Rouge Trafalgar

Wow! It's not often I say that coming across Dior's seemingly endless recent myriad of floral, flower-shop in-a-bottle iterations that have taken over even their Haute Maison line. In fact; I barely ever say this for many scents; regardless of story, Parfumier or House. Fruity, berry scents are not as easy to do as they seem. It's like chips, you can get them anywhere but you have to really look and have the discerning taste for the real Quality ones. Aside from everyone knowing berry/fruit scents from women's scents in any department store; I've tried Jo Malone, Keicho, Creed (Baie), House of Oud, Ex Nihilo (Love Shot), Armani Prive, Beil, Tom Ford, Boadicea, Byredo's Pulp (rotting fruit ferment) - you name it, I've tried it. So, my jaw truly did hit the floor when after testing for a while. Yes; I really did find my Raspberry Grail scent here! Rouge Trafalgar starts with a very realistic ripe berry; really juicy yet also so syrupy! This is mainly a Raspberry-Blackcurrant combo scent (that leans towards Raspberry at the start of course) and for me it's easily the best using that accord as a focal introduction on the market. I keep saying this but again - Dior Privee aces a Raspberry scent - who'd have thunk it?? Surprisingly given the people who have stressed on the 'sour' and 'green' aspects of the scent, I'm very sensitive to those being a hyper sweet-tooth lover and, I didn't find anything sour/green about this berry blast opening. It's that effervescent, sweet and addicting opening that draws you in instantly. Granted, it's not ''fruit sugar, Ribena and jam explosion'' but it's certainly sweeter than many I've tried (like ahem, Ee02) that Fragrantica claim to label as 'Sweet' in the accords bar at the top. This one *is* sweet, it's rounded and balanced by some transparent citrus and a slightest touch of green cassis. All the main qualities of a Niche spring/summer scent are checked here. I can't stress enough how well this is actually done by Dior! I was relieved and somewhat surprised (and impressed) the were no 'orange soda and cough syrup' vibes from the other two fruits listed in the notes. This is practically 99% about the berries. Then after 10 minutes or so, it starts to swing from the nice sweetish citric berries, to a slight verdant green of cassis leaf, then drifts back to the bright, natural berries. It's only after the half hour mark that the scent starts turning toward the more greener Dyptique L'Ombre and Boulevard routes. By then, the inviting and exciting introduction has done it's work and sweetens even this stage of the scent as not not come across as having a spinach leaf or celery stick stuck up your nose. It's very smooth too; not so much of powder as I may have feared at all, this being just for ladies in the marketing (strange move by Dior as this is certainly less feminine and not floral at all compared to the would-be similar Boadicea and House of Oud's Empathy). It's actually very Unisex to me. My only reservations are they should have used more woods to really give the scent strength (as it is very VERY weak for an 'EDP', mmm) and vanilla for some body, to amplify the fruits at the base too and maybe should have added a touch more citrus at top to hold the effervescence of the start a little longer. For me its a fruitier, sweeter, more refined and just better Jo Malone Berries and Boulevard 34 Saint Germain from Dyptique. It's clear that Dior have taken caution and care with this scent to make it a crowd pleaser with real Quality to boot. It's the best in their premium 'Maison' line by far, for me and possibly the best scent they've ever made next to Dior Homme Intense. It's actually in my top 10 scents of all now I think of it, it's so hard to find a true, sweet berry scent like this without some sort of unwanted hiccup like a big powdery violet or celery stick ruining the harmony! Leagues above discount bin stuff like Fahrenheit. This is real Quality you can sense and appreciate and I mention again that Dior really are to be commended for it. What's more, it's widely available and pushed on their website for everyone to try. Berry good from Dior, berry good =) My rating: 9/10

When I'm smelling a fragrance for the first time, I always hope for a particular type of encounter that could be described as "love at first sniff," though that phrase seems reductive when I reflect on what actually happens in those moments. The truth of the experience is that the fragrance seems to touch a special part of my brain, I feel a buzz and a mix of newness and familiarity, and I can actually feel myself getting a little dopamine hit, a serotonin boost. My brain flies through about 50 positive emotions while simultaneously trying to categorize what I'm smelling, and then creates a vision of the life the scent represents. That doesn't happen often, but when it does, I know I'm about to spend a bunch of money. This is what happened when I smelled Rouge Trafalgar for the first time. It's a delightful melange of realistic berries with black currant taking the lead for me. It's not sweet, but it is sparkly, fizzy, effervescent. Though fruity, a very crisp patchouli and a clean, high quality musk add just enough depth and complexity to make this distinctive, and steer it away from becoming juvenile or shallow. The patchouli and musk aren't strong: this is still a berry show. But it is extremely well blended, and though there is something fleetingly familiar about it for milliseconds at a time, Rouge Trafalgar is overall unique. I love that it is something a little different without being too "challenging." It does have some similarities with Jo Malones Blackberry & Bay in certain moments, but they are still very different fragrances. Rouge Trafalgar has a lot more to offer in terms of range, complexity, emotion, projection, and longevity. However, if you like Blackberry & Bay, there's a good chance you will enjoy this one too. This fragrance would be a great choice for a lot of situations: work, dinner out, vacation, brunch with friends. It is extremely versatile. It certainly leans feminine, but is easily unisex. Longevity is excellent for me, and the drydown is very graceful. Even when there is just a whisper of this left on my skin, I still love the way it smells. Projection is moderate, but could probably be a sillage monster if you really went to town with the sprayer. I ordered the 4.25 bottle within hours of my first sniff. I'm honestly kind of wishing I'd sprung for the 8.4 oz instead. It's been a long time since a perfume shot to the top of my favorites list this quickly.

