ROJA PARFUMS
OCEANIA
2019
PERFUMER
Roja Dove
Lemon
Bergamot
Grapefruit
Lime
Mandarin
Litsea Cubeba
Rosemary
Thyme
Lavandin
Geranium
Jasmin de Grasse
Ylang Ylang
Violet
Jasmine Sambac
Galbanum
Moss Notes
Vetiver
Cedarwood
juniper
Sandalwood
Benzoin
Vanilla
Orris Sur Cedre
Orris
Labdanum
Musk
‘A Citrus cocktail opens this creation and runs throughout, as Lemon and Grapefruit mingle with Bergamot, Mandarin and Lime. Fresh, aromatic Herb notes extend the distinct freshness of this accord and mingle beautifully down into a floral heart based around the fresh sweetness of Geranium and the creamy, exotic tones of Jasmine. A bold base acts like velcro, enabling this resolutely fresh composition to stay close to the skin and permeate throughout the day, mingled around a dry, natural base of Moss notes and the skin-like combination of Sandalwood and Orris.‘ – Roja Parfums
Oceania is a style of fragrance that I rarely, if ever, wear. Both aquatic and green. It is however, rather nice.
I don’t find this to be as generic as some people have made it out to be. Anything at Roja prices gets criticized heavily and when it’s a fresher and more mass appealing scent, that seems to inevitably gets undermined or overlooked.
I don’t think Oceania falls squarely in the fresh, citrus aquatic category. Instead, I get a lot of spiciness, a lot of aromatics.
Perhaps, with the focus being more on the greenery than the sea. It’s sharp, crisp and I find the aromatics and a tinge of white florals as prominent as the citrus notes.
Definitely getting a bit of a bitter, sharp, retro vibe from it. It’s going more in the direction of A Midsummer Dream for me, than for example Oligarch/Isola Blu. Personally, I prefer the Oligarch DNA, but it’s to say that Oceania is more ‘masculine cologne’-ish than I’d expected based on smelling it on a test strip.
What the Roja nails is this briny, driftwoody sharpness. It’s not necessarily the ocean itself, but there is an overarching air of the seaside. Not quite a salty sea breeze as is more common (and definitely no sun tan lotion direction at all), but more mineralic. A fragrance it reminds me of is Clive Christian Crap Apple Blossom.
It’s not my jam, but I can appreciate it. And since everyone talks about the pricing; For me personally, it’s not worth it, but it is one of the more affordable Roja releases. If it’s in your price class and in your wheelhouse as a scent, I think you could do a lot worse.