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Katereml – :
Hyacinths are my favorite flowers, they are so beautiful yet so cute, endearingly modest. Yes, this really smells almost like them, particularly the very opening. It’s a cold, sharp perfume. Beautiful, I think I have finally found my “floral, cold, classy, expensive” smelling perfume of choice. I see that it is compared to nr. 19 poudre, which I’ve been wanting to test forever. I hope I love that one, too.
webkrasotka – :
I sprayed this on and was INTSTANTLY reminded of Chanel’s N°19. I was racking my brains trying to work out which Chanel it was because it was definitely Chanel. I came here looking for notes to see if it would jumpstart my memory. Instead, it was in the ‘reminds me of’ section which just confirms to me that I’m not crazy.
It’s quite green, that I knew. It had me thinking ‘Perhaps Bel Respiro.’ It was powdery and iris was definitely there. This isn’t your run of the mill fragrance, it’s very special. I was on the right track with N°19 … but there’s no detectable lily of the valley. Poudrée does indeed make more sense. Feels a little indolic.
IngvarHelpMeplz – :
Bluebells + baby powder; a scent you’d find in a nursery. Soft and inoffensive. For some reason my cat goes bonkers for it and so I spray it on her favorite toy.
evgen19799 – :
An artistic hyacinth perfume. I am finally writing a review for this beauty after trying it a few months ago. Mostly because I was a bit unsure how to describe it! Long story short: It’s very crisp and green, unabashedly floral, and yes! Slightly metallic..!
I had a generous sized decant I was seriously enjoying, then I dropped it on the floor. Let’s just say the room it broke in smelled amazing for quite a few days.
Feels very, very cold. Yet another “florist shop” type fragrance I love. Something is slightly amiss though.. The florist must have been experimenting with hyacinth, and decided to make an extra potent, metallic mega cross breed!
I mean seriously. Someone commented this stuff feels almost alien, and I would have to agree. If bas de soie was a color palette, it would be a bright neon green, beside an equally as bright and blinding shade of violet/purple with some silver.
1-2 sprays and you’ll be smelling like a spring garden full of dewy purple flowers.. A shovel over in the corner for good metallic measure. Anything more, and you will smell like an alien princess. Both are great in my book! I love it and am happy to own a bottle.
SAVELYEV – :
This reminds me of Grey Flannel but a more toned down version that’s not overpowering as GF is. Nice scent. Very safe smelling.
cheka – :
I wanted to like this more than I do. I love all the notes, I love Serge Lutens, but this one is only okay to me. I don’t personally see the resemblance to No 19 at all, which I adore. I don’t get much of a galbanum/green bomb from my decant anyway. I don’t get much cold rooty iris. I don’t get spice. I get hyacinth and a bit of powder and soap? Maybe some metal? and a light musk. It’s okay, but there are many other galbanum or iris or powder fragrances I like better, including Iris Silver Mist, No 19, 19 Poudre, Prada Iris, Chamade or La Pausa EDP. I can’t see a time when I wouldn’t just choose one of those over this. Likewise there’s many other SL perfumes I like if I’m in a SL mood. Maybe it’s because as some reviewers suggested it’s because it reads like a soliflore? I could see that, and as much as I respect a good soliflore, it’s rare that one works on me very well. SL’s fragrances aren’t usually like that but tend towards the opulent, and are generally a bit avant-garde which is much more my scene.
DemonStrong – :
I’m a weird one, with a great many fragrances, so many it’s not funny. I’m the person who likes Air d’Rien, Cabaret, Iris des Champs, Apres La Musson-all those musty watery things that engender distaste. I bought Bas de Soie because it is discontinued and was offered at a good price. Here’s a few thoughts on it, but if you are considering it, best to get now. It is a boudoir scent, as SL intended and it does have a bitter streak in it. It has a touch of chrysanthemum to it, something gummy, like a wine gum and it has a moody iris. The iris is akin to that found in Apres l’Ondee, but there is no hawthorn to make it smell like the cricket equipment cupboard. The rest of it is spring bulbs, most like Cristalle in EDT. The sexy musk is like Narciso R, but it’s the dirty essence musk, as in Khiels. Oh, and it has the metallic brush as in Calandre.
edit: deepest wintry winter. It just wows me, sweetens on my skin, because I’m not perspiring, I keep pulling the turtle neck of my sweater, gonna give me terrible turkey neck. Turtle/Turkey. Gobble Gobble, beautiful
miladka – :
My first sniff is instalove and I start plotting a full bottle purchase. The hyacinth is pure plant juice, celadon alien blood—a scalpel to cut through the dross of this world. The silvery blue color is just right.
