Rumba by Balenciaga

Balenciaga Rumba is my most recent perfume discovery. Having read nothing about this fragrance I did a blind swap. And, as it turns out, Rumba is pretty fabulous in a truly unfashionable, 1980s, big perfume way.
I looked to other, wiser perfume bloggers for their thoughts. Bois de Jasmin writes (in a review from 2005) "Rumba is miles away from minimalist. It is vibrant and exuberant, expanding into waves of warmth interspersed by beguiling darkness." A comment on Fragrantica goes on, " Rumba gives you the big rich debutante's bouquet, honey and fruits on the table and patchouli and leather in the night air." Angela from NST, had this to say in 2006, "Rumba is big and deep, and is a strange but compelling combination of a hot electric burner, fruit, and beeswax". And Patty at Perfume Posse writes "Rumba sounds deeply, desperately not my sort of thing", and goes on to say how much she likes it.
Rumba isn't a muted edgy fragrance. Released in 1988, it was created by Jean-Claude Ellena and Ron Winnegrad and has a very old-school feel about it. It's a giant step step away from the usual kind of perfume that I would buy or like. But the soft beeswax and honey elements make it gentle and wearable without being overtly sweet.
Rumba is definitely going to be a regular feature in my perfume wardrobe this winter. Of course I'll be wearing it in a retro, tongue in cheek kind of way.