As a self-admitted creature of habit, I usually reach for the same fragrance every day. My select favorites are all light, fresh, and citrus-forward. While being a beauty editor entails trying perfume launches regularly, most other scents just don’t speak to me—so, when I caught my first whiff of Balmain Beauty Carbone, I was shocked by how much I loved it (and by the serious mood boost it inspired).
Balmain Beauty
Carbone Eau de Parfum
At first glance (sniff?), the Best of Beauty Award-winning Carbone seems like the opposite of my go-to fragrances. Its main notes include white musk, rose, and suede, with hints of patchouli and cumin. It smells floral and a little woodsy—the cumin also gives it a spicy edge. Complex and cozy, it instantly awoke me from my fruit-forward stupor.
Allure senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin spraying Balmain Beauty’s Carbone
Sarah Felbin
Felbin with Balmain Beauty’s Carbone
Sarah Felbin
Since that first test spritz, I’ve been using Carbone on the regular, and I’m not the only Allure staffer who’s become hooked. “Rose-based scents are divisive and not something I usually gravitate toward. Balmain Beauty Carbone is the exception—I wore it every day this past fall and winter,” says senior beauty editor Jesa Maria Calaor. “It’s an unexpected, uniquely romantic take on the floral note. Viscerally, it’s like putting on red lipstick (striking), putting on a vinyl record (moody), and the feeling of a great first date (exhilarating).” Commerce writer Lily Wohlner is also tapped into the smooth, classy vibes, likening Carbone to ”a jazz club in a bottle,” adding that it makes an ideal transitional scent as we ease into fall. “It strikes that balance between dark and sultry, yet is fresh enough for daytime,” she says.
Balmain Beauty Carbone at Felbin’s desk
Sarah Felbin