But then, two hours later, I am perhaps influenced by other reviewers. Truthfully, I do detect fishy and eggy notes. Yes, a drop of bleach, fresh filet on a plastic cutting board, a metal poaching dish, uncooked meringue. I wouldn’t say these notes are at the forefront, but they do complicate the fragrance. The niche I intended Bas de Soie to fill was a cool work scent, a chilled glass pressed against the face in midsummer. It isn’t innocuous enough for that.
The second trial, all the notes hit me from the beginning. I’m getting more iris, and I realize this smells like cold cream. There’s something masochistic about it, like the pleasurable sting of Noxzema. I like it. But I’ll need to psych myself up to wear it around other people.
ooe837speagoessenda – :
Opening is straight hyacinth (almost a soliflor) with a very small side of iris. One might say there’s a very faint background of galbanum but to me that earthiness is already inherent in the hyacinth note alone.
Again, basically a soliflor. Mostly linear, then gets a bit powdery and abstract (I do get the stockings imagery; idk why but it makes sense).
There is an odd sour note that occurs off and on later on in the dry down.
The opening blast and immediate drydown is the high-quality archetype to judge all other hyacinth frags by.
However the drydown as it progresses I think may appeal to a bit more of a niche audience. I do like it, myself – that said I’m into more difficult, moody, melancholy frags right now.
If u want a happy hyacinth, go for Tom Ford Vert de Fleur.
alex53rus – :
Cannot believe I’ve never tried this until now and sssssoooo happy I blind bought the bottle. Yes it’s very much like Chanel 19 which I also adore but I think this lacks some of the sparklingness of C19. Not that’s a bad thing, just different. A slightly rounder softer green. More hyacinth I guess. Definitely old fashioned in the most wonderful way. I don’t know if I’d completely categorize this as a floral. More chyphre floral to me, but then I’m not an expert.
Z55Q – :
In my mind (and experience) with this scent BdS belongs within the micro-universe of No 19, No 19 Poudre, Prada Infusion d’Iris and Frederic Malle Iris Poudre. Prada’s rendition is my big love, but obviously I love all the others in this category. Frederic Malle’s Iris just breaks my heart because it doesn’t have the longevity I desire and Chanel 19 Poudre is a bit the same from that perspective. This is why I am so thankful that Serge Lutens is so long-lasting. It makes me think and experience facets of all these perfumes (perhaps a bit of Cristalle as well because of the hyacinth?) for a longer time. It also makes me not feel guilty for paying so much money on the fleeting experience I get from perfumes I adore, but don’t last that long…
sportloto82 – :
bas de soie 1.7 oz bottle
Bas de Soie leans more to sophisticated or retro type scents. Hyacinths back in the day in perfumes such as YSL Y or Molyneux Vivre were known as the opulant flower in perfumes. Elizabeth Taylor adored hyacinths. Hyacinths have a bitter green edge and captured well here in Bas de Soie. A make up boudoir powdery Iris evokes memories of when women sat at their boudoir tables, dressing gowns and knew looking ones best was good for god and country.
Its a refined gorgeous floral never bombastic. Its soft and alluring. About 30 min in the florals show in their cool splendor. Aristocratic in nature. Make sure your well dressed if you wear this scent. Its polished like a 1950s pin up.
This is naughty.
coquette708 – :
Bas de Soie is a silky opalescent fragrance,though it first tastes like apple sorbet.
I thought it would feel transparent on my skin ; I expected a ghost fragrance as it were, something fleeting, impalpable, and almost unnoticeable.
