If You Want to Smell Like Old Money, This Italian Perfume Brand Should Be on Your Radar
For expensive-smelling fragrances that whisper rather than shout, Brunello Cucinelli perfumes are here.
As a beauty editor that’s used to spending her days swimming through a sea of perfume launches, I can totally understand how overwhelming it must be to try and pick a new fragrance when the market is so saturated. Especially when, let’s be honest, it’s often bright packaging, trending notes or celebrity endorsements that mean a perfume earns viral status these days. To find something genuinely refined, you often have to look to heritage fragrance houses or historic bestseller lists. So when a perfume that is meticulously composed and quietly luxurious does cross my desk, I sit up and pay attention. And Brunello Cucinelli’s fragrances are exactly that.
I’ll be honest, while I was aware of Brunello Cucinelli as a fashion house—one synonymous with understated luxury—the fragrances hadn’t really been on my radar. Harking back to the 1970s, the brand’s aesthetic is rooted in refined Italian tailoring and impeccable craftsmanship, but its fragrance line didn’t come until much later. In fact, it’s only two years old—a newbie in a busy perfume landscape.
However, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Brunello Cucinelli had been formulating perfumes for decades, as these perfumes ooze the same heritage feel as a fragrance powerhouse like Chanel. At first spritz, it was clear to me that what makes these perfumes so incredibly special is their restraint. You see, in an industry that’s often obsessed with loud statements, Brunello Cucinelli’s scents are the opposite. They aren’t loud or trendy, they’re sophisticated, enveloping and endlessly sophisticated. Plus, whether you’re drawn to spicy, woody perfumes, airy citrus scents or meditative musks, there’s a perfume that will appeal. Ready to discover a new favourite? Ahead, my pick of the very best Brunello Cucinelli perfumes to add to your collection.
Best Brunello Cucinelli Perfumes
1. Brunello Cucinelli Silenzio
Key notes: Italian bergamot, saffron, cardamom, ylang ylang, cinnamon, oud, salted caramel, vanilla musk
My pick of the bunch, Silenzio is part of the brand’s new Incanti Poetici collection—a trio of fragrances launching exclusively at Harrods. This one is definitely a gourmand-leaning scent thanks to the abundance of spice and vanilla, but I think this will appeal to anyone who loves a decadent scent. You see, this is a complex gourmand. It opens with the brightness of bergamot and cardamom and unfurls into an addictive salted caramel accord, but before things get too saccharine, it settles into a cocooning base of amber, oud and vanilla. It’s made for slow winter evenings, cosy dinners and moments where you really want someone to lean in and notice how good you smell.
2. Brunello Cucinelli Segreto
Key notes: Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian yellow mandarin, orange blossom, Paraguayan petitgrain, sandalwood, Siam benzoin
A delightfully bright and breezy perfume that oozes effortless ease, this is a scent that’s made for everyday wear. Of course, the abundance of citrus fruit means that this feels instantly luminous and uplifting (hello Calabrian bergamot and Sicilian mandarin), but there’s a warmth to this perfume too that feels like stepping into the Italian sunshine. Once it settles onto your skin, there comes the creamy comfort of sandalwood and benzoin that lend the perfume the kind of warmth you’d expect from skin that’s been bathed in sunlight. It’s elegant, sparkling and utterly serene.
3. Brunello Cucinelli Ricordo
Key notes: Coriander seeds, akigalawood, jasmine sambac, coconut, Indonesian Patchouli coeur, cedarwood, vanilla, cashmeran
Jordi Fernández, the nose behind this scent, describes this fragrance as being “born from the desire to capture the essence of an elusive memory,” and it absolutely nails this feeling. It has an almost dream-like aroma thanks to a combination of grounding aromatics like coriander and creamy woods that pull you in before giving way to sweeter notes like coconut and vanilla for a nostalgic twist. It lingers beautifully on the skin, and the blend of soft woods and cashmeran give it the warmth and familiarity of a well-worn designer sweater.
4. Brunello Cucinelli Vie Eteree
Key notes: Bergamot, pink pepper, citron, basil, cardamom, cashmeran, ambrofix
This bottles the very spirit of southern Italy—an abundance of juicy citrus fruits, fresh breezes and clean sheets. The addition of more verdant notes like basil and cardamom give it a herbaceous freshness that feels unexpected and sophisticated and gives this perfume all the crispness of a well-tailored linen shirt. If you want a perfume that smells assured and unmistakably refined without being audaciously bold and bras,h then Vie Eteree is perfect.
5. Brunello Cucinelli Soffio Zenit
Key notes: Bergamot, lavender, rosemary, fig, Haitian vetiver, labdanum absolute
This is a Mediterranean daydream, opening with bursts of clarifying lavender and rosemary on an ocean breeze and lush green fig with a milky sweetness. You will immediately find yourself transported to a sun-drenched terrace. As it meshes with your skin, however, it’s the more resinous undertones that come to the forefront, with amber and labdanum giving the whole thing a gently luxurious glow. It’s a perfume with so many layers, but one that I find almost meditative when spritzed on.
6. Brunello Cucinelli Sogno Notturno
Key notes: Nutmeg, violet, cumin, osmanthus, petalia, vetiver coeur, cistus, sandalwood, ambrofix
While lovers of woody perfumes will adore this, as someone who doesn’t tend to gravitate towards woody perfumes loves this for the fact that this oozes mystery and depth. To me, this is a night out perfume that’s rich in creamy sandalwood with the spicy warmth of nutmeg and cumin. It has a subtle smokiness running through it, the kind that conjures images of underground cocktail bars, but there’s a soft floral element to it with a subtle powderiness from violet. Introspective and quietly atmospheric, this is a really special scent.
Shop more Brunello Cucinelli perfumes
Key notes: Lemon, bitter orange, elemi, pink pepper, ambergris, patchouli, clearwood, benzoin
A soft citrus perfume that’s gentle enough for everyday wear yet elegant enough for more considered occasions, Brezza Gentile is a calling and understated perfume.
Key notes: Nutmeg, olibanum, cedarwood, oud, guaiac wood, patchouli, cypriol
One of the bolder perfumes from Brunello Cucinelli, this is a dramatic spicy oud scent that wouldn’t smell out of place in a candlelit bar. It’s smooth, smoky and has an almost incense-like quality that lingers for hours.
Key notes: Saffron, marigold, cinnamon, osmanthus, amber, cypriol, rose, patchouli, leather, amyris
A power player of a scent, this oozes money. Leather sets the tone here, it’s smooth, elegant and rich, but there’s a supporting cast of deep florals and fiery spices that mean the whole thing smells like confident luxury.
