Innuendo

Innuendo was a blind buy for me, one which I found surprising and unexpected, yet satisfying and sublime. I do not think the name is fitting, I had the same experience with Fetish Femme, an outspokenly suggestive name mismatched with a rather polite and reserved scent profile. Despite the misleading name, it smells utterly divine. It opens with a pronounced hesperidic burst of lemon and verbena, bergamot and orange, which together are sharp and zingy. The heart evolves into a beautifully buttery central theme of ylang, alongside a traditionally bright and soapy melody of rose, jasmine and violet. Whispers of orris, sandalwood and tonka further this delicate creamy facet, providing a delicately soft sweetness to the scent. Whilst not listed, I find Roja’s signature peach accord holds a strong presence here - with its gentle whisper of sweet, creamy fuzziness. This scent is in no way dirty or sexual as the name might suggest, it is perfectly polite and restrained; like the most wonderfully simple floral which is so effortlessly elegant.

Soapy and sparkling floral; a large bouquet of fully bloomed roses, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, with noticeable accents of ylang. Gets more powdery and musky as it dries down, feels a bit chypre-like which is strange because there's no oakmoss in this. But that's the effect if gives. Perfect for warm or hot weather, all season except for winter is the best for this. Projects strongly off my skin, leaves a trail.

Innuindo is impressive, it has the ylang jasmine rose mix with violets musk, and lily of the valley. It has also magnolia as hints, and some soapy effect somehow. This is more of a fresh floral from the plant nursery, and that ylang addition just made it slightly plant animalic which made it interesting. Again €450 is just too much for this, 7.5ml MAX just to enjoy it.

Delicate orange white floral.. This blend is quite amusing. Soft floral bouquet with jasmines, rose, violets, ylang, sandalwood, orris, & musky bergamot. The mix is very elegant, and never repulsing. Beautiful.

This one reminds me a lot of Jean Patou's "1000", a 1970s classic which has a similar profile and feel. The fact that Roja Dove himself gave me my bottle of "1000" implies he was familiar with the scent, so perhaps this is his take on it. Both open with fruit and jasmine notes with a green edge. For "1000" it's apricot/jasmine/osmanthus/patchouli. Innuendo is sweeter with orange/verbena/jasmine/patchouli. With them side by side on each hand, I can smell that the white/green osmanthus differentiates the "1000", but both have that sparkling "champagne" like quality which comes from a well balanced fruit-floral with subtle aldehydes, that is also not too sweet. In the middle of the pyramid, the violet and rose are clear in both. Innuendo is primarily a floral scent - a dirty/sweet bouquet of jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, and violet with fruity undertones. "1000"'s bouquet is similar, just whiter - the lily of the valley and osmanthus make it a bit "cleaner" and "soapier" as white florals tend to do, but the sweet and dirtiness of the jasmine are still there. It's in the drydown for both, when the sandalwood and patchouli warm and broaden the bouquet, that both of these perfumes shine. The dirty green of the patchouli give both a classic "chypre" feel, even if neither have actual oakmoss on them. The musk, labdanum, and tonka ground Innuendo and make it cozier as time progresses. "1000" stays cooler and greener, but both scents get lovely and powdery at the finish, like any good vintage-type scent should. Anyway, the vibe is similar. I love both. I'd pair Innuendo with a 1970s white Jessica McClintock dress and floppy straw hat for some vintage glam. It expensive so it should smell expensive - and that it does! Addenda: It's discontinued?? NOOOOOO. Why can't people appreciate vintage type scents? This is yards above Elysium. :(