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

Velvet Rouge has unexpectedly moved over my other newly found favorite rose scent, Nirvana Rose, to the back of the shelf. At the moment I seem to prefer the fresher red rose doused in smoky pickle juice that is Velvet Rouge to the more wilted darker tobacco scented rose of NR. Something about the pickle juice that marinades this red rose that is so intoxicating and a surprising combination that works well. Not over-used and unique enough to be a signature, if you are a fan of rose scents, but want something more interesting than just a soliflore scent or very popular fruity/jammy rose.

I was looking through the online listings for Nordstrom Rack. This caught my eye bc the bottle was gorgeous. I loved the idea of an incense note bc I prefer incense over candles as a home scent. So I placed my order. Shipping took forever though since it was through Hautelook. I love this. It's smoky and warm. Not too masculine. My only gripe is that it's a very close scent. I wish it projected more so that others could appreciate it as well. I find myself spraying more on throughout the day so I'll probably go through the bottle pretty quickly. It would be a beautiful home scent too.

Such a huge fan of this perfume! I love that it's a warm, ambery, cold weather fragrance that opens with those fresh green notes. It's like the last whiffs of summer at the start of autumn. But honestly, this feels very unisex and wearable year-round; a little edgy, a little soft, incensey and cozy without feeling heavy. I'm so enticed by the descriptions of how lovely this perfume becomes after it macerates, but I'm not sure I can stay away from it long enough to let it really develop! And a full sized bottle for $13 at TJ Maxx??? Incredible. This is an all-time favorite for sure.

LOVE! Omg this one is excellent! My kinda scent. It’s perfect for fall! Floral spice with incense mixed in. I definitely get the green notes but not like a Hermes green notes more muted! I get wood and patch but no rose! this also is not spicy like you think spicy from the pepper, it’s pleasant and mixes well! I can’t stop sniffing my wrist. The one thing I’m not in love with is the bottle and the cap, you could kill someone or at least knock them out with that heavy cap! Kinda award to hold bottle....but the juice is fantastic! HIGHLY Recommended 10/10.

I saw this in the “clearance area” in my local Walmart, so I decided to look it up here. Lots of great reviews. Then.... Who’s the “nose” behind the scent? Frank Voelkl, who’s behind these gems: By Kilian’s “Roses on Ice”, D&G’s “Velvet Amber Sun”, Glossier’s “You”, 13 scents from Le Labo (including Santal 33), and sooo many others. I’m so glad I took a chance. This has a sleek bottle, with a beautiful cap. The juice is sensual, cozy and velvety. It smells like high end, confident and sexy. I highly recommend.

Velvet Rouge by Jason Wu is a very unique spicy rose, that is most definitely unisex. I have about 20 rose fragrances, and this one is the sleeper. When people have a look at my collection, the Jason Wu bottle always grabs their attention, which naturally leads them to wanting to try it. Invariably the response is the same, "Oh, wow! That's really good". It's like a more refined version of Moschino's Toy Boy that's been tweaked, and made with higher quality ingredients too. A compliment-getter, guaranteed.

Ooooooooooooieeeee, this is COZY, like the most comforting, cuddly cold weather scent that is guaranteed to make your love want to kiss you all over while cuddling under blankets. I don’t get any pepper, florals or patchouli on me, just amber, powder and incense with maybe the tiniest hint of rose that is barely detectable. I love the Nirvana Rose but this is nothing like that. This dries down powdery, not smokey like tobacco. It makes me happy to smell it. It smells the way hot fresh laundry feels on.

Beautiful floral with a grounding hint of smoke. Velvet is a perfect description-soft and lush. It’s not quiet but it certainly doesn’t shout. I don’t find it powdery, thankfully for me, but more cloud like. Dry down is a lovely dusky rose and, yes, draws in close to the skin. My first blind buy due to a great price and I am so pleased! Wonderful for this time of year- going to sleep in this.

I smell coriander immediately upon the first spray that reminds me of Agent Provocateur and Coriandre JC, which I really enjoy. Jason Wu VR is indeed an interesting take on rose. I like that the incense note here does not turn this perfume into a classic-common smoky/oudy rose scent, it adds on a mysterious velvety aura, like a glamorous soft blanket.

I love a niche level scent at a bargain price. I blind bought & have no regrets. I smell a violet rose incense powdery scent, with dark notes for maturity and power. I wish it were longer lasting *edit: spray it on your scrunchie and it will last until the next morning

Similar to Le Labo Rose 31, Stella by Stella McCartney and Nirvana Rose by E&J. Not a "perfect dupe" to any of them, but really good!!! I can pick up the rose, insense, patchouli and amber. Sexy and cozy too. A compliment getter, with a sleek, and elegant bottle.

Wow very pleasantly surprised. Rose 31 on the budget. I wanted to buy Rose 31 but didn’t want to spend that kind of money but this one an amazing substitute. Bought it for 20$ 30ml I still can’t believe the price and the quality. Thank you Jason Wu 😍

Wow! This takes me back to 1989! It reminds me so much of Paloma Picasso, especially in the first hour of application. As it drys down it develops a creamy, sultry, come hither allure. I love it!

