Rochas Man by Rochas

I remember this since I was a kid; my brother-in-law owned it, and I always wanted it. I used it until six years ago, but now it smells more like a cappuccino than before, with a less prominent lavender note. It feels a bit cloying due to the coffee, but it remains a rich fragrance.

It was my first favorite perfume. My cousin used to wear it, and I loved how his house smelled like cappuccino, which is my favorite coffee. It smells very sweet and pleasant. It was the reason I started looking for perfumes with coffee notes, as the cappuccino here is created very well and provides a lot of warmth. I wish it were more powerful in sillage, but what it has is enough; you just need to apply it properly. A delight. I finished the bottle and didn’t repurchase because it no longer identifies with me, and current reformulations have made it weaker.

In my opinion, Rochas Man has only the name ‘man’; it’s totally unisex. If you’re looking for a gourmand coffee, you won’t find it here. At first, due to that typical citrus-aromatic lavender combination, it sounds more masculine, but a few minutes later, a creamy, vanilla-infused milk coffee appears, drying down to a pleasant woody base. For me, it’s a very clean milk coffee with a beautiful, unisex lavender. I see it as ideal for daily wear, wearable all year because it’s not invasive. It lasts 4-5 hours on skin with soft projection. I enjoy it as much as my partner. Considering quality-price, it’s not bad at all.

I just bought it again; the last time was in 2007. It’s a true beauty, a thousand times better than other sweet perfumes currently available. I hope I can find the Intense version later.

This fragrance is perfect for dates in rainy weather. I put it on at 6 PM, very sharp for three hours, with light longevity until the next day. I recommend it if you want to live an olfactory experience, as all its ingredients are perfectly balanced. I don’t feel much vintage in it; it’s totally recommended for these times.

I’m saving this for cool, rainy days; smelling like a Starbucks coffee with too much sugar isn’t my style (I prefer Awake by Akro). I bought it because a review said it smelled like Italian dessert: it works at first, but within minutes it becomes simple and sugary, paradoxically losing out to my partner’s thermos coffee scent. Plus, it didn’t last even 4 hours on a quiet day.

I’m not sure if I like it or not… I tried it today and it surprised me (it wasn’t what I expected). Stepping out, I felt a sparkling, fresh, sweet, and slightly citrusy touch, probably from the lavender, raspberry, and bergamot; I loved this initial phase, although from the start it feels unisex, not conventionally masculine. After that fresh opening, the vanilla, cappuccino, and amber notes take the lead: a warm vanilla with a more milky and sweet cappuccino than spicy, over a lavender base that adds cleanliness and fragrance, along with a woody and creamy touch from the sandalwood and a fruity hint from the raspberry. It wasn’t what I expected because I thought the coffee would be more roasted and rough like in Halloween Man X, but here it’s very vanilla-forward, sweet, and creamy, more unisex than masculine. Also, that citrusy and sweet opening reminded me a bit of Paco Rabanne’s Ultramale.

A great perfume, here and in Japan. Today it’s ‘out’ for modern snobs, but given its quality-to-price ratio, versatility, and style, it’s still worth owning. In the 2000s, it was like Dior Sauvage, Valentino Uomo Born in Roma, Toy Boy, CH Bad Boy, Le Male, or Versace Eros are today. Youthful, modern, charming, with a nocturnal and mischievous vibe, and above all, it gave off a great, friendly energy; neither mescaline nor a cocktail with Licor 43 gave such positivity. I used it like crazy because it was good, pretty, and cheap, without being a cheapie or a drugstore scent. Nowadays almost no one wears it, and it’s 30-35 euros for the pack, a laughable price, plus another little bottle to take in the car, backpack, or as a gift. In pubs or clubs, you were the Le Male by Gaultier (which we called overrated for gay guys), Hugo Boss Bottled, or the pink Rochas horn: masculine, popular, and endearing. Then came the sweet avalanche of Paco Xs, One Million, Invictus, and Carolina Herrera’s 212 that ate everything up. Quite versatile, though less so on 30-degree heat which already feels stifling. It lasted quite a bit, about 6 hours without reapplication, and had a nice trail, half a meter for a good 2 hours. I suppose it’s reformulated now; logical after more than 2 decades. Anyway, if it keeps 50-60% of its original scent, it’s worth it. I have over 100 perfumes and consumed two bottles of Rochas Man between 2002 and 2010, so I proudly keep half of a 2014 bottle that still sprays well and, although I barely use it, doesn’t smell stale. Its ‘delicious cappuccino’ coffee scent, softened with raspberry lavender and vanilla, made it addictive, charming, and mega-seductive. Maurice Roucel really knows how to make charismatic perfumes. I haven’t hooked up with this Rochas; I’ve peed on One Million, Invictus, all the XS, 212s, Vips Blacks, I Love NYs, with smiles, the Sexy, or the silver ones. Anyway, it’s still worth owning the pink Rochas horn, kid. Nowadays that no one wears it, it will give you packaging, attractiveness, unique character, and a great style.

