Roja Parfums
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The first ten minutes belong entirely to the citrus triad—bright, slightly tart bergamot and citron snap across your skin like a leather whip soaked in neroli. Beneath this crystalline opening, lemon provides an almost sharp counterpoint, but the peach already lurks underneath, beginning its slow dissolve of sweetness into the citrus's acidity.
By the second hour, the florals fully emerge, and the composition pivots decisively. The May rose and Grasse jasmine create a voluptuous, slightly creamy floral bed whilst geranium's peppery green notes and orange blossom's indolic richness prevent sentimentality. Here, the amber and benzoin become palpable—they're not sweetening agents but rather a warm, slightly resinous embrace that makes the florals smell less like a posy and more like something worn against warm skin.
The final act strips away the fruity generosity entirely, leaving you with a remarkably dry, incense-tinged base where saffron's peppery bite tangles with frankincense's herbal-resinous character. Castoreum introduces a subtle leather-like warmth whilst sandalwood and amyris create a pale, almost dusty woody foundation. The musk is restrained—merely a whisper that prevents the dry down from becoming austere, keeping the composition tethered to skin rather than becoming a room scent.
Roja Dove's FM The Perfume is a masterclass in controlled complexity—a fragrance that refuses to choose between the citrus counter and the florist's greenhouse, instead threading them together with consummate restraint. The opening assault of bergamot and citron feels almost edible, but beneath it pulses an insistent sweetness born from the peach and May rose that prevents this from ever becoming a simple splash cologne. What distinguishes FM is its amber-floral architecture: rather than treating these as separate territories, Dove allows the Grasse jasmine and geranium to absorb the warmth of amber and benzoin, creating a honeyed, slightly soapy floral middle that recalls fine perfumery traditions without imitating them.
The base is where FM reveals its true ambition. Castoreum and oakmoss inject an animalic, almost leathered quality that grounds the sweeter elements, whilst frankincense and saffron add an unexpected spiced dryness. Sandalwood and amyris don't smoothly blend here—they coexist, creating a subtle tension that keeps the dry down from becoming a simple vanilla-musk puddle. Patchouli and vetiver add earthiness without depth-bombing the composition.
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4.0/5 (83)