Rouge Assassin

Esxence "The art of perfumery" exhibition in March 2013 was the first holiday I've ever taken purely for the sake of perfumes. Wandering among fragrance aficinados, noses and business owners was an amazing experience, not to mention that I also had the honor of meeting and talking with Elena and Zoran (the founders of Fragrantica) on location! The winning perfume of that heavily scented weekend for me is Jovoy's Rouge Assasin. It's no secret that Yours Truly is a sucker for iris. In my video blog I sometimes mention Dior Homme for its powdery, cosmetic, lipstick qualities. You know, it has the makeup bag effect. But Frederic Malle's Iris Poudre and Dior Homme are a far cry from Rouge Assasin, which refers to a woman's scarlet lips by both its name and smell. The opening is quite powerful considering this is a powdery fragrance. Other people will definitely know that you've just sprayed some good stuff on. This phase will pass in about ten minutes and settle into a qualified, very very well done lipstick perfume. The rest of it is linear as far as I know, because my nose sort of loses track of the suave Rouge Assasin before the it gets to the drydown. Anyway, this stuff is absolutely marvelous. It's hardly overpowering, it's very feminine and classy.. and the bottle cap is luxuriously heavy. Mmm. I could go on and on, but will simply end this lovestruck babble by claiming that the queen of lipsticks has been found. Thanks to Amélie Bourgeois for crafting this stunning perfume.

Rouge Assassin by Jovoy is the perfect vintage cosmetics scent! It makes me feel nostalgic for the lipsticks and face powders of the 1940’s. I can’t help but think of old Hollywood style glamour! Rouge Assassin definitely is more powdery than waxy. I think it’s really difficult to get the cosmetic scent mixture just right without it being too sweet or too rosey, but Jovoy had no doubt achieved that with Rouge Assassin. The ambrette compliments the iris exquisitely , it develops so smoothly on the skin. Rouge Assassin is sexy and comforting at the same time because it brings back memories, but still offers this irresistibly vintage feminine allure. I am so in love with lipstick and cosmetic type fragrances and once I heard that this was a similar type of fragrance to my beloved Moulin Rouge 1889 (totally a lipstick scent, has a waxy vibe to it!) I had to try Rouge Assassin. I am so glad I did because I absolutely love it! Rouge Assassin is definitely my new “holy grail” vintage face powder scent!

I blind bought this a year ago and, at the time, I was working in a high-pressured City environment. I liked RA, but it didn't fit the life/ workstyle I was living - not enough GRRRRRRR! - and I wore it only twice. Fast forward to December this year and, I unearthed it from the depths of my wardrobe as I was foraging for things to sell on eBay. Praise be that I had the presence of mind to try it again! My life's changed a great deal in 12 months: I'm now working from home and I find the demure, musky iris of Rouge Assassin perfect for my work and mind set. It's comforting and unobtrusive but with a backbone of steel. At first spritz, I catch myself thinking I'll have to overload on it because it won't last but it always finds a way. It's the most subtle longevity powerhouse in my collection. I'm surprised not more people have this in their collections. It was the ultimate sleeper hit for me; now I couldn't bear to be without it.

Rouge Assassin by Jovoy Paris created by Amelie Bourgeois evokes the burlesque atmosphere of 40s / 50s pigalle. That's right, the fragrance brings back to the dusty, sparkling boudoir of Crazy Horse rather than Moulin Rouge or Carrousel: the scent of the floral tributes of the admirers (often roses and why not elegant Iris) the environments imbued with the intoxicating and fabulous scent of scandalous and forbidden lipsticks creamy scarlet red, volatile powders with rice powder, the scent of musky mallow (ambrette seeds) of the corsets and the very tight and sensual guêpière, of the warm woody scents of the theatrical environments of yesteryear. This is the vintage / bohemian thought that strongly arouses in my nose this incredible and perturbed feminine fragrance from Maison Jovoy Paris. Paradoxically mild and unobtrusive sillage.

One day one of my coleagues weared a new perfume which smells great. It was a woody perfume with powdery accords with a lot of musk scent. Somedays later when I was browsing in a perfumeshop as usual to find some new fragrance, I smelled a same scent. It was Rouge Assassin. I got a 2 mil. sample to test it at home. I can say rhat the Iris as a middle note is dominant which meticulously mixed with musk and sandalwood. It was really an interesting scent. Both projection and longevity are moderate which has made it soft perfume. An all season fragrance for young girls!

