Rochas Moustache EDP Spray, 75 ml

Product Information

It is reformulated and I do not know the original from 1949 and I cannot imagine that there is still a usable, not tilted original filling, so that the comparison would be possible only with successors.

If there's one thing you can't blame "Moustache" for, it's probably its excellent pricing policy or the grandiose relationship between high-quality fragrance, bottle size and price.

As for performance, longevity and projection are below average (especially the projection), but there’s still the option of jumping on the edt concentree if you’re looking for a louder and more animalic version. The trade-off is the presentation, which is significantly better than the older bottles imo, with heavier ribbed glass and a beautiful golden metal cap. I absolutely adore it. Top tier at this price point. Of course this is not really possible, because Moustache from 1949 was also reworked several times, tamed (the original version is said to have been more animalistic than the variant in the angular matt bottle with the unambiguous dark yellow liquid): there is no real reference. In addition, even the last version of Moustache available on the market has usually been on the lid for several years, which means that an ageing process with scent can no longer be ruled out. This also seems to be the case with my moustache water from the early 2000s. Nevertheless, a comparison with caution and limited validity is possible in my opinion.

In the meantime, the fragrance is with me and I compare it with the actual original from 1949. Can that go well? At the age of only 23, Marcel Rochas opened his couture house on Place Beauvau in Paris in 1925, before moving to Rue Matignon in 1931. The couturier brought the fresh breath of youth to haute couture. He built the wardrobe of the emancipated Parisian woman in the post-war years, whilst also creating perfumes that reflected a love affair with elegance and freedom. So...this small detail out of the way, I have now fixed the following five criteria before my evaluation: Scent, silage, performance, bottle, application and price After the Second World War, Europe was still in the process of reconstruction. Nevertheless, fragrances had always been created and sold during and after the war. Cultiveness, style and the joy of perfume survive every brutalization. Overall, despite its popular reputation as a lemony fragrance, Moustache edt is anything but. In fact, it’s predominantly a soft and gentlemanly lavender for most of its life, if not for the first half hour where nearly all of the magic happens. From the massive blast of honeyed lemon, to the strange funk, soft violet and beautiful lavender drydown, it’s quite a journey to take in such a short period of time; yet frankly an absolute joy to experience. Kind of like life.In its density and indulgence, this Rochas reminds me of the above mentioned Guerlain classics and Tom Ford's "Noir". A little fruity by a really pleasant round, harmonious, almost creamy, unbitter mandarin, also floral with clear rose, which is beautifully waxy and also powdery framed by benzoin. Having been a devout fan of the much hyped edp (which is more of a rosey benzoin tea scent), I felt like I had to get this one to complete the set, if not to experience another one of Roudnitska’s creations. Thanks to the rather moderate sweetness of this fragrance and the generally rather reserved projection (the topic "spraying over" is not considered here), "Moustache" can be used wonderfully in leisure time, as well as in the office or similar locations. It can also be used in different seasons (which I don't believe in anyway - you will never complain about a good scent because of the weather). If at all applies: the warmer, the less sprays should be used because of the sweetness. The biggest noticeable difference between this and any incarnation of Moustache is the almost complete absence of any lime note, which before was sorta just implied by the interplay of civet and oakmoss with the sour natural bergamot being used up top with the lemon. Now, we see vacuum-distilled bergamot essence in place of full unfiltered bergamot oil, mixed with something that produces a candied sort of lemon effect you see in fragrances like Mancera Cedrat Boise (2011), telling me the days of sharp citrus chypres old heads love are truly dead if this lemon drop is the best that can be done for the opening of Moustache. Yet, there is hope, because the star player of the heart, being that dry lavender and geranium tandem which so defined many a mid-century masculine is mostly intact here. Gone however are any flanking floral support notes, including rose and jasmine indoles, meaning that rotting fruit vibe which defined many a Roudnitska work is missing here. In their place, a vacuous filler of various ionones and acetates leaving the impression of violet leaf and orange blossom emerge, lending a slight sweet roundness the benzoin of the old Moustache used to provide. Finally, the payoff arrives, and you get an IFRA-approved oakmoss chypre base, with real oakmoss (albeit a sliver), labdanum, some patchouli, and a modicum of civetone. The skin scent is the best part, lasting about six hours and smelling dapper, good for spring and summer casual use. This is something I think vintage lovers will enjoy if they like stuff such as Eau de Rochas Homme (1993), and it can serve in all the same instances as well. Style or nothing! What matters is cutting a fine figure, the famous beautiful drape of the clothes. Rochas invented the basque, designed the mermaid evening gown, liberated women’s bodies with his ¾ coats and square shoulders, and created the Bird dress inspired by the artists of his day. Timeless classics that the couturier reinvented for every season.