The word “Iris” refers to rainbows (other spectra, admittedly), and indeed, Bas de Soie is this damp, cold and colorful trace that stands against the sky on rainy days. Yet, it feels soft, too. It’s powdery. It warms up on your skin. After several hours, it’s a delicate silk shawl which is both discreet and enveloping.
Great longevity, quite a good projection.
I have to say that I absolutely adore this perfume. It’s so weird and so comforting at the same time.
plyushka – :
“The iridescence of a dragonfly’s wing.” Wow. That’s it. Hyacinth is among my very favorite floral fragrances in the world. It’s the first sign of spring. It’s the smell of my childhood, that laced with tulips and daffodils. It’s a warm, clean, green scent with some honey and spice. Bas de Soie… what are you. Cold, metallic, iris with a pleasant powder (that says a lot coming from me). It’s like a smooth stone. Completely not what I was imagining seeing the notes listed with hyacinth in the lead. It’s not spring, it’s green but a cold green. Smells like an art gallery. Like somewhere clean and air conditioned and full of beautiful people. The hyacinth is there somewhere, lacing through like the silk it’s named after, weaving in and out to remind you of it’s presence. It’s a taunting hyacinth. The powdery note comes up higher and louder as it sits, but it’s very pleasant. Very classy. You can imagine a lady powdering her face as she does her hair and slowly dresses herself. There is something spicy about it too, which sharpens the crisp blade as it snips through the soft floral. It feels the way your cool pillow does against your face after a humid hot summer day. It’s so refreshing. So clean. So pure smelling. Virginal. It’s wonderful, just almost makes an 8/10 which unfortunately rounds it to a 7.5. It’s good. But it makes me think of children. Of something that hasn’t been touched before. It’s a strange clean scent. I seen a reviewer said it smelled like fresh cotton sheets, I can get those vibes too, but it’s cold. And I don’t feel a fondness towards cold cotton sheets forgotten in the wind. I want to love it though, because there is a hidden warmth about it. It’s so taunting. Very interesting. Very unique.
Edit: It just keeps getting nicer! I really appreciate this scent. I will come back to it in the future. It might get a bump up in the scale for me. I have a feeling I won’t be able to get it off my mind.
submitred – :
Count me among the fans; it smells lovely on my skin from start to finish, and it lasts a long time. But I get virtually NO hyacinth at all, which is what I was seeking — on me, this is all iris, iris, iris. Which, luckily, I like very much. It’s a powdery iris, very soft. Really lovely — but not a hyacinth. It happens that I have several pots of hyacinths in my house right now, scenting entire rooms, and Bas de Soie is not that smell.
Vlodbikrrd – :
Full disclosure – Serge Lutens’ PR gave me a bottle of this before I went to interview him in 2011. At the time, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. I passed it round at a girls night in, and people thought it smelled old-ladyish, a bit prim and dainty – no-one wanted a decant. But over time, I’ve come to love it. I adore the smell of hyacinths and long for them to flower throughout the winter, heralding spring. But it took me a while to pick up the iris in this fragrance (I thought for a long time I was anosmic to it until I trained my nose better). I mentioned to Serge that BdeS didn’t smell the same way from one moment to the next and told me he wanted an instability between the accords, so that the fragrance veers between hyacinth and iris – one moment you smell one, the next you smell the other. I now find this fragrance very beautiful and comforting, and lovely to wear on a spring day when it’s bright but cold and you’re longing for warmth. It also lasts a long time, like most Lutens, and has a very soft buttery drydown without a trace of the house’s characteristic cumin sweatiness. My practice is to give away half of all fragrances that come to me via my work (for good karma), but I’m now quite glad that no-one else liked it!
Стелька7 – :
I thought i’d give this juice a go as it has two of my favourite smells in it , hyacinth and iris , not knowing what to expect really and really looking forward to the nose experience .
The bottle arrived today and to be honest to me it doesn’t smell like a perfume to me it smells like a cottage garden in the spring , fresh green floral and not to sweet , it’s amazing how close it is to the real thing ( probably makes no sense at all lol !!!!!) but highly recommend this stuff ,I know it’s pricey but the quality is up with the best, love it !!!!!!
