Balmain debuts first fragrance collection in partnership with Estée Lauder

Balmain has launched a new fragrance collection, marking its first beauty creation since entering a licensing agreement with The Estée Lauder Companies two years ago. 

Inspired by Creative Director Olivier Rousteing’s modern influence on fashion, and now beauty, Les Éternels de Balmain attempts to build upon the house’s signature French heritage to "share his new vision of avant-garde beauty", fueled by respect, love, and unity.

Powered by a richly crafted duality of ingredients, the inaugural collection includes eight multi-layered scents from four distinctive olfactive families – musk, amber, floral, and woody.

Balmain's Creative Director Olivier Rousteing

Rousteing has been the lead architect of Balmain Beauty from inception, and in every aspect of creation from concept to scent development, to package design and campaign imagery.

He studied perfumery, learning the creation process through hands-on training. After consulting Balmain’s storied archives, he handpicked four of Balmain's legacy scents to be reinvented for the modern era as part of the new collection.

The fragrances and how Balmain describes them

• Carbone drives the quest for identity and freedom to confidently reflect all the facets of who you truly are (maximalist musk/ minimalist rose).
• Sel d'Ambre’s golden mystery illuminates the path to inner peace and self-realisation (glowing amber/ salty ambergris).
• Vent Vert reinvents the iconic green fragrance for a new age, respecting nature forever in a timeless journey through past, present, and future (airy vert de mandarine/ sensual jasmine).
• Rouge radiates addictive love, reminiscent of Los Angeles’ magic hour, when the sky is not even the limit (addictive bouquet/ radiant woods).
• Ivoire carries Balmain’s New French Style legacy to the world and into the future. It unites all the beauties of the world, no exceptions (intoxicating tubéreuse de nuit/ untamed vetiver).
• Bronze symbolizes rebirth, majestically rising like the phoenix from the ashes (blazing cedarwoods/ cooling patchouli).
• Ébène is the revival of Pierre Balmain’s 1983 Africa-inspired fragrance, envisioned through the lens of Rousteing’s discovery of his origins. It ushers in the age of self-discovery and a journey to reveal our universal origin (eternal ebony wood/ precious myrrh oil).
• Bleu Infini transports to endless skies, infinite seas, and their call to set you free (warm cistus absolute/ salted lichen).

"Just like Rousteing’s most impressive runways, Balmain’s ambitious plans for future luxury growth build directly upon a skilled melding together of the richness of our singular heritage with a distinctively modern outlook," said Matteo Sgarbossa, CEO of Balmain.

"Our agreement with The Estée Lauder Companies for Balmain Beauty is an obvious embodiment of that strategy. With this partnership, the house begins a new chapter, making very clear to all our commitment to maximising cross-category possibilities as we move forward, driven by the passion of our 'Balmain Army' and determined to fully realise this house’s potential to become a true leader in the luxury world."

The launch comes after Estée Lauder announced a license agreement to collaboratively develop, produce and distribute a line of beauty products for Balmain, "set to transform the luxury and beauty world".

Under this agreement, the company aims to "transform the luxury beauty industry through exceptional design, singular craftsmanship and an unyielding commitment to innovation". Fragrance comes first, with plans for Balmain to expand into new categories in the future.

"Balmain Beauty embodies a steadfast commitment to excellence in perfumery, emphasising not only the olfactive experience, but also the evocative emotions it elicits brought to life by an iconic visual campaign," said Nathalie Berger Duquene, SVP, Global General Manager, Balmain Beauty, The Estée Lauder Companies.

"The beauty of craftsmanship is exuded in both the packaging design and ingredients used. Our fragrances hold tension, power, and strength – they are quintessentially Balmain, rooted in diversity and inclusivity."