Rubj Extrait de Parfum

Vero Profumo RUBJ (Extrait de Parfum) • This review applies only to the Rubj Extrait de Parfum, not the voile d’extrait or the EDP. Oh my freaking god this is gorgeous. A fresh, powerhouse oriental that is so deep and rich I could drown in it blissfully. Startling clarity and no overdone sugary sweetness in the opening fruity elegant swirl of bergamot/Neroli/mandarin. The richness and depth of the succulently juicy mandarin fruit is distinct from the typical, “orange” 5-10x fold found in most orangey topnotes. Thankfully, there is no overdone sourness that exists here in the citrus either. The Neroli is rounded and mellow, not screechy and thin; beautifully blended with the bergamot so that all woody bitterness is neutralized without any added sugar or saccharine, and yet the elegant gravity of the citrus wood itself is not erased. Top notes balanced perfectly here; masterfully done. The opulent floral heart then shimmers out, enveloping the blend in a plush, luxuriant white shower of radiant orange blossoms, non-indolic jasmine, and a delicately supportive silken tuberose. Nothing soapy, nothing detergent-like or shrill here, this is a full bodied white floral center with all harsh edges smoothed into velvet. The supportive base is also multifaceted and perfectly well balanced so as to actually achieve its purpose in increasing the lush profundity of composition by providing an elegant foundation of mossy-earthy-damp woods & restrained musk, without overwhelming the central core. Incredibly well blended clean mélange of cedar, oakmoss, and white musk with no furniture polish or anything vile anywhere to be found. I sense a touch of violet in the base and on me it is dew-laden, non-powdery, liquid, and all plum-dark violet petal seduction. (I get no cumin whatsoever in this composition, none at all on my skin; zero, zilch, nada, nothing; not a trace. I am negatively sensitive to skank. I detest it. My chemistry tends to magnify base notes and skank as well. Perhaps there is a difference in batches, but in my sample, on my skin, absolutely no cumin to be found.) In closing, for me, Rubj is all is beauty and balance, and glorious, sultry, succulent, lush, intoxicating decadence. Tropical fruits and flowers, trees, woods, and moss all in full blooming juicy technicolor ripeness with no hint of decay on my skin. I’m in love with this one!

A somewhat sly white floral, Rubj opens with a flush of orange blossom, jasmine and what smells like tuberose (softly mentholated white floral). Think Carnal Flower and A La Nuit rolled into one, with perhaps just a touch of the dewy-fruitiness of peach. Quintessentially feminine in smell, Rubj in short order opens up to reveal a perfectly-formed animal note in the centre of its flower, not particularly spicy or cumin-like but more of a melting, lurid, breathy sensation. It's definitely "weird" compared to other white florals I've smelled, there's an almost fruity discord to it. Vero talked about the need for a "disturbing note" to make a perfume interesting and that's certainly present here. Beautiful, but ultimately I think I'd prefer Carnal Flower to this when looking for this style of white floral.

Uncommon fragrance but not very easy to be liked soon. The opening 'seems' unoriginal as the orange blossom and jasmine suggest you a sort of deja-vu....minutes after a creamy, pleasant musk keeps the situation under its control while making a sort of traite-d'union. Just to complicate the matter a little bit, my skin suggests the possible presence of spices something reminding vaguely curry: this is not unpleasant! This is not an unpleasant perfume at all showing also how simple can be, making a good perfume: few right elements and only good quality ingredients! Nice, though, discreet sillage, long beautifully lasting! I use it in winter but I recently discovered that it can be nice also in the middle season.

I'll be honest, when I first opened my tester sample and took a sniff I almost put this in the trash- it was that off-putting. But since I spent $6 on it, I felt compelled to wear it for a day. When applied this is actually a very beautiful, multi-faceted scent, and I love it! If this scent were a blind date, one could skip the niceties and go straight to the alter without a pre-nup. It's that good. However, it is also quite expensive- 185 Swiss Francs for 1.7 ML. But at this price range, it needs to have longevity, and it does, but it is subtle. Get yourself a sample and enjoy, this is really special.

I believe this is a masterpiece. It seems to have that “crimson blue fire” created by a nexus of the symbols for neroli and jasmine and ultraviolet modern musk. There must be some tuberose note in there to heighten the drama. I now have a collection of uncounted thousands of perfumes and this magnificent creature is in my immortal inner circle with Mitsouko and Tuberose Criminelle and other fabled treasures. If one wishes to time travel amongst the stars and come to ground in a tropical paradise just open a bottle of this magnificent beauty.