Bruma
Trudon (2017)

This one is intriguing. First of all, I can't pick out any notes whatsoever. The listed notes might make it sound quite crisp, like Heeley Fine Leather or perhaps Oriza Violettes du Czar. Or it might sound like a powdery, feminine russian leather type scent. Well, the latter is perhaps closer to the truth, though I can't pick out any violet or iris or for that matter leather. To my mind there are "red fruit leathers" (usually raspberry) and "yellow fruit leathers" (orange, apricot, peach, dried fruit) and this is a bit like a very understated, abstract and feminine "yellow fruit leather" where the leather is the softest, subtlest suede and the fruit a transparent whispher of sweetness. There's something simultaneously cool and warm, dewy and steamy about it. The steamy, warm quality - a tactile feeling more than a scents - reminds me of some ambers. Perhaps it's the combination of lavender (as in Gris Clair), iris (powdery, creamy, cool) and labdanum (warm resin) that creates the effect? Normally I prefer identifiable notes while this is just an abstract golden-orange aura, but somehow it feels very right as a signature scent. Bruma ("haze") is not a bad name for it.

Bruma is perhaps my least favorite of the original Cire Trudon perfumes, but I’m struggling to say why. Perhaps it’s because of the dissonance between the ad copy the brand provides and my actual experience of the scent. It’s worth noting the original brand copy here, so as to be as clear as possible:

“Bruma contains a distinguished, almost animal-like sensuality. In the night, a feminine rider draws inner strength from the elements that surround her: her horse and the depth of the forest at night seem to give her a magnetic and carnal aura. Bruma (“solstice” in Latin) is intrinsically tied to the sun. And to royalty. An icy solstice, Bruma feeds on the moon and the forest to evoke the inner metamorphosis of a character in contact with the nature surrounding her.”

To me, that kind of language implies something more dramatic and forceful than what actually transpires. Bruma is a very pretty violet and iris cosmetic powder scent layered over a fruity apple suede base, not a million miles removed from what you’d get if you were to spray Chanel’s Misia on top of I Miss Violet by The Different Company or even Traversee du Bosphore by L’Artisan Parfumeur. They all share a delicious “I could drink this as liqueur” quality.

There is, however, an oddly ashy, peppery core to Bruma that does not appear in the other fragrances I mentioned, and for a time, I was close to defining this as Tuscan Leather-lite (there is a similarly sawdusty texture that links the two). But this ashen portion of the scent melts away quite quickly, leaving the deliciously fruity violet suede in its place. The drydown has a nutty, chewy lokhoum flavor to it that I truly enjoy: picture a violet lozenge of Turkish delight dusted in powdered sugar.

It’s a good fragrance, but I feel like I am missing a trick when I compare my experience with the brand copy. I felt the same way about Times Square by Masque Fragranze, which I enjoy as a syrupy apricot and lipstick scent, but completely fail to grasp the more exciting garbagey or sinful hooker stuff referenced in the descriptions. Both are kind of less than advertized, like when you see a trailer for a movie that looks great, and then you go and see the movies and realize that the trailer had all the exciting bits.

I recently came upon Cire Trudon perfumes and decided to try a few. I faithfully follow The Perfume Guy on YouTube and he raved about several of the newest fragrances. I respect Jonathan's opinion, so I was excited to try Bruma. After purchasing a few generous samples of different Trudon perfumes, here's my review of Bruma.

Bruma is a truly beautiful perfume that opens with a distinct spicy peppery blast. Within a few minutes, gorgeous faint floral notes of iris, violet, lavender and peony emerge in an ethereal powdery cloud. Within 15 minutes, lovely, warm tonka blends with the steady but faint floral notes. Not as animalic or smoky as I hoped, the entire fragrance opens and blends in a seamless and overall pleasant manner.

Undoubtedly, the ingredients and notes are super-high quality. Nothing approaches artificial, cloying or synthetic in any way. This perfume is a lovely, mature and quality wear. And FWIW, Bruma is an extremely feminine potion.

My problem with the perfume is entirely the silage and longevity. I sprayed a rather generous sample on my skin several days in a row. Each day, I had an impossible time smelling, or noticing the fragrance. On me, Bruma wore so light, I could hardly tell I had freshly applied the perfume. And overall, I found longevity low, lasting perhaps 3 hours on my skin.

Bruma is a lovely, beautiful fragrance. Bruma is ethereal, feminine and light. Yet with all its positives, I don't think I could justify buying Bruma at its current price point. For me, Bruma lacks a real "presence" because from start-to-finish, I could barely detect I was wearing any fragrance...and neither could the few people around me.

I'll give Bruma a few more tries. I guess I prefer my fragrances to be a bit bolder and present...not LOUD but definitely in the room and worthy of the asking price. And given the hefty tag on so many of this recent "niche" perfumes including the Cire Trudon perfumes, I'm not sure Bruma is full bottle worthy.

On my skin, Bruma is a flowing harmony of iris, violet and suede. It opens with mildly carrot-like and starchy, but mostly waxy iris, and slightly tart fruity ionone reminiscent of violet. If I sniff closely, there is also a discreet green pepperiness mixed within. Occasionally, I also get brief impressions of waxy lipsticks, but nothing overtly powdery.

The fragrance doesn't have any dramatic change, but moves from one phase to another in incremental steps. The waxy texture of iris is gradually replaced by a abstract, supple suede. There's just a tiny trace of hay to enhance the animalic tenderness of suede. I suspect that there might be something similar to heliotropine as well, because the whole effect of musky violet-suede is reminiscent of a heftier dry down of Hermès Cuir d'Ange to my nose.

Just as I thought Bruma would remain this plush violet-suede, the nutty aspect of vetiver makes an unexpected appearance and adds a bit of grit in this otherwise elegant suede, which is a welcoming twist to Bruma.

Bruma has a soft sillage and lasts about 8 hours on my skin.

Although Bruma is hardly innovative as a polished floral suede, it's solidly made with its little twist of nutty vetiver, and far from being banal. Its lack of dramatic change might fail to leave a strong initial impression, but its smoothness and fluidity would make it a refined yet versatile fragrance in various settings. I'd definitely recommend it to fans of elegant iris-violet-suede fragrances, especially if you favour a more abstract, effortless style.