Dior Homme is a timeless masterpiece from a bygone era - it pushed the boundaries of what a man should smell like and popularised the use of iris in the men’s designer market. It opens with a refreshing burst of juicy bergamot, alongside slightly green and aromatic notes of lavender and sage; a nod to more traditional masculine notes. Soon after this the stars of the show emerge - a smooth, powdery and buttery iris, combined with a soft and delectable cacao to create the most delicious scent trail. In the base there’s hints of a subtle leather, earthy vetiver and patchouli, however it’s all about the Iris and cacao. I’ve not tried the new Dior Homme Original so I can’t compare, but all I know is that discontinuing this was a tragedy on Dior’s part. Dior Homme Intense is fairly close to this scent profile but I find it lacks the addictive cacao which pairs with the iris perfectly. This is the king of designer fragrances and a true classic.

Chypré Extraordinaire is a revolutionary perfume. Due to constantly changing IFRA regulations and limitations on oakmoss, Roja set out to create the world’s first chypré without the use of its iconic and definitive note. He has stated before that this was the hardest fragrance he’s ever had to make and at many times was close to giving up, but eventually he cracked it. Chypré Extraordinaire initially opens with refreshing bergamot and aldehydes before developing an addictively sweet and fruity combination of peach and plum, which goes on to live throughout the duration of the scent. From here a soft and delicate heart of powdery florals emerges, namely ylang, tuberose, orris and rose. As it settles on the skin, Roja’s revolutionary moss accord presents itself - it’s incredible to think this doesn’t contain any oakmoss when your nose is certain that it does. There’s a gentle and slightly animalic hint of civet and cassis but this is very subtle, alongside the other two classic chypré notes - patchouli and labdanum. Roja Dove created a spectacle with this release and it truly does live up to its name of being extraordinary. He revolutionised the way chyprés can be made and paved the way preparing for the likely demise of oakmoss usage in perfumery. This is such an addicting fragrance and smells beautiful in the warm spring and summer air.

Sergei Diaghilev founded the Ballet Russes and often implemented scent into his shows - dousing the theatre curtains with luxurious fragrance to waft the audience with splendour as they lifted. He was a pioneer of the arts and so deserved a scent as classic yet revolutionary as he was. This is what Roja Dove set out to create, a tremendously regal take on something classic - oozing with class and power. Diaghilev opens initially with a fleeting array of citrus, most prominently a bitter orange, alongside an intensely sharp and spicy note of cumin. From here, the dominant note of civet takes over - it’s sour and animalic, challenging and dirty, and yet it works beautifully. The warm spiciness deepens as clove and nutmeg join the cumin, alongside earthy patchouli and a robust leather. After some time, the soft touch of powdery florals and subtle peach gently balance the rest of the notes beautifully, making way for the star of the show - oakmoss. The oakmoss here is creamy, earthy, buttery and utterly delightful. It blends gorgeously with the rest of the notes and develops into a truly classic chypre base. I don’t agree with the comparisons to Mitsouko - they are both classic chypres but that is where the similarity ends. Diaghilev takes the classic scent profile and elevates it with the addition of animalic leather and civet. This scent is opulent and lavish, it smells incredibly expensive and old school, and it will definitely not be to everyone’s taste. This is one of Roja’s most challenging fragrances and while it has limited wearability and versatility, it is truly a work of art and a modern masterpiece.

Les Clochettes du Bonheur is the cream of the crop when it comes to lily-of-the-valley perfumes. It opens straight away with an overdose of naturally beautiful lily-of-the-valley, in all its green and soapy glory. Ylang and jasmine provide back up to intensify the sweet floral goodness while a powdery note of lilac sets into the background. There’s a certain freshness likely from the bergamot, resting on a soft base of creamy sandalwood. But it must be noted all these supporting notes only rest in the background, as lily-of-the-valley is the star of the show - some might say it’s the only discernible note in here. This is easily the highest quality lily-of-the-valley fragrance I’ve ever smelled and really wowed me when I first tried it on skin. Despite seeming to be a relatively simple perfume, it demonstrates just how much depth and character such an overlooked note can have. This won’t be for everyone and I don’t think it’s a fragrance I would buy but I appreciate it for what it is and think it demonstrates incredible perfumery.

