Bvlgari | The Scented Hound

July 3, 2023
by The Scented Hound 10 Comments

Bvlgari Desiria

WHAT I SMELL: Desiria opens with a soft and beautifully haunting magnolia that’s sheer, light and airy. It also feels as if it’s been infused with puffs of cotton as it’s warmed with a light ambered hue. As the perfume slowly exhales like a deep breath off the skin, a rounded rose quietly comes to the forefront as if a magic wand had been handed over from the magnolia to the rose. The rose is lightly sweetened, but for the most part, it stays mysteriously wrapped up in the sheer cotton just like the magnolia was. Here the perfume remains, projecting nicely but with an ethereal persona. Desiria isn’t complicated, but she’s sheer magic.

From the Bvlgari Mexican website (in Spanish):

A journey through the lush royal gardens of the Tang Empire The soul of this alluring fragrance is mauve jade, a unique and exuberant gemstone with luminous grace and seduction. Meaning desire, Desiria expresses eternal love and passion through mauve jade, a gem as vivid and sensual as the lush spring flowers of a Chinese imperial garden. A voluptuous and captivating Eau de Parfum, the scent of an imagined Chinese garden.

Notes: Magnolia Essential Oil, Rose Petal Absolute, Musks

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Rose colored feathers.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE DESIRIA: soft, comforting, haunting

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DESIRIA: No reviews found.

BOTTOM LINE: I ran into this little beauty in Cancun last week. This very nice establishment had a rather large collection of perfumes by Bvlgari with many from the Le Gemme collection. I picked up a perfume with a purple top that is part of their men’s line and spritzed on a card. The sales assistant told me that it was Desiria. I told her how nice it was but that I was surprised how soft it was for a perfume for men. Of course, not needing another perfume in my collection, I did what every perfumista does…I asked for a sample. When I got back home, I looked up the perfume on the Bvlgari website. Interestingly, it can’t be found on the US site, but it is available on the Bvlgari Mexican site (for international sales only?). I also found that there is Desiria for women (pictured up at top) and Desiria for men (see bottle to the left). In looking at the website copy it appears to be the same, but the notes are slightly different (but I do think it’s the same perfume). What is crazy is that the 100 ml for women is approximately $440 and the 100 ml for the men’s version is approximately $500. In any case, if anyone knows if they are the same I would love to know. And as much as this is a beautiful perfume, it does not justify anywhere near the price they are asking. I am so confused!

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral Rose
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Approximately $440 for 100 ml eau de parfum.

April 12, 2021
by The Scented Hound 4 Comments

Bvlgari Garanat

WHAT I SMELL: Garanat opens with a hint of spiced cinnamon that very quickly turns to the rose. The perfume is soft and creamy, yet at the same time it grabs the wearer because it demands attention as it grows in volume and its middle eastern gravitas. There’s not a lot at play with Garanat, the perfume is a straight shot of incense infused deeply intoxicating beefish oriental rose. As such, it doesn’t change much except for the incense becoming a bit more pronounced along with a woody timbre. But from the beginning to the end, Garanat is masculine and incredibly sexy all while being a perfect gentleman. Who knew rose and incense could be so incredible? It’s a simple as that.

From the Bvlgari website:

Inspired by the deep Red Garnet from Bosphorus, the fragrance conveys masculine strength and forerightness. The crimson gemstone shines in the darkness, bringing its wearer the impassioned courage and vision of Suleyman the Magnificent, the most seducing Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

A dense, spellbinding swirl of an ardent and masculine rose entwined with noble smoked incense for a mesmerizing fragrance of supreme virile force.

Notes: Cinnamon Essence, Rose Absolute, Smoked Incense

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Middle Eastern sexiness; Egyptian actor Yasser Galal.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE GARANAT: bold, manly, refined

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GARANAT: No reviews found.

BOTTOM LINE: Garanat is not a perfume full of twists and turns. Once it goes on, you get rose and incense and that’s where it stays for hours. Garanat is a simply elegant, long lasting masculine beauty.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental
Nose: Jacques Cavallier
Classification: Leans masculine
Expense: $332 for 100 ml eau de parfum.

