Roja Dove's Fetish

[Trebor]

Fetish was released yesterday, so I decided to pop down to Harrods to give it a sniff.

It's very reminiscent of Mona di Orio's Cuir but possibly more complex (they've recently stopped stocking Mona di Orio fragrances, due to poor sales, so I couldn't compare). So, how is it different to Puredistance's M? It's darker, dirtier, smokier and more leathery (the castoreum is unmistakeable, with an initial birch tar-like presence). The opening was very promising but it soon left me feeling disappointed...

It's an EDP (with word that a parfum extrait is being released sometime next year) but I only got 4-5 hours longevity, after spritzing myself half a dozen times. Sillage ranged from moderate to close to the skin, but it wasn't very noticeable after the first hour. There were gentle wafts every now and again but not enough to truly satisfy me. During the drydown, it revealed a slight sweetness as time progressed - with traces of spices, vanilla, labdanum and oakmoss peering through.

On first impressions, I don't think it's really worth the money (£195 for 100ml). I'm also getting the impression that many of the Roja Doves are no different, in terms of performance on the skin (i.e. lacking).

And the search continues...

 

[Jack Hunter]

Interesting, do you think this scent would appeal to fans of Puredistance M?

 

[Trebor]

Interesting, do you think this scent would appeal to fans of Puredistance M?

Most definitely, if you want a rawer/dirtier equivalent - M is graceful and suave, while Fetish is more rugged and primal. I could definitely detect some of M's DNA in Fetish, from time to time.

 

[gandhajala]

Thanks for sharing your impressions, Trebor.
I've been waiting for this to be released, so now it's out, I'll have to swing by.
Interesting he went for an EdP after all the recent extraits.
Totally agree with you about the longevity (or lack thereof) of many of Roja's perfmes.

 

[Trebor]

Thanks for sharing your impressions, Trebor.
I've been waiting for this to be released, so now it's out, I'll have to swing by.
Interesting he went for an EdP after all the recent extraits.
Totally agree with you about the longevity (or lack thereof) of many of Roja's perfmes.

Cheers, gandhajala!

Yeah, its been bugging me for some time now. I remember when Enslaved first came out and, although it stayed very close to the skin, its richness was undeniable - lasting a good 10-12 hours. With the recent releases, I'm not getting that (albeit an impressive opening that significantly peters out within an hour or so).

 

[thebeck]

Rawer/dirtier sounds like fun, but no longevity, no interest from me.

 

[senore01]

No longevity/projection = not worth my $$$

 

[Trebor]

Rawer/dirtier sounds like fun, but no longevity, no interest from me.

No longevity/projection = not worth my $$$

Well, in fairness, I'm still getting faint wafts of it even now (less than eight hours later) but it's a real struggle detecting it most of the time.

 

[alfarom]

I've to be honest,, I've not been impressed by any of the Dove's masculines...This one sounds structurally interesting but the longevity factor could definitely result being an issue...

 

[hedonist222]

Sounds interesting. I'll have to try it.

 

[Larimar]

Interesting! Thanks Trebor for sharing your impressions! Well, the original perfume trio of Roja Dove was a different league, I am figuring this... Fortunately, I have Enslaved and Unspoken in Extraits and I am happy I paid what I thought was a high price, which is now really cheap compared to his new pricing.

 

[mr. reasonable]

Thanks for putting in the legwork

 

[dollars&scents]

Thank you for your initial impressions and heads up.

However, unfortunately, if it does not boast projection and longevity, it does not sound promising.

 

[Trebor]

Thanks, guys!

Well, here’s an update:

Today, I wore the same jacket that I wore yesterday and could still detect Fetish on one of my cuffs (some of which transferred onto my arm after taking it off). What did it smell like? Pretty much like M, to be honest.

This leads me to my next question. I’ve been noticing that a few releases, from the last couple of years, have apparently performed disappointingly on the skin, while lasting surprising well on clothes (especially cuffs). Does anyone have a reasonable explanation for this?

 

[dollars&scents]

I would assume the short answer is the interaction of the chemicals with the skin; the mechanics of which escape me.

 

[gandhajala]

I had a chance to sniff this today.
Opens with a strong citrus (esp. lime) which though, disappears quite quickly. This thing is absolutely loaded with cardamom, which pretty much relegates the other spices (pepper, possibly a trace of cinnamon) to the background. At this stage, I found the leather to be more prominent on paper than on my skin. The leather really seems to come into its own during the drydown and is paired with a generous dose of castoreum. I'm enjoying this phase the most.

The leather + castoreum base is clearly inspired by the classics, like Lanvin's Scandal and Chanel's Cuir de Russie (pre Exclusifs), and is well done. The spices give it a certain warmth and perhaps update the whole thing. Personally, I'm happier in the 1920s, but there you go.

The parfum comes out mid-week, and I'd be interested to see how it compares.
Less cardamom and more leather would be my choice.


*edit*

The wonderfully skanky base was still detectable on my skin 12 hours after application (nose-to-wrist), which impressed me.
Picking up on Trebor's earlier point about its longevity on fabric - two days later, my jumper cuff has a definite smokey leather (birchtar?) + patchouli (?) whiff about it.
I'm keen to retest this.

 

[Larimar]

Interesting G., thanks! Can you think of a perfume where the spiciness is similar? I have a hard time 'imagining' the smell in my mind. A Parfum sounds interesting then as the spiciness should be less in the foreground in such a composition, no?!

 

[gandhajala]

^ I can't think of one, to be honest L. It is rather a unique take on the genre.
It has now been on my skin for around 6 1/2 hours and, nose to wrist, I can still detect quite an animalic base.
The parfum (£295 / 50mL ) is definitely on my 'to test' list.

 

[mikeperez23]

Minus the goth-marketing of this, I am intrigued by this. I love a good animalic leather. Would anyone compare this at all to Tribute by Amouage?

 

[alfarom]

Thanks for the report Gand. Sounds really like something to test...