Man
Vanilla and raspberry on a man is not an obvious proposition, and yet Rochas Man Eau de Toilette Gift Set has outlasted most of the safe choices released alongside it.
The opening is almost a disguise. Lavender gives that clean, slightly medicinal herbal quality which reads immediately as traditional masculine perfumery, and bergamot sharpens it with a bitter citrus brightness. Within minutes the fragrance drops the pretence. Raspberry comes up jammy, tart at the edge, and jasmine softens it with a creamy floral body, and from there on it is a sweet fragrance that happens to have a tidy top. The base is where the money went. Vanilla is rich and unmistakable, sandalwood sits under it dry and smooth, and the pair of them stay on skin for hours, close rather than carrying. Maurice Roucel is credited with the composition, and six materials is all he used, which is worth remembering next time you read an ingredient list as long as your arm. Length of list and quality of result have never had much to do with each other.
Bought as a set it is an uncomplicated gift. It is good in cold weather, it works at a restaurant table or across a sofa, and it suits a man who wants to smell warm rather than sharp. If the man you are buying for owns nothing but citrus and aftershave, this will be a change, and most people who try it keep it in rotation afterwards.
The house itself was founded in Paris in 1925 by Marcel Rochas, nicknamed the couturier of youth, and it added perfumery in 1936. After he died in 1955 his wife Helene ran the company and expanded its fragrance business considerably. In 2015 the house changed hands again, Interparfums taking the brand and all its marks from Procter and Gamble.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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