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Balmain Homme Balmain 2015

7.4 / 10 100 Ratings

A perfume by Balmain for men, released in 2015. The scent is sweet-fresh. The longevity is above-average. It was last marketed by Interparfums.
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Main accords

Sweet

Fresh

Spicy

Oriental

Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Bergamot

Saffron

Nutmeg

Heart Notes

Violet leaf Leather

Leather

Base Notes

Tonka bean Moss

Moss

Cedarwood

Perfumer

Olivier Pescheux

Videos

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Ratings

Scent

7.4100 Ratings

Longevity

8.089 Ratings

Sillage

7.489 Ratings

Bottle

7.9105 Ratings

Value for money

8.244 Ratings

Submitted by Michael, last update on 01/09/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Zen for Men Eau de Toilette

Wind Wood

L'Homme L'Intense

La Nuit de L'Homme Eau Électrique

Eros Eau de Toilette

Versace pour Homme Dylan Blue Eau de Toilette

Reviews

10 in-depth fragrance descriptions

06/26/2015

ColinM
516 Reviews

ColinM

Very helpful Review 6

Decent mainstream

The very first two thoughts I had when I tried this: it’s pretty much exactly how you can imagine it by reading the notes, and it definitely “smells Interparfums”. They must really use the same materials over and over, because I get here the exact same notes I get in many other scents made by this company – e.g. some St. Dupont’s, or Paul Smith’s. But well, it isn’t really an issue for me as long as they smell fine, and most of them did or do for me. There’s something “dusty”, smooth, smoky- powdery in most of their textures, which I quite like. Balmain Homme also strongly reminds me of a mainstream fragrance I can’t identify at the moment; I sprayed 1 Million on my other arm just to see if it may have been that since it has been named somewhere as a close comparison to Balmain Homme, but it’s not that – it does not really have much to do with Balmain’s in fact. Nearly nothing (phew!). I am quite sure it may be Versace Eros on the contrary, as I get here the same sort of “soapy spicy sweetness” due to tonka, cedar and musk. But that’s the only similarity, as Balmain Homme smells different for the rest. Another reference that I thought of is – fun enough – discontinued Balman by Balmain; it was sweeter, more “creatively” synthetic and less smoky, but I see a clear connection. Anyway as I said the notes are quite faithful: the opening is really nice, fresh and almost tea-like, I get mostly violet (synthetic sharp-soapy violet), tonka, cedar, musk, some other smooth spices (nutmeg for sure), something almost fruity, and just some really mannered, almost unperceivable and smooth polished leather as in most of recent “trendy leathers”.

A fresh-sweet-smoky Oriental fragrance for “urban” young fellas; it smells clean, quite synthetic (not an issue for me), decidedly mainstream, but undoubtedly decent and elegantly versatile. It’s actually quite nice to be honest, it has an enjoyable feel of bright spicy cleanliness which I quite like, blending quite nicely fresh notes and smokier ones; and if you make the effort of putting aside prejudices against “generic mainstreams”, you’ll also think of some niche scents if that’s a plus for you (a couple of Parfums de Marly came to my mind, and several “weightless” violet-leather scents). Nothing extremely sophisticated or particularly “masculine” in a more mature meaning, and surely nothing particularly interesting for perfume collectors and enthusiasts (unlike the other couple of Balmain fragrances for men), except if you’re looking for some “easy” alternatives in your more fulfilling connoisseur’s rotation; rather something generically “cool”, pleasant, safe, pedantically conforming to mainstream current trends, and really easy to wear. No contraindications, no unpleasant side-effects. Which is what designer fragrances are mostly designed for, so there’s little to blame here. It’s quite powerful too, the projection is remarkable and so is the persistence. So shortly nothing memorable but a decent, unpretentious, slightly overpriced candidate for a “signature scent” for 20-25 something guys (or handsome, Dorian Gray-esque young-looking 30-something’s as myself).

6,5-7/10

02/22/2018

9.5Scent 9Longevity 10Sillage

Brightstar
18 Reviews

Brightstar

3

Underrated Classy & Elegant Fragrance (9.375/10)

Scent
The scent is musky and a bit of spice and sweet. The vibrant of the 'muskyness' is strong especially on top and middle notes.

