Tocade 2013 by Rochas

The Rochas house, founded by Marcel and Hélène, may not have rivaled Dior or Chanel in fashion, but its prestige in the 70s, 80s, and 90s was built on its perfumes. With the arrival of the 2000s, things declined until Procter & Gamble bought it and left it nearly moribund, except for the success of Eau de Rochas. It seems someone at the multinational realized the vintage trend and launched three refreshed classics in generic bottles: Madam, Femme, and Tocade 2013. The bottle aesthetics have taken a beating for being ugly and soulless, but the fragrance quality seems intact and reviewers are happy. I’m thrilled; I bought Tocade at a great price and it smells almost identical to the original, with that signature Rochas delicacy. I think it’s fantastic to bring back discontinued fragrances even if it means sacrificing the packaging, and I just hope they do the same for Byzance and Byzantine, because I’d be the first in line to buy them.

CAPRICIOUS: Behind that generic, boring bottle hides a very worthy fragrance. If packaged in a square block, it would pass as a Narciso flanker—the feminine, vanilla-leaning version that disappointees seek, though Tocade came out first, so Narciso was actually the one inspired by it. It smells of fluffy white rose, sweet, tender, and slightly buttery, with a creamy, woody, and deep base, just right for adding body and texture. The vanilla sweetness is toned down with a citrus touch, like desserts with lemon zest, a nearly imperceptible nuance that makes it less flat. The violet, though subtle, adds naturalness to a subtle, delicate, and seductive vanilla. Its similarity to Narciso stems from the predominance of white florals and cedar, a warm, woody base with a fluffy-matte texture, compensating for cloying sweetness. I think Narciso also hides milky vanilla, but in smaller quantities and differentiated by vetiver, which not everyone can handle; a controversy from which Tocade is free, charmingly feminine. USE: Legendary longevity and great projection, a little goes a long way and wraps you all day. Universal profile, pleasant for everyone and all events, formal or informal, except hot days or trivial moments, because this perfume warms, comforts, dresses, and undresses you.