February 22, 2021
by The Scented Hound 4 Comments

Bvlgari Noorah

Have you ever become obsessed about a perfume you wish you owned? Well, for me that perfume was Bvlgari’s Noorah. A few years back while wandering through Duty Free at the Bangkok airport, I came across a display for the Bvlgari La Gemme collection which I had heard of, but hadn’t experienced. Many of the perfumes in the collection were incredible, but Noorah stood out and was love at first spritz. But always cost conscious I found the price was just too high so I walked away from a purchase; that is, after I drenched myself in the perfume. Sitting atop my cloud of perfume on the plane was pure delight and thus began my obsession.

Of course, after spending a great deal of money on vacation, I put perfume purchases out of my mind. I then found out a couple of years ago, that the perfume had been discontinued and that piqued my interest in Noorah once again. I saw that there were some decent prices on eBay, but being in Mexico, shipping is impossible. But luckily a year ago, I found the perfume on Amazon Mexico for a decent price. I was thrilled that I had finally found my holy grail until I received the perfume and it was clear that it was a fake. Thanks to Amazon, I got an immediate refund without any questions.

Then recently, I found Noorah on a fragrance website that actually ships to Mexico…and at a great price! So one month later (yes, it takes that long for shipments to arrive in Mexico) I finally was re-introduced to my obsession. Does it live up to my memories?

WHAT I SMELL: Noorah has a strange opening that’s mildly chewy and a little waxy with what seems to be chocolate and sometimes leather combined with a Playdoh iris. I have to say that this weird opening is not my favorite primarily because the chocolate note has a soured edge that is a bit off-putting. But given all that, the initial wear is rather quiet and subdued. As the perfume continues to develop, a light cardamom and pepper with just a hint of honey is added which gives an extra light bite. However, overall the perfume remains soft and lightly creamy as the waxy wanes to just plain smooth. After some time, Noorah begins to come out from under her creamy veil with a light powdery sweetened iris with hints of pepper. It’s baby soft, lightly projected and incredibly pretty with the perfect mix of lightly sweet and lightly powdered. As the perfume continues to develop, a lightly warmed wood slides in below the powdered haze. In the end, Noorah leaves the wearer cocooned in a powdered iris cloud. Heavenly.

Additional note: Noorah’s DNA seems to change a great deal with the weather. Warm and humid, the perfume has great projection and the woody note at the end is more prominent. Cool and dry weather keeps the the perfume very powdery with light projection that’s close to the skin. Either way, the perfume is fantastic.

From the Bvlgari website:

From Nishapur, the long journey from Orient to Occident. Turquoise takes us on a journey along the Silk and Spice Routes of yore. The most beautiful specimens come from the region of Nishapur, an exceedingly ancient city in Central Asia, and one of the crossroads of the mythical Silk Route. Caravans belonging to Turkish traders brought the turquoise to Europe, giving the gemstone its name. A stone of the bright blue sky, a nomad gem recalling open spaces. Noorah, an evocative name embodying the exuberance of the infinite heavens. Its rich, mysterious and sensual fragrance captures the magnificence of the Silk and Spice Routes. Narguile Vapors – Candied Dates – Laotian Benzoin.

Notes: Iris, tobacco, oak, benzoin, honey, galbanum, vanilla, ginger, cardamom, patchouli.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Hues of pink and violet, scarves, makeup and powder…and oh so much glamour.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE NOORAH: soft, elegant, powdery

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NOORAH: No reviews found.

BOTTOM LINE: So is Noorah the perfume that I remember? Yes, it is. I was a bit worried when I first sprayed it on my skin, but after a short time, the beauty of the perfume and my memories of that first plane ride wearing it came rushing back. In other words, I have no regrets with my purchase. Mission accomplished…off to my next perfume obsession!

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Chype Floral
Nose: Daniela Andrier
Classification: Leans feminine
Expense: Prices vary depending on purchase location. Available in 100 ml eau de parfum.