Longevity
The longevity of the scent is very good.
For non 4-seasons countries, the scent is suitable for daily use, either on day and night. The longevity is good, which can last almost 7 hours. The scent is getting stronger for night use, which may long-last around 8-9 hours.
For the 4-seasons countries, the longevity is around 7-8 hours.

Performance
The performance is surprisingly superb. The musky top notes until the middle notes may project the scent strongly. The scent gradually become soft but still remain the musky scent.

Sillage
The sillage is very good. Many compliments from surrounding people.

Uniqueness
Balmain Homme uniqueness are on the scent, sillage, and the bottle itself. The classy musky scent which may create a very good sillage from the great military uniform alike bottle design.

Bottle Design
The bottle design is portray a leader's military uniform alike. Tough and solid. Nice bottle design of Balmain Homme.

10/31/2017

8Scent 9Longevity 7Sillage

mado
7 Reviews

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mado

Top Review 19

“This is your scent, Monsieur!” (A Wiesbaden Story)

Actually, I’m more the type who likes to discover and test fragrances on my own. I don’t need personal advice. No, it’s actually quite repulsive to me. That’s why I also very reluctantly set foot in perfume stores where you are intercepted at the entrance by poorly made-up, pushy saleswomen with the words “Can I help you?”

However, when it became known in Wiesbaden that the long-established perfumery Jeannette would soon have to close forever (the building is being demolished), I finally stepped out of my comfort zone. I read - among other places here in the Parfumo forum - and heard all sorts of good things about the extraordinary niche selection, the special advice, and the warm nature of owner Gisela Gerhardt. A fine, elegant lady in her 80s who has dedicated her life to the world of fragrances.

As I entered the small shop in Ellenbogengasse (funny name), my gaze wandered over the shelves and display cases filled with bottles. There’s carpet on the floor, and a chandelier provides light on this gray day. It feels more like a living room than a sales area. “Bonjour Monsieur, may I help you?” says a firm voice as Mrs. Gerhardt approaches me. She looks younger than I expected, is neatly dressed, colorful. I smile at her. We talk for about 10 minutes about the impending end of her shop, her eyes - which now look a bit sadder - fixate on me and examine me. I notice how the topic affects her and try to steer our conversation towards fragrances. There! A scent I know. No, I even own it. “Ah, Dunhill Icon. Nice scent, I have that one too!” I say, pointing towards the shelf. “Yes, but I hope you only wear it at work. Icon you can still wear in 20 years.” Okay… That was at least a clear statement. In fact, I wear Icon rather rarely. Only in the agency and on particularly important days. But I save further explanations, as she continues: “I’ll show you a few scents that suit you better.”

She confidently grabs five bottles and places them on the counter for testing. I try to identify the scents. At least two I know by name: Van Cleef & Arpels “In New York” and Balmain “Homme.” She thinks for a moment, then also fetches “L’Homme Ideal” by Guerlain. I respond that I already know this scent and instead ask about the new one from Yves Saint Laurent (referring to “Y”). “It smells like 1,000 other scents, I didn’t include it in my selection.” Insight 1: Here is someone who still personally and carefully curates their selection, which I appreciate. Insight 2: She clearly categorizes me into the fresh-sweet-young fragrance spectrum. I’m quite okay with that, even if it hasn’t been my preferred direction so far.

I get three scents sprayed on my fingertips, two on my wrist. Right from the first scent - Balmain Homme - I experience an Aha effect. Subtly floral, slightly sweet/candy-like, but still not sticky and flat, rather somehow modern, dynamic, and quite voluminous. Buffered by a gentle touch of spice and light wood, which will increase in the next few minutes. It’s not an accentuated scent that plays with individual components, but rather a slowly evolving fragrance tapestry. I mostly perceive violet and cedarwood. It works during the day, but can also be worn quite well in the evening at a bar or club. “This is your scent, Monsieur!” she says. And she is right.

