2018 Roxo Tonic

An exceptionally good alternative to Roja Vetiver pour Homme.

I'm testing Les Bains Guerbois blind and haven't looked up anything about the brand or the fragrances. Opens up aromatic with elements of citrus and jasmine or a very soft and barely noticable soapiness. I don't like "soapy" fragrances so this is just hinting the right balance for me at first whiff. It gives me the sense of a fresh vodka soda with a splash of tonic and bergamot. An hour later from an arm's distance I'm getting a more generic fresh, slightly spicy scent. I like it more in my nose where the citrus is more prominent. Looking at the notes, I'd say what you see is what you get. There's no fragrance combination trickery. Funny how I compare it to tonic, and yet it is part of the name. A step up from all those mainstream tonics, this version is more fresh and natural, which also reflects its price point. If the tonic variety this fits me more than most.

A very fresh fragrance with citrus and vetiver as the main stars. Extremely strong, two sprays will definitely get you there. Easy to like but kind of generic if you’re coming from the niche perspective. Pretty linear on my skin, but more vetiver heavy on the dry down. I feel like this sort of shares some dna with some Jijide perfumes I’ve tried. I think it’s lovely, but not very memorable.

Refreshing tea and citrusy scent with subtle sweetness and some dry woody undertones. I love that it actually has a bit of cooling effect which is great for summer weather as well as some green and herbaceous accords. I feel that it might be a bit too masculine for some people, so not suitable for blind buys. Follow me on IG: scent.guide

This is very similar piramyd and smell to something Xerjoff Nio.

Candied citrus and vetiver, I’m not sure where the sweet note is coming from but I wish ginger was more dominant. Average performance.

Maybe I'm not the most suitable person to coherently judge a ginger-based fragrance, as I don't have that much experience with them. Maybe I can't tell you just how good 2018 Roxo Tonic is as a ginger fragrance, but I certainly can tell you how it shapes up as an OVERALL fragrance. And it does not shape up good. Especially considering that it's a niche fragrance. I'd expect more naturals, less synthetics, more depth, a more unique scent profile... The usual requirements for something to pass as "niche", yet nowadays, they'll be letting anyone in. But anyways, 2018 Roxo Tonic doesn't set off that bad. It opens with an immediate blast of citruses and ginger, both zesty and effervescent as well as warm and spicy. The lemon does add a candied coating too, which I'm not a big fan of, but it doesn't sweeten things excessively. Things keep going steady in this sparkling, fizzy direction with the ginger slowly taking more control. Underneath, the neroli begins to unravel by introducing a slightly bitter white floral accent to turn things bittersweet, complemented with green/herbaceous attributes that kind of feel like damp tea; like tea that has been left to get cold. Regardless, the ginger is still dominating, and it's almost enough to distract you from the other components... but only almost. That's because the ambroxan begins making its presence know, and things start turning synthetic and unbearably boring. I wouldn't go as far as to say that it's metallic here, but it is definitely close, and while holding hands with some musks and the remaining ginger, they just turn the whole scent into another boring and mass-appealing mingle. Lazy move. By the time I got the whole gist and direction the scent takes, I also sort of expected above average longevity due to the ambroxan, it I was largely right, reaching around 9 hours on my skin. Projection was nowhere near those numbers, following the usual strong first hour, then settling into a skin scent by the 3-4 hour mark. You get plenty of pushing power those first 60 minutes, but little else afterwards. A freshie, in the end; we shan't expect much more. It's largely pointless to state the versatility of such scent profiles by now since it's so obvious. Unless you have some sort of beef with the scent of ginger, this is pure daily material, largely all season too, but summer first. It could dabble for any occasion, really, it just depends on how much you like it. And well, I don't like it, which is why I won't be bothering to finish my sample beyond the testing purposes of this review. My issue is not that it's a bad fragrance; it's fairly well-made, and I've seen much worse usage of ambroxan along the past few months. But 2018 Roxo Tonic just lacks excitement or depth, or some originality and boldness. I know that's a lot to ask for from a freshie, but I'd at least expect no ambroxan given the €210 price tag. I'd at least expect more than just a load of ginger, some lemon candy, soft green touches here and there, and an ambroxan-led finisher. But oh, well, who am I kidding? You've got MFK and its disastrous ambroxan bombs that go for more than that and make huge strides in popularity. So 2018 Roxo Tonic, as an overall "niche" fragrance, disappoints massively, and I wouldn't bother with it. As a ginger fragrance? I've smelt better, and I've smelt few ginger fragrances. Presentation: 7.5/10 Scent: 5/10 Longevity: 8/10 Projection: 4/10 Versatility: 9/10 Value for Money: 2/10 Overall: 5.9/10

Made in France, for citrus lovers. Very fresh fragrance, perfect for summer/hot days. I can smell bergamote with a touch of neroli and ginger. For my nose, it is a natural scent. 100% unisex, I can share it with my husband. It is a happy perfume! 8/10 for summer "Roxo is a party. A place. A color. Materials like leather, lacquer, wood, enameled lava. Organic shapes. A place where day meets night in a dance of light and shadow. Encounters of all kinds. Intoxicated by one’s surroundings as by a powerful cocktail. Roxo Tonic. Bergamot, Lemon and Ginger. Gentian, Neroli and Tea. Vetiver, Ambroxan and Musk. A fragrance under the influence. A moment of joy, desire, free-spirited. Totally free and sparkling." --> In this brand, I really like: - for spring and summer: 2018 Roxo Tonic (bergamote and neroli, 8/10) and 1979 New Wave (mint and orris, 9/10) - for fall and winter: 1885 Sulfureux (rosemary, mandarin and amber, 8/10), 1986 Eclectique (oak moss, honey and tobacco; 9/10) and 1978 Les Bains Douches (yuzu, whiskey and tobacco; 9/10)

Has a beautiful opening - like a lemon drop cocktail with ice and a sprig of herbs. A bracing, rooty vetiver note comes quickly after. Unfortunately, there is an extremely sharp, heavy, cheap-smelling ambroxan/musk blend that threatened to give me a headache. To my nose, it's quite masculine... and it's STRONG.

Sampled once - very similar citruses to Eau Sauvage Cologne, with a sweet amber base that'll undoubtedly make it last longer than the aforementioned. Pretty good honestly!

Fruity, tea, and slightly powdery. Not awfully original, but very pleasant. It reminded me of Heeley's Nôte de Yuzu, and a bunch of other fruity tea scents.