Rochas Man by Rochas

I remember this since I was a child; my brother-in-law owned it and I always wanted it. I used it until six years ago, but now it smells more like a cappuccino than before, with a less prominent lavender note. It feels a bit cloying due to the coffee, but it remains an absolutely delicious fragrance.

It was my favourite perfume. My cousin used to wear it and I loved how his house smelled of cappuccino, which is my favourite coffee. It smells very sweet and pleasant. It was the culprit that made me seek perfumes with coffee notes, because here the cappuccino is very well created and gives a lot of warmth. I wish it were more powerful in terms of sillage, but what it has is enough, you just have to apply it well. A delight. I finished the bottle and did not replace it because it no longer identifies with me and current reformulations have made it weaker.

In my opinion, Rochas Man has only the name of ‘man’; it is totally unisex. If you are looking for a gourmand coffee, you will not find it here. At the start, due to that typical citrus-aromatic lavender combination, it sounds more masculine, but after a few minutes a creamy, vanilla-infused milk coffee appears, which dries down to a pleasant woody base. For me, it is a very clean milk coffee with a lovely unisex lavender. I see it as ideal for everyday wear, wearable all year round because it is not invasive. It lasts 4-5 hours on the skin with a soft projection. I enjoy it as much as my partner. Considering quality and price, it is not bad at all.

It smells divine, unfortunately it drops very quickly to skin level and projects little. If it were not so, it would be in my top 10. Greetings and blessings from Panama.

My first gourmand perfume and of personal taste. Juvenile, light and captivating in cool climates, especially at night, dates or rainy days. It starts with a fresh wave of bergamot and faintly sweet, woody lavender; in the dry down comes the best: a clean, creamy coffee that is nothing invasive and creates a pleasant personal bubble. I only feel the raspberry sometimes, perhaps due to humidity if it rains. From there on it is a vanilla-infused milk coffee, an aroma that does no harm to anyone. It reminds me of reading a book with a good cup of coffee in the morning. The patchouli adds a masculine touch, although I also feel it as unisex. The bottle is very collectible; nothing to do with the scent. I would think it is scandalous and futuristic, but it is timeless and striking since it came out. It is not invasive nor does it project, which can be negative for some, but it is perfect to wear it close to the skin without bothering, perhaps even to intimate. I give it a good rating for being unique. I only wish it lasted longer, but with over-application and its price, it is not bad at all. It could pass off as a good flanker of Mugler’s A*Men if it were not for the bottle. I would call it ‘Pure Coffee’ or ‘Pure Creamy’. Here and in China it is among the most harmonious for cold climates. I even use it to relax before sleeping; I always keep a bottle for nostalgia and for specific occasions like Christmas Eve or an informal date.

I save this for fresh, rainy days; smelling like a Starbucks coffee with too much sugar isn’t my style (I prefer Awake by Akro). I bought it based on a review claiming it smelled like Italian dessert: it works at first, but within minutes it becomes simple and sugary, paradoxically losing out to the coffee aroma from my colleague’s thermos. Additionally, it didn’t last more than 4 hours on a quiet day.

I’m not sure if I like it or not… I tried it today and it surprised me (it wasn’t what I expected). Upon leaving, I sensed a sparkling, fresh, sweet, and slightly citrusy touch, probably due to the lavender, raspberry, and bergamot; I loved this initial phase, although from the start it’s evident it’s unisex, not conventionally masculine. After that fresh opening, the vanilla, cappuccino, and amber notes take centre stage: a warm vanilla with a more milky and sweet cappuccino than spicy, over a backdrop of lavender that gives it cleanliness and aroma, alongside a woody and creamy touch from the sandalwood and a fruity hint from the raspberry. It wasn’t what I expected because I thought the coffee would be more roasted and harsh like in Halloween Man X, but here it’s very vanilla-heavy, sweet, and creamy, more unisex than masculine. Besides, that citrusy and sweet opening reminded me a bit of Paco Rabanne’s Ultramale.