Rouge Trafalgar is one of the latest releases from the Maison Christian Dior line, from early 2020, a mostly-fruity fragrance that’s quite pleasant. The notes consist of strawberry, raspberry, mandarin orange, cherry, grapefruit, blackcurrant, patchouli, and musk. It has a bit of a light, fresh, fruity champagne / wine cooler / seltzer / spritzer type of vibe to it. There’s something bright and effervescent to it that I have a difficult time quantifying, since it’s not aldehydic, but present, in a limited way, in the background. There’s certainly sense in which Rouge Trafalgar is not at all groundbreaking, but I quite enjoy this blend. It’s well-executed, a really pleasant, invigorating fruity mix that really doesn’t involve much else apart from patchouli and musk, which makes it all the more remarkable that it’s not weighed down by sweetness. Rather, it’s light and fresh, feeling instantly appropriate for the current spring season, and probably fine year-round, even on a hot summer day, since it’s not too dense or syrupy sweet. Something that Sebastian Jara noted on his YouTube video in February is Rouge Trafalgar’s similarity to Gucci Guilty Absolute Pour Femme, and I agree, with the same observation the blackberry prominence of the Gucci distinguishes it from the fruity mix of the Dior. Moreover, Rouge Trafalgar is a little more fruit-intensive overall, lacking the rose of the Gucci Guilty Absolute Pour Femme. Both are fun fragrances, with the Gucci a bit cheaper when sold on the grey market, especially. I do owe them a proper side-by-side, however Like the rest of the Maison Christian Dior line, Rouge Trafalgar is priced at $450/$320/$220 for 450/250/125ml and only sold online (for US customers) at the Dior website. My opinion remains that as a higher-end line, Dior’s Maison Christian Dior (formerly Privee) is very reasonably priced, under $2/ml at the smallest bottle size. Rouge Trafalgar in particular performs reasonably well, too, albeit not outstandingly, but still noticeably better than designer freshies. Overall, I think Rouge Trafalgar is great, similarities to Gucci Guilty Absolute Pour Femme and non-innovation notwithstanding. 8 out of 10

I love this fragrance!! This is the exact fruity bomb I have wanted for so long. I get no patchouli or real citrus in this fragrance. and...let me just say that the price for this enormous 8.4 oz bottle is WELLLL worth the money! Opens with a sweet true raspberry and cherry hold on me! Fills the room and is not offensive. SO sweet but not childish. Middle notes are spot on strawberry with a slight green from the black current. Dry down holds all the fruity greatness with a hint of white musk! Just love this...might actually be the first I claim as a signature! I do not understand other reviews at times and this one is way off the map. 1. You can not buy anything like this in the grocery store 2. There is no bitter to this fragrance at all what so ever! 3. Yes there is no rose base to this fragrance, why it is listed as fruity sweet. So assuming a note that is not clearly in the description makes no sense to me. 4. Bottle worthy for the price??? Well you tell me what other designer fragrance sells 8.4 ounces for $340 US?? Silage 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Performance 10/10 Overall 10/10 ****wonderful addition from the house of Dior! Thank you!!

I’ve scrolled a bit wondering if I already left a review for this ‘male stripper perfume’ . Simply a favourite Dior since I chanced upon a decant a long time ago. Then I found a humongous bottle that didn’t seem like a dastardly ripoff about a long time ago. I’ve got a gap in the bottle and I consider it a bit of a masterpiece. It is a bit tartly stinging not sweet with vanilla and ethyl maltol yet, there’s a fruity sweetness. Sort of rosey rhubarb and reminds me of “In Love Again “ and even Delina, yet it somehow stands alone. I wonder if there’s an ‘ambergris’ chemical that I’m on the edge of smelling that gives that spermey stripper image and I ‘think’ the perfumers put in to make it seem *unisex*. I’d really love this site to actually question perfumers about this stuff instead of endless crap about factory chemical new releases passing as ‘perfume’.