This scent is a contradiction of different elements. It's fresh, green and slightly floral, but also spicy, warm and slightly smokey. It's a nice contrast that comes together rather seamlessly and softly. There are no sharp edges to this perfume. The black pepper, green notes and slight sweetness from the florals and amber combined, remind me of cardamom, which is note I love. The incense and patchouli give a soft, smokey, earthiness to round it out. This smells rather niche and unisex to my nose and is completely different than Jason Wu's signature original scent, and a nice departure from the usual mass appeal designer offerings. The only downside is that it's a little too soft and doesn't have great longevity. The bottle and packaging are gorgeous though and price point is quite reasonable. An overall enjoyable scent, perhaps best suited for the cooler months.

I wish the rose was more prominent. I primarily get pepper, incense, amber and patchouli...in that order. The rose is a minor player at best. It smells more expensive than it cost (I picked it up for around $20 at TJ Maxx) and is definitely worth picking up if you're looking for a unisex spicy ambery scent with a slight whiff of rose. Also, the bottle is fantastic--minimalistic and gorgeous, with more substance and heft than you'd expect for a bargain fragrance.

Strong Rose and smokey patchouli on this one, projects really well the first hour or so but longevity is weak for an EDP, can’t smell anymore after about 4hours. Definitely had a goth/witch personality to me, perfect for fall or summer nights I guess. I just wish it lasted longer.

I'm a guy and to me Velvet Rouge smells like dry, peppery, dusty cedar wood and violet leaves, with a dash of soapy green musky rose. It does have some similarities with Nirvana Rose. Totally unisex, but I prefer Nirvana Rose.

I like this stuff. I came upon it a couple of weeks ago here on Fragrantica, when 9 Arcana Rosa finally hit eBay but even I couldn't talk myself into paying the substantially reduced price of $135 for it. I have to wonder about the history of how this Velvet Rouge was developed. I'd bet anything it started out as a man's fragrance. The bottle is black and nearly identical to Baldessarini's and the glass so heavy and clumsy to hold onto that it requires big hands that have worked out every morning to lift it. (It won't get them here; mine are small and arthritic.) And the name is just Jason Wu, and hard to read down near the bottom of the glass. Exactly like they were bringing it out as a man's scent and a committee somewhere decided it wasn't macho enough. No words Velvet Rouge anywhere on the bottle; if this bottle gets pushed to the back of your perfume closet and you come across it 5 years from now, you'll never know what it is. But I won't be pushing my bottle back from the front row of my perfume closet anytime soon. It's very good, but far more subtle than I was expecting with rose, patchouli, smokey, and incense in the notes. I don't smell any peony though; wanted to, but don't. It's not a big gusher and not at all heavy. But it's really wearable, even for daytime. It has enough incense and dark notes for those of us who love them, but it doesn't announce itself loudly and/or scare people off. It lasts 4-5 hours on my skin. And the price is right; this minute anyway, eBay has bottles for less than $60. You can blind buy it and if for some reason it isn't for you, you won't be kicking yourself weeks later. Edit, nearly 6 years later: Pushing it to the back of my perfume closet is exactly what I did. And changed the rating to an ok too. I didn't wear the scent much after the first couple of months, and put it on for the first time in years this morning. The scent is just too airy and weak. Especially compared to what's out there, the stuff I already have, and have bought since April 2020. But it's the heavy awkward glass bottle that really dooms it. I just can't be bothered wondering if this is the morning it's going to slip out of my hands and break my big toe while I'm trying to find the direction of the sprayer.

Jason Wu Velvet Rouge can be found at discounters these days, but not so long ago, the Jason Wu range was gracing the shelves as a premium product at department stores. I tested the original Jason Wu EDP in 2018, and although it was a pretty, musky floral fragrance, I found it rather underwhelming for the price. Velvet Rouge is a much bolder fragrance which is heavy on the rose, pepper and patchouli. Velvet Rouge is a vegetal, green and somewhat earthy rose to my nose. The patchouli and pepper accords are quite confronting, and the rose note is deep and dark, gothic almost. It is similar to Elizabeth & James Nirvana Rose and Le Labo's Rose 31. There is an incense note in this fragrance as well that provides a delicate, smoky aroma, which I find quite pleasant on the skin. Velvet Rouge is a wintry scent with bold projection, making it the perfect fragrance for the cooler months. This fragrance will appeal to lovers of dark, rose-patchouli blends, but with that being said, I don't consider this fragrance a safe blind buy. Velvet Rouge would make a great unisex fragrance as there is no sweetness in this composition, and the scent overall is quite dry, dense and smoky. Sadly, the Jason Wu fragrance line appears to have been discontinued, although Jason Wu still continues to make beauty products. This may explain the perfume line's sudden departure from department stores and its re-appearance at local discounters.

