Great Britain

Encapsulating one's country (at least most of it...Northern Ireland?) in a scent is no small task, but Roja Dove's Great Britain shows that he was up to the task Its sophistication is unmatched, on par with the Roja name, as no powdery leather fragrance could smell great to my nose unless being superbly blended with the finest ingredients. Cedar is the primary woody element, and beyond that, I get a bit of rose, sage, and citrus (faint enough to be the lemon, bergamot, or both). What a lovely mix, though, as no one element seems to overpower the others, though if I were to identify a top dog, it would be the leather, partly because, as generally not a fan of leather fragrances (or just not that many, relatively), I'm attuned to detecting leather, perhaps defensively. I like another powdery leather fragrance, Dior Homme Parfum, quite a lot, but seldom wear it. Roja Great Britain is, by contrast, something I could wear perhaps every day, and to give some perspective, I rather lean toward sweet gourmand and/or fresh fragrances the majority of the time. Performance is strong, and I imagine this mainly to be a cold weather choice, fitting for its setting, but it's not so encumbering that it need be avoided in the warmer months, but its seriousness lends itself to wearing mainly in specific situations, even though I find it quite easy to wear; an odd contradiction, perhaps. At its price of £1,250 / $1,631 per 100ml, it's difficult to even contemplate ever purchasing, except perhaps after winning a lottery of some kind, but certainly the creation is up to par with the best I've smelled from the line. I only own two Rojas (the discontinued Extraits - Amber and Vetiver) because I could only obtain a couple of them affordably, and as one would expect, the most prohibitive aspect of the brand is the price, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and with Roja, I'm consistently given reason to believe, even in other cases when I dislike his scents, that the quality and care are both exceptional. Great Britain is such a creation, and one I might like to wear, as, for me, it takes the best parts of Dior Homme Parfum and Creed Royal Mayfair and gives the wearer a sophisticated portrait of Britain. Very neat stuff, even if simply academic for the majority of us that couldn't ride with the price tag. 8 out of 10

I don’t have much experience with Cuir de Russie-style fragrances, mainly because I’ve never had the opportunity to smell them, but also because they aren’t especially common today. Great Britain shares over ten notes with Manhattan from the same house, yet the two smell entirely different. This points to Roja’s method of constructing perfumes around a central mid-to-base accord, with all other elements built outward from that core. This approach can also be observed across other creations from the brand, including the Isola and Aoud collections. The closest reference I’ve been able to sample in relation to Great Britain is Portrayal Man. The key distinction is that Amouage is clearly violet-centered, whereas Great Britain places a much stronger emphasis on leather. That said, I wouldn’t call Great Britain leather-dominant. It leans more toward iris and violet, supported by a structured base of animalic and leathery nuances. That balance is crucial ; it gives the fragrance a distinctly opulent, luxurious character, rather than the more casual impression a leather-forward composition might create. The result is a powdery leather profile with animalic undertones, constructed in a way that feels almost chypre-like. As with much of Roja’s work, it comes very close to the edge stylistically, but never fully tips over it. That makes it quite niche in character, though not necessarily difficult to wear, more situational than anything else. There is a subtle echo of Dior Fahrenheit due to the violet note, but the comparison really ends there.

Great Britain is the most opulent and regal olfactory experience I’ve ever come across. It opens fairly bright initially with subtle hints of citrus and sage, before a delicately powdery touch of mesmerising violet tingles at the senses. Rose and Jasmine are present, providing an eloquently airy and vibrant floral aspect to the scent, however this is short lived to my nose. The star of the show here, on the one hand, is the most magnificent leather accord I’ve had the pleasure of putting my nose on. Comprised primarily of labdanum, it’s beautifully smooth and refined - like the soft brown leather inside the Houses of Parliament. On the other hand you’ve got this incredibly addictive orris note which is buttery smooth and powdery, transcending the scent into something otherworldly yet comforting. In the base there’s a general atmosphere of fluffy, musky, creamy elements likely coming from the oakmoss, ambrette and carrot seeds which elevates the powderiness even further. I adore this perfume with all my heart, it is truly the best scent I’ve ever smelled in my life and I’m incredibly grateful to finally own a bottle. This is by far the most incredible take on a leathery Chypre and whilst it does bear similarity to Chanel’s Cuir de Russie, I find Great Britain to have exceptional depth and quality beyond what Chanel can provide. This is a true work of art and a modern classic.

I was told that Roja created this scent to capture the true essence of what English Royalty would smell like. He wanted the wearer to envision being inside the palace, in the presence of the royal family and natural scent of luxury that surround them. Opulence and prestige is what this fragrance is suppose to illustrate, from the woody floors, to the leather, velvet and satin furbishing etc. This concoction ultimately represents and encompasses the persona of "Great Britain" through the scent of the wearer, for the noses of his/her audience. This is a sweet, leathery, powder scent. I don't get much citrus in this but it is there, very subtle, gives it a clean and fresh vibe. The labdanum and leather accords combine with wood are the backbones to "Great Britain's" greatness. It's suitable for a man or woman 40-60 years of age. Like wine, you want to drink it at its peak. You need to wear this at the proper age. If your too young, you'll smell old. If you're too old, you'll smell like you're trying to be young. This scent is delicate it needs to be understood to be worn properly. Special occasions would be most appropriate for this scent but it could be an all day everyday for the right person. **Projection 10/10 this scent it gracefully bold **Longevity 10/10 once you get it on its staying

Many of the reviews focus on the comparisons to CdR. So, I thought I would throw my 2 cents in. There are noticeable similarities, but in brief: Great Britain (to my nose at least) is the masculine version of CdR. Now I haven't tried the EDT version of CdR, I have tried the EdP version and own the pure parfum version. The pure parfum is the closet to GB to my nose. Both are classic learther-floral chypres with a old school vintage vibe. GB stays more leathery and less floral VS CdR which is leathery but florals are much more noticeable. The other differnce I noticed is there is more vanilla/sweetness in CdR that's more prominent. I didn't notice before I did a side by side comparison. GB has more animalic nuances then CdR. GB has more projection and longevity the CdR. CdR (pure parfum) is nearly a skin scent after an hour or so. As far as cost goes, surprisingly similiar. My CdR pure parfum cost 230.00 for 15mls which on a per ml basis is close to the cost of GB. So, to sum up: both are vintage floral leather fragrances. CdR leans more feminine, GB leans more masculine. GB is more leathery and animalic, CdR is more floral with more noticeable touches of vanilla/sweetness. The cost is similar on a per ml basis. And finally, you can't go wrong with either...