Parfum De La Nuit No 2 by Roja Dove

This is Roja. The PDLN #2 is an interesting and complex proposition: dark, resinous, smoky, with a rum note over a very soft, non-evolving sweet base. It has a medium body, nothing dense. Imagine a well-crafted sweet base of tonka bean, benzoin, balsam of Peru, and soft vanilla (nothing gourmand). Above it, a dark/resinous orange with labdanum, smoky/earthy tones of patchouli, and that rum touch. It has a light powdery texture. It carries cistus in the heart, a plant that adds warm, earthy, balsamic, and musky nuances. Fragrantica insists on omitting this and saying false things; the perfume has no animal notes, as confirmed by the official Roja and RDHP websites. Given its profile, although it can be worn during the day, its best time is at night. It is masculine, with modest performance but high quality; although we know Roja is not at the very top and brands like Henry Jacques are superior. A negative point is the very contained projection. I agree that the best thing is for the scent to reach you when shaking hands or giving a hug, not announcing itself from a distance, which seems bad taste. Leave that for young people looking to attract attention in a bar. I would prefer more projection, and I am fussy because the bottle costs $1,330. And are they worth it? Not at list price, although you can save quite a bit by buying in other ways. Seeing the packaging, it is clear where a large part of the price goes. My favourite from this line is the #2, although the #3 has its fans and both are the most sought after. The #1 I like, nothing more. It could be a distant relative of Enigma (parfum) for that rum character, with the latter being denser, powdery, and vanilly, although less refined and dark. The cologne version has more similarities, but the PDLN #2 is darker, superior in quality, and more complex due to its nuances. A great perfume, I have been using it for years, and it is a reminder of the magic the brand offered and its new direction with mediocre and boring proposals to please the new. Nothing lasts forever.

I like the scent and the ingredient quality is top, but on my skin it lacks power; sometimes I only smell it if I bring my nose close to my wrist. Sometimes there are bursts from the neck, but very rarely, and I do not forgive that in a perfume that costs almost 10 euros per millilitre. It did last quite a few hours, even this morning upon waking it still smelled, but very close to the skin, almost imperceptible. The opening is liquorice-like and resinous; in the first and almost second hour it reminds me much of Laudano Nero, with that touch of liquor and labdanum present, creating a similar sensation but with the smokiness considerably reduced compared to the Tiziana. The animal notes are in the base but are not intimidating, so those who fear these notes can be reassured. Then, when it changes, it evolves into a different perfume; now the resins are noticeably more smoky, the liquor recedes, and a vanilla-like sweetness comes to the background, which although not on the list could come from benzoin or tonka bean. In this phase, every time I smell it, I notice a different nuance: sometimes more smoky, other times sweeter and vanilly, and other times more liquorice-like. Really good this phase. I see it as more masculine at the start and then totally unisex in the dry down; personally, I never perceive it as feminine. Undoubtedly better for cold climates. In summary, it is a good perfume with high ingredient quality and great mastery in the blend, with very good evolution, but with a clear deficit of “sillage” and a truly crazy price for what it offers. I must say I tested it indoors; another day I will give it a chance outdoors, perhaps my perception will change.