Created by : Roja Dove
Date : 2010
Genre : Oud leather
Concentration : perfume
When I researched this perfume after wearing it for two days, it didn’t really surprise me that Roja Dove, noted Professeur de Parfums, had created it because M has so many references to masterpieces of French and British perfumery of the late 19th and 20th centuries… the dark rose note from Penhaligon’s Hammam Bouquet (1872), the smoky-leather accord from Tabac Blond (1919), the cumin note of Eau d’Hermes (1951) and the overly-sexy oud note of Yves Saint-Laurent’s M7 (2002). Add to all this, a frankincense that popped in and out of the mix throughout the day giving it an oriental feel. This one, readers, is a lesson in perfume history… and it is gorgeous!
M starts with a deep-orange, mouth-watering bergamot that floated ever so slightly above the heart which is powerful and sexual. Although not listed, I picked out the decidedly “down-under” male scent that only oud can produce… bringing to mind L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Al Oudh. But what is so special about M is the way it evolves… sometimes leathery, sometimes woody, sometimes smoky, but always interesting. The drydown surprised me many hours later leaving me with a powdery, clean vanilla-musk accord… all the sexy notes gone.
In short, M is intelligent, rich and researched. It feels like a fragrance that Edwardian men might have worn… big and unapolagetic. They don’t make perfume like this anymore, or rarely… complex and controversial and with “space between the notes” as FiveoaksBouquet would say.
When I thought of who might wear it, I thought of King Edward VII and his frequent trips to Parisian brothels, notably Le Chabanais, his favourite room being the Hindu room with its “siège d’amour”. As depressed as I’ve been about the state of perfumes recently, this one was a very welcome trial.
On both men and women, M could easily seduce both sexes. Its sublime, fleshy animalic qualities are universal.
Have a nice week everybody!
Top image : Portrait of King Edward VII (1905)
Bottom image : Male nude by Dan Lacey
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