Bruno Banani
Bruno Banani
126 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The grapefruit arrives with an almost aggressive tartness, candied yet acidic, immediately challenging the softer apple notes beneath. Within moments, a synthetic peppery quality emerges—modernist and slightly metallic—that prevents this opening from ever feeling traditionally fresh.
As the citrus settles, jasmine emerges with a green, slightly soapy character, whilst lily keeps the composition lean and architectural. The spicy synthetic accord becomes more apparent here, lending an unexpected sharpness that feels deliberate rather than accidental, though the overall projection has already begun its downward trajectory.
What remains is primarily tonka bean's creamy sweetness and amber's vague warmth, now stripped of any brightness or definition. The composition has largely evaporated, leaving only a skin scent that barely registers beyond intimate distance—a ghostly afterthought rather than a conclusion.
About Men Bruno Banani is a fragrance caught between ambition and execution—a composition that reads brilliantly on paper but struggles to translate those intentions onto skin. Bernard Ellena has constructed a framework that should sing: grapefruit's sharp, almost astringent bite cutting through crisp apple, all of it leading into a jasmine-lily heart that promises softness without cloying sweetness. There's a spicy synthetic undercurrent that gives the florals an almost peppery edge, preventing the composition from settling into conventional floral territory.
The real draw here is that unexpected marriage of materials. The grapefruit doesn't play the typical citrus-opener role—it's too tart, too insistent, almost candied in its sharpness. It meets the apple with genuine friction rather than harmony, creating something that feels slightly off-kilter in the best way. The jasmine arrives with a subtle green quality, while the lily keeps everything spare and architectural rather than romantic.
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4.2/5 (111)