ClarasTante

What does Roja himself say? This:
"Haute Luxe, the perfume of the perfumer himself, is the combination of all the rare and precious materials that Roja Dove loves the most. A fragrance with which there is no comparison. Roja describes it as "a chypré wrapped in cashmere", because it clings so gently to the wrist and glides so smoothly over the skin. The finest rose and jasmine notes in the world contrast with a slightly powdery iris note that rests on a natural bed of chypré around the dry warmth of oakmoss. A lush base is composed of the sensuality of leather and ambergris contrasting with the balsamic sweetness of benzoin and vanilla to create a chypré fragrance as indulgent as perfumery itself."

(I just clicked away the attention message without reading, if that's of any import. Sorry.)

My opinion, without in-depth analysis: Beautiful. Very nice fragrance. But not mine. It's too powdery for me. I like what lies underneath and snores away. If iris and co. would get out of the way, perhaps the civet would purr more. But! It's Roja Dove's signature - according to him - so it has to be. After all, it's not for me, it's for him and I'm only allowed to ALSO.
Yeah, no, it's pretty, but no, keep it.
I've found something more beautiful for ME with you. And that's totally fine too.

If you like a very pretty old-school chypre that (unfortunately) comes with a lot of powder dimming, you'll go crazy. Not me. I find the "Diaghilev (Parfum) | Roja Parfums" much sexier, er, nicer. Because it's clearer, not so nebulous - restrained.
But it is pretty, THE Roja.

I went to Karstadt. I marveled silently and sighed at the "Armani Code Couture Edition | Giorgio Armani" flacons. And thought about it. Years before, I had been told off in a small perfumery ("nameless" as they would say today") as follows:
"The Armani? Well." (with a short A). She sprayed it on me, the super made-up lady, and sniffed away. Just away from me in my Russel Athletics trousers plus a simple basic shirt, both "cheap". I sniffed and loved it. So addictively flowery and dark. Not just trallala for everyone, more of a niche for people who like twilight.
There she was again... "So?" Oh no, you know... "Yes, it's nice, but quite expensive. Do you have anything like that, a bit cheaper?" She turned her nose to the sky and kindly recommended Celine Dion. Good. I would have guessed something in between, but obviously that wasn't the case. I didn't want Celine, so I left in a daze.

Years later, I was standing in Karstadt. And I knew I wanted THAT one. Because with all his orange-flowery penetrance, he's so off to Haach-land, it's no longer a celebration.

"You wish?"
"The Armani."
"The Kot Kotühr?"
"Yes, please."
"We still have the normal one..."
"No, the couture one." I want this bottle and you have 20% today, it's the same for me.
"I have to get it."
Oh, that makes me feel important.
Two guys approach each other.

"Nah, just perfume," she says happily. Smells good, doesn't cost much, you know what I mean? "
"Yeah, no, I had to buy something that meant something. For you."
"Mean what? It's perfume! Smells good!"
"Well, do you know what else she wears? There's plenty to choose from..."
"Nah, well, bro, she always smells good, that's why! I buy perfume that smells good and good."

My brain shrank, the saleswoman returned. "There, I've found another bottle."

"Eh! What's that? Special edition or what?"
"Yes, Armani...."
"Armani, what Armani - let me test it!" She sprayed something on the paper. "Nah, put it on you, I don't smell like that!" This wish was also granted. "Awesome. Really strong. With sillage and all." *sniffs again* "Yes, I want that. Mega awesome, the scent. Bomb."

Well. I like the Armani code in general, the DNA, as they say today. The identifying mark. And Code is a really good fragrance in responsible hands. Don't drone on people - let it retain its slightly unapproachable beauty. It's orange blossom-heavy, heavy and yet soooo cuddly.

I'm glad that I have it, that I've never given it away and that I have the special edition. Because fragrances like this are becoming rare. It's also overwhelming at first, but then becomes so cuddly that I'm glad it lasts so long.

