AMAZONIAN QUEEN An opulent stone and the dazzling vista of Brazil inspire the next chapter of Bulgari Omnia Paraiba. By Li Ying Lim.
n a voyage to the Amazon in Brazil in a “quest for the holy grail” – the gardenia of his dreams – Bulgari scent creator Alberto Morillas was captivated by the tropical landscape and was instantly inspired by the feral scents, a powerful intermingling of flowers with waterfalls and green fronds. “The feeling of Brazil” imbued his senses, both in scenery and scent.
“When in Rio, I opened the windows of my room overlooking the ocean. I experienced the same fulfilment, the joie de vivre, the sentiment of extreme beauty that one can find on the shores of the Mediterranean,” Morillas recalls that memorable journey. “This initial emotion, this freshness, which could be Italian, Roman or Sicilian, was joined by the very distinctive exoticism I had dreamed of.” That dream became the beating heart of his new creation, Bulgari Omnia Paraiba. “A sort of recovered Eden that was immediately enriched with the image of a woman who ‘dances as she walks’ along the seashore,” describes Morillas of the latest addition to the Omnia fragrance collection. “Like life, her beauty is movement.”
Those who have fallen in thrall with the Bulgari Omnia collection would have prior knowledge of the legacy of exotic ingredients and inspirations taken from colourful precious stones. In this collection, Morillas has demonstrated with each scent his unique ability to spotlight one rare flower and turn it into a dazzling fragrance. While the last Omnia Indian Garnet played up the tuberose and the eponymous stone, the Omnia Paraiba is built upon a precious gem – the “neon blue” Paraiba tourmaline, found only in Brazil – which makes its value, par excellence, like diamonds.
To pay respect to such exquisiteness, Morillas set to work with an equally exquisite passion flower. Maracuja, also known as the Brazilian passion flower, truly sets the tone, while whiffs of the mysterious essence of Brazilian gardenia saunters in as heart notes.
“Composed around the zest of the bitter orange and of fruits and enhanced by effervescent cocoa, this perfume combines fresh, crispy, and tangy notes with the strangely beautiful passion flower and Brazilian gardenia,” divulges Morillas of the composition. “Considerably more voluptuous, creamier, and less metallic than the European gardenia, I used it as if I were painting a watercolour. Imagine undefined combinations of pink, green, yellow, and blue, bleached by time on old colonial houses, an exceedingly elegant patina that one finds everywhere in the Northeast Region.”
“I also wanted to express my reaction to the powerful impact of the omnipresent nature – the incredible power of the waves, the expanse of dazzling blue, and the presence of the forest. So close, mysterious, and magical. Vetiver notes were needed to convey this deep-rooted facet – the subliminal aspect of this immense, luxuriant, and wild garden, home to a precise type of woman. She is simply put, primeval, spellbinding, and hyper-feminine.” Available at Bulgari fragrance counters nationwide. Bulgari Omnia Paraiba EDT, RM247 (40ml) & RM318 (65ml)
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