Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma is a mess. For some people, it will be cravable mess. If you order cheeseburgers with bacon — and, come to think of it, why not mushrooms and a few slices of avocado, too? — Ummagumma might be your Holy Grail.
Ummagumma (pronounced “oo-ma-goo-ma”) is the name of a Pink Floyd album. It came from a roadie’s slang word for sex.1 Ummagumma’s notes include saffron, carnation, chocolate, tobacco, leather, labdanum, sandalwood, cedar, frankincense, tonka bean and vanilla. Can’t decide between a gourmand or an incense fragrance or a tough leather? With Ummagumma, you get them all.
First dabbed from the sample tube, Ummagumma smells like soft, sweet chocolate. When I was a kid, as a treat we’d get sundaes topped with thick chocolate sauce from a jar that was meant to be warmed in the microwave (not the darker, runnier sauce from a can). This is the kind of chocolate I smell.
Within a few minutes, incense edges in and eventually dominates the chocolate. A veil of skank briefly descends over the fragrance until incense’s cold turpentine sets it straight. At this point, Ummagumma is still getting comfortable. After a quarter of an hour, the fragrance relaxes into a soft woody incense with a gentle tonka-vanilla note.
Although it’s loaded with character, Ummagumma isn’t a sillage hog. (Note: I haven’t sprayed it on my skin, which might make a difference.) Just a few drops last from breakfast to mid-afternoon. Toward the end, the chocolate is long gone and incense gives way to a musky tonka and cedar, and, eventually, to a bare musk-vanilla wisp.
Ummagumma reminds me of Arquiste Nanban, another rich, basenote-heavy kitchen sink of a fragrance. It’s opaque and comforting, and wearing it is something like I’d imagine it would be to hang out in a warm coffee shop on a rainy morning when the Hells Angels dropped in for mochas after church.
The members of Pink Floyd might just love Ummagumma, and the owner of Fumerie, my local perfume shop, says it’s been super popular. I completely understand. That said, for my rock and roll-inspired perfume, I’ll take the equally lush but (to me) more legible Une Nuit Nomade Memory Motel.
Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma is $125 for 30 ml of Eau de Parfum. For information on where to buy it, see Bruno Fazzolari under Perfume Houses.
1. Per Wikipedia. When they start naming perfumes after Blossom Dearie songs, I’ll be able to report firsthand.
Oh man, this doesn’t sound like my thing at all, mostly because of the chocolate that I can’t tolerate in my fumes.
Thanks for the review anyway
I’m generally not huge on chocolate in fragrance, either, but I do like Anima Dulcis and get occasional cravings for Eau de Charlotte. And, you’re welcome!
Hmmm. I need to head out to Fumerie to check this out in person, since I like both oriental incense AND gourmand fragrances.
You just might love this one! It sounds like it’s been popular, and I can see why, even if it’s not my thing.
Okay! So I know what I am doing on Friday- it is supposed to sunny and false spring warm day – up to 51F!
You’ll have fun!
I get incense most of the time. Not much chocolate.
I agree that the incense takes over as the fragrance warms up.
There are so many people who hate Ummagumma. However, I am one of the few who loves it, to the point that I bought a full bottle. I have been wearing it a lot since its release and the more I wear it the more I enjoy it. I guess more for the ones, who like me, fell for it
Fabulous! I’m probably in the camp that would love to smell it on others but doesn’t need a bottle for myself. There are a couple of other Fazzolaris I’d probably pick up first. Maybe I’ll smell it on you on the street someday!
I am waiting for a sample of Lampblack. It has very good reviews and it seems to be very well liked. Having great expectations!
Lampblack is simply fantastic. I’m an UmmaGumma fan as well but Lampblack is the solid favorite from the house. I do not get chocolate at all from UmmaGumma and the incense notes work for me. I’d place it number three behind Lampblack and Monseratt for the summer months.
My favorites from the house are Feu Secret and Au Dela. There’s real variety here!
Fantastic! I will have to get a sample of Montserattalso. Looking forward to try enjoy them!
I like Lampblack. It’s a fierce vetiver.
