Vero Profumo Rubj EDP – Perfume Review

After reading Angela’s review on Now Smell This of the new Vero Profumo Rubj EdP version, I knew I had to sniff it right away.  Cumin-haters: you can stop reading right here.

Vero Profumo fans are wild about the intense, brooding, funky-vetiver Onda.  The original Vero Profumo Rubj extrait was much more my thing.  It smells mostly to me of ripe orange blossom and jasmine, and/but for whatever reason it failed to grab me enough that I

Vero Profumo Rubj EDP

felt I needed to own it.  The new Vero Profumo Rubj EDP has a different, lengthier list of notes, cribbed from LuckyScent: bergamot, mandarin, neroli, passion fruit, cumin, orange flower absolute, tuberose, basil, cedar, oakmoss, musk.

LuckyScent articulates the change in the fragrance as a “narcotic white floral blend, but in this version, the indoles have been turned down and the civet removed,” and they go on to discuss the chypre structure.  That’s all true – this is much less indolic, because now the drama centers around cumin.  And when I say “centers around cumin,” I mean Rubj EdP showcases cumin the same way the dancing hippos in Fantasia tend to take up a little space on the stage.  The new Rubj is definitely for hardcore cumin freaks, and most likely hell for everyone else.  Think: cumin, juicy orange (not just blossom); and a slightly bitter-mossy base that keeps it more elegant and complex than either new Femme or Kingdom.

I’m not even going to pretend to be objective here; I love cumin. I love cumin so much that my only complaint about cuddly, cumin-y reformulated Femme is that I wish the cumin lasted longer; when that fades I dab Eau d’Hermes on top of the Femme base to restore the cuminy bits.  I end up doing the same thing to Lutens’ Fleurs d’Oranger (heresy!), and now I think Rubj EdP will be my new cuminy addition on top of FdO.  The other six (nine?) of you cumin freaks feel free to get on here and name your favorites.

Vero Profumo Rubj Sample sources: private samples; image: Walt Disney’s Fantasia (that’s Rubj on the left and Vétiver Sacré on the right.)

  • ElizabethN says:

    I’m so late to this thread, but I can’t resist commenting. I am a cumin ho, too, and Rubj EdP is a dream come true for me – it’s the perfect cumin-laced (laden?) orange blossom. DH hates it, but that’s just unfortunate.:d

    One cumin I can’t do (I don’t get cumin in FdO) is MFK Absolue Pour le Soir. It’s not the cumin, but there’s something noxious to my nose in there. I’m afraid to retest it, though, because it made me nearly toss my cookies last time I tried it. And now, I can’t even wear the cologne Pour le Soir, which I used to love, because of the association. Sigh.

    And I need to go try El Attarine, I think. Sounds yum.

  • tango says:

    Well I’m sorry I missed swapapalooza. :((

    But I’m not sorry I missed cumin. That note and my skin chemistry does not work togather at all!

  • hongkongmom says:

    To little time to read all< have friend who is reallly ill but I did want to wish Patty a HAPPY BIRTHDYA!!!

  • Millicent says:

    All this talk of cumin, and no one’s mentioned Diptyque’s L’Autre?? It’s cumin, full-on cumin, but herbal rather than floral or gourmand or skank or even sweat. There’s a sort of clean sharpness to it.

  • Mals86 says:

    I have always loved that princely-hatted ‘gator, so thanks for that.

    I’m not much of a vetiver gal, and was intrigued by the description of CdVS as being more tea and hay (ooh).

    Cumin… I sort of liked the cuminy bit of new Femme, not so much the rest of it, don’t know why. Have a sample of El Attarine in my room that I should try. I get cuminy-curried fruit in the top of Rumba, too – Rumba eats my head but I love it especially for that hot-dust and wax thang. I’d have a sniff of Rubj except that it’s orange blossom, and like Erin, I don’t get on with OB unless some tuberose or something is whuppin’ its butt (vintage Chloe anyone?).

    Am STILL trying to figure out why I do not love Portrait of a Lady, no skin space for El Att right now.

    And ya’ll are FREAKS. In a wonderful way.

  • Musette says:

    Okay, I’m back: Diorama:

    Y’all are ca-raaaazay! Cray-cray-craaazay!