Agree with maistylz. Instant love, and I like it more every time I use it. The elemi and bergamotte in opening is to die for. I’m getting a powdery iris on a base of ambrette and sandalwood as it dries down, and it is gorgeous. Nothing juvenile. It’s dry, powdery and not too sweet. Ageless and timeless.

i got a tester of this with a purchase. pretty unisex/masculine if u ask me. actually REALLY nice...rose/iris/cedar. quality iris vibe

this smells cold to me. the vanilla is there, but flash-frozen amongst the flower petals and rice powder. one for the heartless days.

I am a little confused by this scent. From the notes listed, the back story etc I thought this would be a sure fire winner and couldn't wait to get my hands on a sample. Yet I was so underwhelmed by this when I tried it. It is so light as to be almost imperceptible - and it wasn't just me, my hubby could barely smell it either, it was as though within 10 minutes it smelled like the faintest skin scent drydown from the previous day. Such a shame, I was ready to fall in love. What little I could smell of it was nice but this is so so delicate and faint. If they could just triple the strength maybe...but as it is, it just doesn't fit the name, the story. Longevity about 2 hours and no sillage.

Finely-milled rice powder on sweet tonka and resinous goodness base. Rice note is too strong for it to ideally become a rouge lipstick scent. Very sensuous, delicate, pristine, and relaxing. Powdery but does not smell old-fashioned/vintage dusty. The combination of iris+ambrette+rice+tonka creates that calming chamomile accord minus grass that I enjoy. This would make a great Mrs for Mr Dior Homme Parfum as a couple. It is sexier than many other perfumes that are lipstick accord oriented. I get a hint of Santal Austral Matiere Premier in the drydown but far superior. Absolutely impressed, despite disagreeing with the concept.

Im hit with iris and ambrette on the opening. A lipstick waxy iris with musk. There is a touch of sweetness from the rose and tonka. I can just about make out sandalwood and cedar. If there is rice in here then its overwhelmed by the other more strident notes. Its a shame the iris is so fleeting with the rose, tonka, ambrette and musk lasting ages. I think I love it most after an hour or two. Im perplexed by its name as there is nothing dangerous about this very pleasant iris fragrance. I think you could wear this day or night. It doesnt have a strong sillage but has long longevity. Its an easy to wear unisex fragrance.

"Rouge Assasin" is a very feminine creamy scent that wraps you like a blanket. Low silage, but excellent longevity - around 8 hours. Worth a try if you don't mind creamy perfumes that develop around ambrette. Opening greeted me with powdery old-lipstick iris, but soon it settled to a very creamy, almost milky feminine scent perfectly suited for colder evenings. Very versatile and with excellent quality. Def. worth a try or even a blind buy if this sort of scents are your thing.

As an iris lover, I was so excited to try this scent. The dry, powdery, earthy scent of the iris combines with the musk gives it such an ethereal, alien quality that I love. I expected (given the name and the notes) that this would be more feminine/lipstick/boudoir in profile, but it is much earthier and loamier than the name implies. It has a very strong throw as well. I sprayed it once on my arm, then put a jumper on and the scent still wafted around me in a cloud for hours.

Delicate and refined. A powdery rose based scent, you can also smell the familiar comforting amidaceous note of cooked rice and the iris. To me its mainly a domesticated rose sitting on a nice amber and resin bed. Elegant to wear, very subdued, not as potent as other frags im the Jovoy collection. A solid like and different from the rest (i couldn't find any " reminds me of " section. The comparison with Dior Homme is totally out of consideration). Medium longevity.

new born babies/baby wipes x atelier materi bois d'ambrette, u can smell the rice before knowing it actually has rice. also, kinda does smell like OG makeup but for a short period of time, it's quite complex for what it is. it's essentially a niche baby/newborn scent, super soft and easy to reach on a daily basis.

I would like it it wasn't there the ambrette, which I can't stand. Pity.

Basically, it is a weaker rose scent but very capable if the creators amp up the longevity and potency a wee bit. However, I respect Jovoy's decision to keep it the way it is. I like it but don't love it and I am a rose/patchouly/oud lover. It has a rose onset and an iris/inky offset. this is a personal scent that is creative so definitely very haute style perfume.

I love iris, in fact I’m quite obsessed. But this only whispers an almost mute iris on my skin, and all I get is rice and white musk. It’s loveliness is so far, far away. I’m getting my nose closely stuck-in and it’s just an almost invisible skin-scent, like I’ve washed it off but something slightly lingers.

The opening smells just like that vintage lipstick scent. Then it dries down to papery iris and i also get some rice notes. Very dry as others have noted. Not my favorite from Jovoy and this is coming from an iris fanatic.

