Bulgari Extreme Eau de Toilette for Him - 100 ml

Product Information

Agree with all the feedbacks about the opening blast that hits the nose and the EXTREMELY superb concoction of a base note, and have been disappointed that Bvlgari couldnt amp up the base/drydown which is the best part of this perfume. I still have a bottle (with around 30 ml juice left) from the late 90s, and I'm just amazed at how it held its scent through the years – that's more than 20 years.

Cavallier-Belletrud's works especially for this House, imperceptible as individuals yet their additions are what makes this a flawless silk and velvet tapestry, as opposed to a flashy silk screen on simple material. tonka bean, against the dynamic duo of vetiver and oak moss while they hint at a hidden wildness underneath it all. I've owned a considerable number and variety of fragrances, ranging from old-school to more contemporary ones.Usually I associate "woody", with a deeper, winter-type fragrance, but this is a good fresh fragrance even in hot weather. I don't care about extreme projection or 12 hours+ performance, I'm more concerned about the scent, and this one smells really good. In the far drydown, the core of musk and cedar glows as it serves as a balancing point for the sweetness of amber (translucent amber is listed on Bvlgari's site) and *one single small? Citrus woody fragrance that has a tonic water, almost like a fresh gin scent; drydown gets a bit spicier on my skin. When I first encountered BPH, it was almost a decade after its release (2006) and I bought it scent unsniffed, from an online retailer after reading the reviews of Fragranticans far wiser and experienced than myself.

BPH straddles the divide between the two fragrances that drew me into perfumes in the first place; L'eau D'Issey was my first love and my signature for five years, while Bvlgari Aqva was the scent that sent me delving deeper into perfumery. A tea note with a green, light herbaceous leafy scent that melds brilliantly with a semi sweet soft wood accord and a pinch of spice to finish rounding out what I believe to be a true masterpiece. Bvlgari Homme Extreme is such a well-blended masterpiece, that it brings a tear to my eye and makes me want to shake Jacques Cavallier's hand. This fragrance fits perfectly well for people that lives in a very humid/hot climate conditions, as I do. This has a light White Musk base, the effect after drydown is ethereal - where the layers are just airy and transparent.

Fragrantica does not seem to list the Extrême version of this separately…but it is a different beast. May I humbly beseech the benevolence of the niche perfumery gods, for I have, once more, succumbed to the allure of acquiring a designer fragrance. When I first got it it didn't wow me, I didn't appreciate how well the aldehyde notes are done that brighten and help freshen the composition. It's rather minimalistic, so probably not interesting for someone whose nose needs to be entertained with development and nouances, but for a normal user it's a great style accessory. I am reminded of Salvatore Ferragamo a bit with its juicy, pelargonium heart, yet the green tea note and vetiver in BPH is more-obvious, the woods and clean musk supporting the serene, carefree quality.

Edit: 18 hours later, I decided to wear it as my SOTD and I'm stunned with how refreshing, classy and beautiful this release is. This sweetness however is very hard to describe(its very mild and it just seems to be there and not be there at the same time). This version is almost identical to the original but both differ significantly from the other flanker "Soir" in that they lack a green citrus vibe and offer more smooth creaminess. On the other hand, many of the other reviewers reported the same weakness in sillage and longevity as well.Aldehydes add an airiness (as opposed to an expanding sparkle) while orange and bergamot add the needed citricity (and not a drop more) to attenuate the tea and petit grain; as they perfectly dissolve into leaf-tinged powdery floral notes of lavender and neroli closing a veritable perfect circle of clean, sans any of the usual soapy associations. I would not mind a little more flower or a pinch of spicy or a vetiver and more decisive cedar, it's all so flat that it tastes of nothing. The grapefruit in its opening is a little overpowering no doubt but one whiff of that refreshing green tea seconds later just blows you away. I get more compliments from Bvlgari Extreme than the likes of Sauvage, Dylan Blue, Eros, Cedrat Boise, and even Aventus.

But the dry down is to die for since it smells so completely different from the initial smell of the fragrance. I wasn't looking for a signature scent with this, I just felt that it would a be a hit in my rotation. Maybe it's just me but I don't feel that this is super gentlemanly or masculine either, it's unique, but tending toward the quality fresh mens' fragrances of the 2000s/2010s.Pour Homme is instantly a very pleasing fresh musky citrus and aldehydes, then a growing tea which is the theme of the perfume. This is perfect for office wear as it isn't too heavy but there is enough there for people to notice.