DONOSPEAPSDOF – :
It is a cold, grey, wet winter’s day here in the U.K., and I felt that I needed a touch of spring. Bas de Soie is my go to daffodil fragrance, a true delight in spring but also a secret pleasure on a day such as this. At first spray I smell jonquils, those tiny, multiheaded daffodils with a sweet scent. That doesn’t last long, and as it passes there is a sudden hint of bubblegum, here and as quickly gone.
Five minutes later and the daffodils have arrived in force. For a moment I could be walking through a field of Cornish early daffodils, waiting to be picked and sent all over the country. Where I grew up, we had daffodils in the garden too, and I remember being sent out to pick bunches for the house, getting the sticky sap on my hands and face, and the smell of them is brought straight back to me by Bas de Soie.
At this early stage the perfume projects a little way, but not far. I can smell it on myself, but I would need to sit very close to someone, or be hugged, for them to notice it. After four hours or so, I can only find it myself by burying my nose in my elbow. It is still the same lovely daffodil scent, but so faint now.
The drydown doesn’t happen until almost eight hours after application on me, and is what seems to me a fairly typical Lutens mix of soft, sweet vanilla and a quiet floral. This is lovely, but again a very private scent, only noticeable with a great effort.
The only spiciness I notice is that which is part of the whole “aura of daffodil.” There is a slight “bite” to their scent and this is neatly built in, so that one does not think “spicy” but simply “the perfect daffodil.” As for the silk stocking, I’m afraid that bypasses me completely. I cannot imagine the owner of that stocking wandering in the daffodil fields, in the mud and rain of a Cornish spring. She might have enjoyed it, if she had done so…
krasnoperdick – :
In math, a double negative makes a positive. Yet for foods and scents, sometimes a double positive can be a negative. I love cheese, and love cake; but despise cheesecake. Same with Bas de Soie. Big fan of Galbanum x Love Serge Lutens (esp Chergui & Fille en Aiguilles). The combination was a no-go.
Gave this a try both in summer and winter, to be certain. More so than the plastic-chlorine backdrop, the issue is strong orris. If you don’t like iris, definitely skip it. This is what depression smells like.
tolkstas – :
it has been discontinued.
Metqn718intitytek – :
Absolutely gorgeous! Divine hyacinth, and altogether a gorgeous, feminine, smooth, fresh yet creamy, and soft, delightful floral.
I love hyacinths, and this is very very easy to wear – not sharp or screechy at all.
It has a gorgeous rich and powdery dry-down, and also there is a nicely gentle spiciness to it.
I LOVE it!!!
ullis2011 – :
This is it–my perfect hyacinth. I love hyacinths so much. They are fairly rare where I live, so when I encounter them in bloom, I absolutely have to stop and sniff. The actual flower smells green and spicy at the same time. Hyacinth perfumes can be really sharp. Piercing. Painful. Headache-inducing. But Bas de Soie is smooth and clean. Perfectly crisp, spicy, fresh and dewy but also contains a base that seems slightly soapy/musky.
As a reference point, Bas de Soie smells like a modern, simplified version of Chanel No.19 (specifically the EdT, one of my favorite Chanels ever), with it’s powder/hyacinth/iris/galbanum combo–the exact combo that makes No.19 so special.
When I smell Bas de Soie, I am transported to a garden in London in the winter. The scent is like cold rain puddles building up in a flower bed.
From where I stand, this is one of those rare perfumes that has an ange-ou-demon complex. While it is clean, oddly sweet, and seems innocent enough, as it wears I start to feel it gives an aura of feminine sensuality that kind of makes one turn their head and say, “Wait a minute–I thought you were innocent?” It’s subtle, but I am pretty sure this perfume has a poker face.
Perfumes such as Bas de Soie, ones that make me contemplate them deeply, are the ones I consider to be masterpieces. It was immediately full bottle worthy for me.
kashiri – :
Bas de Soie was released in 2010 and its name means “Silk Stockings”. Serge talks about a mass, with voices in low tone, soft as silk. It doesn’t seem to me a memory of his life in Morocco, but of his childhood in France.
Serge defines the concept of this creation by saying: “A ritual, an image: slim fingers carefully slip the stocking up the leg, from ankle to thigh…The woman alone, scented with a blend of powdery iris and hyacinth, keeps our attention. The iridescence of a dragonfly’s wing”.
