisp of smoke.
:((
Soo glad I got a decant because I would have been sorely tempted to blind buy this one. Saved by the non-existent longevity I suppose.

Very realistic lipstick fragrance. Ethereal, dreamy, light violet/fruity - pure summer pleasure.
The lipstick/make up smell is not very powdery,it is very lush and dewy.
Good longevity,moderate sillage.

This is a wonderful fragrance which I only recently discovered. I love that it's delicate but strong and that the notes work just right for me. I particularly love the violet and patchouli. It's quite different than most of my other perfumes. Oh and AngieGCarp, (and anyone else here who asks when and where to wear a perfume), as far as I am concerned I wear what I like when I feel like it. If it makes me feel good that's all that matters. I wear perfume for MY pleasure. If others like it too, so much the better but that's not going to influence what I wear when. Some days a fragrance will be exactly what I want or need, other days not so much - something else will be more appropriate for how I feel and want to feel. :)

I'm in a long, committed, relationship with Balenciaga Paris, although, we do see other people from time to time. I love the elegant, cool, almost cool-shoulder vibe this gives out. It's mature, gorgeous, and high-class. I hope I can wear this for years & years. I've heard it has been spotted at TJ Maxx on occasion. It can also be found on Groupon. Please, please perfume gods... don't discontinue this!!!! If you love violet fragrances, this is a must try.

I like it. I really do. Especially when compared side by side with Guerlain Insolence (had to trade that one out). BP is more earthy a bit dirtier than any other violet perfumes I have worn before. I love that there are not sweet elements added to mask the muskiness of the violet, cedar and patchouli (which is very minimal to me). It is super long lasting on me. My conundrum is this....where in the heck do I wear this? I don't work in an office or I might recommend it for this purpose....otherwise...where!? Thoughts?

I really really tried to like this...I mean, what's not to like? Spice, violets, cedar, a touch of patchouli. It is a lovely, kind-hearted scent. The first spritz was lovely. the middle notes were only there for just 30 minutes. And then it was a slightly blown powdery affair on me after 1 hour. Oh, saddness :( I think my dry cool skin ate it up. Sigh.

I find BP pretty linear- nicely green, crisp, clean, fresh. A light springtime scent that raises images of dew sparkling on leaves. A little too heavy on the synthetic fixative in the base (weirdly floral musk) to be a true love, but I do like this quite a lot. Nice, office safe, blind buy safe. Unlikely to blow anyone away.

EDIT: Later wearings in warmer weather resulted in a beautifully fresh, light, carnation/violet/vanilla dry down. Definitely a warm weather scent, comforting, sweet, soft, but with surprisingly good sillage considering how soft the scent is. This is now a love.

I notice sweet and fruity with light top notes, but it dries down into something warmer. I also caught a hint of cigarette smoke, which to my mind gives it it's urban edge.

Pleasant dry-down, gorgeous bottle.

Huge field of powdery violets, perfect for spring and very feminine. This bouquet could be carried by classy, elegant woman, who despite the rush decided to stop and buy violets to start the day well. Nice and non-complicated, for violets or floral lovers.

This is something a forest nymph or fairie would wear. It smells like a field of violets in Spring (maybe after a short rain shower.)

Non-candied Violet is the dominant note on me, mixed with powdery iris (even though it isn't listed; perhaps it's the carnation?) on a bed of non-screechy patchouli. It really is a beauty and fits perfectly with vintage Balenciaga. Very feminine, classic but modern and it smells like expensive French makeup. Perfect for Spring but would be nice and uplifting in Winter.

Classy and feminine... very well blended... high quality.

This perfume reminds me of nature beauty. The scent is whimsical, its not complex like angel by Thierry Mugler or something like shalimar by Guerlain. This is a simple beautiful fragrance, "Perfection in Simplicity" thats how I would describe. This takes me to untouched Indonesian island.... Fresh water, fresh air, beautiful tropical flowers, beautiful stones... This is a simply beautiful fragrance.