This was the best blind buy of the year for me. I love it so much I bought a spare even though I just had used it for less than a month. This is such a calming, fresh but soothing powdery not too sweet scent. I spray it on me and my sheets before I got to bed and when I have a bad fragrance experience (like today) and I have to scrub off a fragrance because my nose is fried (blind buy gone wrong - Nirvana Rose for me) I spray Velvet Rouge on to calm my senses. I usually like deep dark and sweet but this is a lighter version that is easy to wear fro day, night, office, sleeping, anything. I can't say how much I really really appreciate the notes and how it makes me feel. I bought the signature scent too but glad I got just the rollerball - some of the same DNA but fruitier and more floral. I like Velvet Rouge more for its powdery soothing sweetness.

I have just discovered this beautiful smoky rose scent and I highly recommend it. Jason Wu's Velvet Rouge was created by Frank Voekl, who is the nose behind many Le Labo fragrances, including Rose 31 and 6 Nomenclature fragrances. Velvet Rouge has a great niche vibe, IMHO, opening with a big dose of green, crushed violet leaves and some lovely smoky incense. As it develops, a big Damascene rose note enters, but never overwhelms. The drydown brings in amber and musk along with the big rose note. I wish the green notes lasted for hours, but they do tend to disappear after a couple of hours. Nevertheless, the remaining drydown of rose, amber, musk and incense is lovely. This is definitely not a sugar rush scent, it's a sophisticated adult fragrance and is very unisex. A man could definitely rock this very nicely.

i owned original and while it was not a bad scent it was too floral for my tastes since i am a gourmand girl. I saw this at the Marshalls for very cheap so I decided to get it. Well...this is basically deeper version of the original. Spicier deeper version with patchouli and amber which is rather prominent. To be honest, green top note is irritating because i wish more rose would come through instead. But still, its not bad. I much prefer it to original. Lasting power was kind of eh to me. To my nose, it lasted couple of hours. But I am known to not smell a fragrance that I am wearing and then someone compliment me from 6 feet away. I think its worth getting if you like the original. However, if you are not into spicier florals(and this is NOT ambery floral), then this won't be your bag

Velvet Rouge is truly a stunning peppery rose concoction that manages to be sultry and smoky in the softest of ways. Loving this combination of notes has generally been a path to disappointment because many fragrances of this genre result in a harsh, overly dry and too masculine mess but Velvet Rouge is aptly named as it is lush and soft as that sumptuous fabric and rosy as the color red. I tend to prefer strong fragrances but if and only if they are nuanced and evocative. Jasón Wu’s Velvet Rouge whispers softly but its message is pure beauty! Thank you to my kind perfume buddy , Boris for this jewel of a fragrance. 😻

Unisex deep red rose that goes through a masculine patchouli pepper incense phase that I don't like after a couple hours of wear. The beginning and remainder of the whole day journey is delightful. Long lasting with sillage of 3-6 feet. Churchy, gothic, night, velvet, candlelight, moody. Must love rose, pepper, patchouli, incense notes in fragrances. All of them are present and clamoring loudly for attention like band members not cooperating. Instead each is trying to steal the show but the result is still entertaining. For lovers of the deep dark rose genre.

I blind bought this based on notes and reviews. I found it for a great price but I think I will be returning if possible. It’s not that I don’t like it, I mostly do. But this one is faint, very faint and gone within 20-30 min on my skin. It also opens up with a somewhat pickley smell. Weird, I know. And honestly I don’t mind that because what’s underneath is nice. It does have a kind of natural “Le Labo” vibe and the perfumer also created Santal 33 and other Le Labo scents. So the main reason I won’t keep it is the extreme lack of longevity. 😢

Dark, brooding, and seductive. First impressions were mostly pepper and incense, but over time the rose comes out. It's a dark rose that sits close to the skin surrounded by seething smoke. The deep smokiness is satisfying and almost savoury in a come-hither way. It's more like rose incense, not rose AND incense. The two notes are well combined. It does lack sweetness, though, which I don't miss at all. It's definitely a film noir femme fatale scent.

Sophisticated, Luxurious and Very Pretty fragrance. Top: Crushed Violet Leaves, Pepper, Dewy Green Middle: Jasmine, Magnolia, Rose, Centifolia, Muguet, Peony Base: Incense, Musk, Gold, Amber,Patchouli For me, the bright green intro, peony, amber and incense stand out the most. Full dry down really brings out this perfume's full potential. Really translates as 'velvety'. Nice packaging. Smells niche. Long Lasting. ✨

It's very fresh and green and vibrant. The pepper and incense are definitely prominent although all the elements are seamlessly blended and it comes across as a high quality fragrance. To me, it's a pleasant scent, not necessarily sexy or mysterious. It's quite unique to my nose - I could definitely pick this one out of a line-up. I think whether you like this will depend on how much you like peppery scents.

Wow. Found it my local outback chemist priced at $99 for a big bottle. Wow. this smells like very expensive perfumes I tried at Dubai Airport. Oud is not a listed not but it smells like a rosy oud scent, very velvetly. Its very good.

This is a beautiful scent, especially for fall and winter. I enjoy the original Jason Wu perfume and this is no exception. I will repurchase and always have this. Smells niche to me as does the original Jason Wu.

Just saw this and almost bought in tjmaxx... It is heavenly but I think it would end up giving me a headache! Sadly.