    There is NO cumin in Diorama. Okay, maybe just a smooch in the drydown – but so little as to be nearly nonexistent. I sprayed it several hours ago, got none at the top or middle….am I missing something? 😕

    xo >-)

    • Musette says:

      and no, I didn’t spray Diorella by accident.

      xo >-)

    • Ann N. says:

      Sweetie, I got a cumin-snootful right up front from the get-go with Diorama. Maybe I just have super cumin-enhancing skin and, like Kryptonite, the teen-tinsiest bit of it just paralyzes me. :)

      • Musette says:

        Then the new Femme is definitely 8-x for you!

        xo >-)

        ps. I am one of those slackers March mentioned. Your stuff is for tomorrow’s PO run, I sweah!

        xo >-)

      • Ann N. says:

        OK, maybe there isn’t any cumin in Diorama but I still got the same kind of big-time B.O. stinky scent, so maybe it’s something else?

    • March says:

      That makes me feel so much better. I get all kindso stuff from Diorama but not cumin.

      • FragrantWitch says:

        I am still quite a newbie but I don’t smell any cumin ( or at least what I identify as such) in Diorama. And, apologies to those who love it – Musette!-, I don’t smell anything I really like in it either. Dior and I generally don’t hit it off, bar Dune and possibly Dioressence.

        • March says:

          “I don’t smell anything I really like in it either” lol I won’t tell. There’s a thread elsewhere where people diss Mitsouko and Shalimar, so you’re just fine. I like and wear Dior Addict, so clearly I have questionable taste. (And I lurve Poison, and Dune.)

          • Musette says:

            You can hate on it, that’s okay. You can even hate on Missy Mitsouko. Just don’t let her hear you! 8-x

            xo >-)

            fwiw, I would run into an alley and try to gnaw my arm off, were it sprayed with Poison. I think. :-? y’know… I might have to retry that, it’s been so long…

          • FragrantWitch says:

            Diss Shalimar?? :0 Them’s fightin words… I will have to ‘la la la’ past that with my fingers in my virtual ears! :-)

  • Musette says:

    I’m commando right now….so I am going to try Diorama again. Somehow I missed the cumin entirely!

    Will report back. < ):) xo >-)

    • March says:

      Yeah, me too! Report back. It’s all skank on me (and then the new one basically turns into Diorella.)

      • Shelley says:

        Of course, Diorella is a good thing.

        But not if you’re looking for Diorama.

        • March says:

          Me and my diorama drama… seriously, am I alone on this one? Doesn’t the new Diorama (which smells very nice) dry down into a Diorella clone?

          • Musette says:

            Very similar notes, though not quite identical. Makes me wonder what they were both like, back in The Day. Both are very pretty but having Diorella makes me not particularly need Diorama..

            xo >-)

  • Disteza says:

    As the great cumin magnifier, I tend to stay away from those ‘fumes that have them as a prominent note. I tried Rubj in the parfum and it smelled quite weirdly of strawberries on me. I wonder if I got the right jus? Anyhow, El Attarine, Arabie, and Safran Troublant are about as cumin-y I can go without destroying the countryside with my sillage.

    • March says:

      STRAWBERRIES? >:p That would be horrible. It’s pretty sweet, for sure. El Attarine I enjoyed today but found it only mildly cuminy. I love the mental picture of your Godzilla-like sillage.

  • marina says:

    Happy Birthday, Patty!

    March, Rubj in any concentration was headache city for me. And it’s not like I am scared of any amount of jasmine. Same goes for Kiki. Don’t know why. Onda is the only VK for me so far.

    • March says:

      Onda I did not care for at all but had no trouble finding someone who was thrilled to take my decant off my hands — I’d forgotten how expensive those things were!

  • Shelley says:

    First of all, thorougly enjoyed Rubj and VS dancing in the pic. :)

    As for VetSac itself…I just got a sample of this last weekend. I can find the vetiver in there, but I’m one of those who used to be vetiver averse, so I might still be extra, erm, sensitive to it. But it really is much more about the hay and the sweet on me. Which means yay for the hay, hmm for the sweet. Am just on my first round with it this morning, so will have to see how this plays over multiple dates. I’d categorize it as having potential.

    I’d also say it’s making me start to wonder what is with all the sweet in the latest L’Artisans? Except for that Al Oud. Holy tomatoes, Batman. I tried that one on skin in the store, thinking “Oh, it’s L’Artisan, just how whomping can it be?” Answer: enough. I mean, it wasn’t all out oud, and went animal more than bandaid, but there was no doubting its lineage. Whoompa.

