I would start this collection with a contrast, not a blind buy: Le Dix for the archive-led iris idea, 100% for rose, and Extra for pepper. Those are three genuinely different starting briefs. At the AED 1,135 displayed for a UAE Le Dix 100 ml listing, I want a reason to choose the liquid—not just affection for the label.
Balenciaga launched these original ten perfumes in September 2025. The useful distinction is between the maker’s scent descriptions, my sampling priorities and a specific retailer’s offer. This is a buying and design guide, not a claim that I have worn and scored all ten.
The UAE offer: price is visible, availability needs checking
Galeries Lafayette UAE’s Le Dix Parfum listing displayed AED 1,135 for 100 ml when rechecked on 20 October 2026. That works out at AED 11.35 per ml; it is a unit-price calculation, not a measure of quality or a recommendation to buy the largest bottle.
The product is marked non-returnable. Its public page also contains conflicting stock signals: out-of-stock and notification wording appears alongside purchase controls, while its structured product offer says InStock. I would confirm the exact 100 ml item and delivery or collection availability with the retailer before paying. This check did not complete a checkout or establish shelf stock at a branch.
There is a second reason not to copy every retailer field: the Le Dix page includes a kimono-tulip/Silverneedle-tea line, even though Balenciaga assigns that description to To Be Confirmed. For the scent comparison below, I use the brand’s individual fragrance accounts rather than move that stray line into Le Dix’s notes.
What I like about the Le Dix revival
Le Dix was Balenciaga’s first perfume in 1947. Its name refers to 10 Avenue George V, the Paris address connected with the house’s couture salon, ateliers and original perfume store. The brand’s collection account describes a 15-year archival search ending with the rediscovery of a bottle. That is not a claim that the new liquid spent 15 years in development.
I love the specificity of the bottle story: the rounded stopper, the ribbon at the neck and a label deliberately made to look aged. It gives the collection a visible identity before a marketing paragraph tries to explain it. But the archive is a reason to investigate Le Dix, not a substitute for liking it on your skin.
The original ten: the differences worth sampling
These note summaries come from Balenciaga’s individual fragrance pages. They are descriptions of the compositions, not a complete ingredient list, an allergen check or measured longevity results. My comments explain which comparison I would make at a counter or with samples.
| Perfume | The maker’s described direction | My reason to sample it |
|---|---|---|
| Le Dix | Iris absolute, isolated iris aldehydes, violet leaf and incense | My first archive-led sample: I want to compare its powdery iris direction with the sharper ideas elsewhere in the line. |
| No Comment | Spanish cypress oil, resinous woods and green synthetic molecules | I would put this beside Le Dix for a green-and-woody contrast, rather than label both simply “classic”. |
| Getaria | Salty citrus, pink pepper and seaweed absolute | My coastal-direction candidate. The salty brief is the reason to sample it, not proof that it lasts through a UAE summer day. |
| Twenty Four Seven | Vanilla absolute, amber and musks | The obvious place I would start for someone drawn to warm vanilla, then compare against a less sweet-sounding direction. |
| To Be Confirmed | Kimono-tulip accord and a steamed Silverneedle tea note | The tea-and-floral idea is the one I would choose to challenge an automatic rose or vanilla preference. |
| Muscara | Ambrette seed absolute and an iris accord with a lacquer-like character | I find this the most intriguing counterpoint to Le Dix on paper: iris interpreted through a glossy, chemical-edged brief. |
| 100% | Rosa Damascena essences with an isolated metallic rose note | My rose-led starting point. The metallic contrast is more interesting to me than calling it another luxurious floral. |
| Extra | Pink pepper, black pepper oil and an everlasting-flower accord | I would choose this for the pepper-led comparison, particularly if the vanilla route sounds too familiar. |
| Cristóbal | Assafi oud essence, patchouli and oak moss | My oud-and-earthier direction to sample, not a reason to assume every UAE fragrance buyer wants the same thing. |
| Incense Perfumum | Incense oils, cedarwood and Spanish labdanum resin | The woody-incense candidate I would reserve for a direct comparison with the floral choices, not hide under a generic “evening scent” label. |
No Comment deserves a correction: its current brand account specifies resinous woods, Spanish cypress and green molecules. That is more useful than the earlier broad “fougère” label. Equally, To Be Confirmed’s tea note, Muscara’s ambrette/iris idea and Extra’s peppers are distinct—not interchangeable ways of saying “unusual”.
The three comparisons I would actually make
I would resist trying to find a winner from ten names at once. Start with one question about your taste, then choose two different answers to it. That gives the next sample a purpose.
- Le Dix versus Muscara: both involve iris in the published descriptions, but the archive-led floral brief differs from Muscara’s ambrette-and-lacquer direction. I would compare how much of that contrast I enjoy rather than treat “iris” as one fixed experience.
- 100% versus To Be Confirmed: rose with a metallic edge against the tulip-and-tea idea. My interest is whether I want an assertive rose reference or a different floral starting point—not a generic “for her” label.
