Fragrance: Roja ‘Qatar’ 

“When I first started travelling to The Gulf I very quickly learnt that Qatar is legendary for having the finest pearls in the world. Pearls are traditionally the symbol of purity and all that is precious. It made me think of the pearl of perfumery – Ambergris – which used to be known as the pearl of the whale. And so it seemed the perfect starting place to create a scent around one of the rarest materials on earth – an elixir based on this magical, legendary raw material – Ambergris”

– Roja Dove.

Notes

Top Notes: Citrus Notes

Heart Notes: Rose de Mai, Jasmin de Grasse, Violet, Pear, Peach

Base Notes: Clove, Saffron, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Casmir Wood, Sandalwood, Aoud, Candyfloss Accord, Benzoin, Vanilla, Orris Sur Cèdre, Orris, Styrax, Birch, Labdanum, Ambergris, Musk

“When I trained, no Western perfumer really knew Aoud. I decided that I would spend two weeks every month, for three years, in the Gulf where I discovered the secrets of this precious, rare ingredient and many other exotic materials.”

– Roja Dove

Make Everyday Amazing…

When I put on my perfume every morning, I do it because it makes me feel good, I don’t do it for others, I do it for myself. There’s something about misting myself with a beautiful fragrance, it makes me feel amazing and when I am out and about, brushing my fringe out of my eyes or reapplying my highlighter, I’m reminded of how damned good I smell and again, I feel great. Some people don’t bother wearing perfume if they are home alone, others wear cheaper perfumes at work and save their special perfumes for special occasions. Me, I like to make everyday feel special and I don’t care if I speak to 100 people all day or just the man in the corner shop, I’ll put on whatever I feel like because I love it. Right now, I’m sat in bed, watching trash TV and wearing nothing but pyjamas and Roja Qatar, and you know what, I feel awesome!

Roja ‘Qatar’

Roja Qatar is my latest fragrance obsession. It’s from the recently launched Gulf Collection, which is only available from the Roja online shop and Burlington Arcade Store. It is inspired by Aoud and all the precious and rare ingredients favoured in the Gulf. Whilst you might expect this to be a real ‘power’ scent and perhaps a little too heavy for Western noses, it perfectly harnesses to strength you would expect, with subtleties which help to soften the stronger notes. The fragrance opens with soft, smoky citrus notes which blend with the rich, soft, velvety florals of Rose, violet and jasmine. The peach and pear are barely detectable, but they help add a very slight trail of sweetness and freshness to the perfume which is longer lasting than the citrus notes. The base of the fragrance is rich, heavy and dark, alone, it’s more in line with what you might expect from a Eastern inspired fragrance, but it’s this and so much more, with complex notes of Clove, Saffron, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Casmir Wood, Sandalwood, Aoud alongside playful candy floss, powdery orris, sensual musk, sweet warm resins and intoxicating ambergris. It’s dark, smoky, rich and long-lasting, whilst having a softness, smoothness, sensuality and clarity to it. Each and every ingredient, as with everything from the Roja collection is of the highest quality imaginable. It’s confident without being loud, and perfectly blends rich florals with with a warm, dark, heavy base and also carries a freshness within it. On my female skin, the sweetness and florals are more apparent, but on his skin, the aoud, resins, woods and earthy tones are much more dominant. What can I say, except Roja Qatar is a dream for folks like me who love something rich, warm, exotic, complex and utterly intoxicating. I absolutely adore this one and so does my boyfriend, in fact, it was him who had his heart set on it from the moment we sampled it in the Burlington Arcade store a few weeks ago. If you are looking for the ultimate Gulf inspired fragrance, pop in store and try Sultanate Of Oman, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. I’m staying home to watch trash TV in my pyjamas and I feel like a princess right now! 

♥

Roja Qatar is out now and available from Roja Online and the Burlington Arcade Store.