Bvlgari has released Allegra Baciami Ancora, a flanker to 2022’s Baciami from the Allegra collection, and it’s now available at Harrods in the UK priced at £298 for 100ml Parfum. Per Now Smell This, this is a floral-amber scent positioned around Italian seduction — gardenia and white florals up front, vanilla and amber pulling it warmer and richer underneath.
The name translates roughly to “Kiss Me Again,” which tells you exactly where Bvlgari wants to take this: the original Baciami (“Kiss Me”) gets a second, more insistent version. Whether that’s a genuine olfactory evolution or just a marketing hook depends on what’s actually in the bottle.
What It Actually Smells Like
Fragrance Notes
Top Notes
The note list here is short and pointed. Gardenia leads — that’s a bold choice because gardenia is tricky. Done right, it’s creamy, slightly rubbery, and rich in a way that feels lush rather than cheap. Done wrong, it veers synthetic and headache-y fast. Bvlgari is describing the opening as “heady,” which suggests they’re leaning into the fullness of gardenia rather than thinning it out with aquatics or green notes.
White florals fill in behind it — unspecified, which usually means a blend of something like jasmine, tuberose, or muguet used for texture rather than as a star ingredient. They’re likely there to give the heart body and make the transition to the base feel seamless rather than abrupt.
Then comes vanilla and amber. The brand specifically calls the amber “hot” with a “rasp” to it — which is interesting language. That suggests something slightly smoky or resinous rather than the soft, powdery amber you get in a lot of mainstream florals. Whether that’s true or just copywriting is something you’ll need a sample to verify. But if it delivers even half of what “hot amber” implies, the base could be what saves this from being generic.
The concentration is Parfum, not EDP, which matters. Higher oil concentration means slower diffusion, more skin-close wear, and longer-lasting performance. At £298 for 100ml, you’re paying a premium — but at least the concentration justifies some of that.
How It Fits the Allegra Line
The Allegra collection has always been built around the idea of layering: each fragrance in the lineup is designed to be worn on its own or combined with Bvlgari’s Magnifying Essences. Ancora follows that same structure. You can wear it straight, or you can layer one of five Magnifying Essences over the top to shift the direction. That’s genuinely useful for people who get bored with a single linear scent — it extends the life of the bottle conceptually, not just literally.
The original Baciami sat in floral territory. Ancora appears to be pulling that formula toward amber, which is the kind of flanker move that actually makes sense: you take the DNA people already liked, and you warm it up for colder seasons or evening wear. It’s not reinvention; it’s a considered shift.
Bvlgari has a long history of working in this way. Even Bvlgari Petits et Mamans — one of the house’s softer, gentler entries — shows how Bvlgari handles the balance between accessible and quality. Ancora sits further along the indulgent spectrum, but the house has the technical chops to handle richer materials well when they choose to.
Is This a Replacement or an Addition?
That’s the real question with any flanker. If you already own Baciami and love it, does Ancora replace it or sit next to it?
Based on what’s been released: Ancora goes warmer and heavier. The gardenia push at the opening makes it more assertive than most flankers, which tend to soften the original. If Baciami skews daytime-floral and lighter, Ancora reads as an evening or cooler-weather version. That’s a legitimate addition to the wardrobe rather than a cannibalization.
If you’ve never tried Baciami, Ancora looks like a reasonable entry point if you gravitate toward rich florals over clean or citrus-led ones. The amber-vanilla base with a gardenia opening is a well-worn structure, but there’s a reason it keeps getting made — it works on skin, it photographs well in terms of longevity and sillage, and it appeals to people who find most modern florals too transparent.
The Verdict
At £298 for 100ml Parfum in the UK, this isn’t an impulse buy. Before spending that, get a sample. The “hot amber with a rasp” description in the official copy is either genuinely interesting or it’s marketing language covering a standard amber base — you won’t know until you smell it.
If the amber delivers actual warmth and texture rather than a smooth, anonymous sweetness, and if the gardenia opening holds its character past the first hour, Ancora could be a legitimate evening floral worth the price. If the base turns out soft and powdery like most mainstream entries in this price bracket, you’d be better off with the original or exploring the Allegra line’s layering system to add warmth yourself.
The Parfum concentration is a point in its favor regardless. Worth a sniff before committing. Harrods carries it now in the UK.