No, perhaps the wheel wasn’t reinvented olfactorily here. Perhaps Balmain Homme doesn’t score points for its particular naturalness (synthetics don’t have to be bad, see Comme des Garcons). And perhaps there are influences from Fahrenheit, Sauvage, and Co. - honestly: I don’t care at all. Balmain Homme is a pleasant, well-made, and rounded scent in its own right. By the way, it seems I’m not the only one who thinks so, as I have received more compliments for this scent than for any other in my collection so far.

Thank you, Madame Gerhardt. Thank you for everything.

11/07/2015

4Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Ergreifend
528 Reviews

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Ergreifend

Very helpful Review 9

The Lost Luster of Balmain

In recent months, I have dealt with several Balmains and have some comments waiting for their completion. Balmain Homme had to be the first, as the new fragrance is not a statement that brings me to my knees in awe. For me, it is a meaningless number. Just a continuation, no matter what comes and regardless of how good or high-quality something is. The main thing is to bring something new to the market. This is how this fragrance sits in my thoughts. I felt nothing positive about it. A clear knockout criterion for many labels. I fondly remember Carbone de Balmain, for which there will later be a much more positive comment.

Well, how should I begin?
Balmain Homme smells to me like a failed clone of Sauvage, with such a flat interpretation that one must praise Sauvage to the skies. It is also somewhat reminiscent of the classic men's fragrance from Hermes, as there is no shortage of spices here. However, this earthy warmth, like in Terre, does not even come close to the surface. It feels far too dull and bloated. Only in a minute's time, I think to myself that Terre is being imitated here, but the attempt completely failed.

The beginning of the fragrance spreads very hollow, metallic, and somehow distinctly flat-woody on the skin. The spices roll in quickly, with enormous force. But this is quickly intercepted and seeps into the wet ground. So, totally unspectacular. The fragrance feels arbitrary, gray, and is actually only made for everyday wear and not for special occasions.

Slowly, a somewhat more pronounced peppery note makes itself known. However, this is not long-lasting. Rather, it is just a brief immersion in the strong spice material. Wood is always present, but not more than a flat appearance. A shame, I think. Leather, I can hardly catch a whiff of here. It is for me a slight tease for the nose, like when I briefly enter a furniture store and catch a whiff. The habituation to this, as we know, happens quickly. So, no present leather scent!

Throughout the entire duration, I cannot shake the thought that there was an attempt to bring warm earthy tones to light, heated by the desert sun. Furthermore, a gentle tone of sweetness that indulges itself with the earth in a pairing. Far from it - because the slight earthy note in this perfume is much more wet and has nothing to do with dryness. Instead, the fragrance becomes sweeter the further it penetrates into the heart. Slightly chocolaty, albeit not very delicious, it becomes. A combination of pepper and chocolate would certainly be very exciting and extremely interesting. But the pepper is stifled in its infancy, and the chocolate seeps through the fragrance only slowly. It feels very contrived to me and has nothing to do with the delights of the confectionery industry. Perhaps, only of the stickiest kind!

After three hours, the scent is at its end. It feels somewhat powdery, again lukewarm woody, with a sweet, plastic quality. Dryness is attempted to be hinted at again. It is supposed to smell masculine, desert-like here. For me, it is more of a bland aftertaste of crumb cake.

It is durable, the new Balmain. It holds up bravely for seven hours. But that doesn't help it either. For my husband, it is also not a candidate for purchase. Because in his eyes, the fragrance is a meaningless new release that simply exists to be placed on the market. Just to have something new. Disappointing.

For me, Balmain Homme is the epitome of the lost luster of the house. They could have spared themselves this. Soon, the new Balmain will come to the H&M house, which makes me even more skeptical. This cannot end well. Perhaps for the sheer masses who have nothing to do with quality and are simply satisfied with such meaningless scents. Some surely think they are hip if they buy this...

Well - only dead fish swim with the current!

09/02/2015

7Scent 10Longevity 7.5Sillage

Skylab
184 Reviews

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Skylab

Helpful Review 9

Smells like 9 other perfumes or why is everyone hating on Sauvage???