@ Vintagevixen, the women of Downton wear Yardley Lily of the Valley, but I imagine they'd wear this in modern times. :)

Beautiful, rich, original interesting,elegant, special
Love it
I really cant describe the smell
Little bit woody?
Very strong and long lasting ..
But i cant put too much close to my head-face .. its too heavy
Special perfume for special women
Day and night perfume , all seasons
For me more for occasions and evennings... elegant
One of my favorite
I don't feel nothing powdery at all

To my nose, Balenciaga Paris is not a chypre floral, but a green floral fragrance. A beautiful one: quiet, soft, delicate and discreet. In other words, if you want your perfume to make a statement, maybe this one is not for you.

The list of notes includes bergamot, spices, pepper, violet, carnation, oakmoss, cedar, vetiver, patchouli and labdanum. The most distinctive notes, right upon spritzing, are bergamot and violet leaves. The violet flower comes in the drydown, if you wear it in colder weather (when this one warms up on the skin, the carnation note can easily overpower the violet).

It doesn’t get exactly powdery, as one would expect of anything with violets. But it gets mellower during mid to late dry down: creamy and earthy, as in a muted woody base. It’s easy to wear in all seasons, but I do prefer it in warm weather (probably because my wardrobe already has too many violets, but just a few "easy" carnations).

Balenciaga Paris has low sillage, you won’t project anything unless you bathe in it. But the longevity is great (10+ hours). It’s the kind of perfume you may forget you spritzed, until the breeze blows the right way.

Just the record... the cap doesn't look like an 18th century vase in person. It actually looks cheap, which is a shame, since the glass bottle is really pretty. But I don't hang my perfumes around my neck or out them up for display, so it really doesn't matter.

I usually love violet note in perfumes, but violet leaf is not one of my favorites. It smells bitter and unpleasent to me.
Couldn't possibly spray it on myself.
Fresh, but in annoying way.

Love love! Love the bottle, and the delicate dewy violet with just a hint of spice at the beginning.
This is what a meadow fairy would smell like with purple wings, frolicking in the mosses and flowers. ITs pristine, ethereal and fresh. This is not a candied violet but a living, garden violet in the sun. If you like violet and slightly green fresh scents this is for you!

I picked this up on a whim, and I am very glad that I did. Balenciaga Paris is quite a lovely perfume, elegant, a touch pensive, a fine bridge between old classic violet perfumes and the contemporary viewpoint. It doesn't feel like a chypre to me, but woody-floral or floral green in character.

There is a pleasingly green side to this scent, which I presume is the violet leaf coming to the fore. The violet flower is more pronounced a bit later in wear, and feels very true to nature overall. The woody aspect is subtle but consistent. Patchouli is subdued, seeming only to underline the wood.

This perfume reminds me of both Tom Ford's "Violet Blonde" and "Lolita Lempicka", among other scents. On my shelves, it it kept beside those two perfumes and beside Prada's "Infusion d'Iris", because I reach for those in a certain mood. I think I prefer this Balenciaga to the "Violet Blonde", actually; it seems less artificial or synthetic.

It lasts reasonably well, and even longer on fabric. With a bit of body heat, sillage increases, and you may be surprised by wafts of delicious scent hours into wearing. I find that I am reaching for this perfume often since acquiring it, and wearing it with great pleasure. It is both solid, in terms of its construction and quality, and translucent feeling, like a diamond with light playing on it...

A CLASSIC! I consider myself a fragrance connoisseur and this is a MUST-have in a fragrance collection. She is all lady, refined, timeless, elegant, attractive, confident; at times, serious, but fun, not funny. She is NOT to be toyed with. She is polo matches, brunch, high tea, weddings, and such. She turns a head when you catch a whiff of her passing by. She is sunshine or rain, and better on warmer days, but can show off on colder days too. She stays true to herself and does not change much from person to person. YOU may think her a snob, but all those who KNOW her, love her. Paris is 4/4 for all the reasons above more.

