Bvlgari Le Gemme Garanat Review: A Man’s Rose
When it comes to men’s fragrances, floral notes quite frequently are regarded with hesitant reluctance. Most men consider these types of notes overtly feminine and readily eschew them for the more familiar Fougere and freshie genres. But this is mostly the case in more Western cultures. In Eastern cultures, particularly in the Middle East, the rose is considered a symbol of masculine virility and nobility, thus being held in high regard by a larger part of society.
One excellent masculine fragrance highlighting the beautiful essence of the rose is Garanat from the designer house of Bvlgari. This fragrance is part of the luxury Le Gemme line featuring offerings for both men and women with the bottles sporting jeweled accents and gold trim.
Per the Bvlgari website, “Garanat is inspired by the deep red garnet from Bosphorus.” Garnet is a deep red gemstone well-known the world over and is the birthstone for January. The deep red crimson hue of this gemstone really does embody the rosy soul of Garanat.
Being a fragrant creation composed by Jacques Cavallier, the structure of the perfume is rather straightforward, primarily revolving around rose and incense. Right upon application, a gorgeous, full-bodied, silken, yet dark rose envelopes your senses underscored with the hesperidic punch of frankincense resin. There is also a light spiciness imparted by the delicate use of cinnamon.
Ever so gradually, the frankincense takes on a smokier expression, brushing bolder strokes of shadows upon the rich, dark rose. At this stage, I also pick up on something vaguely green, but this could just be another facet of either the rose or frankincense.
From this point on, however, Garanat’s profile does not change much. This is purely a magical perfume featuring just incense and rose, yet in the fragrance’s later life on skin, some perceptible woody hues emerge from the texture suggesting a veiled presence of either patchouli or sandalwood. Either way, the perceived woodiness is very smooth and discreet, adding a further refinement to Garanat’s masculine profile.
Longevity is excellent for this fragrance, with outstanding projection and sillage for the first 3-4 hours before becoming a commanding bubble around your persona. To me, this seems like an excellent choice for formal occasions, still it would work either dressed up or dressed down, perfect for any season.
I highly recommend those seeking a refined masculine fragrance that departs from the norm to check out Garanat. You might just fall in love with roses after all!