You’ve heard of sweet and sour, well this is sweet and stale. Makeup vibes. Misplaced and inharmonious balsamic vibe. Crumby, powdery rose accord. Hard pass.

Classic dry iris fragrance with a woody backbone, not anything new really but still nice!

This is not what I thought it would be, at all. Rouge Assassin is citrusy, soapy and woody and inhabits the same general olfactory neighborhood as D&G's Light Blue (clean-musky-citrus-woody). There is a lot of ambrette, bergamot and cedar here coupled with a faint iris note that reads as clean-soapy and papery rather than powdery or makeup-like. The overall feel of RA is surprisingly upbeat and I think that's also one of the reasons this doesn't come off as an iris-centric perfume. (Iris heavy perfumes are often decribed by many as having a melancholic air to them.) Maybe it's the bergamot that hangs around too long and reminds me a bit of a citrusy green tea vibe. There is a lot of cleanish musk from the amberette too. Honestly, this smells like I washed my hands with highly scented antibacterial soap and dried them on one of those rough cardboard-brown colored paper towels. Not at all unpleasant, but not the powdery makeup scent I thought it would be.

Rouge Assassin was my first experience with Jovoy, and it did nothing for me. I bought it blindly and regretted it. I found it to be a fairly dull scent. A light, innocuous powdery scent with a vanilla-like resinous base. So demure that a nun could wear it to church. It is lacking in depth and complexity. Sillage was very low, but it lasted an average amount of time on the skin. I was so intrigued by all the talk of lipstick, makeup, wax...but I have found those qualities to be better in other perfumes, so again, this one pales in comparison to others I have worn lately. It seems like the base of a perfume instead of the whole shebang. I detected very few of the notes in the pyramid, like I mentioned, mostly a powdery scent, some citrus, and sweet base. Underwhelming.

Mmm, an amazing scent, powdery liptstick scent. But only at first sprays. It's not juicy but dry ambrette, iris, sandalwood is what I smell. After 30 minutes sandalwood and musk dominates all the way. Till now I've tried HDP's Moulin Rouge and Malle's Lipstick Rose, as 'lipstick /old cosmetics' fragrances and this is far more dry and polite as the other two, MR is more bold and juicy, Malle is very powdery, IMO. Rouge Assasin is not screaming but it's whispering how classy and feminine is it. PS: I agree with previous poster. It's not 'Red', but 'Grey-purple, mauve' coloured lipstick, my favourite. 2. PS: I love Moulin Rouge over this.

Rouge Assassin starts off with a bang—a realistic vintage vibe that instantly recalls waxy lipsticks, soft powders, and a touch of elegance straight out of a 1920s boudoir. It’s powdery, musky, and lipsticky in the best nostalgic way, creating a very charming first impression. Unfortunately, the excitement fades rather quickly. After about an hour, the scent loses its richness and projection, leaving behind a faint trail of powdery iris and musk that’s only noticeable up close on skin. Beautiful opening, but the performance and evolution fall flat. A missed opportunity, though lipstick lovers might still enjoy the ride.

Plain and boring. The opening is the only thing that is worth it, witch was very good you get that iris that elemi and a very bright rose however after 30 minutes all that is left is a very syinthetic powdery white musk with some citruses and green notes in the back. Very forgivable fragrance, nothing original. Good at best. The longevity is good ? if you count the white musk on the backround because that is the only thing i smell past the 30 minutes. 6/10

Very soft, hardly feminine leaning,creamy milky rice as a steady undertone which gets artificial play-doh added as body in combination with women's powder cosmetics and face make-up. Imagine drugstore aisle with mascara and similar items. Nothing original and not your money worthy sorry.

I had high hopes for this one. I love the name and tend to really enjoy most fragrances from this house. However, the ambroxan (white musk) over-powers this one and drowns out the other notes. Sadly this is a pass for me.

This smells like hair spray to me. Definitely not something I like smelling. So, this is a no go for me.

