Granado’s 155-year heritage blends Brazilian botanicals, exquisite fragrances, and luxury skincare into a globally unforgettable sensory experience
Granado’s 155-Year Journey from Pharmacy to Brazilian Beauty Icon
Granado is a brand steeped in heritage, originating as a pharmacy before evolving into a creator of luxurious skincare products, creams, soaps, and fragrances. Drawing from Brazil’s lush botanical treasures, its ingredients have enriched the nation’s beauty rituals for generations. Today, Granado effortlessly blends this rich legacy with elegant design, natural formulations, and skin-loving ingredients.
With concept stores in London, Paris, Lisbon, and New York, as well as a presence in famous department stores such as Harvey Nichols, Le BHV / Marais, Liberty, Fortnum & Mason, El Corte Inglés, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Galeries Lafayette, Granado now brings its refined treatments to Italy at La Rinascente in Milan and Rome.
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Granado blends Brazilian botanical heritage with refined modern perfumery, bringing century-old skincare rituals from Rio to global cities—now including La Rinascente in Milan and Rome
Why Granado’s Fragrances Became a Global Sensory Icon
More than any other product, Brazil’s iconic fragrance house Granado is celebrated for its vibrant colours, playful floral prints, and intoxicating scents. Each perfume is an invitation to a sensory journey, capturing the joyful, effervescent spirit of the Carioca lifestyle.
From the very first spritz, Granado transports you to the sunsoaked streets of Rio, where colour, scent, and sheer happiness intertwine. It’s a celebration of beauty, heritage, and joie de vivre. And it’s impossible not to fall in love.
The Brazilian Craze: How Rio’s Culture and Nature Inspire Granado’s Collections
But what lies behind today’s obsession with Granado? In the past year, a wave of videos has swept social media, celebrating the beauty, culture, and art de vivre of Brazil. From songs to beach photography, from lush rainforests to the striking architecture of Brasília, not a day passes without some aspect of Brazil capturing our imagination.
The country is defined by extraordinary, evocative nature, paired with the warmth of its welcoming people—qualities Granado translates into collections that resonate on an emotional level. Beyond the perfumes crafted from local ingredients, the colourful, vintageinspired packaging evokes 19th century charm amid lush tropical landscapes.
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From tropical nostalgia to vintage-inspired design, Granado captures Brazil’s sensory identity—lush nature, vibrant colours, and emotional storytelling that resonate with today’s global beauty consumers
From Rio to the World: Granado’s Growth into Luxury Beauty Retail
Present on the olfactory scene for 155 years, Granado continues to expand in its home market (+30% in 2023 and +28% in the first half of 2024) while also strengthening its foothold on the international stage.
The Brazilian perfume and pharmacy house was founded in 1870 in Rio de Janeiro by José Antonio Calixto. From the very beginning, the brand distinguished itself by its dedication to local, natural ingredients—many sourced from the founder’s own farm. Success came quickly: among its most loyal customers was Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, a renowned intellectual and patron of the arts and sciences, who ruled until 1889.
Since then, much has changed. Acquired in 1994 by Christopher Freeman and joined in 2005 by his daughter Sissi Freeman, Granado purchased Phebo, a historic northern Brazilian perfume house, in 1998, and more recently, the skincare and makeup brand Care Natural Beauty.
Granado’s retail network has grown significantly, now encompassing over 90 stores throughout Brazil and concept stores in Paris, London, Lisbon, and New York—with Miami soon to join the roster. This expansion is further amplified by a curated programme of retail events that showcase the brand’s heritage and innovation across multiple cities.
Tropical Perfume Escapes: Granado’s Signature Scents from Rainforest to Copacabana
For a touch of tropical summer, try Expedição, a citruswoody scent that evokes an adventure through the Atlantic rainforest. Figo offers enveloping fig leaf notes with a hint of pepper for an unexpected twist.
The European bestseller, Esplendor, exuberantly celebrates Rio’s sun and nature with warm notes of vanilla and amber, while international favourite Bossa captures the fresh marine air of Copacabana. In Brazil, the top seller is Epoque Tropical, a fragrance that whisks you on a stroll through Rio’s 19th century gardens.
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Granado’s signature scents—from citrus-woody Expedição to bestselling Esplendor—bottle Brazil’s landscapes, blending tropical freshness, warm amber notes, and 19th-century charm for a timeless olfactory journey
Sweet Luxury: Granado’s Ice Cream Bar Inspired by Iconic Perfumes
In January 2024, Granado transformed the second floor of its Rio flagship on Rua Garcia D’Ávila in Ipanema into an ice cream bar. Exclusive flavours, inspired by Granado perfumes, were created by Lisbon gelato maker Sorbettino. The success of the initiative prompted a repeat in São Paulo. And now the question is: when will it arrive in Europe?
What Granado’s Strategy Teaches About Building a Global Beauty Icon
Granado proves that a brand doesn’t need to choose between tradition and boldness: it can turn both into a signature style. By transforming everyday Brazilian ingredients into colourful, story-rich products, the brand turns routine beauty rituals into playful experiences.
Its strategy isn’t just about selling skincare or fragrances; it’s about evoking emotion, sparking memory, and capturing a slice of Rio’s sundrenched joie de vivre. From pioneering retail events to blending visual design with scent storytelling, Granado proves that cultural authenticity, sensory richness, and a dash of surprise are what make a brand unforgettable—and irresistible.
Ana Carolina Diehl
Master’s in Fashion Promotion, Communication & Digital Media, Paris