Tots fierce!!!
If you like vetiver, I bet you’ll love it!
Hmmm…..I love gourmands, incense and leather. Sounds like I need to sample.
And perhaps we need a community project with “Kitchen Sink” perfumes as its theme!
Try Unum from Fillipo Sorcinelli for incense notes. But they are powerful incense notes. ????
Thanks! Another one to sample.
I hope your list isn’t as long as mine!
Great idea on a Kitchen Sink community project!
I’m interested in the Une Nuit a Montauk perfumes. Any idea where these can be purchased?
I’m not sure, except for on their website. I was lucky enough to sample it when I was in Paris last summer.
Thank you! I’m jealous.
I get lots of chocolate from this. I like that smell, but I don’t want to smell like that.
And now I’m hungry….
Hey! There is at least one perfume named after a Blossom Dearie song: Tea for Two!
I haven’t tried Ummagumma yet but I love Bruno Fazzolari. Feu Secret was in my top three perfumes of last year.
Excellent! Tea for Two was a bottle I swapped away a long time ago, and now, of course, I regret it.
I adore Feu Secret, too! Such a sucker for iris.
I loved how it opened on me: dark chocolate and newly varnished wood, making it seem boozy. But it got progressively sweeter on me as it wore, and syrupy sweet at that. Beyond my tolerance level. Not a huge gourmand lover anyway. I actually liked how the remnants smelled after I washed it off!
It gets pretty musky toward the end, too, which might turn off some people. Or attract them, I guess!
It has created quite a buzz on some of the SOTD posts. I even thought about getting some samples from this line. Your review gives me pause for thought, it might not be quite my thing after all. I occasionally like chocolate in fragrance. Borneo springs to mind, as does (in a very different way) Charlotte (which I adore). I tried Anima Dulcis when Arquiste was the hot new kid on the block and didn’t really like it, didn’t like Nanban much either. Boutonnière on the other hand I do love. Thanks, as always for your very informative review!
It seems like your taste doesn’t run as dense as Ummagumma is, but I could be wrong. Thanks for reminding me of Borneo, too. I love that one.
I named this Ummagaga because that was how my brain read the word the first time I saw it in print. I tried this from a dabber sample and thought it resembled L’Incendiaire, which I liksd enough to spring for a discounted bottle. I’m waiting for a % off sale before buying.
Interesting! I bought Ummagumma blind and it’s been so long since I smelled L’Incendiaire I have no memory of it. What site did you buy yours from?
I got the Ummagumma on the Twisted Lily 20% off sale. Sadly I get no chocolate from it, only sandalwood and incense, but I like it.
Would love to try Memory Hotel but I do not want to order direct from their website as they state clearly they take no responsibility if the package does not arrive and they do not insure the shipments. Need to hassle Luckyscent about that one.
That’s a drag about the Memory Motel. Yes, someone in the U.S. needs to pick up the line, if that’s possible.
My L’Incendiaire was from Twisted Lily and I got it for 37% off the original price. I should qualify my resemblance comment to say that I got no tonka or chocolate in L’Incendiaire.
As to your concern about no guarantee, as long as you used a credit card to pay, you can always dispute the charge.
That’s a really good price. (Now I have to swat my hand not to navigate to the Twisted Lily website….)
Actually I think she meant Parfum1, Twisted Lily’s sister site. TL doesn’t carry SL but P1 does. You can get it right now for $315 plus shipping if you use the code CYBERMONDPE. The banner page says the code expired 11/28 but it’s still working.
You’re killing me! (But thanks!)
I got it at Twisted Lily during one of their sales. $315 is an even better price!
That’s hilarious! I hope it doesn’t live up to its name once you get your hands on some.
I loved this! I got a sample and am considering springing for the bottle. The opening is just chocolate with little something resinous. Soon the tobacco appears and these three notes are pretty much all I detect. That’s OK, though. It’s a LOVE.
(Note: I seem to be anosmic to many chocolate notes in fragrances. Not this one.)
That’s fabulous! It’s wonderful to find a fragrance you really love.