FZOTIC POOF! is the long awaited new launch from visual and olfactive artist Bruno Fazzolari
“FZOTIC favors the bold. My fragrances aren’t for everyone, but since you aren’t everyone, they might fit you just right.” ~ Bruno Fazzolari
Artisan perfumer Bruno Fazzolari of FZOTIC commenced his journey as a visual artist – like several other independent perfumers who are multiply-gifted and synaesthetic. In 2003, he began experimenting with fragrance and initially introduced a scent he had created to accompany his exhibit, which was entitled Mirror 5. In 2013, Bruno added bottles for sale through his artist website under the name Bruno Fazzolari; in 2017, he re-branded as FZOTIC, and left his post as art professor to further pursue perfumery.
Bruno Fazzolari painting via Bruno Fazzolari
Bruno has long had a cult following, and ÇaFleureBon has followed him since the beginning: however, there has been a three-year hiatus since his last scent, and our readership changes regularly – so when Bruno offered to send me a sample of his latest fragrance POOF! in late February, I was eager and excited. (My favorite has always been Au Delá Narcisse – an exquisite narcissus-based floral chypre which I recently purchased after many years’ admiration.) The time has come to introduce FZOTIC fragrances to our newer audience – and the perfumer has chosen the theme of floral jubilation as his muse.
Bruno Fazzolari Mirror 5 via artnews.com
One distinguishing characteristic of FZOTIC fragrances is that they never date themselves, and FZOTIC POOF! Is no exception. Everything about it feels contemporary, modern, and fresh. Its introductory crisp apple note reads as a sparkling ketone or aldehyde (they are chemically related): heady, ebullient, and gleeful. The tang of bergamot and sweet orange contribute to this joyful quality, soon to lead us toward the euphorically candied aspect of three charming impertinent blossoms: tuberose, cassie (a member of the acacia family) and magnolia. Whatever indolic nuances the tuberose and cassie possess are soon subsumed, as they take on a more (eventual) bubblegum-like playfulness. Magnolia never falters from her honeyed, generously floral stance – and the additional presence of honey amplifies this facet. Labdanum contributes a leathery animalic underbelly, while honey evokes fur. Cedar grounds POOF!’s composition, while a deft dash of woody vanilla smooths any rough edges.
I have spent a good deal of time contemplating FZOTIC POOF! – and each time, new dimensions are revealed. Whether on a mouillette or skin, this fragrance shapeshifts – but never so much that POOF! changes character. I would venture to say that it’s more of a prismatic effect. There are moments when it seems all sweetness and light, carefree – and others in which it resembles a honeyed erotic growl underscored with a delightful naughtiness. For good measure, my husband sweetly offered to test it – and POOF! read as amplified animalic, quite musky with a semblance of costus on his skin. He was stunned to compare the scent on paper, himself and me – each of them lovely, but vastly different. Our conclusion? POOF! requires the fleshly canvas in order to fully appreciate all its nuances. It’s a welcome addition to Bruno’s extant perfumed pantheon.
Notes: crisp apple, bergamot, sweet orange, tuberose, cassie, magnolia, labdanum, honey, cedar, vanilla
Sample provided by the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Editor-In-Chief Note: Bruno Fazzolari was awarded a number of Gold medals for his fragrances which debuted at The Taste T.V. Second Annual San Francisco Artisan Salon 2013, including Best New Product and Most Seductive Fragrance. Bruno creates paintings and perfumes; his paintings are represented by Jancar Jones Gallery, Los Angeles. His work has received attention in Artforum, Art in America, Art Papers, the New Yorker, the San Francisco Chronicle, Artweek and the New York Times.
Through former Managing Editor Tama Blough we had the honor of being the first perfume site to review his work (at that time Lamp Black, Monserrat, Five, Au Delà and Jimmy).
Please read Michelyn’s Behind the Bottle with Bruno Fazzolari on Au Delà – Narcisse des Montages here
Please enjoy the following ÇaFleureBon reviews of Bruno Fazzolari’s perfumes: Corpse Reviver, Ummagumma, Monserrat, Lampblack, Five, Jimmy and Au Delá, Unsettled, Au Delá – Narcisse Des Montagnes
FZOTIC POOF! via brand
We have a draw for a sample of FZOTIC POOF! for one registered reader in the CONUS. Please be sure to register and follow @fzotic on Instagram and your comment will count twice. To be eligible, please let us know what appeals to you about Ida’s review, where you live, and if you have a favorite fragrance by Bruno Fazzolari. Draw closes 3/18/23
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