    Not going near Rubj edp, I’m guessing. Too expensive an experiment for a cumin phobe. Unless somebody is hosting a perfume slumber party and wants to spritz me as a practical joke…you know, like putting peanut butter on the dog’s tongue, or tape on the cat’s paws. Which means, of course, I have no cumin recommendations to share.

    Except to never, ever turn your back on Kingdom.

    • Shelley says:

      Okay, I just realized I have to mention that I like cumin in Aziyade–it translates as, well, cumin, and not body odor. And seeing Erin mention Theo Fennell reminds me I like that one. If anyone can help me find the common thread, I would be most curious to hear.

      • Shelley says:

        Also going to add that in Theo Fennell it doesn’t smell like cumin but, well, something animal. But I’m okay with that there. WTH???

      • March says:

        Okay, I had my MuwAHAHAHA all locked and loaded about you and the cumin, except I swear (not having a samp on hand currently) that Aziyade was a ton of cumin on me, in my memories, as well as Theo. But since I have neither here, I can’t argue!

        • Shelley says:

          Sure ya can. ;)

          And I know, right? Just when *I* think I have me pegged, I confuse myself.

          (And there, kids, is today’s suggested contextual example of a SNAFU.)
          ((Note: can potentially use the word “‘fumed” in place of the fourth letter, instead of the usual fill in the blank.))

  • Erin T says:

    As far as the Veros go, I admired Onda, but it was always about the Rubj and Kiki for me. I had largish samples of both parfums, but never bought either in the (adorable!) bottles, because: a)they were so darn expensive; and b) I could never decide which I liked better. I loved Rubj because I thought it was so beauitful even though it was sooooo not me: I normally find orange blossom quite soapy and shrill and in OB compositions I’m always praying for the jasmine to take over. Not so in Rubj. Kiki, OTOH, was right in my wheelhouse: freaky lavenders.

    I still like Kiki better in parfum, I think, but I can’t decide on the Rubj EdP. The EdP is so much more “me” and I find it a high-watt gorgeous variation: but it’s so much more like things I normally like that I still kind of like the wonder of the parfum. The EdP is definitely one of my top fragrances of the year, though. I’m surprised that people find the cumin so overwhelming – I know my cumin threshold is very, very high, but I found the passionfruit and the base to be the biggest changes. As for the cumin list, I clearly need to send you a package: you need some more Arabie (if my beloved is growing on you!), a Theo Fennell decant, and any other stinky thing I can find. Wish I had some El Attarine and Heeley Cedre Blanc myself…

    • March says:

      Amen on the passionfruit … not sure if it is the extreme cold today? Or putting it on with Arabie? I’m appreciating the fruity bit in there, and it’s tart, which is perfect.

      I tried to get ahold of some Theo but am not going to nag you for any because I don’t have a decent swap — I don’t have the Heeley and my El Attarine is a small reference vial I keep for occasions like this. Arabie at least I can smell at Art w Flowers, didn’t realize that El Attarine (like Rahat) is nonexport?

  • FragrantWitch says:

    I had been unsure about cumin as a note but over the weekend I inherited an unwanted bottle of Kingdom and I have been really loving it! Between Angela’s review and now yours, March, I must acquire a sample of the Rubj. Oh Santa….

    • March says:

      Hehe if your starting point is Kingdom, you should have no problems with cumin at all! You really need to get some new Femme, as well.

  • Angela says:

    I’m saving up for my bottle of Rubj EdP. Even though I already have Femme and Jub 25, Rubj is different enough–more luminous, somehow, and definitely orangier–that I need it, too. A cumin for every mood!

    • March says:

      Well, thanks for the heads up, I wouldn’t have tried it otherwise. And interestingly I am getting a lot of that passionfruit this morning. It’s so pretty.

  • sweetlife says:

    I KNEW it! I am slammed right now and shouldn’t even be reading your review, M, but just had to stop by and see if I was right about your referring to Rubj the other day. I regret to say that whatever I am anosmic to in the original I still can’t smell in the EDP, so it is almost pure-D SWEAT on me. Not the warm spiciness of cumin, but real human warmth. Whoa. You can have mine.

