Eau Parfumée au Thé Rouge

Aww.... it's The One That Got Away. Why does this always happen? Absolutely the standout of the generally respectable-but-dull Bulgari teas line - sharing the same very high quality and (once) good value for money with the rest, but doing something far more original and lovelier than any of the others. So OF COURSE this is the one I liked best, the only one that got discontinued, the one that turned into a minor cult, and the one that you can now only find at vintage-silly prices. And of course it's the one that I once saw years ago for pennies in TKMaxx, and considered for a while, but wasn't willing to blind buy given my bland experiences with the rest. Then I first smelled it, years later... and loved it beyond reason, only it was too late. This has to be my greatest personal fragrance fail ever. What it's got: something truly special - genuine, warm, persistent red tea at the centre (of a class that only stupidly expensive things like Memo Winter Palace or Floraikus can rival); an impeccable balance of warmth and freshness; a gorgeously clean and classy aura which never gets cold or overly sharp. It has a peppery, spicy, almost muskiness at the bottom end which binds to the skin in a way that feels intimate, not clingy. Totally unisex, quirky enough to be interesting without getting wilfully weird, would work in any setting, on anyone, dressed in anything, going anywhere. Just amazing. Amazing - but not perfect. It's damnably discreet, staying well within your personal space, not lasting as long as its magic should. It shares that teasing, evanescent, now-you-smell-it-now-you-don't quality of Malle's L'eau d'Hiver, trailing out a wisp now and then to tantalise you when your body heat, moisture and the weather allow it, then disappearing, leaving you chasing its wake. I'm eking out precious drops of the EdC and body lotion from a tiny travel set ... but pining for the chance to smell this one day as it should be, sprayed into a glorious puffy cloud from head to toe, if I ever find any at a sensible price. That's not likely to happen - its cult is well established, I don't think there are any remaining stocks to be rediscovered - but if you ever spot it at a non-antique expense, buy it (if only for me!). For now - I'll love what I have, and treasure the dregs of my set, but The Rouge will forever be the smell of wistfulness, and the sense of missing the (magnificent) boat on this one. ETA: ... aaaaand my years of pining are over AT LAST!!!: managed to snag an opulent and amazing full-body box set of this from a charity shop on eBay complete with soap, shampoo, lotion, conditioner, and a bottle for a very reasonable price. Love it more than ever. It still doesn't last as strongly as I want but my passion is undiminished, and I've come to realise the key to its appeal (for me) is that walnut note in the underneath - the special secret sauce that gives it juuust the slightest tang of peppery-oily-bitter which sets it apart from the rest. Keep on searching, The Rouge fans - it can still be found, if you're willing to way, and persistence pays off - I don't think anything has delighted me as much as finally getting this one.

WOW - I don't like florals or rose scented smells in particular BUT MAN THIS WON ME OVER! IT'S not noted as a rose or floral and I get the scents that are in the note pyramid on a deep smell (though the walnut maybe a bit abstract). But at a whiff it smells to me on the dry down like soft rose or rhubarb (I think soft rose is spot on) slightly musky interspersed with chamomile tea and fresh soft wood (more like soft fresh wood chip). Initial spray to me is of citrus and diluted rose. The black tea with milk and figs as a description didn't occur to me until reading here but that also works... If I was offered to purchase this on the description of Roiboos Tea as Bulgari describe it or on the pyramid alone I'd have said no thanks. I'm always curious though and it would've tempted me to at least try and Bulgari is one of my fave safe brands. As it happens I was gifted this in a First Class kit on Emirates ( I had a free upgrade - Awesome - Bonus - must've been my luckiest day of the year thingy!!). I tried it as a "what the heck" despite the unmanly packaging. WOW - what a CURIOUS UNIQUE SCENT I thought. How fresh and nice for a change from an aquatic. After a few hours I'd realised that not only did I like it but I wanted it!!! As soon as I was off the plane in Europe and heading to my connection I tried to purchase a full bottle. It hadn't occurred to me that this was actually a unisex scent. My brain just assumed that it was a mens kit therefore it was an odd perfume for men. Everywhere I went for two weeks people in the gents section did not know of a Bvlgari Rouge or whatever in a red bottle that smelled like faint roses and tea - and they looked weirdly at me... After googling it as an after thought and seeing it listed as a womens scent and or unisex on the return leg at Heathrow I realised I had to go the the ladies section and of course they had it. The girl said "Must be for the wife as it wasn't a common request!", I said "its actually for me"... she just looked me up and down and was like OK whatever... I walked away shaking my head but with a smile on my face... * Great longevity 4-8 hours * Low to moderate silage * Unisex but erring on the ladies side * Fresh and not overpowering Some times serendipity strikes...

