December 31, 2017
Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma Review + Subversive Gourmand Draw
Pink Floyd Ummagumma album cover 1969
Perfumer Bruno Fazzolari greets the season with a chimerical gourmand as mutable and unconventional as the November 1969 Pink Floyd double album of the same name: Ummagumma (a word said to be Cambridge English slang for sex). Was Bruno around in 1969? And if so, what was he doing??? I was; that’s a fact. After the Summer of Love I was busily trying to conjure my future after an Anschluß of adventures, accompanied by the strains of Pink Floyd, among others; Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma takes me back to that time.
Bruno Fazzolari photo courtesy of Bruno Fazzolari 2014 from Michelyn’s Interview
I admire Bruno Fazzolari for so many reasons: his sense of fun, exploration, imagination, and those inspirations of his which spring like Athena from the head of Zeus. Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma is one of the latter. It shares Bruno’s abiding affection for the deeply resinous smoky base he often favors and burnishes it to a sepia finish with liberal lashings of dusky cocoa and chocolate. My beloved carnation trails her characteristic clove-rich cloak and nuzzles up to tobacco, naturally.
Chocolate Girls via Tumblr
They’re quite a pair, those sinful two: rich, powerful, in subversive cahoots. Gilded saffron’s metallic edge is a foil to labdanum; together with a surfeit of tonka they infer a leathery presence with which to be reckoned. These materials glow atop their cushion of obliging cedar, creamy sandalwood, vanillic douceur. Tender musks coalesce with filaments of powdery balsamic frankincense, slightly lemony in feel.
Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma (Bruno Fazzolari)
The eventual drydown is gently gourmand, not unlike a fine candle recently snuffed which suffuses the atmosphere with gossamer mystery. Lovers of soft-pedaled incense perfumes will very much enjoy Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma long-lasting discreet sillage (which feels intuitive to me; over-spraying Ummagumma does not improve its innate qualities – it simply creates aromatic nuisance, as is often the case with overly enthusiastic application of any fragrance.) As the perfumer himself notes, it’s fabulous for a cosy night in – or a wild night out. Treat yourselves to a little comfort and joy; ‘tis the season.
Notes: saffron, carnation, chocolate, tobacco, leather, labdanum, sandalwood, cedar, frankincense, tonka bean, vanilla, soft musks
Sample sweetly provided by Bruno – thank you! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor
~ Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief
We have a draw for a sample of Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma for one registered reader in the USA. Canda or EU. Please be sure to register. To be eligible please let us know what appeals to you about Ida’s review, where you live, your favorite Bruno Fazzolari fragrance, and how you feel about gourmands. Draw closes 1/3/2018
We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Cafleurebon and use our RSS feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.
I love Ida’s reference of the drydown as being “not unlike a fine candle recently snuffed which suffuses the atmosphere with gossamer mystery.” I like subtle, sophisticated gourmands. Ummagumma certainly sounds yummy! I live in the US.
I have to agree about the line about the “recently extinguished candle.” What an evocative image for an evocative fragrance. Perfect fit for a visual artist such as Fazzolari. I also loved Ida’s description to idea’s popping out of his head like Zeus’ split open! I’m a huge Fazzolari fan, even if all of his scents aren’t winners. To me Lampblack is an avant garde cutting edge vetiver which rises above the (what is now) standard treatment of the ingredient. Au Dela (and the Narcisse edition) is as “chypre-ish” a modern chypre as I’ve smelled. Somewhere circling around Miss Dior, Vol de Nuit, and, again, a bright and contemporary sensibility. Those two stand out! Room 237 creeps me out, but I kinda like the ride. Thank you so much for this draw. Ummagumma sounds wonderful! I’m in the US.
I heard so many things about this creation of Fazzolari. The notes sound really nice , combination of chocolate with frankincense and carnation, then also the name “ummagumma” is intriguing 🙂 Thanks for this nice chance and draw, i live in the EU.
I’m old enough to remember the “Summer of Love,”so thatphrase alone would make me interested in this fragrance. There are some gourmands which I really like and this sounds absolutely gorgeous. Carnation is a note which i love and chocolate? Well well well. I do not know of other Fazzolari creations, but this sounds divine. Thanks for the draw. I’m in the USA.
I personally love gourmand scents in the winter months! I feel they bring a certain warmness to them. Haven’t tried anything from this house but eager to try! I’m in Canada
Ummagumma was a wild-sounding yet meticulously composed album, and Ida’s review of Fazzolari’s composition captures why this name is so fitting. Like psychedelic music, if a gourmand is done poorly, it’s a sloppy mess but done by a great artist, it can be totally revolutionary and transcendent.
I am animosic to vanilla so I thought gourmands would not be my thing, but Feve Delicieuse explodes on my skin, and I think chocolate sounds like an incredible addition to tonka and resin notes. I’m intrigued by the complexity carnation adds to this composition!
I have never had an opportunity to smell another of Bruno’s perfumes so unfortunately I cannot say I have a favorite. I live in the US.
I’ve heard good things about this fragrance. I don’t own any gourmand fragrance so this will be nice to try out and maybe own one day. These type of scents go great with cold weather. Thank Yoi for this article and giveaway. From U.S.
