Velvet Rouge

***Update about 9 months in*** Good LAWD! This fragrance has most certainly evolved over time! It never ceases to amaze me how simply spraying some fragrance out and storing it for a while in a cool/dry place will help a fragrance evolve and improve over-all! So, initially when I first recieved Jason Wu Velvet Rouge I liked the fragrance a lot, but was a bit let down bc I was really looking forward to the "Black Pepper note", except that I couldn't pick up on the black pepper note at all. Also, while this fragrance lasts well on Clothes, it didn't really last all that long on skin oddly enough (bout 2 hours). Well, now about to 9 months later, I pulled it out from my closet, took it out the box, sprayed my arm with and couple spritzes and while its still not a "Beast mode fragrance"! Its become much more nuanced, stronger and simply more GORGEOUS! A This is a deep, dark (Blood-Red) insency Rose, and NOW the Black pepper just dances around the edges and is actually so much more noticable that its sorta making my sinuses react a bit, but the black pepper soon settles down while remaining quite present. So today I did 2 spritzes on my neck and 2 on my shirt and its really potent where id done the same routine in the past and it just didnt seem as strong. This fragrance smells unisex leaning feminine as there really is a TON of luscious, dark rose, but the Incense and Black Pepper really does help make this genderless imo. When I think of this scent I picture Velvet Rouge as a fragrance a Vampire would wear, and I can totally picture Lestat from Anne Rice's novels rocking it, or Gary Oldman's portrayal of "young Dracula" in Bram Stoker's Dracula when he and Mina meet for the first time at the Arcade when the white wolf draws her to him. Anyhow, if your lucky enough to get a bottle of this discontinued gem, spray about 10 or so spritzes out, store it away for atleast a couple months (the longer the better) and re-visit it. Im sure ya'll would agree that the wait was well worth it! Oh and btw, this fragrance does transition at the far dry-down where the clean Patchouli and Cold Incense seem to become more prominent and start to really shine making it lean even more on the Fresh/Masculine side I feel. Man, it really is quite gorgeous and it (Now) lasts a decent 5 or more hours on skin, yet somehow lasts FOR A COUPLE DAYS on clothes (This thing LOVES sticking to cloth/material) with pretty good projection, so I definately recommend getting a good-few spritzes your garments. So YES! What a pleasant surprise! Now, my FAVE "Rose Fragrance" is Dunhill's Egyptian Smoke, but now Jason Wu's Velvet Rouge is about neck and neck with it since the Black pepper is now more prominent and the performance has improved! I feel this scent is a solid 8.5 outta 10. Very glad I grabbed a bottle b4 stock runs out☺️. I HIGHLY recommend this to ANYONE who enjoys deep, incensy Rose forward fragrances! And man, I get that the phrase "Niche Quality" gets thrown around all willy-nilly like, but if Jason Wu's Velvet Rouge doesn't fit that description, then I don't know which scent does! I have yet to come accross "Designer Fragrances" that are this daring and "Gothic smelling." And the bottle! Very heavy-gold colored solid metal cap and luxurious deep glass... STUNNING!

This is very smokey and insensey and I mean that in the best possible way. I love the way gunpowder in fireworks smell and there is something about this that is vaguely reminiscent of that kind of smokiness. I also detect pepper and something dark red or fuchsia, maybe it's the rose. As heavy as all this sounds, it's shockingly light as it turns to a skin scent in less than two hours. A smokey, exotic and luxuriant skin scent, but a skin scent all the same. If this were a true EDP strength, this would would be in my top five of all time, it's that good. It's just so disappointingly light, and I like a bolder more make a statement scents. Still, as an intimate skin scent its amazing, I'd love to smell this on someones neck. If you are an incense or pepper fan, this is worth a blind buy, just know the weak strength and you won't be disappointed, this is niche quality and totally unisex. I get almost no green (first spray has maybe a little greeness), floral, jasmine, or amber, so fans of those notes will probably be disappointed. I blind bought this for a steal so I am happy with it. I can see how this might have a cult following sometime in the future, it is very unique. I can't think of anything like this. On a side note, the bottle is huge and heavy, it must weigh close to 2 pounds.

Odd, I just purchased this gem for $19.99 at Burlington (insane), I really like the deep yet fresh, incensey (Blood Red) gothic-rose, but I get NO spice. Im wondering if the black pepper will come with a bit of aging/maceration. Ive purchased other "spicey" frags, but the spice in some of those only came after Id introduced some air into the bottles and they sat for a couple of weeks to a month (namely Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant) amongst others.. fingers crossed!.. still though very nice unisex/leaning fem fragrance which any confident dude can pull off. Ill be back for an update on the black pepper note, oh and performance seems good to me😉 ------------------edit------------------- So I think I know why folks on here are saying this doesn't have good longevity/performance. Oddly, this fragrance doesn't lasts a super long time on skin (2 maybe 3 hours), but REALLY STICKS to clothing. I could smell it for most if the day off my shirt. It's NOT a screamer, but with this dna it wouldn't have been right as a "beast-mode frag" (I still get no black pepper tho).. Anyhow, try a few spritzes on clothes ya'll.

UPDATE: I let it macerate for a month in my fridge. What an evolution! With the patchouli toned down, the silky, amber floral notes emerge beneath a veil of smoke and pepper. This perfume no longer makes me smell like a redwood plank but an elegant goth vampire princess--which is to say, this smells completely ridiculous on a dorkbot like me. But for someone gorgeous and fierce (man or woman; I find it unisex), have at it! *** This one is for the big girls! The femme fatales, the stone cold foxes, the cougars, and the bitches in the corner office. Velvet Rouge is an excellent fragrance. It is reminiscent of Madame Gres' original Cabaret formulation, but instead of being a showgirl in a smoky bar, she's a mysterious power broker in an Armani suit. Sadly, I am not this woman and nor can I wear much patchouli (turns too masculine on my skin). I find this scent to be wonderful when layered with other simple, sheer rose fragrances to dial down its masculine edge, while VR simultaneously adds depth and interest. But if you're a bad bitch then let 'er rip.

Like others, I picked this up at a discount and as a blind buy, and am I ever glad I trusted the reviews on Fragrantica. This is a lighter, satisfying rose-amber-incense. In fact, I can see this taking me year 'round. As for cold, dark, misty winter days, I layer Velvet Rouge over Estee Lauder Amber Mystique, which is a much deeper, richer scent with shared notes, or Lattafa Raghba for a sweeter oud melange. Some days I even layer both over Yakshi Royal Amber oil, like today. Also, I agree that it has a good bit in common with Nirvana Rose yet it's a bit more complicated while still being lighter than NR, with VR lacking the vetiver. Velvet Rouge has been one of my best blind buys ever and I'm quite satisfied. 8/10