Jacomo de Jacomo Rouge

This is one fragrance that is fit for any man, any age. Even though it's aptly sweet and soft, it's absolutely a masculine fragrance. The fragrance opens up with a very medicinal/menthol mint. The opening note is identical to a brand of menthol throat lozenge. Not the sweet, fruity throat lozenges, but the minty ones. I'm guessing this "medicinal" vibe is why everyone's comparing this to Body Kouros. Body Kouros does have eucalyptus, but it's very "green" compared to the mint in Jacomo de Jacomo Rouge. The mint in this is very "cough drop-y". After a good 10 minutes of a medicinal mint top note, the heart comes through with masculine notes in a soft net of the sweet note. The sweet notes start to poke their head through.The heart fades into the basenotes where a spicy patchouli is enveloped in a slightly powdery, masculine vanilla and tonka-bean. Everything is so soft. Not one note shines through and takes the reigns as the captain. Every single detectable note complements the one before it and after it. There are no harsh, super synthetic, cloying notes. And while the pyramid is mostly made up of food notes, I wouldn't consider this gourmand at all. It's not something I would ever want to eat. This is an absolutely fantastic fragrance for someone wanting a casual cologne. This is something that is appropriate for ANY situation. That's quite the stretch, but it is the most versatile fragrance I own. Work, play, dinner, relax, funeral, wedding, birthday party - I can see myself wearing this anywhere and everywhere. If the fragrance had better projection, it would could very well be my number one fragrance. I highly recommend. It's inexpensive and extremely versatile. It'd make a perfect Valentine's Day gift, birthday gift, or winter holiday present. You won't lose on purchasing Jacomo de Jacomo Rouge. :D

I saw this at a perfume store here in Western Australia. I tried it alongside the original Jacomo de Jacomo and was more impressed by the Rouge. It was on sale for $69.95 ('reduced' by $20). I went on ebay a few days later and won it for a little over $7 (I love ebay). After reading reviews here I tried it alongside Xeryus Rouge and Body Kouros, both of which I own. It had been likened to both of the other fragrances and I wanted to see how accurate the comparisons were. What I found was that (a little) Xeryus Rouge + (a lot of)Body Kouros = Jacomo Rouge (or at least pretty close). Jacomo has the fruitiness of Xeryus and the incensy sweetness of Body Kouros. It starts with sweet citrus mixed with a menthol-like note, which must be the mint. It doesn't come across like mint to me: it just adds a camphorous/menthol accord, which is good, as any stronger would have spoiled it. After an hour on the wrist it is definitely stronger than the Body Kouros, and frankly, is superior to it in my opinion. The vanilla, musk, incense and patchouli all work in harmony towards the end of the fragrance's life: sweetness is balanced with the patchouli really well, making sure that it ages gracefully.

Alright, now here is a fragrance that is fresh, sweet sort of, but incredibly good. It does not come across like Le Male, even though I'm reminded of it. This is it's own animal in the drydown, which for me lasts a good, long while. The mint starts the show,, then the Tonka bean and lily of the valley follow. At about the 4th hour, the praline swirls somewhere in the background always letting you know that it's there. Musk is here, stays here to the end. I'm impressed by this one. It is gourmand imho. For the price, definitely blind buy worthy. No questions. I got a 2002 bottle on ebay. Longevity for me is 8-9 hours, sillage is huge for 3-6 hours, then moderate heavy at 6 hours plus. This is a real workhorse and a real winner that beats alot of so called gourmand-ish fragrances at 5 times the price. Put a different name on it and a different bottle, and it would sell for $200+. I'd put this behind parfums de marley darley in the terms of gourmand-ish, powdery, musky love. But PDMD is a whole other animal. This is definitely a collectors item in my book. I'm so glad to have found it.

Jacomo Rouge is an understated — and perhaps a little underappreciated? — oriental with a few light twists. The first of those, which I find quite enjoyable, is the green mint top note. Subtely done (nobody wants to smell like toothpaste) and nicely coupled with cardamom. The second twist is the sweetness, of which I am not usually a fan. But this is not an overpowering sweetness, and somehow I find it gives the fragrance a light gourmand touch. The overall feeling of the middle and base notes is warm, slightly powdery with a good mix of vanilla, nicely balanced incense, patchouli and sandalwood. Lily of the valley notes bring yet again a bit of lightness to the blend. I always think of Rouge as a fun, "feel good" scent. It has an uplifting, comforting quality, which it achieves without trying. The sillage is reasonably good but longevity is weak, a few hours maximum. Still, for the price I'd say Rouge is a bargain and since getting it a few weeks ago I find that I am returning to it very often.

Funny how people compare this scent to Le Male and Body Kouros so easily, because to my nose these perfumes all have their own distinct characteristics, although they have a lot of notes in common. I think Grottola has a good point comparing Jacomo to Xeryus Rouge, with its sharp, spicy and masculine topnotes. Jacomo doesn't reveal it's incense (like Body Kouros does) or vanilla (like Le Male does) straight away, but starts a little tougher, grittier and more mature. When it dries down however, the vanilla and tonka beans do come to the front, providing a sweet undertone. Dinstinctive and masculine, with a warm heart, just like I guess any woman would like her man to be... ;) Recommended!