Rumba Balenciaga SPLASH 50 ml vintage 1989

Rumba Balenciaga SPLASH 50 ml vintage 1989.

Year: 1988.

Top notes: Bergamot, raspberry, plum, orange blossom, peach, basil.

Heart: Honey, Gardenia, Tuberose, Clove, Heliotrope, Calendula, Jasmine, Magnolia, Orchid.

Base: Styrax, leather, vanilla, sandalwood, musk, amber, cedar, oakmoss, patchouli.

The Perfumers: Ron Winegrad and Jean-Claude Elena.

Rating: 9/10. Summary: "A whiff of the past"—this is a women's fragrance from Balenciaga launched in 1988. Did I say "fragrance"? Let's be honest, this wasn't just any fragrance: it was an olfactory cannonball. If you want to go unnoticed, Rumba is definitely not for you; but if you want the whole world to turn their attention to you, this is the fragrance.

An endless pyramid (at least 20 declared ingredients), lasts 24 hours on the skin (and two weeks, on paper), a powerful scent that fills your room): Balenciaga has always been known for its strong, heavy perfumes, but here we cross the line.

For some, it's an overly enthusiastic, almost vulgar fragrance—too sweet, too caramelized, with too many ingredients that don't blend together.

For others, on the contrary, it is a prime example of the "olfactory supremacy" of the 1980s (the famous "power" perfumes), a symbol of vitality, wealth, and luxury, a hallmark of a bygone era. It is a wonderful fragrance from the past.

(Note: Around 2000, the copyright for "Rumba" passed to Ted Lapidus, who produces the same product under his own name. The fragrance isn't quite the same as Ted Lapidus' version and seems a bit diluted, clearly reformulated to comply with laws and regulations. So, if you're looking for the real Rumba, make sure it's branded "Balenciaga".)