A sensuous caress of the décolletage, a scintillating trail that entwines the wrists, a sensorial emblem of sweet emotions… The relationships we have with jewellery and fragrance draw many parallels—all forged by their intimate, indelible touches that have romanced us for centuries. Their abilities to seduce the senses and capture—or conjure up—memories give meaning to everyday moments, while their power doesn’t just elevate a look, but make a statement and leave a lasting impression.
At Bulgari, this bond between gems and scents is just as everlasting as it is iconic. The house’s olfactory expertise is constantly intertwined with haute joaillerie, both deeply rooted in Roman tradition, and all masterfully crafted from some of the most rare and rarefied materials on the planet. The wearers, too, share a similar discernment and penchant for contemporary alchemies and artisanship, from icons such as Liz Taylor, and modern-day muses Bella Hadid, Blackpink’s Lisa and Úrsula Corberó, to fragrance ambassadors Nick Bateman and Jackson Yee—all of whom have a signature scent that encapsulate memories on end.
It is with these moments in time, scent identities and savoir-faire in mind that Bulgari Parfums concocts its elixirs, with four stars of the season being the timeless Rose Goldea and Man Wood Essence, and the new Rose Goldea Blossom Delight and Man Glacial Essence. We discover the paths each of these sensorial elixirs can take you on.
For the impassioned woman on a mission: Rose Goldea
A woman of history-making sensuality and radiance, Cleopatra, was famously known to have seduced two leaders of the Roman Empire, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Jewellery was one of the Goddess of the Sun’s “weapons of seduction”, as was her favourite flower, the rose—which became her fragrance identity—with legendary tales of her surrounding her bedside in a knee-high pool of red-pink petals. Bottling her intoxicating aura for sensual moments of your own is Rose Goldea, a deeply feminine fragrance that makes a fruity-floral first impression with notes of juicy pomegranate and the precious extract of rose petals. Warm and voluptuous, it then reveals the floral carnality of Damascena rose absolute with jasmine from Egypt, before unveiling nearly 30 facets of creamy, leathery and animalic musks encased in the essence of white incense and sandalwood milk.
“Creating Rose Goldea has been an extraordinary adventure because we wanted to interpret the emotional dimensions of one delicate flower: Damascena rose, the most prestigious of roses. The fraction I used of Damascena rose actually doesn’t smell like a classic rose: here, I wanted to illustrate the very natural freshness, youthfulness and luminosity of the flower with the more translucent notes of musk”, describes Alberto Morillas, master-perfumer of Bulgari Parfums. “Rose Goldea embodies royalty and gold, and reflects a woman who is almost unattainable. Yet at the same time she is also fulfilled at home, in her garden or on her royal boat, like an enamoured version of Cleopatra. Rose Goldea evokes the eternal beauty that all women even to this day pursue, bringing associations of nature and freshness into a very contemporary and feminine trail”.
For the ingénue embarking on a new adventure: Rose Goldea Blossom Delight
Built upon Bulgari Parfums’ fragrance gem, the rose, this energetic interpretation speaks of an ingénue on the cusp of womanhood, poised to take on the world with her spontaneous spirit and an empowered, euphoric sense of wonder. “During harvest, each rose reveals a unique scent and delivers a rare extract with a myriad nuances that never cease to amaze me. For me, a rose is a powerful elixir of joy and femininity,” Morillas regales.
His specific rose of choice for this new muse? One of the olfactory world’s most alluring and precious jewels, the Bulgarian Rose Absolute, which has been presented from bud to bloom. Its evolution starts with the crisp vibrancy of the leaves, and the freshness of the rose bud, then finally, the powdery attributes of luscious petals after reaching full bloom. Morillas adds: “In this new Rose Goldea Blossom Delight edition, I wanted to capture its full range of natural qualities. The freshness of rosebuds at sunrise, the vibrant green leaves and the magical flower that slowly opens to relinquish its fabulous fragrance. I reimagine a rose in all its facets in order to create a fragrance that is sparkling, sophisticated, modern and appealing for all women who love this flower”. To further accentuate the complexity of this audacious flower is the fruity radiance of violet leaf, green papaya and lily of the valley and jasmine absolute, buoyed by the base notes of white musk and ambergris for a delicately sweet, earthy finish.
For the steadfast explorer on the road to greatness: Man Glacial Essence
It has the power to turn water into ice, ignite or extinguish flames, and send a rush through waves and our veins. Air—it is an invisible force of nature that breathes life into everyone, and everything. And bottling this imperceptible element is Bulgari Man Glacial Essence (launching 1 October), which transports the wearer to the peaks of shimmering, snow-capped mountains, flanked by glacial horizons—indomitable summits reflecting the everyday mountains to climb and conquer—where deep breaths of vital energy are taken in.
To capture the “sparkling freshness that captures the unbridled magnitude of frozen mountains”, master-perfumer Alberto Morillas invigorates the senses with ultra fresh essences of juniper berry, ginger and geranium, which unexpectedly awakens an aromatic, herbaceous heart of Australian sandalwood, orris concrete and artemisia. And to “lead to a deep feeling of inner grandeur”, this woody fougère fragrance then dries down into a crisp and clean, crystallised finish of cedarwood alaska essence, and accords of musk and clearwood. Morillas says, “I wanted to translate the feeling of icy freshness. This high contrast fragrance is an icy, liberating breath of air for every man who wears it”.
For grounding the urban man-on-the-move: Man Wood Essence
The same way urban living can take a dramatic toll on natural environments, the relentless speed of city life has a way of draining the batteries of urbanites the world over. This masculine eau de parfum is designed with the symbiosis between nature and urbanity in mind, setting out to revive one’s senses and refresh one’s focus by drawing more than just inspiration from the skyscrapers of the great outdoors: trees.
Think three bold wood ingredients for just the right balance of herbaceous energy and earthy intensity to ground and recharge the soul—starting with fresh, flourishing top notes of Italian citrus zests and invigorating coriander. Then comes the trunk-like robustness of deep green cypress wood and smouldering Haitian vetiver, while its “roots” of cedarwood deliver unique smoky intensity, having been treated through distillation and purification then heated further with ambergris and benzoin siam for a warm resin rush. Artfully blended yet built like a tree, this hefty concoction is a daring tour de force according to Morillas, crediting a strong connection to the elements as key to reinforce balance in life, and reconnecting with inner strength: “Wood is marvellous. It infuses this fragrance with very powerful energy”.
Rose Goldea, $173 for 50ml and $238 for 90ml; Rose Goldea Blossom Delight, $159 for 50ml and $194 for 75ml; Man Glacial Essence (launching 1 October), $131 for 60ml and $178 for 100ml; Man Wood Essence, $131 for 60ml and $178 for 100ml; available at Tangs, Sephora, Zalora and all major departmental stores.
