The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
The Royalty by Maluma collection launched in 2022 with four fragrances, each named for a gemstone. Garnet, the deep red stone, was designed to capture warmth and presence. Maluma described the entire line as highly personal, drawing from his roots as a Colombian artist and the confidence that comes with owning a room. Adriana Medina-Baez built this as an aromatic fougere, anchoring the composition in lavender but refusing to let it go gentle.
The choice of elemi resin in the heart is what sets Garnet apart from a standard fougere. Elemi is less common than bergamot or lemon, it brings a citrusy-spicy warmth that bridges the lavender opening and the woody base without the usual aromatic transparency. Combined with ginger, it keeps the mid-section from cooling too much, and the geranium adds an herbal-green dimension that most mass-market male fragrances skip entirely.
The evolution
The opening hits clean, lavender sharp, pink pepper buzzing underneath like a low electric hum. Within minutes, the elemi surfaces. A brief warmth. Then the heart takes over: geranium and ginger moving together, herbal and spicy without roughness. This phase holds for roughly two hours before the base arrives. Vetiver and patchouli ground everything. The frankincense arrives last, smoky, resinous, intimate. It stays close to skin. On clothes, the drydown lingers overnight. The next morning, a faint earthiness from the vetiver remains. Worth checking in on.
Cultural impact
Royalty by Maluma entered the celebrity fragrance space in 2022, a crowded segment, but the gemstone-themed collection stood apart visually. Garnet occupies a specific niche: aromatic fougere for someone who wants lavender without the soap, warmth without sweetness, and a base that actually lasts. The demographic data skews male but leans unisex on certain skin types, suggesting the composition crosses typical gender boundaries more easily than expected. Value ratings are strong, wearers consistently note it punches above its price point.