Pierre de Velay Amour is brilliant sweet and powdery chypre, blended to perfection. It opens with a thick and creamy combination of ylang and violet which is almost candy-like, with rose, heliotrope and white florals in the background. There’s also a very faint fizz from the bergamot and lime. As it settles on the skin, the iconic note of creamy oakmoss presents itself in typical chypre fashion, alongside a spicy ginger and sweet saffron. These are the primary notes which make up the scent profile, as with all of Roja’s creations there’s a lot going on in the background. Amour takes the classic French chypre and sweetens it significantly, becoming slightly reminiscent of Parma Violets. It’s soft, creamy, powdery and delicious - creating an addicting and alluring sillage. It reminds me of RDHP15 which follows the same violet-dominated chypre accord, but here there is no peach and instead is much sweeter with vanilla. Overall a fantastic creation.

Pierre de Velay No. 47 is pure prestige and animalic power in a bottle. Initially it opens with a slightly fecal and bitter castoreum with a beautifully smooth violet leaf to contrast this. The musk note in here reminds me a lot of Musk Aoud - it’s that same sweet and floral ambrette, however here it’s much more animalic due to the castoreum. Powerful tolu balsam soon emerges which is slightly dirty in the most brilliant way, alongside a sharp note of civet. This fragrance isn’t all about the animalics however, as it’s perfectly balanced with sweet birch, saffron and vanilla in the base - alongside the iconic Chypré trio: oakmoss, patchouli and labdanum. You may not realise while smelling it, but this scent is structured as a very classic Chypré would be - just elevated by Roja’s additions of animalic notes, balsam and violet leaf. This is one of the more challenging releases from the Pierre de Velay line, however is an absolute masterpiece if you enjoy high quality animalic fragrances.

Pierre de Velay No. 6 is a beautifully unique and mature creation which combines fougere characteristics with balsamic ambery accords. It opens with sharp citrus of lemon and bergamot, accompanied by herbal aromatics of bay leaf and sage before a pungent green note of davana takes charge. Subdued florals of rose, jasmine and ylang provide that signature Roja sparkle as the scent settles. A realistic juniper note emerges which is very reminiscent of fir trees here, which combines gorgeously with ambery balsamic notes of benzoin, olibanum, elemi and styrax. There’s a hint of warm, spicy clove and nutmeg alongside an animalic leathery castoreum, smoothed out perfectly by an earthy orris. This is such a complex and unique scent, a creation that probably wouldn’t sell too well outside of an exclusive range such as Pierre de Velay. However if you’ve got a taste for aromatics and balsamic notes then this is fantastic, it definitely stands out and demonstrates just how talented Roja Dove is.

Pierre de Velay No. 4 is a boozy, aromatic amber with a lot of depth and character. Right from the initial spray you’re greeted by a punchy rum accord which is somehow smooth yet bitter at the same time. This is accompanied by ultra-realistic aromatics of bay leaf and sage which add a contrasting herbaceous quality to the rum. As it settles on the skin, warm cardamom and creamy sandalwood emerge as the rum powers on. A soft rose is present in the heart, which is only very subtle but adds that gentle softness to round everything out. The rum, bay leaf, cardamom and sage are the most prominent notes in the scent which all rest on the base of a classic amber accord - made up of benzoin, vanilla and labdanum. Combining a boozy accord with herbaceous notes is a brave and unconventional creative choice, however Roja has executed it perfectly here. This is such a unique and addicting scent profile with one of the best rum accords I’ve smelled - it also goes without saying that the quality of ingredients is impeccable as you’d expect. A true masterpiece.

Levant is an attractive and delicate citrus-floral which is both feminine and subdued. It opens with a sweet and airy rose, alongside bergamot and mandarin to give it that juicy sharpness before developing a heart of heady florals - namely lily of the valley, peony and orange blossom. This is the primary structure of the scent which is fresh and revitalising but gentle at the same time. It all rests on a soft base of subtle musk and ethereal cedar, which isn’t very prominent. This is not a very strong fragrance, it sits quite close to the skin and would only really be smelled by those who come into close contact with you. It leans more feminine as all the florals are very delicate and almost soapy - this fragrance is pretty and enjoyable to smell, but I find it easily forgettable and generic.