Balenciaga
Balenciaga
105 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bergamot and lemon explode with mint-sharpened intensity, creating an almost bracing freshness that feels vaguely institutional—something between a barber's shop and a chemist's counter. Beneath this citrus onslaught, you catch the first whispers of dry wood, a sensation like smelling cedarwood pencil shavings mixed with something slightly green and herbaceous.
The citrus gradually surrenders to a woody-spiced core as rosewood and patchouli become the dominant players, joined by pelargonium's subtle geranium sharpness and a faint spiced warmth that prevents the composition from becoming cold. The fragrance settles into something sophisticated and slightly austere—no softness here, just clean lines and architectural structure that maintains remarkable coherence.
Labdanum and benzoin emerge with quiet resinous warmth, anchoring the fading woody notes whilst tonka and vanilla provide only the gentlest sweetness, never cloying. What remains is a whisper of warm wood and spice, increasingly skin-like and intimate, though the overall effect is markedly less present than during the opening hours—this is where Ho Hang's notorious longevity limitations become apparent.
Ho Hang Balenciaga is a fragrance that refuses to whisper. Released in 1971 by Raymond Chaillan, it's a woody composition with an unexpected spiced edge—one that catches you mid-assumption about what a unisex scent from that era should smell like.
The opening assault is citrus with attitude: bergamot and lemon tear through like a bracing splash of something vaguely medicinal, sharpened by mint that feels almost herbal rather than toothpaste-clean. But this isn't a bright, cheerful opener. The citrus sits atop something woody and austere—you sense the cedar and rosewood lurking beneath, waiting.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.1/5 (167)