Eau parfumée au Thé Rouge is an old favorite of mine. I remember sniffing it in the store around the time it came out, when I was a student and not particularly interested in perfumes. My friend and I loved it, but it was much too expensive for us at the time, and although we went back to the store a couple of times to pine over it, we soon forgot all about it. Years later I started obsessing about perfumes and when I began browsing Fragrantica I was reminded of this old crush. It seemed to be discontinued (is it?) so I got a bottle on a discount site, rather cheap, at least in the eyes of my current working self. I was curious to find out whether I'd still love this scent, and I'm happy to say that I do! It was love at first sniff again. I love to drink all kinds of tea, and this is the perfect tea scent to my taste; quite realistic, but not so much that it loses its perfume character. It smells exactly like tea, rooibos in the foreground and some black tea in the background, only it's not bitter at all. It's pretty sweet, but in a non-sugary way. I guess that must be the fig playing its part, but it's wonderfully well blended in, I don't think I would have picked it out without looking at the notes listed here. All in all it makes for a lovely, warm, comforting but mature smell. I love it throughout the year but I think it's at its best now, in the early fall. By the way, this is the only perfume my (almost exclusively male) colleagues have ever commented on, and it wasn't good. The longevity isn't good, so I sprayed some more on in the bathroom after lunch, and when I came into the office, where the windows were open, my colleague said "Oh God, now those idiots in the next office are smoking a water pipe!". I agreed with him and made a point to spray a bit less liberally with this one in the future...

I must start off by saying that this is not just a tea scent...In fact it only starts off as one and then develops into an exquisite fragrance that is very far from where it began! On first spritz, it very much reminds the smeller of a thick, rich red tea with all the trimmings...meaning it has a little spice, a little sweetness/creaminess, and a bit of zestiness. All of that is the beautiful mix of tea, bergamot & orange, fig, and a pinch of pepper. This phase lasts about an hour or so. It then develops every so smoothly (and quite stealthily) into a rich and creamy dream scent that is quite similar to Armani Code (I know this sounds insane, but you must try it to believe it!!) but lighter in many facets. I would call this a lighter and more complex version of AC because there is much more than just creamy and leathery (in AC, not this beauty) goodness going on. This middle phase lasts a good five hours or so. The last leg of this journey is just a delightful as the rest...the resins and the walnut note pop up in a fantastic sort of way and remain dominant through the end of the fragrance's life. I don't get much musk, but that's not a bad thing in my book! This last bit of scent can last the rest of the day (at least four hours) if you don't wash it off or sweat it off! My only complaint is that other than the initial blast, the projection isn't that massive, but with a longevity like it has, it is a wonder nonetheless! I give this a deliciously creamy 9.5/10!!! P.S. On my skin it is much more potent, creamy, nutty, and a bit more masculine than when my girlfriend wears it...for her it tends to be a much lighter, sweeter tea fragrance! Skin makes all the difference!

Eau Parfumee au The Rouge, though discontinued now, is a nuttier, cozier, woodier take on the original iconic Eau Parfumee au The Vert. The original opens with a dazzling lemon peel and the most perfect green tea accord that I think should set the industry reference point. Rouge, on the other hand, begins with a bergamot earl grey feeling. One immediately detects the slightly musty but very authentic scent of tea leaves after, along with a woody fig. Fig is a really odd accord to me because it can smell so different from fragrance to fragrance depending on how the perfumer interprets it: woody, ozonic, coconutty, fruity, shampoo-y... In The Rouge, it acts as the sweet varnish on the woody, nutty notes. As the fragrance develops, the warmer aspects become much more present: the plushness of woods, a slightly toasted walnut, a hint of ozonic, figgy sweetness throughout, like tea with honey and a dash of cream. The whole effect is somehow fresh, creamy, a little powdery, and cozy at the same time. A more meditative fragrance for sure, transparent and ethereal, nostalgic. This isn't a gourmand, but it does remind you of something you would drink on a cool, gray autumn day when you plan to stay in and read your favorite book. However, the juxtaposition of fresh and woody notes make it easy to wear in nearly any season. I especially like it for that irritating transitional time between summer and fall when beachy fragrances no longer feel appropriate, but it's still too hot to go in for the heavy stuff. Alas, once I finish my travel spray, I'll have to move on, but I'll enjoy this little beauty while it lasts.