    • March says:

      Oooh, send eet! It’s all sweat on the person who gagged and gave it to me as well. And I was betting that you were right in your guess, since I thought you’d seen Angie’s review.

  • Victoria says:

    I agree, L’Artisan Coeur de Vétiver Sacré would make a very appealing springtime fragrance. Now, I am much more curious about Rubj! That one seems more up my alley, given my winter mood.
    xoxo

    • March says:

      Wow, for some reason I am getting a lot more fruit out of it this morning, not that I am complaining. Would love to hear your thoughts, if it sounds like your sort of thing!

  • Suzy Q says:

    How does Jubilation 25 compare to the current Femme? I recently tried Jub 25 and my first thought was “oh, it’s Femme only more expensive.” And I actually like Femme better! I’m new to cumin, now that I know I like it, and so I’m enjoying this post and comments very much. Thanks.

    • March says:

      Let’s see. To me, 25 smells more “expensive” — as it should, frankly. It’s less sweet. I think a man could easily wear 25, although I don’t care much about those gender lines. Femme I think is very different — liquidy, sweet warmth, I really do find it cuddly. If you’ve decided you love that sort of thing, you might want to scare up some McQueen Kingdom, which is more of the same only More So. 🙂

      • Suzy Q says:

        “More of the same thing only More So!” Sounds great, March. Will do.

        • Shelley says:

          Saying “more so” is like saying what the Enola Gay was kind of like a Mentos + Coca Cola combo, only “more so.”

          (For those of you who don’t know, not only do I fear cumin, I have been rendered unconscious by Kingdom. ;) )

  • maidenbliss says:

    Birthday Greetings, Patty!

    I was reading the lone review @ Luckyscent on Rubj EdP yesterday and decided this is a must try. . Come to me, cumin. Jubilation 25 is my favorite.
    I don’t really another vetiver so haven’t tried CdVS–since it’s not garnering much praise, I’ll pass.
    I just adore the little yellow shoes on Rubj:)

    • March says:

      I love that movie so much … we own the DVD but I love to see it in theaters. And it’s well worth trying Rubj if you like cumin!

  • SilviaFunkly says:

    Love love love Rubj parfum and cumin normally works for me, however I did not like Rubj EDP at all. I think may be it’s the passion fruit that disagrees with me, it’s odd for me to reject a scent so strongly.
    Unfortunately (for me) she has added passion fruit to all 3 EDPs.

    CdVS was a nice tea scent but failed to grab me. But I fall into the camp who was expecting a bolder vetiver statement.

    Fav cumins: Al Oudh, Kingdom, Jubilation 25, FdO, El Attarine, Rose31, Diorama

    • March says:

      And another cumin ho! Welcome! I love your list… another Diorama mention? Where the heck is my Diorama cumin? :-w And I swear they’ve taken some of it out of FdO.

      Sorry to hear Rubj was such a fail. I smelled it on a friend and she killed off everything but the cumin, which was odd (and not very pretty).

      • Musette says:

        You come sit by me, doll! I mentioned, way down the line, that I get NO cumin from Diorama. Zippety-do-dah-duh. Nary a seedling.

        xo >-)

    • March says:

      Update — I’m now wearing Rubj edp, El Attarine and new Femme … Too Much? Off to see my dad… who btw likes sweaty scents and skanky classics.

  • Robin says:

    Femme layered with Eau d’Hermes!! That is just plain mean.

  • donanicola says:

    ^:)^ Rubj EDP ON TOP of Fd’O? Total Respect.
    I like cumin but it likes me more and then all I end up smelling is cumin. Two fragrances I love which contain the note – El Attarine, and Theo Fennell Scent I have difficulty wearing because I amp the cumin. Interestingly I am able to wear Francis Kurkdjian Absolue pour le Soir without embarrassment go figure.

    • March says:

      Oh! I should dig out my Pour Le Soir again… my dang Theo Fennell got away from me, I know I have a samp but can’t find it. I didn’t care for it, but/and feel like I should retry it.

  • Louise says:

    The CdVS was very pretty, very easily worn, but goes sooo sweet on me on drydown that I dismissed it. Must find my decant-maybe it’ll be less sacharine in the winter? Hope so.

    Now, I like the Rubj in parfum, And had really high hopes for the EdP (including price point…). I love cumin-though I prefer the vintage Femme, I like the modern, and especially a transitional version form the 80’s or so-cuminy, fruity, sweaty. Delightful. I love other cumin mixes-including Arabie, and various curry scents.