Rochas Man (1999) is a fascinating composition, declared woody and spicy, but my appreciation leans towards a light, boozy gourmand. For me, it’s also the limit for men’s fragrances with style featuring sweet or heavy notes like Mugler A*men, which feels more futuristic to me. In Rochas Man, the vanilla coffee accord constitutes the central theme, very well executed, giving the fragrance great sensuality resting on a very subtle woody-ambery base; for me, the warm amber notes stand out more.

Very well-constructed perfume, perhaps it sins a bit of subtlety; the scent is quite rich. At first, it’s a light and linear gourmand that moves toward a sweet woody base, where the coffee and vanilla gain body while the citrus opening of bergamot disappears (excessive for some, not for me). It’s different from the typical; despite not feeling heavy, you can feel the mix of lavender, amber, patchouli, flowers, cedar, and maybe the raspberry is the only note I can’t quite perceive. It smells like tranquility, I’d say it’s a bit anti-stress, and I recommend trying it. It feels modern, usually liked by women, and although it hasn’t generated many compliments for me, it has that sensual aura of an interesting person. Good perfume.

This was a beast in 2004; I have two bottles from that era because I was obsessed. Currently, I don’t know how it’s going. I value this perfume apart from the others I’ve collected/used; this was part of me, key years of my life defined by this scent.

It smells amazing, but it lasts zero minutes. I won’t be buying it again.

I’ve had it for a short time, it’s for men, and I love it. I came across it because I’m a coffee lover; I was looking for coffee notes, and it’s rare to find one with good performance. Reviews say it’s unisex, and I’m 100% on board, though it’s too sweet—I’m not sure all men will like it. The only thing it lacks, as others say, is that its longevity and projection are soft. But for the price and scent, it’s worth a thousand times. I went to a famous mixology liquor store called Limantour, ordered a ‘La Morena,’ and it was delicious! When I drank it, I immediately thought of Rochas Man; the aroma and flavor were very similar. Those are the times when the experience is gratifying because the scent feels just like wearing the perfume. Note: if you like sweet scents, it’s for you; if not, test it first.

My experience with Rochas Man wasn’t the best. The scent is very sensual and masculine, not unisex at all. I pick out cappuccino and vanilla notes. The issue is it doesn’t project on my skin and fades super fast. To my taste, it’s not that sweet, and there are worse options. The scent is very masculine; combined with its bottle, it’s award-worthy. But the projection and longevity are very low. That’s why I won’t buy it again; what a shame.

I bought it for the cappuccino note, which the reviews keep insisting on. Unfortunately, it doesn’t show up on my skin; maybe a faint trace of coffee just as it’s about to disappear, but no creaminess. What I smell is pure sweet lavender; on a rainy day, you can distinguish the raspberry, but generally, it stays flat. Fresh, pleasant, and generic. It’s not bad, but not memorable. I really wish I could perceive the gourmand part; probably on male skin, that facet would stand out. It projects moderately but doesn’t last more than three hours on my skin.