ROJA PARFUMS
ENIGMA AOUD PARFUM

2018

PERFUMER
Roja Dove

aldehydes
bergamot

geranium
rose de mai
jasmine
ylang-ylang
peach

patchouli
sandalwood
aoud
benzoin
vanilla
orris
labdanum
musk

‘Wearing Enigma Aoud feels like soaring across the sun-drenched deserts of Arabia. A base of golden Sandalwood and sparkling Aldehyde creates the effect of sunlight glistening across an endless sea of dunes. There, nestled in the sand, is a rare pocket of beauty. A mirage of juicy Bergamot and Peach mingle with dewy Geranium to form an oasis within the sprawling sandscape. A hidden treasure in the middle of the desert, this fragrance is an unfamiliar sensation like something from a dream. Enigma Aoud – where two olfactory universes collide. Enigma Aoud marries the sensuality of Enigma Parfum with the exoticism of Aoud, to create a totally new experience. Delicate floral notes of Geranium and Rose mingle around the sweetness of juicy Peach, whilst the hypnotic warmth of Sandalwood and Vanilla add a depth and sensuality which swirls around the legendary note of Aoud. Like an enchantment from a far-away place, Enigma Aoud is the epitome of perfumery partnering.’ – Roja Parfums

Enigma Aoud in the Parfum form is quite a gem. I have since smelled Enigma Aoud EDP, which came out at a much reduced price; it’s very nice, but it didn’t have the heft and richness that I found in my sampling of the Parfum concentration. I haven’t smelled Enigma Pour Femme yet at the time of writing (I believe that Enigma Aoud is supposed to be a cross-over between Enigma Pour Femme and Amber Aoud).

Enigma Aoud Parfum opens with a powdery semi-sweet chocolate scent (kind of like Britannia, but sweeter). Looking at the notes, it’s a mystery where the chocolate comes from, but it’s clearly there to my nose. It’s also fruity and floral straight away with ylang-ylang and rose being prominent. After some minutes the chocolate becomes vanilla, while the fruity and floral aspects mostly take over the composition.

Texture wise Enigma Aoud is interesting as well; there’s a powderiness, but the florals feel watery and juicy at the same time. I love how fresh this is; it’s like a tropical tinged water with a slice of peach.

The rose used is bright and soft, but it becomes a main player still. Especially as Enigma Aoud dries down, it leans feminine, but I would definitely wear it myself as well.

I do not detect much oud (or patchouli or sandalwood for that matter). Perhaps there’s a general ‘rose-oud vibe’, but don’t expect heavier base notes to come through strongly. If anything there’s a slightly acidic boozy wine-barrel-esque woodiness for me, but that smells more fruity than it does woody.

Performance could be better; it feels delicate throughout the wear (which was more noticable in the EDP in my testing). However, the scent is exquisite and I’d say Enigma Aoud is up there with the most ‘pretty’ Roja’s currently available.