By Dane
I'll admit, when I come across any particular company's "Eau de..." namesake, I think to myself...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...here comes another boring Eau de Cologne with a weak attempt at a drydown. As always, I'm proven wrong yet again with Rochas' wonderful male-counterpart to their classic Eau de Rochas from 1970.
As mentioned, if you want your Eau to last and smell even remotely interesting, you need a fresh idea for the base. Some take the classic Chypre route and add oakmoss (Chanel Pour Monsieur), some rely heavily on synthetics (L'Eau Par Kenzo), but for the most part, they rely on musks...some successfully (Chanel's Eau de Cologne), some not so much (Dior's Escale a Portofino.) Rochas added an interesting twist by adding a resinous, sappy myrrh.
Myrrh is an interesting material. Many mistake it in compositions for a "pine needle" note, which is an obvious misconception. Myrrh originates primarily from the Commiphoa Myrrha tree where the sap is extracted and dried. The resinous aroma would remind us North Americans of the sticky sap on our Christmas trees, and whether or not that's a good association all depends on your feelings toward the holiday.
I had a slightly traumatic moment in my childhood where my father told me of the tradition of chewing the dried sap from pine trees. "We couldn't afford gum", he'd say, following up with the dreaded "and we walked to school uphill...both ways!" I foolishly stuck the sap in my mouth, and to this day, shudder at the thought of that moment. It took me a long time to appreciate the resemblance with myrrh, but the bizarre and beautiful Lutens creation, La Myrrhe helped me overcome it.
The basic structure of EdR PH is simple - citrus topnote, followed by a sweet, fruity mandarin, followed by the resinous, woody drydown. Finding the predominate myrrh note was, to me, a rare and unexpected treat. If you're looking for something a little different for the upcoming summer months, this would be a great option. I think I've found my favourite "Eau de."
Year: 1993
Perfumer: Nicolas Mamounas
Notes: Mandarin, Grapefruit, Verbena, Narcissus, Cedar, Patchouli, Rose, Amber, Myrrh, Vetier, Sandalwood
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