Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert (1993)
by Bulgari

This is a brilliant modern take on the classic Eau de Cologne. It's a sprightly, green summer scent that may not necessarily smell like green tea, but it carves out an olfactory territory of its own regardless, into which many bath and body products have followed. I almost wish they wouldn't have pigeonholed it by naming it after green tea, especially since Bulgari's product names are usually tasteful. It starts out more citrusy and becomes more flowery, all the time unfortunately losing a lot of strength, though this is somewhat to be expected. Maybe next time I'll douse myself in the stuff and see what happens. By the end, the base is very subtle and reminds me of luxury hotel soaps based on honey and citrus blossoms. I find this and Mugler Cologne to be among the more successful unisex fragrances I've tried; many others had feminine associations that were too strong for me to use them enjoyably.

I really can't stand the majority of Jean-Claude Ellena's creations – they're so ethereal and transparent that they're more appropriate for admiring, like a piece of abstract art, than actually wearing (let alone investing in). There’s also no sense of practicality to his ideas and I often get the feeling that both skin chemistry and the general performance of a perfume on the skin is never his main concern (well, unless he assumes that his clientele is highly affluent and live in air-conditioned environments 24/7… which is highly probable).

Eau Parfumée au Thé Verte is one of his better releases and, at the time, was a groundbreaking creation. It's a pleasantly fresh green tea scent, with some citrus notes lurking in the composition, but it never succeeds in winning me over. The longevity is quite abysmal as well.

Just like Eau d'Orange Verte, skip this one and go for the ‘intense’ version (Eau Parfumée au Thé Verte Extreme). Well, that's unless you have money to burn like his highly affluent clientele…

[Original submission date: 07 August 2008]

The Vert is green, peppery, powdery, and slightly sparkle-y. It could also be THE most boring, pleasant scent I've ever smelled. I'm sure it could work as a room spray in spring, but I cannot imagine looking forward to putting this on as I'm dressing. I'll tell you what though, this would work very well in a close quarters situation like a plane ride, ER visit, or alien abduction, when you don't want to offend those around you.

I like it - it reminds me of those days in winter that are sunny but chilly. maybe cos I bought it in London in summer but i think it's crisp and clean all the same. when i'm trying to figure out what to wear i usually pick it up when i just can't be bothered thinking too much but i'm always glad that i do later in the day cos it lasts forever!

Boring and bland. Compared to ck One? ck One is a vibrant citrus while Thé Verte is a blank, pale green wall. Several people told me that "it smells like perfume". How non-descript can you get?

Top notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin, Orange
Middle notes: Cardamom, Tea, Lily of the valley, Rose
Base notes :Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Musk, Amber

Bulgari's first perfume and (arguably) still the best. This is where it all started... the beginning of Jean-Claude Ellena's signature minimal accords. Ellena shopped this composition around in the late 80s early 90s, but there were no takers .. incredibly the composition was considered too off-beat for the crazy hairdo wielding populace of that period. Ultimately Bulgari took a chance on the composition, and used the juice to aerate one of its flagship stores in NYC. Rest as they say is perfume history..

TheVerte (TV) elicits the aroma and freshness of green tea, but as far as I know it contains no green tea note. Ellena uses a smorgasboard of notes to recreate the freshness of green tea. The juicy citrus opening is immediately followed by a (comparatively) more complex heart of florals and spices...but these are florals and spices suspended in space, their loudness barely audible. The spicy freshness of cardamom (a regular ingredient in Chai tea) is rendered soft by a dusting of jasmine and rose while the remnants of the citrus opening infuse the composition with a tangy element. The basenotes provide ample support in the form of cedar and amber. Its a quiet yet substantial scent and easily lasts over 6 hours on my skin. For a more impressive effect, use it as a room spray - the ambiance it lends to space is an olfactory experience to behold.

Nowadays Ellena maybe accused of riding on his past glory by regurgitating his minimal sweet and vegetal formula dressed up in fancy international marketing, but his classics have stood the the test of time. The Verte has been oft copied but never bettered. Put a bottle in your guestroom and the guests may never want to leave.

Rating: 8.5/10