    But Rubj edp is just cumin on me. No roundness, no edges, no movement. It’s just one dimension of Cumin, and I need more.

    I’m hoping that the Onda edp works better for me, because I so admire Vero and her work.

  • Tamara*J says:

    I am mildly aroused. I need to try this Rubj.
    I’m a cumin virgin cause it’s not my favorite note but I do love Jubilation 25 and Diorama. Will this just blow my nose up?

    Why do want to try it if that happens…why am I attracted? lol. ;)

    • March says:

      Hon, if you love 25 you’re not a cumin virgin. 🙂 Diorama is more animalic to me, less cuminy.

    • Musette says:

      “mildly aroused’ =))

      when I think of cumin I think of Femme (new) When I think of Femme I think of rolling around in sheets…with The Rock. When I think of rolling….oh, you get the idea..

      xo >-)

    • Ann N. says:

      Hi ladies, you all are cracking me up. I flee from cumin with my hair on fire. I innocently tried Diorama the other day in Saks and YIKES! nearly knocked over a couple of little old ladies in my flight — couldn’t get to the restroom fast enough to wash it off! So you guys have fun flying your cumin freak flags and I’ll come back tomorrow. :)>-

  • tmp00 says:

    rubj in perfume strength was nice and onda was the must-have. In EDT strength it was the reverse. onda was lovely but rubj was musthavenow…

    Probably the cumin. I’m a cumin ‘ho. Odd since I’m such a pasty WASP.

    • March says:

      Oh, always happy to pass the time with a fellow cumin ho. I don’t get the hating. Okay, I DO get the hating, but I can’t stop myself.

  • Catherine says:

    Hands up! Hands up! I adore cumin, and I imagine it would balance out the sweetness I found in the original Rubj. Perfect! because it is such a great, happy fragrance.

    A sample I must get! Wonderful review–I love them when they lack all objectivity!

    • March says:

      I think that’s it, it balances out that sweetness. That’s why I like cumin so much in SL Fleurs d’Oranger, and the Rubj edp raises the game a little by being less sweet and more juicy.

    • Musette says:

      Catherine,

      You have the new Femme, I take it? It smells like post-coital bedsheets…in a good way! Definitely NOT an interview scent (of ANY kind, unless you are interviewing for a job as a stripper)

      but….yum!

      xo >-)

  • violetnoir says:

    Happy Birthday to Patty!

    I love CdeVS! I, also, love Onda! I have bottles of both.

    I never really tested Rubj though. That’s strange. Now that you mention it, I need to test the parfum and the EdP.

    Hugs!

    • March says:

      Rubj I think originally got kind of lost in the excitement over Onda, which is fair enough. The new EdP, though, is glorious if you like a little cumin. The extrait’s lovely but somehow failed to make me reach for the credit card.

  • HemlockSillage says:

    I guess you can sign me up for the cumin freak club! I rarely register the note consciously, but it certainly is in lots of things I’ve liked.

    I love Rubj EdP. I blew through 2 samples in record time, nose glued to wrist. It is so different from the things I generally love. I’m an incense, woods and musk seeker. Mention passion fruit (lychee or cotton candy) and I *run*.

    Vero Profumo snuck up on me with both Kiki and Rubj. For me the sweetness in Rubj was perfectly balanced against the rasp of what I now identify as cumin. And moss. There is orange blossom/neroli to me. . .and then more big white flowers (read the implied capitalization there), and musk.

    Rubj filled a gap in my perfume wardrobe I didn’t know I was missing. It’s so feminine and lovely, I can’t imagine why I didn’t like that kind of perfume before. I’d flirted with SL’s Fleur d’Oranger for two years, but never bought a bottle. Guess I was waiting for this one.

    Which would you say has *more* cumin? Just wondering!

    Now I need to find some Femme and Eau d’Hermes, purely to educate my perfume palette :D

    • March says:

      What a great description of Rubj! It’s that raspiness that really pulls it together, doesn’t it? To my nose, Rubj definitely has more cumin than FdO, which mostly front-loads it (YMMV). And FdO is definitely sweeter.

      Oh! If you are a cumin-lover, Femme (you need the new version) and especially Eau d’Hermes! Femme is, well, femme. The Eau is potentially pure b.o., but sophisticated!