One might think that there is currently only one topic on Parfumo - the new men's fragrance from Dior!? This dominant theme is being so widely discussed and exploited that one could assume that "men's perfume" is on the brink of its existential end! "Smells like AXE or cheap shower gel" are among the most striking synonyms! Meanwhile, I wonder, which new fragrance can score 100%? Or which latest creation doesn't smell like a previous competing product? I myself notice that every second new men's fragrance somehow carries that flashy One Million DNA within it! Sauvage is mocked and ridiculed, yet it hasn't even been able to establish itself in the market! After 2 weeks of wearing Sauvage continuously and having developed a fondness for it, I will today (briefly) turn my attention to another "masculine" release, which, in my eyes/nose, does not appear masculine at all! Which man would really want to smell like "foam waffles"? Is that better than a mass-appeal "shower gel" (don't worry, there will be no Balmain Homme vs. Dior Sauvage comparison)? But more on that later...

Balmain: a term well-known to fashion gurus and fragrance junkies, but possibly uncharted territory for laypeople. I don't want to go into detail "Wikipedia-like." Just enough to say that the 70-year-old company has had a turbulent and changeable history: Balmain as a springboard for Karl Lagerfeld, defamation through license "dilution," impending insolvency, several owners, and numerous chief designers who have come and gone. Currently at the creative helm is 29-year-old Oliver Rousteing (the youngest chief designer after Yves Saint Laurent), who took over the reins from Cristophe Decarnin five years ago. He continues the legacy of leather jackets, tight cuts, and military jackets. Speaking of which, the bottle of the new men's fragrance is modeled after such styles. In dark blue... that's how you attract men. Blue is associated with coolness, blue is associated with freshness. But Balmain Homme offers neither! It is an oriental in the style of Joop! Homme Wild, Versace Eros, Valentino Uomo, or Dior Homme Eau For Men...

Balmain Homme starts with a slightly synthetic, in my opinion, ozonic top note. It comes across as bitter and somewhat metallic, shiny. Up to that point, one almost gets the impression that Balmain Homme is heading in a straightforward direction. Office scent, anyone? Shortly thereafter, the violet leaf comes to the forefront and reveals a green, camphor-like aspect (Zegna Uomo or Mercedes Benz for Men come to mind). Violet leaves are also known for their peppery nuances, and they make the fragrance shine! I always have YSL's L'Homme Parfum in my nose, which seems a bit warmer to me. Therefore, the blue is almost justified! Up to this point, no one can complain, even though I always have this "already been there" or "indifferent" image in my mind.

The further development of the fragrance is moderate. The aforementioned "foam waffle" comparison is not so far-fetched in my opinion. I also associate the heart note with dark chocolate and "pink" icing - this pink could also come from a certain lipstick note that tickles my nose. More so, I smell a fruity sugar component, which I last encountered with Dior Homme Eau For Men. I can still tolerate that with Dior, but here these accords have a certain penetrance. It smells "biting," yes, almost "sharp-toned"! Headache character! Cedarwood signals the start of the dry base. The sillage on my skin is "okay"... presumably Balmain Homme clouds my perception, and the projection is significantly stronger... at least on paper, the reach is a good meter! So in a club, for which the fragrance is definitely designed in my eyes, it will definitely stand out! And it withstands heat and sweat! I regretted yesterday's test in the last "humid" temperatures. For me, Balmain is only wearable in autumn/winter and on cool spring days!

The base is reached after about 4-5 hours and offers woody, powdery accords (tonka bean).
This has staying power and is still noticeable on the skin even after showering! Thus, the perfume lasts a very, very good 10+ hours!

In summary, Balmain Homme is another representative in the league of lavishly designed sugary fragrances. You definitely stand out with it, but it doesn't remain memorable, as, as already mentioned, every second new fragrance smells like this. Ultimately, I wonder why everyone is so hard on Sauvage when Balmain Homme also smells like 9 other perfumes and is therefore not innovative, extraordinary, or... oh yes, I promised not to write a Balmain vs. Dior comparison... *g*

PS: Many thanks, by the way, to the generous donation from my benefactor!

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