I have actually had this bottle since December of last year. Why have I not written about it (or even really worn it?) Good question. I blame psychological problems. It was a pricey bottle (bought from Neiman Marcus in a moment of “I can pay it off in increments” madness- the kind if indulged in more that once or twice and on things that are only in lower figures can lead to economic disaster in the same way that “I’ll start my diet next week and in the mean time I will live on cheesecake and Dr. Pepper” will lead to obesity. Or just serious gastric distress.
So here’s my crazy way of dealing with it. Put the box in the cupboard and “forget” about it for six months. Then it’s not a recent, silly, somewhat unjustifiable purchase. It’s something that you’ve had for a while: long paid for and practically old enough to vote on tonight’s movie.
Note to self: don’t try that with cheesecake.
So, what’s it like? Their website lists it as having lime, fig, cinnamon, and vetiver and who knows, maybe it does? But initially the whole thing is like a leather purse that was delivered by a leatherman on his hog: Think Hermès delivered by a Tom of Finland figure. After the biker departs I do get some of the other aspects, mostly the vetiver and “oakmoss” (which is very good) and a little whiff of spice. I don’t really discern lime in there, but I don’t really miss it, either.
As for it being Pour Homme, well, I have always found that distinction kind of silly in scents. With the possible exception of Fracas I think a guy can wear anything marked Femme and this one is certainly treading ground worn down by the dainty boots of Bandit and others. I know several very nice ladies who might not play very nice if I tried to tell then that this one was off limits to girls. It is also actually quite strong in a way that might scare off some of the more “manly” men out there who don’t like the idea of smelling like anything that would come from a perfume counter. Even (or perhaps especially) one at the Anvil.
Fetish Pour Homme is $485 at Neiman Marcus, which is where I purchased. Roja has others in the line, which I am almost afraid to try, since my balance on that card is back to zero. If you’ve tried them, or would like to share a recent extravagance, please do so in the comments- you’ll make me feel better. Photo of the bottle is mine, others from Pexels.
Honeydoodle –
Even Fracas. Especially Fracas. The manlier the manly, the more Fracas zzzzzsssssings on them. El O is an idiot – but a manlier, bikier, hairier, guy-ier guy you will not find.
I put him in Fracas (because Neil Morris told me to) and watched the women lose their damb MINDS! The Y chrome subverted it, keeping the florals but adding some… dirt? sweat? something MAN to it. Women went crazy for it!
The late Rex used to wear Une Rose, to similar effect.
This? This sounds….. okay? But I’d rather wear Cuir de Lancome, if it’s all the same to you….
xoxoxo
Maybe it’s just me and Fracas. I’ll wear it at home because it’s just so damned pretty, but tuberose can sort of wear me rather than the other way around.
As far as women going crazy, oddly the most I have ever been flirted with and/or cruised by women was once after taking my godchild home from a preview of Hairspray on Broadway. For some reason having a 6 year old child in deep conversation with you while you’re holding her hand crossing side streets made the ladies look at me like I was 200 lbs of raw chuck and they were hungry pumas. Were I wearing Fracas I might not have made it back to the apartment.
You can wear what you like, kid. I’d not be the one to try to tell you different. I’ve never tried Cuir de Lancome. Have to remedy that..
I agree with Alityke and cinnamon about Roja Dove. I sampled his line early on and was not particularly impressed, so I lost all interest.
There have been no great perfume extravagances lately, but there have been a few in the past. It’s almost inevitable, isn’t it? Lately I have been doing larger decants to see if the perfume should stay on my FB list. Bonus is I get to enjoy a bunch of different perfumes while I decide. Win win for me!
I am sure that I must have sampled something in this line at some point when it came out unless it was during the pandemic. My reaction must have been “eh” otherwise I would have kvelled over it, at least until I was distracted by something shiny. This one I like a lot. Maybe not enough to buy again (my perfume collection may outlive me) but I am happy with the purchase.
I never understood the loathing companies had (and likely still have) of decanters. All they do is send people you’re way if they really like the juice. Smart perfumers make readily available sample sets (really smart ones give you credit towards full bottle purchases) and refrain from dippy ideas like “city specific” scents that are only available in New Hebrides, except on whatever random holidays they decide to open them to all.
But I don’t have an MBA..
MBA, meh. You can buy one (if you have enough money). Common sense is best and though somewhat rare is free, priceless. 😉
It’s shocking here how many jobs require one. And how conferring one seems to short-circuit common sense..
I went to the Roja Dove boutique somewhere in London … Harrods? And it was a lot of fun. Earlier in my perfume-blog life I decided I couldn’t pay close attention to perfumers’ personalities since a lot of them are, frankly, batsh!t or pretentious or whatever. I got generous samples at one point and never felt the need to buy, but if you can splurge occasionally and it makes you happy, I say go for it. I bet I would really like this.