Selling a bottle sprayed once message me

A musky sweet woody, not just for girls... The top notes hit me squarely and individually right away. The rose initially makes RA feel a little on the feminine side (just a tad, not much), but on me it is not long lasting (first 5-10 minutes, tops). After the 10 minute mark, the rose pretty much is not longer perceptible. Only the freshness and the sweet sharpness of the bergamot and elemi, respectively, stay longer...before the middle notes begin to make presence (i.e., the first few minutes upon spraying), RA smells like those eau de cologne, citrus-based, fragrances that you find in many houses...it does not say much until the bergamot begins to fade and the middle notes begin to appear. After 15 minutes or so the bergamot has toned down and iris begins to kick in as the rose fades away...the iris starts making RA feel a little powdery is a good way...accompanying the introduction of the iris are the sandalwood/cedar combo, making RA feel woody...and this point, around the 30 minute mark, RA no longer feels to me flowery in a feminine way (the iris will persist, giving a flowery elegance to RA, but not in a way that I would describe as feminine)...the lingering elemi is just right in amount (I'm experienced with elemi, which can repel when over used due to its sharp resinous sweetness, but in RA the amount is right...just enough to give that enjoyable sweetness)...the rice scents also kicks in...the rice scent introduces this nutty feel which, when mixed now with the elemi, introduces this almondy smell...which I have to say, complements well the Tonka and vanilla at the base (Tonka also tends to be a little almond-like)...the musk contributes with a little dryness that complements well the soft powdery feel of the iris. After the 30 minute mark the benzoin-Tonka-vanilla combo is now well present, bringing a warm and comfort feel. The sandalwood/cedar combo (but most notably the sandalwood) continues to be alive. In short, this is not a linear fragrance. For the rest of the duration this is pretty much how RA stays...an elegant, warm, powdery, nutty, comforting, and moderately sweet wood composition... Longevity is above average, silage is soft/moderate.

The combination of rose, elemi, and bergamot in the top notes creates a delicate and inviting opening that immediately drew me in. As the fragrance settled on my skin, the exquisite pairing of ambrette and iris unfolded gracefully, developing into a smooth and sophisticated bouquet. Rouge Assassin is both sexy and comforting, striking the perfect balance between nostalgia and timeless allure. It brought back cherished memories while exuding an irresistibly vintage feminine charm that I simply couldn't resist. As the scent lingered throughout the day, I couldn't help but appreciate the seamless blend of white musk, cedar, sandalwood, benzoin, tonka bean, and vanilla in the base notes. This combination added depth and complexity to the fragrance, leaving a lasting impression that was both comforting and captivating. In conclusion, JOVOY ROUGE ASSASSIN is an absolute gem in my collection. Its soft, powdery, and slightly sweet notes create a sophisticated and captivating experience. It may not be an attention-grabbing powerhouse, but its elegance and charm are sure to leave a lasting impression on those around you. Whether you're reliving beautiful memories or creating new ones, Rouge Assassin is a companion that will always evoke an aura of timeless allure.

I think I can understand the mixed reviews now. I have bought myself a full bottle of this finally and the bottle I got doesn't remotely smell like my LuckyScent sample. The sample is the powder/lipstick/makeup scent of flowers, ambrette and gentle woody iris, but the bottle is a screaming wood/iris combo with very little else. I have to assume the bottle has spoiled in the warehouse it came from. It came fully sealed in the marvelous drawer-box, shrink wrapped and silver paper wrapped, sealed with the Jovoy label and I double checked the code numbers: all authentic. But the scent is rudimentary and loud, nothing I can wear and nothing like the gentle, powdery girly smell of the sample. The company that sold it to me is being cool about returns, but I'm so disappointed. I expect this scent is more prone to spoilage than some? Because I've never had this happen before, from sample to bottle, to smell clearly of the same notes but so much more drastic. and harsh.

Main Notes: Sour Elemi, Bland Powderiness Smells Good? 6/10 Smells Interesting? 6.7/10 Scent Description A penetrating sourness (elemi) pierces through my nose. Then it got entagled with some sort or balsamic(?), turning into a ... sour-sweet dry dates tone for a second. Then scent lost flavor quickly, flattened to a rather anaemic powdery mix : the slightly cool tone starchy note (amberette), and something resemble fragrant rubber eraser (iris + tonka?), they blend into each other inseparably. A pale-r cousin of Le cri de la lumiere it is. The official description kept focusing on a "lipstick" tone (they put "rouge" in name after all), but I don't get any in this hot weather. The sourness of elemi though, really is as sharp as an assassin's dagger.

I honestly can’t decide if I love this or not. I like powdery lipsticky scents generally; but I’m picky. Love, Chloe was my signature for a while because I adored that rice powder + orange blossom + vitamins accord. I kind of think this could fill that void for me but it’s even more powdery and dense than Love, Chloe. HdP Moulin Rouge is too muddy/murky. I don’t like FM Lipstick Rose because it’s too much rose. This is good and I enjoy the starchy rice quality, along with a sort of vanilla-tonka powder. I can see others loving this. I’ll wear it a bit more and see what transpires.

