You can enter a whole world of gemstone mythology with the Bvlgari Le Gemme collection – Snake Jasper, which is the stone that inspires the fragrance, is a protective, regenerative and calming stone that can help you be more intellectually agile and decisive amongst many other things including the treatment of snake bites. I mean, there are many gifts attributed to Snake Jasper but if you have literally zero interest in gemstone meanings (hello, me) please don’t let that put you off. I think I know an exceptional fragrance when I smell one. Honestly, Kobraa has blown me away – the last is incredible. I spritzed at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day Kobraa was still completely clear and present – it got better the longer I wore it.
The key notes are in this Amber Fougere are geranium, olibanum and oud and believe me, it’s intense but in the best possible way. The smoothness is beautiful – it’s mad but it occurred to me that if Rolex watches smelled of anything, it would be this.
I’m not a hugger but I would be hard pressed not to get close up to this fragrance. You know that feeling you get with a cashmere scarf? Just wrapped, warm and so utterly comfortable you could smoosh your face in it? Well, Kobraa is a powerful, distinctly not gentle, punch of that moment.
It’s sold as a male fragrance and there are indeed many traditionally male aspects to it but the predominant geranium throws it on a feminine course which is both charming and olfactorily confusing (in a good way). It’s very much a luxury price at £289 but while I don’t want to wear it I’m ready to throw awkwardly long hugs at it and probably a neck snuggle as well. Harrods were supposed to launch it today but haven’t so I’m directing you to the Bvlgari website – it’s very distracting!