Rochas Moustache EDP Spray, 75 ml

Product Information

Having been a devout fan of the much hyped edp (which is more of a rosey benzoin tea scent), I felt like I had to get this one to complete the set, if not to experience another one of Roudnitska’s creations. It is reformulated and I do not know the original from 1949 and I cannot imagine that there is still a usable, not tilted original filling, so that the comparison would be possible only with successors. I can only imagine what life in France must’ve been like only a few years following the second world war when the original Moustache was perfumed, but there’s a small part of me that feels hopeful whenever I smell this scent - like things are looking up, or that a brighter dawn is just on the horizon - timeless beauty perhaps, or the cover of a fresh book that promises an exciting, yet comforting adventure. Whether or not that was Roudnitska’s original vision is beyond me, but I’m certain that everyone could use a bit more of that sentiment nowadays. The fragrance must certainly be placed in the context of 1949, when Thérèsa and Edmond Roudnitska created the original fragrance. As far as I know in Grasse.

Although "Habit Rouge" and "Noir" use different palettes of aromas, the three have in common that they radiate something slightly aristocratic, almost decadent, but without the force or penetrance of many an oppressive oriental. Yes, I have (frighteningly) commented and also tested very little in the last year, because many newcomers simply don't give me anything except the feeling of repeatedly smelling something comparable, similar or even identical Looking at the review score this should be 100% positive currently since the only neutrals are due to to simply being confused between the retro-citrus EDT which this isn't and it deserves to be reviewed on it's own merits.As for performance, longevity and projection are below average (especially the projection), but there’s still the option of jumping on the edt concentree if you’re looking for a louder and more animalic version. The trade-off is the presentation, which is significantly better than the older bottles imo, with heavier ribbed glass and a beautiful golden metal cap. I absolutely adore it. Top tier at this price point. Contrary to initial expectations, the sweetness of the fragrance is subtly restrained even in the base note with its patchouli and the vanilla-like scent of the benzoin it contains. Yes, "Moustache" certainly ends in several sweetish variants, but at no point does it seem overloaded with this sweetness, as the remaining cedar - even if only faintly perceptible - restrains it at all times. And in this way the scent remains without any further development before it finally leaves the skin after another 2-3 hours or so.

Style or nothing! What matters is cutting a fine figure, the famous beautiful drape of the clothes. Rochas invented the basque, designed the mermaid evening gown, liberated women’s bodies with his ¾ coats and square shoulders, and created the Bird dress inspired by the artists of his day. Timeless classics that the couturier reinvented for every season. Rochas Moustache Original 1949 (2018) obviously isn't, but I'm sure everyone who knows the actual original Rochas Moustache (1949) saw that coming, so it's almost a given. In reality, this fragrance is just a reformulation of the short-lived eau de toilette re-issue released in the 90's, that replaced the eau de toilette concentrée and gutted it of animalic musks, sitting somewhere between that stiffer version and the more airy eau de cologne version with the blue label that died long before it. Here in Moustache Original 1949, what little animalic component remained has been scrubbed even further and replaced with a synthetic proxy, offering little of the funk that contrasted with the citrus to create one of the most notoriously musty openings in all of masculine perfumery. I guess for modern noses used to their showergel masculines and rose water feminine perfumes carried by laundry musks, linalool, and Frankensteined patchouli free of any earth, this suits best. However, if you were expecting a more faithful re-creation of the original eau de cologne but within IFRA regulatory guidelines, you won't find it here, although that isn't to say what's here isn't actually good. What enthusiasts will find here in Moustache Original 1949 is akin to what Jacques Fath did with Green Water (1947) when creating Fath's Essentials: Green Water (2016), cloning their older work with gas chromatography and artistic license to then reshape it into something more marketable for today. In both cases the new version fondly echoed the old version, but was its own affair.After the Second World War, Europe was still in the process of reconstruction. Nevertheless, fragrances had always been created and sold during and after the war. Cultiveness, style and the joy of perfume survive every brutalization.

In the meantime, the fragrance is with me and I compare it with the actual original from 1949. Can that go well?

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In its density and indulgence, this Rochas reminds me of the above mentioned Guerlain classics and Tom Ford's "Noir". A little fruity by a really pleasant round, harmonious, almost creamy, unbitter mandarin, also floral with clear rose, which is beautifully waxy and also powdery framed by benzoin.