It's a safe sent, not as potent and original as the other Jovoy's. It is soft, powdery and slightly sweet. Something refined and light. You can't go wrong with it but you won't stand out either. Perfect for the office or restaurant, it would not disturb the people around you. I sprayed the entire 2 ml sample on me and I can still breath if I did that with any other Jovoy's perfume people would probably smell me from about 1000 feet. Update- the more I wear it, the more I like it. Perfect smell for confinement or sleep/night time.

I did not expect this perfume to be so humble and suffocated...Yes, the dominant notes are musk mellow, white musk, iris, but I do not smell any of the sweet notes listed (vanilla, tonka, benzoin), but neither something fresh (cedar, bergamot)... The entire composition seems rather weak, hardly breathing ... This perfume should evoke the strength of the women lived in the ‘20s, these garçonne –type women who in their search of liberty possessed enormous feminine charm...I do not feel it...unfortunately...

A waxy lipstick iris. I don't understand the name. There's nothing red or dangerous about this at all. I'm not that into iris if it's waxy, so this isn't really my cup of tea. It's the classic powedery lipstick smell with plenty of dry ambrette in the background. There's not a whole lot else going on here for me. I find it linear, and really only get iris and ambrette from it. It's inoffensive and I can imagine it being a great go to for office/day wear. Sot sillage and about 6 hours longevity.

I would call this perfume not "Red killer" or "Gray-purple killer." Screaming mixture of intense iris and musk. In the background I hear benzoin and sandalwood. I especially did not like the dusty tail of the perfume "colored" neon-violet color. What lipstick, what powder ...aroma ??? If this perfume reminds powder or lipstick, than this is "hysterical powder" and "barbed lipstick." Indeed this "killer" - drilled brain. Not for young girls, I think will suit young punks))))

to be brutally honest, this one disappointed me. it disappointed me a lot. from the notes and the ingredients, i expected MUCH more, however, i was quite let down. i was expected soft, wispy and delicate, but i ended up getting something i expected from atelier cologne, which is not anything negative in and of itself, it's just...just...just a bit disappointing. i've bought a buttload of jovoy samples recently, and NONE are leaving an impression on me. poo.

I was very excited to test this fragrance because of the combination of the notes but I tried a sample and it did not catch my attention. There is a kind of sourness in the scent that's not appealing to me. In dry down it's transited to a dry woody scent. It's woody, musky, powdery, and slightly floral but without a distinct character to be used as a signature scent. 6.5/10

Romantic floral. It is soft but substantial, complex but easy, classy but modern fragrance. It is very lady-like with cool, metro feel. This one is for those who like to wear feminine, different, not too sweet fragrances. In a heart: fresh iris-rose composition, a little woody, powdery and ambrette-musky. Really harmonious and beautiful

Has that lipstick note right off the bat, and some florals- but for me that only lasts about 20 mins and then we move into a dry down that is dominated by cedar and a very dry musk. The powdered dry rice feel is here too, somehow there is something savory that comes through for me. Buttoned up, mature, soft and elegant.

A fragrance with a feminine, classic character. It smells like a combination of powdery cosmetics or baby powder and delicate flowers. You can sense notes of iris, rose, and vanilla, which create a soft, slightly sweet aura. It’s a calm and subtle perfume — perfect for everyday wear. It smells clean and feminine.

A darker type of powdery scent. velvety, leathery, a midnight iris. Smells so so luxurious, absolutely perfect for a high end dinner in a dim restaurant in skyscrapper, somewhere in London, Paris or New York..... It is soft, feminine yet assertive. Rather woody, not fresh at all.

Boring, lite, and not worthy of a full bottle. I get none of the notes. Smells generic and cheap. Smells like something Avon would put out. So far out of all the Jovoy I have sampled, I only love two. The same ones everyone else loves. Psychedelique and Gardez moi.

This is a powdery musky iris kind of perfume. It lacks creaminess. There is a powdery note in this perfume that can make you choke up when smelled upclose. It's obviously a good scent, but not in par with some of the other offerings from this marvelous house.

Dry, powdery, grainy, make up bag, zero sweetness. Feels like orris. Try Iris rose by E coudrey, very very similar. This one is more of a laster though which is reflected in concentration / price. ** Bundle sample swaps UK get in touch **

Classy make up scent, red lipstick - modern expensive lipstick. Hence, love ! Find it very similar to Touche Finale - and both tick the “expensive make-up” scent box , without tacky raspberry or other fruity accords.

Has notes that remind me somehow of vintage makeup; powdery, creamy, smooth and cool. Add to this tart candy notes, and I'm loving it.I adore iris and ambrette and it's a lovely combination. Pretty, fun.