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Roja Parfums Risqué Launch Party: Naughty But Nice!

04/27/12 18:11:12

By: Suzy Nightingale

photo by kjbstar

Lurking around the murky backstreets of Soho is not something one normally associates with prestigious perfume houses launching their latest precious offerings into the world, especially when that perfume house belongs to Roja Dove—globally renowned parfum Impresario and the world's only Professeur de Parfum. As I hurried past what we shall politely refer to as Gentlemen's Clubs, pavements groaning with boggle-eyed tourists and seedy characters, it quickly became apparent that this was not your average perfume launch. Only appropriate, though, for Roja Parfums, as none of their perfumes may in any way be described as "average."

The venue for this extraordinary afternoon was Madame JoJo's—a club in London known for hosting burlesque acts and other vintage-themed naughtiness. Having located it, and being characteristically early for such events, I sauntered to the nearest coffee shop and gratuitously People Watched to pass the time.

Soho isn't nearly as grotty as it used to be, and probably therefore, having been sanitized somewhat from its salacious heyday, far less interesting to People Watch in. One quite longs to see the streets thronged with shifty looking, raincoat-wearers, nefarious lotharios and dolly birds all à-la-mode in Mary Quant. Instead, everyone just looks slightly grubby. Including me, having travelled to London by public transport. The horror.

Eventually, the hour struck and it was time to descend into the tenebrous depths of Madame JoJo's. Emerging blinking into the dimly lit bar area, we were fortuitously greeted by waiters holding out trays laden with cocktails for us to grab. Clearly they have entertained members of the press before.

An excited burble of chattering voices flooded down the stairs as further guests arrived, and as our eyes acclimatized to the gloom, we began to make out the burnished gold surroundings, the beautiful Art Deco style mirrored walls and plush velvet curtains. Waiters circle with silver salvers of delicate treats to nibble, the room is filled with some of the most glamourous members of the beauty press—and me—attempting to nibble delicately. There was a regrettable incident with an impeccably groomed male style journalist, a Quail's egg canapé and a waiter, but I shall gloss over that in an infuriatingly mysterious manner and leave you wondering. A couple of cocktails later, we took to our seats anxiously waiting to see what will happen next.

It is something of a wonder that among such jaded professionals, Roja always manages to spark a genuine interest in his audience and everyone looks forward to hearing him speak. This isn't simply an exercise in PR, this is a man explain his lifelong passion and igniting that flame within the people listening.

A moment of hush as the spotlight hits the stage and the glamorous Miss Polly Rae took to the stage in a spangled gown. Singing her rendition of "Fever" and then a fantastic breathily slow version of Michael Jackson's "Bad," this is a lady who does Cabaret with sheer class. Joking with the audience, she has that rare gift of being obviously appealing to the gentlemen in the crowd, but equally entertaining the ladies and putting them at ease while they admire her perfectly put-together vintage look.

Polly Rae sauntered through the crowd as she sang, taking illicit sips from guests' cocktails and having a bit of a lie down on one surprised man's lap as she sang "Bad!" Suddenly it was time for the man himself to take the stage, and Polly announced Roja Dove, looking dapper as always in a vibrant cobalt blue silk shirt, rich velvet jacket and his idiosyncratic dazzling jewelry.

Of course we all know Roja Dove as the go-to expert for commenting on the world of perfumes, and that he hand picks select fragrances for his exclusive Haute Parfumery in Harrods, but this time he is revealing his latest creation for the Roja Parfums house. Since being invited to also grace the main perfumery hall in Harrods, almost a year to the day of this launch, Roja glowed with pride as he announced that the Roja Parfums range has gone on to be their fastest-selling most successful perfume brand to date. An extraordinary feat considering the big names they rub shoulders with in that hallowed space.

RISQUE

Describing Risqué as being ,"On the edge of the forbidden..." Roja talked us through the sultry list of ingredients and what he was looking for in creating this perfume. The stand-out ingredient has to be the very unusual Litsea Cubeba, something I've not knowingly smelled before and which he explained has a sweet, citrus aroma and comes from the fruit of a tree native to southeast Asia and also known as May Chang. I thought it surprising to have an exclusively citrus opening—teamed with Bergamot and lemon in the top notes—to a sexy perfume, and looked forward to trying it on my skin even more.

Litsea Cubeba flowers by mutolisp

The heart notes of Risqué are Chamomile, Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang and Hyacinth—again, Chamomile isn't something I'd automatically associate with a "sensual" fragrance. I love the fact that Roja Parfums don't simply use run-of-the-mill ingredients, or in a way you'd necessarily expect. The base is more traditional, being composed of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Cedarwood, dangerously addictive Civet, leather-like Labdanum and Patchouli. With Risqué announced it was time for the proper launch of the fragrance, and Roja declared that we should beware... "If she came on feverish and showed you how she's bad, what on earth will happen when Miss Polly Rae becomes the first woman in the world to wear Risqué?!"

Lights dim, darkness descends and once more a spotlight hits the centre of the stage. In its beam stands Miss Rae, almost completely hidden behind two huge feathered fans. The music starts up and she wiggles and sways in time, artfully exposing flashes of the thoughtfully placed diamanté decorations that prevent her being entirely naked but for killer shoes and a lascivious grin.

Such a display is not my usual afternoon's entertainment, I have to say, but it was entirely tasteful and vintage Burlesque done properly, as Miss Polly Rae expertly showed, has a genuine warmth and a wink rather than a sleazy, poe-faced act.

Having been wowed by the entertainment, it was now time to try the perfume for ourselves, as assistants came and applied it to our wrists or spritzed it onto tester strips, as we preferred. I always choose to try on my skin, as it's the best way to see not only the composition of the perfume, but how it actually works in the drydown. After all, the perfume is supposed to worn!

I'd been so fascinated by the ingredients, and Risqué certainly didn't disappoint. The opening is, indeed, surprising—a confident Chypre that has a dry warmth with a refreshing after-burst that quickly melds with the heart notes and becomes quite intoxicating. All that Rose and Jasmine build and build, intermingling with the mosses and the narcotically sumptuous Hyacinth and finally releasing you into the deeply sublime drydown of the base notes, with the Civet practically cackling with glee as it reels you in. In lesser hands, this perfume could have seemed old-fashioned or brashly obvious, but Roja Parfums have created in Risqué a glittering bombshell who beckons you with silken gloves, leaves lipstick on your cocktail glass and a trail of exotic plumage in its glamorous wake.

Those of us who had to rush back to the far less enticing reality of an office or another engagement emerged into the April drizzle of a cold London evening, with the sky the dirty grey of the pavements and that light which just begins to fade everything before a prettier sunset bleeds across the clouds; the sounds of raucous laughter, clinking glasses and pumping music floated behind us up the stairs as the party truly began. After such an opening, one can only imagine how Risqué it became later on...