Eau de Rochas

The other day, passing "in a hurry" through the Plaza store, where I do my perfume shopping, I saw something that hadn't existed for a long time, a shelf full of Rochas. I froze, it was as if I had traveled back to my childhood on Christmas day, and immediately my casual visit turn into the grab as many bottles of Rochas day. I went home with 5 bottles of Rochas, and a few more from other brands🤭, and I spent the whole Friday afternoon smelling it, scoring notes and remembering moments. I only took Eau from Rochas because I either had the rest of the perfumes or I didn't like them, Eau de Rochas, Eau Fraiche, Eau Reflets, Eau Escapade en Mediterranee, Escapade Estivale, there were two more but they had nothing to do with my tastes, too sweet. I had Eau de Rochas years ago but I had forgotten something very important about it, was the perfume I wore to my first unofficial meeting with my husband, as soon as I sprayed it on the canvas paper my husband abandoned the Netflix movie and that's because this perfume is hard to confuse. Yes, it may have some notes with Lancome O, but it doesn't smell like it, O is very aromatic and heavy, this one is green and very oxygenated, it's like basil water with flower petals and coriander. It reminds me more of Jean Couturier than of Lancome.It is a clean perfume for a special, elegant office outfit made of fine materials, maybe satin, silk, cashmere. I remember why I wore it on that special day of my life, because it was a rainier day, with a sun barely visible in the clouds and I had an important business meeting with a person I hated, which now is my spiritual godmother for my wedding, so I took the coldest and most sober perfume I had in my wardrobe and the one to say be careful, at that time of cold spring the perfume was more stronger and more spicy, it made me think I could freeze anyone with just my eyes. Only that day that person was not sitting at the table, but her nephew was, I later found out that the scorpion had planned everything ahead, and so from the cold and sober scent my husband retained an enticing smell of petals water. It's a duplicate perfume, it gives me the feeling that you smell what you want to feel, can be harsh and sober, or fragrant and floral, but in both variants it retains its freshness and refined coldness. I'm glad I have it again and it certainly the next time I won't stay that long without it

I will open by saying that I LOVE “Freshies” like 4711, Jean-Marie Farina and Eau Dynamisante among others. With Summer approaching I wanted to get my Freshy stocks in before demand increases. From reviews on here, a distant scent memory from my youth and the lure of unbeatable prices. I opted for Eau de Rochas. And I am so glad that I did. It is not just fresh, it is super elegant; steely, aquatic, abundantly herbal and a tang of grapefruit but, for me, not lemon. To spritz it on is to elevate your outfit to a new level of chic, understated style. I feel this is very suitable as a unisex fragrance, suitable for a woman or a man who will be instantly transformed into a LADY or a GENT. I do not however think this fragrance will appeal at all to a younger generation. I think there is a spirit of the ‘70s in this which could be lost on ones who did not experience the 1970s for themselves (and this is where I show my age, oh well). I purchased a 220 ml atomiser bottle of the eau de toilette along with a 500ml bottle each of the body lotion and the shower/bath gel. These are all absolute whoppers but I think they bring immense panache to my 70’s style bathroom as can be seen in my fragram. OK, there is a downside. As others have pointed out and I completely agree with them, the scent is ever so fleeting. Wears off in moments, I have to wonder if this is why you can by the perfume and the bath products in such jumbo sizes? Because you would need to really bathe in it to get any decent “go” at all. It still does not deter me. I intend soon to place another order for some more portable size pieces, namely the 50ml perfume and the tube of hand/body cream so that I can enfresh in the field as it were. A little note on the packaging/branding; I like it a lot. It’s very French in a way that is retro and timeless at once. The font is one of those extremely classy ones rather like Clarins and I hope they never change it. The style is distinctively European. The watery etchings on the bottle speak of the cooling scent within. The advertising and branding references classic old master French houses such as Patou in my opinion. I will close by saying that I cannot wait for warmer weather to come along so that I can really get going with this sophisticated scent and hopefully experience something of a “French Girl Summer”.

