It's January. The new year is not nearly as exciting as it seemed last month, Valentine's Day is still weeks away, and no matter what the rodent from Pennsylvania is going to say on February 2nd, we still have a couple of months of insanely cold days, dirty snow and icy roads ahead of us.
Am I depressing you? I know I've got a raging case of the ho-hums, the doldrums and the "why don't I just move to L.A.?" all wrapped into one. This calls for some serious sunshine-in-a-bottle, and my current pick in the category is Rubj, Vero Kern's creation.
I was not supposed to like it. A white floral, quite heavy on the jasmine, is not something I'd necessarily choose to wear. But there's something in Rubj that seems to speak to many and triggers many different interpretations of this scent (just check the list of other bloggers' reviews at the end of the post).
What I'm getting varies on the day and the weather. I wore it on some of the hottest and most humid days last summer and felt like I was entering a greenhouse, full of lush blooms. There was more than a hint of tuberose, though I couldn't find Queen T in any list of notes. It almost felt protective, a barrier between my skin and the poisonous air. But in winter, Rubj feels like a promise. It's still opulent and petal-like, a good reminder of days to come. And it's such a happy scent, full of sunshine, thanks to the orange blossom, and very much alive. The jasmine is all flesh and blood (a nice way to say indolic, I guess) and makes one feel very much alive even before the musk makes appearance. I'm not sure what kind of musk it is, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's somewhat related to the one in CB Musk, since my skin makes it sweet with a berry note. The musk is not overly strong, it's just makes the scent more rounded and grounds the flowers so they don't shriek like too many orange blossom-jasmine combos.
Skin chemistry makes a huge difference here: I had my mom try it last summer, and on her the flowers were more light and airy and the whole thing far less carnal than what I'm experiencing. She wears white florals a lot better than me, so no surprises here, except for the fact we both like Rubj, just for different reasons.
All three Vero Profumo's creations (Kiki and Onda are the other ones) are in parfum concentration, strong and extremely long lasting. The sillage will not clear the room as long as it's sanely applied. Can this be worn by a man? Yes. See Nathan's review below.
More reviews of Rubj can be found here:
Tom for Perfume Smellin' things
Perfume Shrine
Legerdenez
SakeCat
Perfume Posse
Vetivresse
And in The Guide, Luca Turin smells rose in Rubj. I have no idea what he's talking about, but if any of you got a rose, please say so and I'll try harder...
Rubj ($185 for 7.5 ml, as well as Kiki and Onda) is available in the US from Luckyscent. It can also be purchased directly from Vero's web site, where there's also an excellent sample set of all three.
art: Waiting For My Butterfly by Victoria Montesinos.
www.sniffapaloozamagazine.com had aan entire profile of vero and theinspiration for RUBJ in last issue
ReplyDeleteRose? Hmmm, no, I didn't get that either, but I do concur with your opinion that it's a terrific piece of work, and I'm happy to hear that you like it.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you pull it off beautifully, and your post reminded me all over again of how much I appreciate its charms.
Dear Gaia,
ReplyDeleteI had a small question, can you share your opinion about makeup primers? I have combination skin with occasional breakouts, and I am attending a wedding thus in need of a primer.
Love your blog, as a non-blonde I really appreciate your opinion :)
Sara
Well, I always have to giggle a little at how much we really are scent twins; I didn't write it but of course the musk has that berries-gone-fimnnoirbad bit in CB Musk.
ReplyDeleteOf course anything that would entice you to move here..
Nathan, thank you :)
ReplyDeleteGood to know I'm not the only one who doesn't get any rose here. Nothing like little validation...
Sara, first- thank you :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the primer, I use several and rotate between them with the change in weather. As a rule, I find silicon based primers to have the best performance. Smashbox Photo Finish is a classic in this category and one that has never given me any skin issues (unlike another silicon producy I tested). In the summer I prefer Shiseido Smoothing Veil. But if you don't plan on using primer on a regular basis, I'd recommend going with a Sephora brand, which is a lot easier on the pocket and still delivers decent results. The only thing to remember about non-silicon primers is that sometimes they don't go well with your foundation. I had a small issue with the one from Sephora when it ended up peaking underneath the foundation. So test a couple of times before final decision.
Tom, it's the funniest think how we sniff each other's wrist and have the "oh, you smell like me!" moment (thankfully, most people reading this would understand).
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm so tempted to move. Yesterday in the city I could feel my lipgloss freezing on my face. But come spring I'd be the one urging you to pack and come back here...
"Yesterday in the city I could feel my lipgloss freezing on my face."
ReplyDeleteThat's brilliant! It sounds like the beginning of a great 21st century American novel . . . :)
Gaia,
ReplyDeleteOh my God - I just received samples of Parfum from Lucky Scent .. Rubj and Kiki from Vero Kern among them.
I adore Rubj - it is what has been missing from my life. That sillage , that "high" that I got upon first sniff.Wow!
It is more than a floral - to me it's a floriental , my favorite category.
I thought I would be in love with Kiki - but no This is me classic femininity with a smoldering dollop of sensuality. A real Come Hither !Thank you for your review .