Really sophisticated & classy to me! The best for a sexy chic, day or night appearance.

I am on a bit of a perfume buying binge right now with Florabotanica, Carven, and Paris as recent purchases. I love them all but Paris evokes memories while the others just smell really good. Paris takes me back to my first perfume, Chanel No. 5, gifted to me by my late grandmother. I felt so pretty in it but it felt old to me. Fast forward 30 years later to Paris, and I feel pretty and grown up in it. I adore violet scented anything, so this was a no brainier purchase. Little did I know how much I would like the softness of it and the femine feeling it gives me. It's like Chanel and Prada had a baby girl. It's reminisce of Prada's Iris, yes but softer and cleaner to me.

Balenciaga Paris is a beautiful fragrance!
It's very well balanced, sophisticated and discreet.
The perfume starts creamy, then the violet and violet leaf appear with a gorgeous green note. The woods are tamed, even the patchouli.
BP lasts about 6h and stays close to the skin, that makes this fragrance very easy to wear. BP is my new darling!

Elegant, sophisticated. Iris and violets with subtle but tenacious green notes and aldehydes. Balenciaga isn't powdery so much as soft and feminine. It smells substantially the same throughout its development, only becoming mellower and plusher as it dries down.

This is violet an iris done in the style of the grand dame parfums of yesteryear, only not as strong, sweet, or heady.

floral
powdery
woody
ozonic
warm spicy
aquatic

I have been on FG for 5 years now and still can't figure out who comes up with these "Main Accords". Ozonic? Aquatic? R U kidding?
What it is on my skin- a muted modern chypre, built around non-candied violet and carnation (which adds a touch of spice) and some woodiness. Not an extraordinary breakthrough scent, just a very wearable pretty scent you can throw on and still feel "finished".
It is only very slightly powdery: the remarks about it being a powder bomb must be coming from people who prefer bubble gum top notes.
As always, it's only my opinion and YMMV.

I wanted to love this perfume, but I find the dry-down to be very, very intense on my skin. To my nose (I'm a perfume newbie, so take this review with a grain of salt!), it opens fresh and light, with a tiny bit of creaminess to it. I love how the perfume smells at this point and wish it could last longer - however, as it wears longer on my skin, it gains more depth and turns into a darker, richer, more mature scent. I used only a light spray on my wrist, but it really fills the room with the scent - beware wearing this in small rooms, as it is very concentrated and can be overwhelming to some people!

I think I am looking for something that smells a little "younger" and more sheer; for the moment, this will not be my signature fragrance. I would love to revisit this in a couple of years though!

Scent Scenario:

I picture a sophisticated lady wearing this while wrapped up in a cashmere scarf on a brisk winter day. She is impeccably dressed, poised, quietly confident and self-assured, ready to take on the world.

Overall Rating: 4/5

The first scent i got on me was cedar, fairly strong and exquisite. Then violet comes out , one of the best violet scent I came across . I did not found it " powdery " , floral and woody , definitely ! It is without a doubt a good quality fragrance ! For anyone whom loves those notes, I have to say it is a most try / have , impressive !

Ankali's review is spot on - couldn't have said it better myself.

I think her explanation is why I'm enamoured with this perfume. I'm far from a powdery scent wearer, so I was hesitant to try it. But my goodness is this breathtaking and I am glad I did. It's such an airy and light powder that is familiar yet fresher and less harsh or sharp. This is powdery floral well done! It made me realize the beauty in violets. Balenciaga perfumes are terrific at balancing the old-fashioned with modernity (such as this perfume) or making them bold yet wearable (such as Rosabotanica); they feel almost dreamlike. I think that's why they're one of my favorite fragrance houses, despite such a small collection to choose from. I will definitely purchase a bottle of Balenciaga Paris this coming year.

I really like how Balenciaga managed to take such an old-fashioned flower as the violet and create with it a truly modern perfume. Elegant, airy, intelligent, and sophisticated, this is a great work perfume for me -- it seems like it's for a busy lady who nonetheless has the sense to appreciate beauty and incorporate it into her daily life.

