Monsieur Rochas Eau de Toilette

REVIEW FOR 2010'S EDT VERSION: The fragrance, with a traditional chypre signature and fougère olfactory path, was the mother of so many others that came later, bringing a leathery base that marked an era. In Monsieur Rochas, warm and spicy accords, in addition to wood and leather, form a classic scent. For me, an oriental-fougère. The fragrance of the Eau de Toilette version originally had notes of chamomile, lemon, bergamot, sage, and lavender, on top. Then, notes of geranium, carnation, cedar, galbanum, green cardamom, and vetiver, in the heart. Finally, the base contained notes of musk, tonka bean, oakmoss, patchouli, Liatris, and leather. As I have felt thousands of fragrances in my life, if I tried any of the older versions, I honestly don't remember. But mine, produced in 2010, carries the same classic style (old school), but without the same personality. Obviously reformulated, because of the impositions of the industry, it no longer delivers the same mossy quality, nor the spicy and bitter aspect of before, which has always been so praised. But is still a beautiful fragrance! On my skin, Monsieur Rochas (2010) arrives pulling the tight tie, giving a little breath to the upper part of the torso, in that junction between the chest and the neck, where the male hairs start to appear through the shirt. A lot of bergamot, lemon, and sage are present in this stage, bringing a sour freshness that is very close to the smell of the peels, when the fruits were harvested a few days ago. Then, a green and spicy body - quite aromatic - jumps in your face, without asking permission, and reinforces the classic (not to say, dated) style of the man represented by the perfumer when he created this fragrance. But Monsieur Rochas owes its legacy to what appears at the end of evolution, when a lot of coumarin fuses with patchouli, creating a strong tobacco accord, which gains an animalic pungency, thanks to leather and moss. In this version that I have, the projection is strong in the first hour and then calms down, leaving a trace of sobriety and elegance that does not match people with a very youthful posture, even if older. It has good lasting, always remaining for more than seven hours. Men who did not get to know this perfume, but had direct or indirect contact (through their father, uncles, etc.) with fragrances such as Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur (1972) or Jovan Sex Appeal (1975), can imagine how Monsieur Rochas develops on the skin. Unfortunately, it is part of the list of discontinued male classics, but there are still those who find it for sale, mainly online. Monsieur Rochas is for those who interpret the classic not as something old, but in the sense of erudite, incorrupt.