Behind a world that loves to smell like sweet pastries, these perfume beauties once existed. How could I forget it? My mom’s perfume! She doesn’t buy it anymore because it doesn’t smell the same as it used to—how sad! I managed to get my hands on a vintage one, just as I remembered it. It smells so amazing, I can’t get enough! I can confidently say that moss forms a fundamental pillar of this perfume. You can sense the quality and the perfect craftsmanship that went into it. Just one sniff, and it’s obvious they used excellent materials. I was at the airport, and when I smelled the new version, I was so disappointed. NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ORIGINAL! Honestly, they share about 5% of the same DNA, believe me. If you can find a vintage one, you won’t change your opinion. This perfume transports you to the Mediterranean, as it was inspired by the sea—my beloved Mediterranean Sea. 🌊 Leave everything behind and let yourself be carried away to a sunny Mediterranean island, where the sea stretches out before your eyes, and you’re near the shore with a delightful ocean breeze washing over you. That fresh sea scent surrounds you. Behind you, there’s a beautiful forest filled with basil, citrus, and, above all, oak moss. The closer you get, the more you can smell the environment around you. Let me tell you, if you’re Mediterranean like me, this will take you back home. It smells like home. I currently live outside of my beloved country Spain, where there’s no coast, and it rains a lot. Every time I wear this perfume, I can’t help but i smile. It makes me feel at home and, most importantly, reminds me of my mom♥️ Forget, for a moment, about those perfumes that smell like cake. Let yourself get lost in this masterpiece of a perfume. What can I say? This perfume has no age—it’s about the maturity you have. Not suitable for little girls or boys. This is for grown men and women. Perfectly unisex.

Just bought a 220ml bottle on the internet and I am excited about this baby to arrive. My first memory of this perfume was flying from Paris to Toulouse on an Air Inter flight in the late 80's. I was one of the first to board the plane and one of the cabin attendants had probably splashed herself with Eau de Rochas before meet and greet. The smell was clean, crisp citrusy and so stylish and chic that I asked her what she was wearing and bought it for me. Yep I'm a bloke and thinks that that some perfumes are unisex and have been wearing some women branded ones ever since: Angel, Escale a Parati, Aromatics Elixir, Empreinte and Eau by Courrèges. I have recently come back to the "eau" as they are safe, personal and intimate with this feel good after shower fresh factor, compared to their pungent sisters which have a tendency to be in your face and then disappear. The "eaux" are more subtle, closer to your personality and to your skin and can be worn any time. I have read that Rochas are now part of the Procter and Gamble brand, so I hope that their eau has retained the same comforting scent in its reformulation as the original. More to say in a next posting. Edit: just received my little baby today, and wow, it felt like a long lost friend I had not seen for years. The opening note has slightly changed compared to the original and I must say a tad synthetic. But the base note is exactly what it has always been: a citrusy, flowery and fresh note. Not overpowering, just simply classy and subtle. Definitely a unisex perfume and even more for me as a middle-aged man when I now prefer soft and personal scents and spray again during the day whenever I feel to, instead of one spray of those overpowering modern ones that tend to be so complicated that you get bored with them quickly. I am now back on my plane to Toulouse...

Like Mediterranean, Eau de Rochas evokes strong family memories for me which is one reason I like it so much. My mum died suddenly a few years ago, which was devastating of course, and she had a large bottle of this which she used on and off, as well as other perfumes such as Dune. There's still some left in her bottle, which I still have, and I sometimes sniff it and it brings back vivid memories of my mum, sometimes sad ones and sometimes happy ones. Sometimes I cry when I smell it because it reminds me so much of her. Of course, I can't bring myself to use up the remainder of it (which, by the way, still smells as lovely now as it did years ago and it hasn't gone 'off' at all) so I keep it because of its connection to my mum, as well as the loveliness of it. It's such a lovely, clear, fresh, invigorating smell, like a refreshing eau de cologne, very European smelling, and I think it's wonderful. No wonder it's a classic. It's ideal for spring and summer use but can easily be worn all year around. Also, the bottle's so pretty! As for some of the reviews here which say it's nauseating, smells like disinfectant, etc, although of course everyone has their own take on things, to use words like that is totally inappropriate for such a delightful perfume as this. In my opinion it's an entirely inoffensive scent and so not the type of perfume that should provoke such a strange reaction! If it was heavy and pungent like 'classics' such as Opium, LouLou, etc, I could see it evoking strong dislike in some people but it's not like those kinds of perfumes (thank god!). Eau de Rochas is a very special perfume, very, very recommendable and well worth the effort of tracking down a bottle!