Bruno Banani
Bruno Banani
140 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The mandarin and grapefruit burst with synthetic brightness, caught immediately by black pepper's bite. It's a fruity-spicy greeting that feels clean, almost citrus-cologne adjacent, with that distinctive artificial fruit character that marks it as unabashedly commercial.
The citrus softens into the background as lily of the valley and violet leaf emerge with subtle, powdery discretion. The composition becomes greener, less fruity, with the violet leaf's slightly astringent quality keeping the sweetness at bay. A pale, whispered florality replaces the initial exuberance.
Tonka bean and vanilla move centre stage, turning the whole composition distinctly gourmand and sweet, though amberwood's woody dryness prevents it becoming completely confectionery. What lingers is a soft, intimate sweetness that barely projects beyond your own personal space.
Bruno Banani's Absolute Man arrives as a deceptively bright opening that masks its true intentions. The mandarin and grapefruit establish themselves with citrus clarity, but there's an immediate synthetic quality threading through—this doesn't smell like squeezed fruit so much as the fruity accord of a well-made commercial fragrance. The black pepper adds a welcome prickle, preventing the composition from becoming cloying out of the gate.
Where things become interesting is the heart's restraint. Rather than flowering into a full floral declaration, the lily of the valley and violet leaf maintain a whispered presence—green, slightly powdery, with the violet leaf contributing a slightly bitter, leafy undertone that keeps things from veering saccharine. The florals don't dominate; instead, they act as a bridge between the fruit-driven opening and what's building beneath.
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Salvatore Ferragamo
3.7/5 (890)