Extatic Balmain 2014 Eau de Parfum

Balmain jumped on the band-waggon of fruity-floral Jimmy Choo and his numerous friends. I wanted the really beautiful bottle for my collection, but if you're not keen on the vessel, but on the fragrance itself, you'll find that "Extatic" smells like many of the other mainstream syrupy perfumes out there - with an accent on nashi-pear, orange blossom and a very loud base of cashmeran with dashes of sweet caramel. The house of Balmain gave us "Vent Vert", "Jolie Madame" and "Ivoire", to name just a few of their gorgeous old school perfumes . Unfortunately, their latest baby - misleadingly called "Extatic" - is one of the most disappointing fragrances of 2014.

Woody, floral and fruity, and just about everything I would expect from a designer fragrance. Extatic by Pierre Balmain bares a fair resemblance to Sí Eclát by Giorgio Armani, especially on paper.

After dry down, I honestly cannot look past the resemblance when smelling it on paper. On my skin, however, Extatic is much more desirable than was Sí Eclát.
Extatic is rich, sweet and strong, and definitely belongs to the colder days or an evening out. The fragrance is strong on rose and pear, but it also has smooth notes of cashmere and slight leather. Osmanthus makes this fragrance more wearable to me, but it is not a fragrance I care to reach for.

I must say I am torn whether I like or dislike Extatic, but after some back and forth smelling it on my skin, I must admit that not being repelled by a fragrance isn't a sign of liking it! I have just grown accustomed to disliking the designer fragrances that I have tried and not disliking it almost seems as if it is likable, but that's not the case.
The fragrance fully developed is just about as any designer fragrance. It is as if they all have the same base accord that only has other top and middles notes added to them, but the essence is the same. The mood the same, the vision the same, the likability the same.

I must say that I am quite underwhelmed and as I have said before, after I'm done reviewing the designer perfume samples I have, I won't be reaching for them anymore.

- I believe not. Love is an ecstasy.

I always think of a wild ecstasy when I think of Extatic. Wild scenarios, full of smoke and darkness. Just the name itself. Although the perfume is not dark or smoky at all, but rather powerfully sweet, packed with iris and jasmine, which present themselves as quite young vegetables. They want to appear strong and powerful, but somehow they fail to create a truly heavy atmosphere in the scent. However, this is not the beginning of Extatic. Rather, you are already in the thick of it!

Upon spraying, Extatic is quite fruity, and you have to be careful not to get too much of it in your nose, because Extatic hits its wearer with such force that it almost knocks you against the wall. My fiancé remarked that one day I would blast myself into the universe with all this stuff, and Extatic was or is a perfume that made him first hold his nose and roll his eyes as if he were a lost donkey on drugs, while I always give him a whack on the head with my pillow. :D

Yaaa, this happens to men when they don’t behave and don’t like my scent, which I almost really love :D :D

But then, to his surprise, the scent becomes more beautiful and lovely. Even though it is sweet. In this case, I really fell for the sweetness.

Gradually, it becomes more floral. The jasmine and the iris make their appearance, and as mentioned above, they present themselves as very young, wild, and shrill. So, no hint of adulthood or reason. I also perceive a very delicate woody note, although I cannot exactly identify which additional ingredients are involved. I can only manage this with the iris and the jasmine.

Over time, the perfume also falls into a powder coma. Why do I call it powder coma? Because it somehow doesn’t get off the point anymore once it has arrived there. It becomes a bit sluggish, the sweetness slowly falls into a slumber, while a very fine veil of wood lays over everything.

I must say I like Extatic very much. Not everyone knows it, and not many have it. It attracts attention from many, and I also get approached about it. So far, there have only been positive feedbacks. For some, it is overly sweet, a bit diva-like, but I feel love for the beautiful perfume, which is housed in an elegant yet chic and modern bottle.

It is for the sensible and the unreasonable.
It is for outsiders, but also for people who seek and get attention (a bit too much applied, and Extatic fills the whole room with its character :D I once polluted an entire room during a training because I was sick and applied too much, and didn’t even notice it myself. But no one complained - only comments like: "It smells nice here like powder and sweet fruits, delicious, yummy")
It is meant for the nights and dawns from which one is just emerging, and which have not been spared by some ecstasies.
It lasts through the night and embeds itself quite deeply into clothes and hair.

Yes, I am quite aware that Extatic is not a milestone of fragrances, but hey. Love certainly finds its own way.

Love is really not a feeling. I completely agree. It is an ecstasy. But also more than that. I find love is everything. There is more than just feeling in it. All emotions are packed in. Extatic is part of it!

When I sprayed Extatic today, I straightened up - and stood tall at my full 1.62 m.
If not even more!

This noble sweetness gives me the posture of a queen - I just have to be careful not to let my crown slip.

The proud rose and the precious osmanthus lend me a certain regal air.
But I am a gentle ruler, for Extatic is as soft - as it is exclusive.

The orchid has stylish curves - delicately dusted with iris.
The leather note doesn’t crack the whip, but gently envelops.
Likewise, the seductive vanilla now invites me to lie down and cuddle.

The Extatic spark has also jumped to my husband - and he welcomes me with a snug intention.

What a sensual fireworks display - ignited in the Rossi store!

Balmain has always been a highly regarded, established brand. The perfumes are classic, often green, herbal, with style and elegance, certainly appealing to the loyal clientele and the brand's reputation within the industry. This is still the case today, not least because they have launched Carbone de Balmain, an incredibly successful masculine scent that women also enjoy wearing. Can they replicate or even surpass this with their latest gem in the women's range, Extatic?

Normally, one would say that since an EdT is being released directly after, the success cannot have been too bad. But these days, that doesn't mean much anymore; even flops get their flankers, which are supposed to salvage the already burnt-out dish from the oven. When I read the hardly noticeable reactions online, or rather search for them, I don't exactly see an ecstatic rush towards the Balmain corners.

For me, the scent hovers somewhere between ordinary mush that exists by the hundreds and a golden-glittering disco queen of the 70s, which is likely also due to the extremely successful presentation. The fragrance is quite powdery and especially at the beginning, it seeks its grand entrance. The iris powders the rose, while the jasmine makes it appear softer and sweeter. Here, the queen of flowers is illuminated from several interesting, albeit somewhat synthetic-glossy angles. A beautiful, somewhat exciting start. However, in my opinion, the scent often loses itself in undefinable mush, becoming vague, suddenly timid, and banal. Only occasionally does the initial brilliance still shine through. Brilliance fits this scent very well, as it truly sparkles like diamonds in the light of the disco at the beginning. But then it gets worn down by the mainstream flow.

Bottle: a home run! Bullseye! Beautifully glamorous.
Sillage: somewhere between elevated everyday wear and going out in the evening.
Longevity: 6 hours are quickly worn away.

It is very adapted to today's flow of fragrances, concealing its roots well, and has hardly anything to do with the classic Balmain school. By today's standards, it still falls into the upper middle class.