Bas de Soie has notes of galbanum, hyacinth, spicy notes, Iris and musk. Compared to the other perfumes of the House, comes to seem simple, in terms of olfactory pyramid. But make no mistake, because the fragrance is very good.
Right off the bat, we think of a super powdery fragrance, with that dry makeup smell from the iris, as became known in Dior Homme collection. But it is worth remembering that the same flower can present different nuances and it all depends on how it is crafted, including, according to the species chosen.
Bas de Soie was designed over the image of a woman wearing her socks, but is far from being a feminine perfume. The output is floral and strong and, for some reason, makes me think of flowers of purple color, even though the smell is green. The galbanum gives a balsamic aroma and, fortunately, without bitterness, reinforcing the nuances of the hyacinth. The iris is slightly powdery and exudes more nuances of violets than earthy nuances. Finally, the musk arrives with its soapy facets and ends the evolution, which seems to follow the progress of the stockings on the legs.
I read many comparisons of this perfume with Chanel No. 19, but I don’t agree with them. On my skin, the latter is greener and bitter, not counting that has numerous flowers in its composition, such as jasmine, narcissus, etc. However, I think it’s more elegant. Bas de Soie is more neutral, verging on unisex. If it’s to compare with any other fragrance, I would say that after some hours on my skin, reminded me of Prada Amber Pour Homme, but with steroids.
The projection is very good and the lasting is satisfactory. In my opinion, Bas de Soie is a great perfume for those who do not give up on sophistication and search for a fragrance for everyday and constant use.
olenkax – :
this opens with dewy hyacinth and a watery musk type of thing, almost like a “china rain” feel but less sweet and more subtle. it smells like a rainy garden or a bit like a flower shop. the galbanum comes in and moderns it up. i tend to not like galbanum, so i’m not really feeling this stage, but that’s ok. it does smell very cold and tickles the nose a bit with the hyacinth. i received this in a package of samples and it wasn’t one i figured would be a favorite. it’s not, but that’s just because it’s not my type of scent. it’s not bad at all, just too cool and light for me 🙂
vasea – :
I wanted so much to like this fragrance – I generally love chilly iris scents and the reviews here, while polarized, were intriguing (perhaps all the more so because of the difference of opinion). Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work for me. In fact, it’s the only perfume I’ve ever had to scrub, since it turned my stomach a little.
The ‘iciness’ that some reviewers have referred to wasn’t a problem – sometimes an air of aloofness is exactly what I’m looking for – but there was something a little screechy about this one that made me feel ill. I can see where the funereal/formaldehyde allusions come from. For me, however, it was more akin to the ‘nails on a chalkboard’ sensation or the slightly chalky, soapy taste of cilantro (yes, I’m one of those people!) that tightens the back of the jaw. Perhaps the hyacinth/galbanum combination was just too much for me.
I think those who compare it to No. 19 are on to something – they’re different fragrances, of course, but the character is similar. Personally, I’ll stick to the Chanel but those who seek to project that kind of aura might try this scent. I emphasize ‘try’ – it’s not a typical Lutens so I definitely wouldn’t buy it blind.
Lasting power and projection were good, in fact, too good – but isn’t that always the way with scents we don’t like?
himik753 – :
July 2015 – Interesting frag. Top notes remind me of formaldehyde. Sweet but something of the biology lab about it.
Very subtle after the dry down. The hyacinth and musk are both present. I quite like BdS and am glad I was persuaded to try it.
January 2017 – update. After trying quite a few different Iris-based fragrances, this has become one of my favourites. So much so that I asked for a fb, as a Christmas present. Over the last year, I have learned to detect iris and I really like what I have found in BdS.
reubwromo – :
Disgusting. Il smells the ashes and funeral.
sitnikovich.lehan – :
I contacted Serge Lutens directly because I see so much conflicting information about their perfumes being shared, for men, or for women. Guess what, they responded they are ALL shared…Every last one of them! Just as it should be. I am a man and I wear what I like. Even if a perfume is supposed to be for women once I decide to put it on it’s then on a man so at that point it’s also for men as far as I’m concerned.
