FRAGRANCE | 51 pour Homme Parfum by Roja Parfums: Animalics made classy

My old bottle of Roja Dove's 51 pour Homme somehow came out of hiding recently. The onslaught of the rainy season must have prompted me to go through our bottles and find something more attuned to the weather. I already forgot how it smelled like but the first spray instantly reminded me of how good it is.

Although rightfully tempered, the opening has an undeniably animalic quality to it. Oud is what I immediately pick up, which is accompanied by a faint and very fleeting dash of citrus. The oud has a bit of a barnyard character to it but not overly so, which for me still makes it a fairly safe wear. I didn't immediately recognize leather but realized later that it's also what's bringing that bit of skank to the composition. To some degree, I'm reminded of Sex & Cognac by BORNTOSTANDOUT, a fairly recent acquisition that also prominently features oud and leather. 

Too bad the citruses are quickly lost in the blend because I do like how they bring in a fresh counterpoint to the inherently heavy animalics. On second thought, they may not be as perceptible but they're probably hard at work in the background in balancing the scent because the oud and leather are far from overbearing. Rose and some indistinct florals sweeten the deal a bit, which help brighten the scent as well. Despite this addition, 51 pour Homme doesn't turn into a rose and oud fragrance, which are a dime a dozen, by the way. It has a lot more going on than that. 

I can't put a finger on every single note at play but in addition to what I've already said, the scent is also a wee bit smoky with a mild woody accord in the background. These aren't as noticeable in the air, though, as the scent remains predominantly about leather, oud, and rose. It does, however, later reveal a plasticky accord that I suspect could be coming from violets. It interacts quite nicely with the fragrance's animalic, smoky, and woody properties, somehow reminding me of Rasasi's Oudh Al Boruzz Abeer Malaysia without necessarily smelling the same.

The fragrance remains dry even as a resinous sweetness develops. It starts out strong but easily mellows after the first hour or two. After about two hours, the animalics soften and in its stead is the resinous sweetness (though still not super sweet), a bit of powdery musk, and a speck of spicy saffron peeking through. The scent lasts several hours albeit with considerably diminished projection over time. Still, it lets you catch random whiffs of it throughout the day. My bottle is the parfum version, by the way, and I can't say if the EDP or any other concentration performs better.

Overall, I'm happy with Roja 51 pour Homme as it is. Even though it's characteristically masculine, I still believe any woman with the right attitude can pull this off just the same. It's an elegant scent, one that begs to be worn on date nights or special occasions, preferably when it's a little colder. Much like most Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrances, there's a certain finesse with how it's made. Beautiful scent. But expensive.