Bvlgari
Bvlgari
274 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The aldehydes strike first, cutting through like sharpened pencils, immediately joined by a bright but slightly savoury bergamot that's prevented from being cheerful by the dry tea leaf character and that distinctive blackcurrant blossom—green, somewhat tart. Within moments, mace and lavender add a herbal astringency that makes this feel almost medicinal, a bracing morning composition rather than a seductive evening one.
The spice accords gradually dominate as the citrus recedes; geranium and coriander create a peppery, slightly dusty quality whilst cardamom warmth emerges from underneath. Iris and rosewood introduce a refined woodiness, and the carnation adds a soft powder note that prevents the composition from becoming too austere, though it never becomes genuinely comfortable or cuddly.
Cedar and vetiver anchor what remains into a dry, oakmoss-inflected woody base, with musk providing barely-perceptible skin warmth and the tonka bean adding only the faintest suggestion of vanilla sweetness. Within hours, however, the fragrance becomes a whisper—longevity is genuinely a weakness here, and by the evening, you'll barely detect it without leaning your wrist to your nose.
Bvlgari pour Homme arrives as a remarkably assured composition from Cavallier-Belletrud—a fragrance that understands restraint as a virtue rather than a limitation. The opening burst of bergamot and neroli is tempered immediately by a peculiar savoury edge; those aldehydes don't whisper sweetly but rather assert themselves against the tea and blackcurrant blossom, creating a tense, almost uncomfortable freshness that demands attention. There's something distinctly herbal and slightly green beneath the citrus—the mace and lavender refuse to play supporting roles, instead creating a spiced, almost medicinal quality that sets this apart from its fresher contemporaries.
As the composition unfolds, the heart reveals Cavallier-Belletrud's true cunning: geranium and coriander interact to produce an effect far more peppery and assertive than either note alone would suggest, whilst the cardamom adds a warming spice that conflicts productively with the cool iris and rosewood. This is not a comfortable middle phase—it's genuinely interesting, almost austere, with the carnation providing a slightly powdery counterpoint that keeps things from veering too aggressively masculine.
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