- Twenty Four Seven versus Extra: vanilla/amber/musks against pepper-led spice. If I already own plenty of vanilla, Extra is where I would direct the first new sample. A shared Balenciaga bottle is not enough reason to buy another similar brief.
For someone specifically seeking woods, I would add No Comment, Cristóbal or Incense Perfumum according to whether the cypress, oud/patchouli or incense description appeals. Getaria supplies the salty-citrus alternative. These are deliberate sampling choices, not a wear-test ranking or a promise that one will perform best in Dubai’s heat.
The note I would keep after sampling
Write down the exact name and format, when you applied it, what you liked at the start and what still appeals later. Add a plain verdict—“I still want this” or “I prefer the other sample”—before checking the price again. Do not borrow a stranger’s wear-time claim to fill in your own blank. A blotter can help shortlist; decide whether you want to try it on skin, following the product’s own instructions.
Bottles and formats: check what the offer actually contains
The brand describes refillable flacons, a miniature set called Les Dix, a Discovery Box, a Travel Spray and refills. I like that the shared bottle makes the line feel like one collection; the name on the label then does the important work of identifying the composition.
A refill is not automatically a complete new presentation bottle. Before comparing prices, write down the fragrance, concentration or format, liquid volume, whether the case or flacon is included, and whether the refill is compatible with the item you own. A miniature set and 100 ml bottle solve different buying decisions.
A simple offer sheet is more useful than ten open shopping tabs: name / format / ml / included vessel / final delivered price / return condition / availability confirmed. At the checked AED 1,135 price, the 100 ml Le Dix figure is AED 11.35 per ml. To compare a second offer, divide its actual delivered price by its actual volume; do not compare a refill’s unit price with a full bottle as if the packaging were identical.
Kering’s launch account makes specific packaging and refillability claims. Those are not a blanket environmental certification or a verified recycled-glass percentage. I would not turn a handsome refillable bottle into a claim that any purchase is automatically sustainable.
A reconstruction, not a sealed time capsule
Balenciaga’s Le Dix account identifies iris absolute, isolated iris aldehydes, violet leaf absolute and incense essential oils. It explicitly presents the fragrance as renewed rather than repeated. That is the distinction I want kept: the new perfume references the archive without this article claiming an ingredient-for-ingredient match to a 1947 formula.
I find that more interesting than pretending nothing changed. A modern composition can have a strong historical idea without being the original liquid. The powdery-iris brief is the reason Le Dix stays on my first-sample list; how it develops for you still needs your own decision.
The 2025 creation story and the 2026 business change
Kering’s September 2025 account identifies Balenciaga’s development work with Kering Beauté, the division launched in 2023. That is the historical creation context, not the whole current business picture.
On 31 March 2026, L’Oréal announced completion of its Kering Beauté acquisition and the signing of fifty-year exclusive fragrance and beauty licences for Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta. The old present-tense explanation that this is simply Kering bringing fragrance in-house now needs that update. The transaction does not, by itself, prove that the formula in a particular bottle has changed.
My verdict: the contrast earns the interest
The shared flacon is gorgeous; the choice still belongs to the perfume. I would begin with Le Dix, 100% and Extra because their stated iris, rose and pepper directions make a useful three-way decision. If tea, cypress or incense is what excites you, follow that preference instead of a fashion-house hierarchy.
What I would not do is pay AED 1,135 to discover that I bought the story rather than the scent I wanted—especially with a non-returnable retailer listing. Try the right format, compare a clear contrast and confirm the actual offer. For more fashion and design coverage, visit our Lifestyle section.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Balenciaga fragrance collection launch?
The original ten-fragrance collection launched on 10 September 2025, including the perfume store at 10 Avenue George V in Paris, selected stores in Europe and North America, and the brand’s website. The announced Middle East and wider rollout was progressive, not confirmation that every UAE boutique stocked every scent on launch day.
How many perfumes are included?
This guide covers the original ten launched in 2025: Le Dix and nine other compositions. It is not a complete inventory of every later Balenciaga perfume or format, and the reconstructed Le Dix is not claimed to be an ingredient-identical copy of the 1947 formula.
Who developed the collection?
The 2025 collection was developed by Balenciaga with Kering Beauté. The current business context changed on 31 March 2026, when L’Oréal announced completion of its Kering Beauté acquisition and fifty-year exclusive fragrance and beauty licences for Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta. That does not establish a formula change in a particular bottle.
How much do the perfumes cost and what formats are available?
Galeries Lafayette UAE displayed Le Dix Parfum 100 ml at AED 1,135 on 20 October 2026 and marked it non-returnable. Public stock signals conflicted, so availability was not confirmed through checkout. The brand also describes miniature, discovery, travel and refill formats; check each exact product and destination separately.
Research and scope
Rechecked 20 October 2026: the brand’s collection and ten individual fragrance descriptions, Kering’s launch account, L’Oréal’s completed-deal announcement and the public UAE Le Dix offer. All five article images were visually reviewed. No purchase, skin-wear, longevity, allergy, counter sampling or branch-stock test was performed. Sampling priorities are editorial judgments from the documented compositions; the retailer’s conflicting availability signals remain unresolved.
