(My all-time favorite fragrance:
First, let me indulge myself and take you through the Bulgari world…
Its jewelry is bold and striking but classic and elegant. The contrasts are sublimely complimentary. I can’t imagine anything more beautiful than the Sapphire Flower Collection. (Do have a look through the link above and through Jewels -> Collections -> Sapphire Flower.)
(the cover of the Bulgari jewelry catalog 2005/2006,featuring a necklace from the Sapphire Flower Collection)
(the front cover/in-fold and back cover of the catalog)
Bulgari’s hotels in Milan and Bali (not that I have been there) look…familiar. I have seen them in my dreams, I think. It is as if the architects and interior designers knew me. Angular and masculine, but somehow feminine and cozy. Again, I love contrasts that gel together.
The staff in Bulgari boutiques are so polite, friendly, and professional, even though all I have done is marvel at the shining things I can’t afford and, once or twice, picked up a fragrance. If I ever have the good fortune and privilege to afford something luxurious, I will not look anywhere else.
I am wearing Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert as I am writing this. It is Bulgari’s first attempt, back in 1992, to enter the world of fine fragrance, and it is still very popular today. With notes from green tea, lemon, orange, lily, rose, and coriander, it is fresh, uplifting, straightforward, and uniquely romantic. It is my perfect daytime scent.
(I love the design of the bottles as well.)
Also, I am wearing it because I am trying to remind myself of the wonderful sensation I got from their skincare line, HydraThé Vitalisant, in which all the items were infused with my favorite scent.
(the Bulgari skincare calalog)
from the catalog)
from the catalog)
(samples of Bulgari Total Performance Cream Foundation)
Unfortunately the line was discontinued several years ago. There are still websites that carry some of the products, but I am simply not interested because the stock must be very old.
Back in June, I planned to write about Bulgari Skincare for my Bring It Back! series. (Two more are planned for September and October.) Interestingly, a few days ago, I was surprised and delighted to find on Women’s Wear Daily that Bulgari will release a new skincare line!
After some brief googling, I found a post on Fashionese Daily (with a photo of part of the line) and another one on CCP Management Consultants Ltd. blog (with some relevant background information). In summary, the line will be launched in October and will only be available in Italy until next year, and there are no plans at the moment to expand the line into color cosmetics. (But I shall remain hopeful.)
I don’t think I will find my favorite scent in the upcoming skincare line, but I am still eagerly waiting for Bulgari to appeal to me on yet another level……
Related Posts:
My Fragrance Favorites
Sheer Stella 2007
Bring It Back: Calvin Klein Makeup, Cynthia Rowley, and Helena Rubinstein
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I never paid much attention to Bulgari; maybe I saw their perfumes at Duty-Free or high end department stores, knowing I couldn’t afford anything from them. I had no idea they made such beautiful jewelry! Being someone who loves looking at pretty things, I thoroughly enjoyed their collections. Thanks for the link! Maybe I’ll keep a closer eye on Bulgari in the future :)
Hello Tammy!!
So good to hear from you again!
Bulgari has always been a forerunner in the jewelry world. I just checked my catalog…it opened its first jewelry store in Rome in 1905.
It was much later that it started venturing into accessories, fragrances, and skincare.
The Sapphire Flower collection is my favorite. The Allegra collection (seen on the website as well, which came out earlier than Sapphire Flower, I think) is a close second. As you might have seen, this style of multi-color gem pieces has been widely copied in many mid-range jewelry lines (mostly using crystals instead of sapphires).
I had a chance to see some Sapphire Flower pieces two years ago in their boutique. They were incredibly stunning. (They come with some pretty “stunning” price tags as well. I guess it is partly because sapphires other than blue ones are very rare.)
Another thing I also love about the Sapphire Flower collection is that each piece is different, in the sense that each individual piece features a slightly different grouping of colors. I remember being shown a pendant and the group of colors used was slightly different from what was seen in the catalog. Plus there is always a color variation of these natural gemstones. So each piece is truly unique on its own but is equally beautiful.
Well…at least I have the catalogs to stroke through…:)
(By the way, I think Bulgari has a serious following in Japan…)
Bulgari squeal! :)
Great blog entry PJ! Loving the photos as well! Big fan of Bulgari!
Hello A-Mused,
Thanks for the comment!!
Glad to know that you are a fellow Bulgari fan.
Let’s dream that one day they will bring out some beautiful makeup items. (I know it is unlikely…)