A little comfort and joy in the winter season, chocolate with spicy carnation sounds gorgeous! I’ve never had the chance to try any of Bruno Fazzolari’s creations I am very fond of gourmands as I wear two flankers of Angel. I’m in the US. Thank you for the draw.
Ida’s review is very intriguing the way she describes the dry down as gently gourmand really intrigued me. My favorite Brunno Fazzolari fragrance is Cadavre Exquis.
Virginia USA
This is my first intro to Bruno Fazzalori and it intrigued by smokey incense and chocolate
I like Pink Floyd but don’t know ummagumma
I live in the USA
Great review
Oh man – I love gourmands… with notes of chocolate being one of my favorites. Gourmands make up most of my collection. I love hearing and learning about perfumers’ unique ideas about innovative gourmands – my interest has been piqued. I have not sampled anything from Bruno Fazzolari so I don’t have a favorite. This sounds like a sweet and resinous delight. I’m am in the US. Thanks and happy 2018!
Ida, your description of this fragrance, in addition to the writing and gorgeous imagery, simply made me drool. You had me at labdanum and carnation. The chocolate , tonka bean and frankincense are lagniappe . Thank you for the draw, and Happy New Year!
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Gourmands are a weakness, but some work on my while others are utter failures! I’d love to find a perfect, sexy chocolate! I’ve never tried any Fazzolari offerings, but Ummagumma would be the perfect place to start. I live in the U.S.A. and Ida, as always, I love reading what you have to say, but I think my favorite bit from the review is the slang meaning of Ummagumma! 🙂
I admire all of Bruno’s works and cherish Au Dela Narcisse de Montaigne. I also love Seyrig. I am very choosy about gourmands and doubt like them too sweet. This one sounds quite interesting. I would love to try it. USA.
I so like the idea of a fragrance that is good for a cozy night in or a wild night out–both things I love equally. I also like the idea of the saffron and tonka being in sinful cahoots together.
I have only recently gotten into gourmands. I tried New Harlem from Bond No. 9 recently and I never would have thought I’d like the maple syrup and coffee notes. But they work on my skin.
I’ve never tried anything from Bruno Fazzolari.
I live in the USA.
Ida mentions that Bruno favors a deeply smoky and resinous base and this sounds rather delicious on this cold day. I am unfamiliar with the Fazzoloari brand. I don’t gravitate towards a lot of gourmands but I recently tried Mon Guerlain which smelled like lavender macaroons to me. I am in the USA. Thanks for the draw.
Ida’s review reminds me of being young without a care about much except the next good time. I love that music ties into this fragrance. What is better than music or perfume? Maybe Ummagumma 😉
I love gourmands and the carnation adding some spice sounds interesting. Also, this would be the first of his line for me to sample. Please throw my name in the giveaway/US based. Thank you!
I love Ida’s descriptions and this one is an excellent gourmand with killer notes! I’d really love to give it a try.
I’m in the UK. Thank you!
I haven’t tried anything from Bruno Fazzolari as the draws for his fragrances are usually just for the US and I couldn’t find his line where I’ve been in Europe. I live in Romania, btw.
I love gourmands. But not complete gourmands. Any gourmand fragrance should have the “perfume” feeling to it, in my opinion, and not smell straight f something edible. It should make you want to eat what it conveys, but not the perfume itself. 🙂 From Ida’s review I can see it is “gently gourmand”, and this sounds perfect to me!
I smiled when reading Ida’s comparison of Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma and the summer of 69. For that summer of love I as… probably playing with my Barbies and spending the summer at the lake. So not as exciting.
Love Gourmands – a smokey, chocolaty, spicy/carnation sounds amazing.
Unfortunately I’ve never sampled any of Bruno’s fragrances so I can’t say that I have a favorite.
I am in the US – enjoying? a foot or more of snow and temps so cold my doors are freezing shut.
Thank you for the very delicious sounding draw!
I love gourmands, and this one sounds amazing. You had me at, “…the deeply resinous smoky base he often favors and burnishes it to a sepia finish with liberal lashings of dusky cocoa and chocolate. ” Oh my… *happy sigh*.
I haven’t had a chance yet to try any of Bruno Fazzolari’s scents yet… (though after reading this, I want to!).
And, I’m in the US! Brrr….
Bruno was so kind to include a sample of Ummagumma when I ordered a bottle of Feu Secret some weeks ago. My wife loves it! German address. Thank you!
I enjoyed reading ida’s review, Ummagumma gourmand notes of smokey incense and chocolate really are my kind of perfume especially for cold winter days and nights! As Ida mentions:
“The eventual drydown is gently gourmand, not unlike a fine candle recently snuffed which suffuses the atmosphere with gossamer mystery. Lovers of soft-pedaled incense perfumes will very much enjoy Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma long-lasting discreet sillage (which feels intuitive to me; ……. As the perfumer himself notes, it’s fabulous for a cosy night in – or a wild night out. Treat yourselves to a little comfort and joy; ‘tis the season.¨
I still have not experienced anything from Bruno Fazzolari and I would really love to try this one!
I am in EU.