Perfume Room 173. SISSI FREEMAN (GRANADO) ~ Brazil's Beauty Legacy (the ~other~ BBL)
May 13, 2025
Cece Freeman, CMO of Granado and daughter of the owner, leads the century‑old Brazilian brand’s modern relaunch and global fragrance push. She talks about Brazil’s scent rituals and signature smells like sea mist and rain‑heated foliage. She recounts reviving archival fragrances, launching Brazilian solars, and why perfumes drive Granado’s international growth.
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Brazil's Layering Culture Shapes Perfume Style
- Brazilian fragrance culture prioritizes layering and freshness over single heavy scents.
- Cece Freeman explains Brazilians take multiple showers daily, layer soap, cologne, and moisturizers, creating a culture that favors fresh, musky, and airy perfumes.
Granado's Imperial Apothecary Origins
- Granado is a 150-year-old Brazilian heritage brand that started as the imperial family's apothecary.
- Cece Freeman recounts the founder's farm-sourced herbs and Granado serving the Portuguese royal family in 1870s Brazil.
Perfume Became Granado's Global Entry Point
- Fragrance became Granado's international calling card because perfumes translated better across retail formats.
- Cece Freeman says perfumes outsold other SKUs at Le Bon Marché and made sense to carry abroad where the brand wasn't known.