Lui Rochas by Rochas

I picked this up at a local drugstore, a staple for decades. It’s incredibly cheap compared to what you pay elsewhere. Once you try it, you’ll understand why they stopped producing it: it’s a timeless classic made for exquisite noses that value quality and have steered clear of trendy scents. If you like Givenchy Play Intense, Guerlain L’instant, or Gaultier Kokorico, this is its brother and you’ll love it. Brutal quality, a masterpiece that projects just enough and lasts longer than a workday. Wonderful.

“Vest, procenex, and lemon.” Smells like a “good person” and inevitably transports you to another era.

Although I’m not passionate about its opening within minutes that fresh clean green cedar aroma appears transporting and hooking me ending up slightly sweeter and more enchanting thanks to patchouli and amber. I don’t consider it a fragrance for everyone but it is undoubtedly a great work. Overall performance is very good.

I was let down by this Rochas Lui. The blend of neroli and wood reminds me of old-fashioned smells, like a neighborhood barbershop or a Floid-style aftershave (which I can appreciate, but not as a personal fragrance). The ingredient quality is impeccable, but it just doesn’t work for me. Keep in mind that it changes a lot on paper (I like it more) or on skin (on mine, it smells rancid). To me, it’s a very vintage scent. Longevity and sillage are above average. Lui will be pour lui, not pour moi. Goodbye.

Usually discontinued perfumes end up disappointing me because people tend to overvalue them due to nostalgia and scarcity. Of course there are good fragrances but few are true masterpieces. With Rochas Lui I must say it’s one of the few that truly deserves the hype. Although I’ve never worn it the scent feels familiar; I think a friend or family member must have owned one. The opening is citrusy and woody led by neroli. Gradually vanilla emerges creating a creamy sensation. Cedar is very prominent in the dry-down dry and bitter reminiscent of Terre d’Hermes though this perfume has little in common with it. The neroli and lemon are noticeable but fade giving way to cedar vanilla and a barely perceptible touch of patchouli. The dry-down is a blend of cedar and vanilla with almost absent but still present citrus nuances; it’s the creamiest part. As Pedjalazaro says it has a retro touch but it doesn’t smell old or outdated. The cedar gives it maturity yet it could easily pass as modern. Performance is good especially longevity. It lacks a bit more projection but it performs well and is easily detectable. If I had to assign a gender based on the cedar I’d say it’s masculine; I can’t picture a woman wearing it but every skin is different. I’ve worn it in cool or temperate climates not in heat. It’s a great perfume well-made with excellent performance and I really liked it though I wouldn’t pay the internet prices. If I find it at a bargain I’ll grab it.

My friend Bofifa offered me a chance to try this charming scent. It conveys delicacy, is well-constructed, elegant, and sophisticated. The opening is good with neroli, lemon, and a constant woody-sweet presence. The sum of its components shines with class and has satisfactory durability on my skin. I don’t think it’s a summer scent; it has a vintage-school vibe adapted to modernity. It’s surprising how little it’s present in the market; perhaps only a few were excited by this avant-garde proposal of its time. It could have been stronger to my taste, but if you like sweet fragrances and are tired of extreme, innocent, and party scents, it’s likely you’ve grown up to reach ROCHAS Lui without realizing it.

Lui was creamy, velvety, and had an incredibly soft texture. I imagined an amber chocolate tablet. It didn’t have cocoa, but it had that soft, hollow consistency of milk chocolate, that sensation of a mouthful of chewed chocolate candy flooding the palate, but without chocolate—just amber, vanilla, and above all wood, almost like a smoothie. It also smelled of orange, not citrusy, but with the consistency of pomade or body lotion. I highlight its satin-butter texture, which set it apart from others. I never liked it; I found it cloying, almost gourmand, but I don’t have a good nose to appreciate it because I hate anything that smells warm, and this was very warm. Absolutely unisex.

I share what my fellow enthusiasts say. Le Male, Habit Rouge… It seems the house tried to blend the past and present. Although it declares few notes and isn’t a torrent of nuances, it has mystery and charm. When I smelled the opening, I was thrilled: a powdery neroli with citrus and a woody touch, all of very high quality. But as usually happens, that sparkling effervescence disappears quickly to give way to heavier notes. You can feel the cedar and the amber (not like the current ones), forming a combo with the citrus that gives it character. It’s like a citrus sweetness with the serious counterpoint of cedar wood. The performance is quite decent.

After reading MarcusRS’s review, I found a 100ml bottle at an old haberdashery. It’s a sought-after and pricey fragrance on eBay, but mine cost a fortune… wait, no, a pittance. I asked Marcus if it was worth it, and he confirmed it without hesitation. I would have killed to get rid of it; it’s one of the best perfume experiences of my life. Production stopped because by 2003 it no longer fit what the public wanted, which was fresh or aquatic scents. Lui is magnificent, uncompromising, and a true example of mastery. It opens with an intriguing bitter orange and robust woods, then settles into a heart of dry, powdery vanilla—very masculine and classic. It reminds me of Guerlain, specifically Habit Rouge or Heritage, and even Terre d’Hermes. It’s majestic, refined, complex, and traditional. The quality is impeccable; everything is tuned like a clock. The projection is just right, strong but not overwhelming, and the longevity is out of this world. I felt a bit inferior wearing it; it’s just too good. Ideal for cold weather or summer nights. It’s not for everyone; it requires personality. It smells like a writer frequenting bars. 10/10.

Another one of those that should never have left! Smelling it evokes fine cognac and a Cuban cigar, a Bolívar No. 5 with an old typewriter. The scene: an apartment in a mega-city, the character is a bar writer. This fragrance, highly valued in English-speaking countries, is beautifully disorienting, potent, and could be the mother of perfumes like Le Male or Joop, thanks to its explosive sobriety and maturity. Imagine a younger Rocabar by Hermès, with the punch of L’Homme by Versace and the elegance of Terre d’Hermès. It’s unique, with magic and character that demands character in return, leaving a one-of-a-kind trail. An atypical chypre, nothing ethereal, with real force; over-applying it could be deadly. Its intensity and longevity defy current standards; the notes are absolutely natural. Discontinued and pricey, it’s a purebred Rochas: if you find it at a good price, don’t hesitate, it’s a gem. Perfect for fall and winter, or a discreet nighttime application in summer. Ideal for dates, meetings, or bars, for existential chats as night falls. 9.5/10.

Magnificent! Rochas Lui is one of those fragrances that captivates from the very first moment. A modern classic inspired by the men of the 70s. Masculine and seductive like few others, with a high dose of cedar, neroli, and amber. The base smells like pencil shavings, that scent you get when sharpening a pencil, something Gucci Pour Homme also has. It’s strange but real, nothing jarring. I insist, it’s a powerfully masculine fragrance. Unfortunately, it seems to have been discontinued.