I really wanted to love this but it just didn't work for me. I sold it on Ebay. There is a harshness to it that just makes me recoil.

This is a very gorgeous scent. Smells like bathing with an exquisitely expensive luxe french milled bar of strong violet scented soap, then putting on a splash of a light, airy, spicy, equally beautiful aftershave. The finishing touch would be a dusting of floral face powder.
(Even though I say aftershave it is a very feminine scent.)

I'm not one who normally likes to use scents to "create" a fantasy story, but this just screams of being for a lady dressing up to the nines and attending an event at a classic, old-school glamor hotel. Very sophisticated and a "special occasion" type scent. Mature and sophisticated, but in no way "old lady".

i really don't care when people say "this is not balenciaga", what are you going to do about it?
balenciaga or not, this smells wonderful.
the notes are well blended and amazing. i am in love.
my favourite violet perfume so far. i didn't even know that i love violet until now.
beautiful!

I believe this is could become an enduring classic due to its pretty blend of scents.
I also think as other reviewers have written that the topper is a bizarre little plastic soccer ball. After all the effort put into this beauty, why the dreadful lid??!If I do get some, I might toss that out.
However this is an elegant and unusual perfume!
I do find it soft and weak. I'd have to bathe in it or reapply +++.
But as I read on another person's review about another fragrance, "then the story can unfold again".
It's like a lovely poem you might read on a hill in summer that gets you thinking and wandering through memories.

This is a soft but persistent fragrance, that I personally find to be both a treasure, and unusual. I don't smell it often on others and I think these notes together, the moss and the violet, with the added cedar, certainly make it an antique scent, as so beautifully attested on the Sephora website. It is evocative of erstwhile glamour.

It reminds me of an old cedar box, opening it to find a grandmother's jewellery, or the wonder of a cupboard filled with beautiful garments from a woman in 1930's Paris, whose fragrance is still clinging to the fabrics. That's why it's named so for me - it's a vintage fragrance to be sure, and it's wholly feminine and airy, and evocative of the quiet romance of such a city.

It's an intimate smell, though the sillage carries well enough. I really quite like it.

I see.. A midnight café in Montmarte, a silk scarf in my hair, eating an aromatic slice of cake, my bicycle leaning against a post out on the street waiting for me, writing post cards and spritzing this on them before sending them across the oceans.

If Downton Abbey had a signature fragrance, this would be it.
Elegant and clean
Proper and pristine
Calm and well-mannered
"Yes, a cup of tea would be lovely."

I've had a sample of this sitting amongst others that I acquired in a swap some years ago, and hadn't really thought to try this until now. Boy, am I late to the party!

The violet note in Balenciaga Paris is reminiscent to me of the top notes in Yves Saint Laurent Paris--beautifully lucid with almost a silky, subtly banana-like finish.

It's also the closest fragrance I have smelled to Guerlain Tokyo with it's common ethereal violet note. When that runs out (now sadly discontinued and expensive), I may have to replace it with Balenciaga Paris.

I love the balance between classic and contemporary in this floral beauty. Simple, yet completely unexpected with cool, graceful refinement.

My favorite violet perfume right now! Wearing this right now and catching whiffs of myself -- I have to say, I feel freakin sexy! Mature, but cool and refined -- not for little girls or the faint of heart. It's soft but the cedar/patchouli edge make this sharp and clear. I want to say.. bitchy. Yeah, she feels like an icy, sexy bitch.

Longevity and sillage are perfectly balanced -- I don't waft clouds but I am distinctly scented ;)

Love love love! Modern, mature and refined. Perfect!

Fabulous powdery perfume. Powder is predominant note and then spicy, light green-floral follows. Very modern, sophisticated smell with a classic perfumey notes. I appreciate it very much, but my love for "powdery" fragrance belongs to Prada Infusion d'Iris Eau de Parfum Absolue :)