I was drawn to Bas de Soi because I love both orris and hyacinth. I am still searching for the hyacinth soliflore of my dreams that smells just like the living flower because this is not it, although I do really like it. Combined with the orris and the green note of galbanum it produces its own unique pleasantly sweet, green floral with a background of musk and spices to add depth and warmth. This is a safe perfume, nothing risqué or that will take time to grow on you, you’ll either like it from the first try or you won’t. I just recently was sent some vintage Jovan Grass Oil from the 70’s and was surprised at how much it has in common with Bas de Soie. Of course the galbanum green notes they both have in common as well as the sweet floral notes that are supposedly clover flowers in the case of Grass oil but as a perfumer I know that alpha, beta, and alpha methyl irones are doing most of the magic in both perfumes.
jjjjjhhhhhh – :
Don’t mean to offend. I was so excited about trying this perfume based on the composition of the scents mentioned here. This scent is a good concept. But goes to show that a good concept doesn’t make a good perfume. It smelled like a funeral home to me. So no. I won’t be getting this one.
GENYAV – :
Not sure why I did not review this perfume the last time I wore it. Perhaps I was rendered speechless by its beauty? On ne sait jamais. Well, now that the vial is drained, I feel compelled to jot down a few words as a future reminder to myself that I do indeed appreciate this scent and would love to have a full bottle.
Of course, I love iris and hyacinth, so that did not hurt…
Martyn84 – :
This is not my usual cup of tea at all a super floral scent for folks who love that sort of thing and you know what? To my surprise I can appreciate it too.
The opening is a naturally musky scent which is far too off putting for me but still screams quality. My mum often keeps hyacinths in her house when she has trouble with the drains, hoping the pungent smell will mask it but I think it just combines and makes it worse!
They always smell very ‘wet’ with a kinda bittersweet bouquet which is not entirely unpleasant but teetering on the brink.
There’s a hefty dose of green notes in here too initially, supplied by the galbanum and that wetness and musky natural floral is both accentuated and balanced by the powdery iris.
The saving grace here is that the drydown is really good and works alright on my skin. I also sprayed some on a card and could smell it clearly, upto a week later.
I was surprised how much I actually liked it in the end but the opening and scents like this are just not my cup of tea.
If you’re a lover of florals I think this is another excellent composition and well worth checking out.
FXXX1 – :
Silky dandelion milk – slightly sweet and very cool. Elven. This perfume reminds me of something I can’t locate from my memories – something from early childhood or maybe a dream. I’m going to treat myself to a bottle of this when my other green/greenish florals run out. I’d better hurry up, as I’ve wanted this for ages!
andron17 – :
All the other Serge Lutenses I’ve tried were sweet, warm winter scents, that could generally best be described with the word “comforting”. Bas de Soie is a big departure from that: it’s quite cold, not at all sweet, and far from comforting in any conventional sense, but I really like this one as well.
The opening is a little bitter, as others have mentioned: it’s a realistic, none-sweet flower (hyacinth?) combined with lots of galbanum and some spice. At this point it’s quite cold, a bit metallic and almost harsh without quite getting there. I personally love galbanum so I don’t mind this at all, in fact it might be my favourite phase, even though it’s so far removed from the bright and often sweet scents I usually like.
After a while the galbanum disappears almost entirely to the background and what remains is a more mellow, softer version of that initial cold sharpness, with more focus on the flowers. Very nice, elegant and grown-up; I think the name is quite fitting. It could be worn in all seasons, but it’s probably at its best in winter and early spring, those hopeless, cold, stark months. Not because it compensates for those characteristics in any way, like most winter perfumes do with their heavy sweetness, but just because it accentuates their difficult beauty.
tonoAxiomoTom – :
First off hyacinth, then powder, then iris and hyacinth combining smoothly to give the most wonderful, well-blended scent. The hyacinth is very restrained though, not at all harsh. It’s perhaps a little melancholy but really, really lovely. Also the first iris scent I’ve tried where I feel truly at home. The spice is barely there, but the scent is long-lasting – excellent! Good value! It’s dry too, I love powder scents so I’m very happy with this. I’d love my lingerie drawer to smell of this. Very definitely a mature and reflective scent. I’d buy this tomorrow if I could. – Christopher Sheldrake has done it again – 10/10.
