Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Bahiana

We’re stuck in the middle of summer and what better way to celebrate the excruciating heat than to load up on the tropical scents and pretend we’re lounging on a well-groomed beach instead of sweating out our livelihoods in an office with poor air circulation?

Bahiana

Bahiana

In Bottle: Bahiana smells like a little touch of tropical inspired paradise. It’s not really unique in that it smells largely like many tropical inspired fragrances. But it does come up smelling very well made.

Applied: A nice hit of sweet citrus up front to introduce the refreshing feel of this fragrance, followed by a nice little dose of green woodsiness. Refreshing is the word, with a hint of sophistication as Bahiana sends in the tropical duo of coconut and pineapple. What I’m left with is a very rapidly aging fragrance that settles into a comfortable niche of woodsy coconut, pineapple, and a soft breeze. I really like it. But is it really special? Eh, not so much. What Bahiana is, however, is a very well made fragrance. I can smell the clean coconut in this. It isn’t that sour, weird coconut that goes into some cheaper fragrances. This stuff is on par with the coconut note in Virgin Island Water. Cool, refreshing, and just a tad more authentic. Nicely done, Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier!

Extra: My one complaint with Bahiana is its lasting power. It’s quick to go on and go through its motions and then disappear. There’s very little left by the end except a faint waft of woodsiness, which is more than I can say about Virgin Island Water’s complete disappearing act.

Design: Due to the lack of stores available nearby that carry Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, I have yet to hold this bottle. From the images of it, however, it looks absolutely fantastic. An awesome marriage of perfume and whimsy with those feathers attached to the bottle.

Fragrance Family: Fresh Fruity

Notes: Orange, caipirinha limon, mandarin, tagette, green leaf, rosewood, gaiac wood, elemi, amber, musk, coconut.

So is the fact that Bahiana smells well-made compared to other tropical-like scents worth the money? To me, probably. There’s a big difference to me when it comes to using the right amount or right type of coconut in a fragrance and the synthetic-smelling, sour coconut that shows up in many tropical scents is distracting for me. So distracting that I’d probably pay the premium for a niche house that houses the right note.

Reviewed in This Post: Bahiana, 2009, Eau de Toilette.