BALENCIAGA
LE DIX PARFUM

1947

PERFUMER
Francis Fabron

aldehydes
bergamot
coriander
lemon
peach

iris
lilac
ylang-ylang
osmanthus
champaca
jasmine
lily-of-the-valley
rose

musk
amber
civet
vanilla
peru balsam
benzoin
sandalwood
tonka bean
vetiver

Le Dix was created in 1946-1947 as the first perfume released by Balenciaga. Le Dix (The 10) refers to 10 Avenue George V in Paris, where the original Balenciaga boutique was established.

‘Balenciaga’s Le Dix is in the inviting fruit-and-flowers tradition of Rochas’ Femme’ – The New Yorker 1952

‘Le Dix de Balenciaga – in its panoply of green sabers, the iris straightens its purple coat. The tender scent of its roots combines with exhalations of amber and jasmine where smells of strawberry, sloe and peach, mouth-watering. They impregnate the fruity satin with a golden flesh. That of a healthy goddess of summer, dozing on the rough grass or the receding sand. She inhales the make firmament and lends the landscape a voluptuous meaning.’ – Combat 1954

Let me just make this clear at the very start; I’ve only smelled my vintage Le Dix miniature, so I can’t compare it to other bottles, but I’m 99% it has gone bad. I didn’t dislike the scent, but it doesn’t line up one bit with descriptions and reviews of what Le Dix was supposed to smell like originally. It seems to be that these Le Dix oldies are hard to keep in good condition. Mine lost top notes at the very least, but I think more has changed here.

By that I mean that Le Dix is often named as a fresher aldehydic floral scent, but the scent I have here is massively indolic and quite heavy and sweet. It felt dry most of the time, but not exactly powdery. Nor do I get the comparisons to No. 5 with this version.

I do get the violet scent, but instead of it being surrounded by crisp green florals, it’s instantly warm and sweet. It has an almost fecal, barnyardy quality to it, that turns into an earthiness.

At first I mostly smelled something akin to a dark patchouli, that later turns into a more subtle scent, reminiscent of autumn leaves and hay. At this stage there is a green tinge for sure, but it’s all quite heavy and sweetened (which is supposed to be a part of the intended composition I believe).

In the late drydown, Le Dix smelled almost exclusively of hay to my nose, which was the most pleasant phase of the wear.