Rue Royale

Despite the lack of notes attributed to this fragrance there a lot in there. I would say expect a good dose of vetiver, citrus, spice and woods. This is like a Southern style barbershop scent perfect for the humidity of the south.

Bought this fragrance during a trip in March 2011 to New Orleans when I happened upon "Hove Parfumeur" on Royal Street (they have since moved to Chartres Street). Well, being a fragrance & perfume junkie, I was trolling for the store and upon locating it, I ran in and started partaking in the numerous olfactory delights. As is often the case with me, I immediately felt intimidated and uncomfortable about "bothering" the sales gal by trying different scents and fragrances (I know, I know). Anyhow, after telling the gal that "my fragrance preferences lend towards spicy Oriental Florals with lots of woody, resinous, tobacco & smoky notes," I was given a shot of Rue Royale (among other things). Maybe it was me but many of the fragrances at Hove smelled very similar and I had an impossible time distinguishing one fragrance from the next. I know parfumeurs have "favorite" or "signature" notes, etc, etc but being in the shop became confusing for me after a brief period of time. Well, I settled on Rue Royale and after initially liking it (never loving it), it now sits in the back of my very limited (I am picky) fragrance stash. As another writer said, "Hove guards their ingredients carfeully...it is all top secret," ...and that may be true. However, on their website it states "Rue Royale has hints of musk, a light fragrance, selected by fair brunettes who wish quiet elegance." Huh??? To me, the opening notes are relatively strong, almost harsh. I would never consider this a light, airy or musky floral fragrance. It is downright heady. The opening, IMHO is heavy with lots and lots and lots of green, like strong vetiver or mossy oak green. A typical heady, green-floral, there is perhaps lavender, or violet or rose (??) tossed in somewhere in the middle notes (along with spices, like pepper, anise, licorice). And I guess if/when everything dries down, the basenotes contain some very mild, light musk with rose...the only part of the perfume that I sorta like. I dunno. As I stated, it all seems very confusing to me & my nose... And that seems to be the problem for me with Rue Royale. To my relatively sensitive & sophisticated nose, there is nothing that stands out or makes this perfume any different or more unique from 1000's of other musky-floral-green fragrancels out there on the commercial market. Some review sites mention a secret ingredient of "Sweet Olive" that is signature to all Hove fragrances. I've never heard of sweet olive and wouldn't be able to identify it :0( The price is right at $50.00 for a generous 4 oz. bottle of Cologne; however overall, the Hove House and this particular fragrance is just not unique enough for my tastes.

I spent time this summer in New Orleans and dedicated a day to visiting Hove to smell as many fragrances as my nose could handle. After much deliberation, I chose Rue Royale. First, I'm surprised I haven't seen this comment, but every fragrance that I smelled and skin tested leaned vintage. It makes me wonder if the family has stayed true to original formulas. If so, bravo. While I'm not a fan of vintage fragrances, I appreciate their historical significance. Rue Royale is a musky, woody, slightly sweet, and slightly aldehydic scent. Woods aren't listed, but the whiffs of pickle juice that I get after opening the bottle tips me off that sandlewood could be present. Once placed on skin, the pickle dissipates. The aldehydes conjure memories of small, ornamental, flower shaped soaps that decorated grandmothers' bathrooms in the 80s. I get no leather note or smokey accord. Despite the slight sweetness, I think this is squarely a unisex fragrance that'll smell pleasant on anyone. It's not something that I'll reach for often, but has a special place in my fragrance collection, nonetheless. I think a trip to Hove is worth the time for perfume lovers, especially those attracted to vintage scents. It's a wonderful place to explore.

I got this in a swap years ago but never reviewed it. Was reading about this perfume house and realized I owed it another wearing and a review. I was interested in it for the leather and musk notes listed, as I love both. But this is not a strong, complex leather like in Cartier Must or Bottega Veneta (both of which are wonderful leather notes); this is much more of a sweet, fresh white musk with just a hint of leather, with some light incense and a splash of lemon. The overall impression is of perfume/makeup-inside-a-leather-purse. Sweet, musky, lightly powdery, a tiny bit fleshy, a hint of spiciness, and a mild, sweet, sunny leather. Oddly, this reminds me of Aviance Night Musk, which has a much more complex profile listed and has incense and sandalwood - but it’s dry down is like Rue Royal. This is pleasant, mild, a little unusual, and very wearable. Sillage is modest, longevity unproven so far but promising.

This is the official scent of New Orleans. If the French Quarter conspired with Marie Laveau and a jazz band, this would be the result. Leather and musk dominates. A hint of vetiver and olive leaf? Old Bibles and hymnals? Who knows. Hove guards their scent pyramids jealously. Imagine an old world cemetery at midnight. Spanish moss, vegetable rot. Dead flowers. Ancient marble. Wet earth and something unworldly. This isn't for everyone. But my God, this is the pinnacle of Southern Gothic. Welcome to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.