FRAGRANCE | Vial trial: An assortment of samples from Rogue Perfumery
A kindhearted soul from our local frag group shared some of her Rogue Perfumery samples for me to try, and I was excited to say the least. Rogue Perfumery is an indie fragrance brand by Manuel Cross, a former chef. Even before smelling anything from the house I was already sold on his idea of creating old-school fragrances that he proudly declares as "non-IFRA-compliant." IFRA stands for International Fragrance Association, easily blamed by many a fraghead as the reason behind the ruin—and even death—of many iconic and beloved fragrances due to restrictions and prohibitions in the use of certain ingredients. But then, aren't the houses themselves to blame just as much?
Anyway, I'm just glad that Mr Cross has decided to "go rogue." So how do his creations measure up? Let's check out Tabac Vert, Mousse Illuminee, and Chypre-Siam.
Tabac Vert
Tabac Vert is undeniably old-school right upon first sniff. Instant love! The tobacco is prominent but not heavy, tempered by florals that effectively lend it a hint of sweetness. It's also a wee bit powdery, and quite beautifully so.
Later I get a mossy accord with a woody undertone joining the fray. But no one is trying to outdo the other here; everything is perfectly balanced and refined, noticeable but never loud. This is labeled as a men's fragrance but to me its refined nature makes it perfectly unisex.
Later the tobacco mellows a bit and the scent takes a slightly soapy turn, only for the tobacco to return in the drydown more pronounced and bitter, but still not overpowering. Eventually it sheds off most of the bitterness, though. Projection seems to be moderate although I was only able to try a dab. Lasts fairly long on my skin.
Mousse Illuminee
Also carrying an old-school vibe, Mousse Illuminee features a floral and green opening. Although not exactly the same, the green accord reminds a bit of Franck Boclet's Absinthe, which is to say it isn't entirely bitter.
Then the sent sort of "spreads out," if that makes any sense. I couldn't quite make the notes out but there's a pervading camphorous accord. The scent goes on to become a heady mix of florals and green, strong and clean-smelling. It's not exactly my favorite but my wife loves it. Although it's also only a dab, projection appears to be on the stronger side of things. Needless to say, it's also long-lasting.
Chypre-Siam
Ah, oakmoss, that much-loved ingredient in perfumery that IFRA has limited to near-nothing. Chypre-Siam is a fragrance that happily celebrates oakmoss in all its glory, proudly flaunting it from start to finish. It calls to mind another chypre masterpiece that I recently acquired: a vintage 1976 bottle of Gucci pour Homme.
The green and mossy opening is suffused with a joltingly bitter, citrus zing (the kaffir lime, I've read). It's quite different from most citrus openings I've encountered so far, and I'm loving it. I also get some florals swirling around with the oakmoss. They just go on and on with their waltzes and pirouettes even after the lime has receded.
Chypre-Siam is fairly strong based on my impression of a tiny dab of the juice. It's lovely, dry, and a beautifully long-lasting experience, a wonderful allusion to classics of yore.
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Based on what I've sampled, Rogue Perfumery did not disappoint, with all three full bottle-worthy in my opinion. While that of course still depends on your preferences, the quality cannot be discounted, more so the price. Converted to Philippine Pesos, a 30ml bottle costs just a little over 4,000 while a 100ml retails for just above 8,000. Just don't be surprised that he sells them on Etsy.
rogueperfumery.com
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