When I was 15, my mom made a bespoke fragrance at the Barney’s Bespoke Perfume Bar. I still have the bottle—the scent was the first and only citrus perfume I ever liked. Cut to the Big Barney’s Shutdown of 2020, and the formula—which we believe was a mix of mandarin, bergamot, and Madagascar vanilla—disappeared.
For the past decade and a half, I have bought every orange- and mandarin-scented perfume that sounded remotely similar, to no avail. Everything missed the mark, smelling either too medicinal or cheap or nauseating. It wasn’t until Bulgari’s latest launch, Eau Parfumée Thé Impérial, came across my desk that I rediscovered how deliciously addictive a citrus scent can be.