A great perfume, here and in Japan. Today it’s ‘out’ for modern snobs, but given its quality-price ratio, versatility, and style, it’s still worth having. In the 2000s it was like Dior Sauvage, Valentino Uomo Born in Roma, Toy Boy, CH Bad Boy, Le Male, or Versace Eros are today. Juvenile, modern, charming, with nocturnal flair and a bit of mischief, and above all, it gave a great, friendly vibe; neither mescaline nor a cocktail with Licor 43 gave such positivity. I used it up because it was good, pretty, and cheap, without being a cheapie or a drugstore aroma. Nowadays almost no one uses it and it’s 30-35 euros for the pack, a laughable price, with another little bottle to carry in the car, backpack, or as a gift. In pubs or clubs, you were the Le Male by Gaultier (which we called overrated for gay men), Hugo Boss Bottled, or the pink horn of Rochas: masculine, popular, and endearing. Then came the sweet avalanche of Paco Xs, One Million, Invictus, and the 212s by Carolina Herrera that ate everything up. Quite versatile, less so with 30-degree heat which already suffocates. It lasted quite a while, your 6 hours without reapplication, and had a trail, half a metre for 2 lovely hours. Nowadays I suppose it’s been reformulated; logical after more than 2 decades. All in all, if it maintains 50/60% of its original scent, it’s worth it. I who have more than 100 perfumes and consumed two bottles of Rochas Man between 2002 and 2010, proudly keep half of a 2014 bottle that sprays well and although I hardly use it, it doesn’t smell stale. Its ‘delicious cappuccino’ coffee aroma, softened with raspberry-lavender and vanilla, made it addictive, charming, and mega-seductive. Maurice Roucel certainly knows how to make charismatic perfumes. I haven’t hooked up with this Rochas myself; I’ve peed on One Million, Invictus, all the XS, 212s, Vips Blacks, I Love NY’s, with smiles, the Sexy, or the silver one. Anyway, it’s still worth having the pink horn of Rochas, lad. Today that no one wears it, it will give you packaging, attractiveness, unique character, and a great style.

The one who made this perfume is a bloody genius: sweet without being heavy, smells scandalous, you don’t want it to ever end, one of the best, TOP 1, you won’t go unnoticed, lasts long. It’s like a soft and sweet caramel; I bought two bottles and it won’t be missing from my collection.

Very well-constructed perfume, perhaps it sins a bit of subtlety; the aroma is quite rich. At first it’s a light and linear gourmand that moves towards a sweet woody base, where the coffee and vanilla take body while the citrus opening of the bergamot disappears (excessive for some, not for me). It’s different from the typical; despite not feeling heavy, the blend of lavender, amber, patchouli, flowers, and cedar is noticeable, and perhaps the raspberry is the only note I can’t perceive. It smells of tranquillity, I’d say it’s a bit anti-stress, and I recommend trying it. It feels modern, usually pleases women, and although it hasn’t generated many compliments for me, it has that sensual aura of an interesting person. Good perfume.

For the price, it’s not worth it: it smells nice but vanishes in no time. If you’re looking for longevity and projection, Halloween X is a much better option and cheaper.

It smells great but lasts zero minutes. I won’t be buying it again.

I’ve had it for a short time, it’s for men, and I love it. I came across it because I’m a coffee lover; I searched for coffee notes and it’s rare to find one with good performance. Reviews say it’s unisex and I’m 100% in agreement, though it’s very sweet, I’m not sure if all men will like it. The only thing it lacks, as others say, is that its longevity and projection are soft. But for price and scent, it’s worth a thousand times. I went to a famous mixology liquor store called Limantour, ordered a ‘La Morena’, and what a delight! When drinking it, I only thought of Rochas Man; the scent and taste are very similar. Those are the times when the experience is gratifying because I smell exactly like the perfume as if I were wearing it. Note: if you like sweet things, it’s for you; if not, try it first.

My experience with Rochas Man wasn’t the best. The scent is very sensual and masculine; I don’t consider it unisex at all. The notes I notice most are cappuccino and vanilla. The problem is that on my skin it doesn’t project and lasts very little, fading quickly. To my taste, it’s not that sweet; there are worse. The scent is very masculine, a real treat along with its bottle, which in my opinion wins the awards. But in projection and longevity, it’s very low. That’s why I wouldn’t buy it again, what a pity.

I bought it because it was on offer in Argentina, catalogued as an entry into the gourmand world for my first experience. I like it up to a point, but it doesn’t feel comfortable to wear; I have the impression that I’m going to overwhelm my surroundings. It has a prominent opening of lavender over which the sweet, vanilla-infused cappuccino quickly builds. As it dries, patchouli appears, which I believe is similar to cola (I deduce this from other fragrances with that base note). I don’t sense any woodiness; it’s covered by the sweetness. It’s linear; I see it as more unisex than masculine. It becomes bearable at the end, after three hours. Although it seems not too sweet or heavy, in the long run my nose starts to suffer from it. It’s not for daily use, more like a liver steak: one day you love it, but if you wear it every day, you’ll be repulsed. Use it one of the seven days, on a weekend, or for a special occasion. It has moderate longevity and projection, satisfactory. It’s not intrusive if you apply few sprays and wear a pullover or jacket. As a light, sweet gourmand perfume experience that catapults you to heavier perfumes, it’s worth it for price and scent. It’s my limit in this style.