Yeah, perfumery, like any other industry has people who are nice and people who are kooks. I have been lucky to meet some of the very nicest ones, who I have been happy to write about since they are also very talented. I have dealt with ones who weren’t, including (somewhat indirectly) with They-Who-Shall-Never-Be-Spoken-Of. Luckily that one in my opinion only had one or two out of about three dozen and counting scents so ignoring them was both easy and satisfying. Life’s too short to deal with a$$holes if I am not being paid to do so..
Nice review, Tom! Fall is the time of year when I will wear leather scents. Just yesterday I wore Miss Balmain, an oldie but goodie. It has that earthy oakmoss thing going on, and kind of an abstract leather effect happens during the dry down. That Roja looks really lux. Never sniffed anything from that line — scary expensive! 🙂 Time to Carpe Diem start wearing it, right?!?
Oooh, Balmain! My friend’s Mom wore Jolie Madame and every once in a while she would filch some to go out. Brilliant, beautiful stuff. I’d love to smell Miss Balmain.
Like Alityke, I’m not a fan of Roja (Roger). Pretentious and the fragrances I have samples were pedestrian. Ah, Knize 10. Now that’s something worthwhile pursuing indeed. Recent extravagance? Just living in this country given 10% inflation and expectations of possibly rising to 18% next year. I haven’t changed my food buying habits and so far don’t intend to. That’s my extravagance. And certainly I’ll buy us a treat of some sort when I’m in London (likely a box of Laduree macaroons). But otherwise things on hold bar necessary expenses till it’s actually clearer where things are going.
I love Knize ten and am going to have to try to find it again. I love the old Kolnisch Juchten (sp?) but that’s now impossible to get as far as I know.
Like I wrote, I have no idea about the house or the people running it. This juice was a total indulgence, and I could do without the silly packaging, but that’s me: I’d rather be just handed something nice in a box: no need for halberdiers and flying monkeys.
As for the cost of living- oy vey. Gas has gone down somewhat but I may have to learn to live on photosynthesis soon if food keeps going up.
I. Refuse. To. Be Tempted. By. The. Leather.
Sorry momentary lapse into anti Roger robot mode.
I know it’s silly to be prejudiced about a perfume brand. I’m sure some of the actual fragrances are exceptional BUT the prices make me queasy, the self appointed title of Professieur du Parfum & name change or whatever it is makes me queasy, not acknowledging the perfumers makes me queasy. Ok the whole darned brand from top down makes me nauseous!
I genuinely hate the aspirational pricing of Luxe Niche, especially those that pump out new releases what seems like every few weeks. I hate that there is now a new type of “collector” to whom the beauty of a fragrance is secondary to the “newness” of the release & how expensive it is.
I once belonged to a FB group where most of the members were hetero men, the competition to be the first to own a large full bottle of a new release was fierce. As was the clamour to get on the bandwagon until the “Next” big ticket newness was purchased. The bottles of “last weeks newness” were almost all promptly listed for sale on the page at big discounts. These guys were also heavily into cryptocurrencies.
One day I saw one chap list almost all the bottles he owned with the explanation that he couldn’t pay his rent, bills or afford the holiday he & his fiancée had booked, that he’d overspent so much buying perfume his cards & overdraft were all maxed out. That was the day I stopped participating. He’d sold very few a week or so later when I left the group.
Why is this relevant? Roja Dove’s line we’re prominent in this human cockfighting!
No one seemed to take the time to sample or even test before the “buy, buy, buy” frenzy & I found it all so sad yet stupid.
Ok rant over, my favourite masculine leather? Knize 10. My sweaty leather biker boy is wearing strawberry shortcake frilly knickers & a rose behind his ear
I’m just a sucker for leather. I love Knize 10 and wish it was easier to find. I wish Bandit was still out there (I don’t think it is, even in the wan, newest version) and there are others. I also hate the stupid high prices being asked (and got this one in a post x-mas sale event, and even then it wasn’t cheap.) for a lot of these new brands and the fact they pump them out every three minutes. I can understand being stupid with credit and accumulating for the sake of accumulating since I’ve been there, done that, and had to live on ramen and air to pay off the cards.
I don’t like d-baggy houses that are mean, however. I am not privy to whatever this brand might have done so I’ll take your word for it. I have my own brand that I don’t like and simply ignore them; if you were around for the kerfuffle you know what I’m talking about, if not, then we’ll let sleeping dogs lie.
I actually lucked out on this one: it was a complete impulse buy b/c someone I respect sang it’s praises, it was on sale, and I decided what the heck. I came back to my senses and have limited myself to STC decants and “cheap and cheerful” ones that cost $10 so if I use it to perfume the bath at then I don’t feel bad.
I’m even staying away from cheesecake.
Good job!! That cheesecake’ll eat your lunch!
xoxoxo
Thx- that cheesecake has set up residence on what used to be my waist..