Bulgari Cologne: Is It Worth The Hype?

Bvlgari is an Italian luxury goods house founded by Sotirios Voulgaris in 1884. Initially famed for its jewellery, the brand has expanded its offerings to include fragrances. Bvlgari's colognes for men are designed for the contemporary, urban man, reimagining powerful ingredients and sophisticated raw materials into a perfume collection. The Bvlgari Man fragrance collection, for example, connects man with his true and uninhibited self, unleashing the power of natural elements. Bvlgari's colognes include the Bvlgari Man In Black, Bvlgari Man Wood Essence, and Bvlgari Man Rain Essence.

Bvlgari Man In Black Parfum: a charismatic, contemporary scent

Bvlgari Man In Black Parfum is a charismatic, contemporary scent. It is an Oriental Woody fragrance for men, with a unique elegance that takes the original Eau de Parfum to a new level of density, richness, and refinement. The parfum is the richest and most concentrated fragrance in the Bulgari Man collection to date, with a dramatic and audacious all-black flacon.

The fragrance exudes a vibrant, spicy, and ambery scent, capturing the mythical power of fire. It opens with addictive and vibrant spicy top notes that smoothly transition into the lavish florality of tuberose and iris, before yielding to the intensity of a dark wood accord. The top notes are spices and elemi, with heart notes of tuberose and iris, and base notes of dark wood and Siam benzoin. The parfum has a contrasting and textured composition, crafted by Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas.

Bvlgari Man In Black Parfum embodies a deeply charismatic and contemporary masculinity through its ambery woody signature. It unleashes the vibrant and sacred power of fire, a symbol representing the origins of humanity, within its spicy ambery scent. The fragrance's ambery spicy accord incarnates the ancestral roots of man and his almost mythical life.

The monolith-inspired shape of the Bvlgari Man In Black bottle evokes the volcanic rocks of the Aeolian Islands. The black opaque design captures the bold and mysterious facets of the fragrance, while the rose gold cap is a stylized reminder of the lava flow as it solidifies into a tactile beauty.

Bvlgari Man Wood Essence: a neo-woody fragrance

Bvlgari Man Wood Essence is a neo-woody fragrance for the modern urban man seeking to reconnect with nature. It is a dynamic symbiosis capturing the authentic bond between man and nature through its energising and vigorous notes.

The fragrance opens with top notes of coriander essence and Italian citrus zest, epitomising the energy of life. The heart notes of cypress essence and vetiver from Haiti embody the strength of a tree trunk, while the base notes of benzoin of Siam absolute and cedarwood Virginia essence anchor the perfume with instinctive and elemental intensity.

The Bvlgari Man Wood Essence bottle reflects the strength of the wood essences within. The bold glass bottle symbolises a sturdy tree trunk, with the cap's metal reflections representing the urban environment.

Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas created this scent around a wood trio of cedar, cypress, and vetiver, combined with the warm and sunny notes of benzoin resins.

Bvlgari Man Rain Essence: a fresh, regenerative cologne

Bvlgari Man Rain Essence is a fresh, woody musk cologne that pays tribute to the revitalizing and regenerative power of rain. The fragrance opens with energizing top notes of green tea and sparkling orange essence. At its heart, white lotus and crystal musk accords capture the pure intensity of raindrops, while the dry-down base notes of mineral amber and guaiac wood evoke the feeling of regeneration left in the air after a rainfall.

Presented in an elegant bottle, the silver sheen and mirror-effect cap of the Bvlgari Man Rain Essence evoke the clear and fresh feel of the fragrance. The scent is designed for the contemporary, urban man, reimagining powerful ingredients and sophisticated raw materials into a perfume collection.

The cologne has received positive reviews, with some describing it as a "masterpiece" and a "light, airy, calm, and laid-back fragrance." However, some reviewers found the scent to be underwhelming, with one describing it as "anemic and incoherent." Overall, Bvlgari Man Rain Essence is a unique and invigorating fragrance that captures the essence of rain.

Bvlgari Man Glacial Essence: a fresh, icy fragrance

Bvlgari Man Glacial Essence is an aromatic fougere fragrance for men, launched in 2020. It is a woody fougère signature scent, capturing the unbridled magnitude of frozen mountains and the unstoppable masculinity of a man on an ongoing quest for greatness.

The top notes of this fragrance are a blast of freshness, with juniper berry essence, ginger extract, and geranium essence. The heart notes are aromatic, with Australian sandalwood essence, orris concrete, and artemisia essence. The base notes are woody, with cedarwood essence, clearwood, and musk.

Master perfumer Alberto Morillas has described the scent as a clash of icy freshness, with an inspiring wind that blows through the soul. The bottle's bold and sculptural exterior has been designed to maintain an untamable inner power, with azure reflections mirroring the glacial nuances of a landscape between sky and earth.

Bvlgari Man Glacial Essence is a long-lasting fragrance, with moderate projection, and is suitable for office or daytime wear. It has been described as a pleasing and calming fragrance, with a mesmerising opening, and a long-lasting freshness. However, some reviewers have found the scent to be generic and not unique, with a disappointing performance for an EDP.

Bvlgari Man Terrae Essence: a modern, elegant scent

Bvlgari Man Terrae Essence is a modern, elegant scent that pays tribute to the power of the Earth. It is a warm, woody vetiver fragrance encapsulating the richness of the soil. Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas has imbued this scent with a symphony of ingredients that celebrate the generosity of nature.

The fragrance opens with Citron Essence, which blends with the calamanzi accord to create a luminous, slightly bitter start. In the heart of the fragrance, two exceptional qualities of vetiver are combined with Orris Concrete to bring out powdery facets while exalting an elegant floral density. In the dry down, the exclusive Terrae Accord, with its earthy notes, meets the leathery signature of styrax, a fragrant resin with a sweet, balsamic, floral and spicy profile.

The Bvlgari Man Terrae Essence bottle is crafted to reflect the unpredictable beauty of travertine marble, with warm shades that evoke the nuances of fertile Italian soil. Overall, this fragrance captures the generosity of nature with candour and authenticity, bringing us back to our most authentic selves.

Frequently asked questions