Bravanariz means 'brave nose' in Spanish and the subtitle 'smelling wild' after their name indicates exactly what perfumer Ernesto Collado Sala does which is to literally capture the natural scents of the untouched landscape during his walks in north-east Spain. He then makes 100% natural and unfiltered perfumes. The scents are derived from gathering and harvesting actual plants, then distilling them, and having the formulation rest for 20 days. As these are 100% natural, unisex and are designed to capture a landscape in an olfactory experience.
There are three olfactive landscapes in the collection and they represent the three most characteristic landscapes of the Empordà (an area in the province of Girona in the northeast corner of Catalonia) where they are based: mountains, plains and the seacoast. In each case, they formulate the product using only the plants that give each place its characteristic fragrance, as well as the associations and emotions it awakens.
For decades now, the Baix Empordà has been a richly-appointed tourist destination, where many urbanite Barcelonans have their second residences. In contrast, the Alt Empordà is wilder in character. Its condition on the border with France and greater vulnerability to the mistral wind of the tramontana makes it rougher around the edges and more extreme. It has much more character, and that is where Bravanariz has its base. The fragrances are their personal interpretation of the wildest side of the Alt Empordà. The three fragrances, Bosc, Muga and Cala suggest an olfactory journey, from the humid forests of the Albera Massif and the Salines Mountains, following down the Muga River across the plain, and over to the rough coves of the Cap de Creus peninsula.
Cala is the scent of a cooling sea breeze and aromatic herbs. It represents and IS the smell of the rocky sea coast. A wild out-of-the-way cove in Cap de Creus offers the perfect image of the Mediterranean character: dry and cool, soft and rugged. Deliciously contradictory. Like samphire in summer. Sweet and salty.
The extreme exposure of the plants to the thrust of the sea in the coves of the Costa Brava gives them extraordinary strength. Only the fiercest survive; those are the plants used to create Cala. In it, you will find the best of summer: the warm weight of the sun, the coolness of the sea, and that nonchalant feeling that takes over you as you stroll, with salt on your skin, between rows of cypresses holding a sprig of fennel between your teeth.
Plants used to formulate Cala include fennel, samphire, cypress, pine, rosemary, various types of rockrose, sage and mint. It is an eau de parfum, edp. (Very important: shake before use, since it has not been filtered in order to preserve all its natural properties and its complex aromatic richness.)
Bravanariz Cala Reviews
The Sniff: In the blurb for Cala, the scent is described as ‘deliciously contradictory’ and indeed that very much feels like a good approximation of what the fragrance is. A salty sweetness, rough textured alongside musky softness. Wearing Cala, like wearing any of the Bravanariz scents, is a wild ride into an unexplored landscape.