AnGeL – :
Another strange one from the Lutens range..
I think I prefer Lutens in rich oriental or floral absolute perfume mode – i.e. Feminite du Bois, A La Nuit, Chergui, La Fille de Berlin and Santal Majascule.
It’s all personal taste, but I find Bas de Soie oddly eggy. Is that just me? There’s a sulphurous note that reminds me of the residue left behind after cleaning a plate that’s had scrambled egg on it. Some kind of protein-like residue
This must be some form of musk, because I detect it in smaller amounts in Parfum Sacre by Caron, and Seville a L’aube by L’artisan
I like the woody/floral tones, but this eggy note lingers for me
I’m interested in all the Serge Lutens perfumes, since they often explore new territory, so again it’s just down to what you like ultimately
SaintMaverick – :
I can’t believe I never reviewed one of my favourite perfumes before!
I guess having my 10 year old daughter secretly spraying it on herself, and then commenting on how it smells like Maman, and how beautiful the scent is, made me pause. I said to her: “this is a bitter and difficult perfume to like; it’s not fruity, nor floral, nor sweet. What do you like about it?” She said:” it actually smells sweet to me. It is just beautiful and I know I don’t have kids’ taste”.
Ok. Maybe what she likes is the smell of of Maman. But still, even then, BdS is a stretch for most children.
So now, I feel compelled to write a review: BdS is one of my favourite fragrances.
I am odd that way: I like über bitter fragrances and I guess a combination of galbanum, hyacinth (bluebell) and iris is my dream come true. The slightly rooty, yet somewhat powdery and sweet bitterness makes me swoon. It does warm up on the skin, and looses the first shock of full frontal metallic and bitter assault, but it never becomes a warm, embracing perfume.
In this respect, it reminds me of Mitsouko — minus the peach and the dry woody/mossy smell. I know these two are not the same, but somehow, they strike the same olfactory chord.
BdS always retains its aloof, sophisticated and intellectual allure… I see a beautiful and composed woman serenely writing with an ink pen in a library full of musty books.
This is a love or hate affair. My daughter and I happen to love it.
sajgtwhvdjoa – :
Fresh spring fragrance. Strong yet modest floral hyacynth and iris. Well composed.
A good non offensive fragrance for work that stays with you through the day
Чучмек – :
Bas de Soie smells like powdery, musty floral. You can definitely smell hyacinth & iris in it. It gets more metallic green towards the dry-down.
This is a bit serious, no fun fragrance, a bit deep and bitter. I hate to say this, but it associates to me with something old.
I love iris fragrances but this is not one of them.
mikebg – :
I really like this! I was a little nervous about testing as I had read that hyacinth can be a difficult note and I worried that hyacinth + galbanum + musk might be too much. But I have been trying to sample all different types of iris scents recently, having recently fallen for iris in a big way. Then the other week I tried on E.Coudray Jacinthe and Rose and was surprised to really love it, and I adore Heeley’s L’Amandiere so I went ahead and gave this a try.
The opening is quite bitter, I guess from the galbanum and hyacinth but within a few minutes the more bitter note subsides and the hyacinth comes through more strongly. I enjoy this it feels very lush with just a hint of bite remaining. It really feels like pushing your nose against a hyacinth bloom, it has a moist, lush damp feeling (does that make sense?Looks awful written down, I mean it in a good way!). About an hour or so in the galbanum seems to take its leave almost entirely leaving just a hint, and the iris and musk come fore. I really like this, it smells very unlike anything else I have tried. I don’t really get the silk stockings thing in honesty. Although I guess I could imagine an aged pathe video reel of a woman sat at her vanity putting on her stockings, and she could quite feasibly be wearing this scent…I’m being taken in my marketing again aren’t I?!
Anyway, I like this. My husband dislikes the opening, finding it “acrid and bitter”, but he thinks the heart and drydown are pleasant. In fact, he told me this afternoon that I smelled like “bluebells, chocol