In 1985, I was - politically, so to speak - unable to get hold of Poison.
A few years later, when my territory was enlarged, you could hear little more than Alice Cooper from my room and I from my WALKMAN. Who recommended Poison to me so beautifully.
But without Moss, there wasn't much going on in the larger territory either. Nevertheless, one day I ventured into a brand new drugstore with a bit of a plan. I had to ASK: "Can I please try the Poison from Dior?" There were no testers standing around like at Schlecker. Well. I could, they sprayed me a piece of paper and I was allowed to sniff.
It wasn't Merci, it wasn't flowery stuff, it wasn't the stupid sweet perfume that Heike, the vet's daughter, always wore. It was exactly what I would have invented if I had studied perfumery (and wanted to bring fear and terror to mankind). I was delighted to be able to keep the tasting note, both moved and depressed by its beauty and price, and waited for the next month. And grandma's spendy pants.

And Poison has never moved out since. it almost happened once! Because my bottle was empty and I realized when I wanted to buy more that it looked different now. Even the packaging! And it also smells different, much more suitable for everyday use, suitable for the masses both in terms of quantity and in this way. It was no longer my Poison. It was like... Poison REMASTERED Radio Edit by Dieter Bohlen. But luckily there are still places on the new internet where the old Poison lurks passionately. By now, according to my calculations, I should be well stocked.
So, I've finished. Actually, I just wanted to make it clear that I know all about Poison VINTAGE.

I just don't know how to describe Poison VINTAGE to those who don't know it. And why actually, because - it doesn't exist anymore (really). And I don't like the new version that much.
I can NEVER really separate name and fragrance. And here, in my opinion, it also fits like a *violence-glorifying comparison*. When you think of POISON in a bottle, you always imagine something DARK, something DANGEROUS, something FINAL, something where you should think beforehand whether you take it or give it...
You should with Poison. But you don't die and you certainly don't get sick, at least if you use it as intended. And I think you can tell very quickly whether you like it or hate it. The new(er) version is also a recognizable poison, you can smell right from the start whether you like it or not. There's no: "Oh, the top note is bad, but then it's actually quite nice... the base has something..." Nope. Only YES or NO.

Hm. Is that as specific as it gets? No. With a GIFT, no one analyzes exactly which ingredient it was. (Was it the plum? The clove? Or the vanilla?)

In terms of oomph and "character", it is perhaps comparable to Memoir by Amouage. Same attitude, modern attitude. A fragrance that you can't fail to notice, even at low doses. I may be a bit of a bleeper, but I can almost see a poisonous green aura around me when I've poisoned myself. (I only use 2 sprays ofCHEN, 1x on my neck and 1x UNDER my sweater (PINK today, by the way, aura still dark poisonous green)).
It must have sillage, because I'm always very happy when I come back and it's still there.
Nevertheless - and this "nevertheless" also includes the noses of those who remember Poison from before, when it was generally dosed TOXIC, because there are people like that here - nobody is bothered by it (I don't even hear a "Boah" or a "Phew" here). Poison stays when you've left, but at the same time it caresses you through the area in an orderly manner, it doesn't shout at anyone. Poison cannot be described as fragrant. Because it's simply Poison. That's what you call unique. (New German: unique selling point. All words that people didn't even know would be invented in the past.)

I just had to think about it more carefully because "I love you" by Clowns and Heroes was playing on the radio (yes, I know, there's also a newer - fifties - version of it that I could SCREAM at; I mean the old one, the original!). And almost every word is right. (Except for the year) From me to Poison. (Alice Cooper is no longer on the radio.)
And Poison laughs WOHL! We've been laughing together for 30 years. Again and again and unashamedly.

So if you're looking for a powerful, magnificent perfume, you shouldn't ignore the old Poison. And if you just want to get goosebumps (I'm reminded of the hyena in Disney's Lion King when it hears "Mufasa" (with a hard S!)), you can familiarize your olfactory organ with the current Poison (substitute). It won't do any harm.... I think so.