Which Roja Parfums sample to try first
Roja Parfums writes long formulas, sometimes twenty or thirty notes in one pyramid. Eight samples in order of Parfumo ratings, and a map of the oakmoss, oud and tobacco.
Roja Parfums was founded in Mayfair, London, in 2011 by Roja Dove, who by Parfumo’s account spent twenty years at Guerlain before starting his own house. It calls itself a house of haute perfumery, makes its fragrances in England and presents them in crystal-adorned bottles. The formulas are long: a single pyramid can run to twenty or thirty notes, from citrus and lavender through roses and jasmine to tobacco, resins and oud. Most perfumes exist as an Eau de Parfum and as a Parfum. Compositions this layered unfold slowly and differently on each skin, so a Roja Parfums sample is the sensible first step.
Roja Parfums: eight samples, ordered by ratings
We ordered the samples on our list by the number of ratings each perfume has collected on Parfumo, as gathered by NicheGems. Rating counts show how widely a perfume is discussed, not how good it is. With so many notes, we name only the ones that define each perfume, as the house records them.
Elysium Pour Homme (Eau de Parfum, 2017) is the fresh woody-citrus one: lemon, bergamot, grapefruit, lavender and thyme, then lily of the valley, rose de mai and apple, over cedarwood, vetiver, vanilla, leather and ambergris.
A Midsummer Dream (Eau de Parfum, 2016) turns Shakespeare into a green, mossy forest floor of patchouli, oakmoss and vetiver, with grapefruit, cardamom and a bed of roses.
Isola Blu (Parfum, 2022) is the Mediterranean island of the Isola collection: citrus, lavender and thyme, coconut, orange blossom and champaca, over cut grass, maté, oakmoss and tonka bean.
Amber Aoud (Parfum, 2012) follows the Middle Eastern tradition of gum resins: rose, saffron and oud with benzoin and fig, over a salty ambergris base.
Burlington 1819 (Eau de Parfum, 2020) honours the Burlington Arcade, home to the house’s flagship: grapefruit, lime and mint over ginger, cinnamon, saffron, rum and tobacco.
Enigma Pour Homme (Parfum, 2013) stages a stranger at the bar of a private club, with bergamot, rose de mai and neroli over cardamom, cognac, tobacco, benzoin and vanilla.
Diaghilev (Parfum, 2010) is a theatrical chypré for the founder of the Ballet Russes, with tarragon, tuberose and violet over clove, oakmoss, vetiver and leather.
Manhattan (Eau de Parfum, 2022) is the maximalist, uptown glamour against downtown edge: lavender, basil and coconut over ginger, tobacco, pine and vanilla. Sweetie Aoud and Apex Pour Homme complete the ten.
The Roja Parfums note map
Musk and ambergris close almost every pyramid, and oakmoss and patchouli run through most. Oud marks Amber Aoud and Sweetie Aoud, tobacco Enigma, Burlington 1819, Manhattan and Apex, and lavender Elysium, Isola Blu and Manhattan. Rose sits in five of the eight, and rum in Burlington 1819 and Apex. The oud samples guide places the two Aoud perfumes among other houses.
A first order of Elysium Pour Homme, Amber Aoud and Burlington 1819 covers fresh, resinous and spiced. Because these formulas are dense, wear one per day and read how to test perfume on skin first. Evening perfume samples suits the Parfum concentrations, and which sample size helps you pick how much to order.
From Roja Parfums sample to bottle
If one holds up over several wearings, the bottle is the next step. Our vial is filled by FragranceGems from the original bottle and labelled by us; Roja Parfums is not involved and it is not a brand sample. The first perfume in full size is at Roja Parfums Elysium Pour Homme. The sample set page shows how to combine vials, and the FAQ covers filling and labels.
FAQ
Which Roja Parfums sample should I try first?
Elysium Pour Homme. It has the most Parfumo ratings of the ten on our list, and its citrus, lavender and thyme over cedarwood, vanilla and leather are the easiest way into the house’s long formulas.
What is the difference between the Eau de Parfum and the Parfum?
Most Roja perfumes exist as a 100 ml Eau de Parfum and a 50 ml Parfum. On our list some are one and some the other, and each sample is labelled with its concentration, so you know which you wear.
Why does a long note list need a sample?
A pyramid of twenty or thirty notes unfolds slowly and differently on each skin. A few wearings show you which parts of it your skin brings forward, which a list of notes cannot tell you.
