Bossa by Granado

Dearest Cécile, I forgive you because Epic Woman was yours; I don’t rule out that Bossa is someone else’s work and you merely signed off for the money. Everyone likes easy money, I understand. Creed did the same with VIW, sacrificing magic for profit. Estée Lauder turned a jewel like Bronze Goddess into a synthetic mess. Bossa is a composition seen a thousand times, lacking originality. The worst is the quality: it smells like tropical air freshener.

An eminently summery fragrance, nothing new about it. There are several with this vibe, but in my view, this is the ideal one in terms of value for money. My competitors, Malibu and VIW, are outrageously priced. This offers a similar experience but at a much more moderate price. Are the others better? Yes. Is it worth paying the difference? No. Citrus opening, without heavy notes, with florals. Coconut is noticeable at first. It would be the logical evolution of those perfumes. It comes out brighter and dries down to a creamier finish. A sunscreen, if you will. Citrus, white flowers, coconut, and musk. That’s it. Suitable for beach occasions; reasonable given the price. I’ll use it sparingly as it’s not a profile that drives me wild. Unisex, with moderate longevity and projection. I’ve worn it for about four to five hours.

It’s refreshing. It smells wonderful and is perfect for high temperatures. In my opinion, it doesn’t have a strong trail or projection, but close to the skin it leaves a very pleasant, summery scent.

The usual: the hype from some YouTubers and a fragrance that lasts no more than an hour on the skin at designer price when it should be supermarket level. Does it smell bad? No. Does it justify the purchase? Neither. It smells good if they sell it at Mercadona or bottle it at Lidl for ten euros, but not like this. It’s a scam to deceive the gullible. I’m fed up with reviews that sell smoke instead of perfume.

In my perception, citrus notes are felt at first, followed quickly by the monoi scent over the coconut, with musk in the base. Regarding longevity, I expected more. Over the two days I’ve worn it, it hasn’t lasted more than 45 minutes. There’s about an hour of moderate projection, then it becomes a personal bubble that lasts around five hours. I feel it’s for personal enjoyment rather than to make an impression. The scent is very rich, though.

I bought it after Antonio from ‘Fragranceando’ recommended it. I read it was different from Creed’s VIW; being a big fan of the latter, I decided to try it. After receiving it, I have mixed feelings: on one hand, it resembles VIW much more than at the start, where it feels slightly more citrusy and of better quality than Creed, especially as it dries down. Also, the bottle doesn’t give good vibes. On the other hand, the price is reasonable at 55 euros including shipping, and they didn’t raise it after the fuss. I regret (relatively) buying it only because I already owned VIW and this is an inferior version. Nevertheless, it’s a fully recommended alternative for those who don’t have VIW.

As soon as I tried Bossa, I was reminded of Soleil Blanc. I bought it blind thinking it would be different, with a more marine touch and less sweetness (without declared tonka bean). But it wasn’t. Without being able to compare them, I feel the fragrance is very similar to Tom Ford and I haven’t found the twist I was looking for. Also, like with Soleil, Bossa feels too sweet for summer and too tropical for the rest of the seasons after its rich opening. And although it’s unisex, I prefer to wear it on my partner than on myself. Still, if you’re looking for that sweet, beachy coconut scent or a more affordable version of Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc, in terms of price, scent, and longevity, this is a recommended purchase.

It is not impressively original, but by no means is it banal or dispensable. I didn’t know much about Granado before: years ago, a trip to Brazil brought my sister and cousins some fancy soaps, and now, seeing the shop they have in Chiado, Lisbon (though I must admit I never paid much attention), life’s coincidences led to me reading the latest review of this Bossa while in Cascais (there for work). Piqued by curiosity, I decided to head to Lisbon to visit the shop as a bit of a stroll. I must say, I enjoyed the experience. Indeed, Bossa plays in the league of summer, tropical, and coastal fragrances like Coconut Water & Yuzu from 4711 or perhaps Tease Dreamer from Victoria’s Secret, but without being quite the same, save for that note of coconut. In my opinion, this coconut is crafted to stay as far away from the ultra-familiar Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen as possible, which I think is a success. While I am not the most enthusiastic about this type of fragrance, I must say that this one gives the user a breath of fresh air compared to the trendy tropical scents that have overdone the ‘gourmand’ aspect (so much so that some could be sprayed in tea rooms and bakeries to tempt customers into buying seasonal desserts). The fresh citrus opening is very apt, anticipating the seaside ensemble with marine notes based on tiare, frangipani, and obviously coconut. Bossa seeks neither the sugary sweetness of current trends nor the perfumey posturing of Instagram divas, which is much appreciated these days. It is a product to give and receive pleasure in hot seasons without causing chemical bronchitis or diabetic comas to the surroundings. I found @Elena79’s review mentioning that summer posturing quite amusing, as it stripped away the innocent veil I was carrying. I knew nothing about ‘effortless style’ or ‘white crochet dresses’ until I read it, and even less did I realise the paraphernalia used to project the image of the ‘Perfectly Casual’ person, which is indeed seen in beach bars or restaurants right on the sand. It is true that sometimes, with legs wrapped in towels, hair matted by salt, and wearing colourful t-shirts to avoid ruining them with sunscreen or tan, you go to a beach bar for a beer and find people (mostly women) dressed in spotless white with not a grain of sand to mar the perfect shine of their skin, emitting intoxicating fragrances that mix with the frying oil of the establishment. Innocently (foolishly) you wonder how they managed to be born so perfect, but no… they are products for and of the posturing of this 21st century. I was left looking like a fool for not imagining it before. Anyway, I laughed myself silly, for me and for them (or him). NOTE: Sorry for the digression of writing such extensive reviews with things that are sometimes my own reflections, but I like doing it this way and reading it too. Summary: A good proposal, though perhaps a little pricey. I recommend, if possible, a test under proper conditions, as it is certainly worth the evaluation.

Did someone say Paula’s Ibiza by Loewe? It reminds me of it too much, minus the fig green part. Cheerful and summery all the way, and it smells of quality. A good proposal for summer.

A great proposal from the Brazilian house. A citrus/marine opening that gives way to frangipani, tiare, and coconut milk. A sunscreen-type aroma, totally vacational and fun. Longevity on my skin is about 7 hours with moderate projection and trail. Unisex, informal, and for heat, a very ‘enjoyable’ fragrance. Excellent value for money thanks to C. Zarokian. Highly recommended.

A cheerful summer fragrance, suitable for wearing casually on hot days. It opens fully citrusy (lime) and is diffusive thanks to coumarin. After about 20 minutes, C18 aldehyde is noticeable, giving the ensemble its coconut scent, though over time it will recede to the background. Meanwhile, timidly, slight marine and yellow floral notes appear. The musk takes on a leading role, being present throughout the fragrance’s duration. In my case, it lasts about 6 hours, with moderate trail and projection. From an hour and a half onwards, it reminds me quite a bit of Adolfo Domínguez’s lime-tonka fresh water, except that in this one we don’t find the slight coconut touch that Bossa has in its dry-down. The fragrance feels of quality, although it is true that the essential oils and chemical aromas employed are not especially expensive (frangipani and tiare are a bit pricier, but nothing exorbitant). This is why I find it slightly expensive (€60 for 100ml) for the kind of casual fragrance it is. Personally, this Bossa is completely dispensable for me, as a very similar dry-down would be found in Lima-Tonka (which cost me less than €20 for 200ml), and it would also be similar to the inspiration I have for Divain, Creed’s Virgin Island Water.