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Britannia 2016

Version from 2016
8.4 / 10 270 Ratings
A popular perfume by Roja Parfums for women and men, released in 2016. The scent is floral-powdery. The longevity is above-average. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Floral
Powdery
Spicy
Sweet
Creamy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
CitronCitron Mandarin orangeMandarin orange TangerineTangerine BergamotBergamot
Heart Notes Heart Notes
HeliotropeHeliotrope May roseMay rose PeachPeach Sweet acaciaSweet acacia ChampacaChampaca Grasse jasmineGrasse jasmine VioletViolet
Base Notes Base Notes
CocoaCocoa MuskMusk IrisIris SandalwoodSandalwood AmbergrisAmbergris CloveClove VanillaVanilla CinnamonCinnamon PatchouliPatchouli VetiverVetiver

Perfumer

Videos
Ratings
Scent
8.4270 Ratings
Longevity
8.4241 Ratings
Sillage
7.7243 Ratings
Bottle
9.1239 Ratings
Value for money
5.498 Ratings
Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 07/22/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
The Kingdom of UK by The Dua Brand
The Kingdom of UK
Love by Roja Parfums
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Shafaq by Ard Al Zaafaran
Shafaq
Guet-Apens by Guerlain
Guet-Apens
Perlerette by Volnay
Perlerette
Semi-Bespoke N°4 by Roja Parfums
Semi-Bespoke N°4

Reviews

10 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Ninamariah

296 Reviews
Ninamariah
Ninamariah
1  
Luxurious powdery floral, simpler like the most of Rojas
This perfume was on my wishlist for long time and I have bought many of my 25 Rojas blindly. There was one particular thing why i didn't do it: so many people compared Britannia (2016) with Guet-Apens and they said that they are almost identical. Because of that I was thinking how it's possible that they are smelling similar because their style differs a lot. I had never heard of some Guerlain which is not fitting in their style so I concluded that this Roja is not quite their style and I was right. This is a little bit lighter than Rojas floral parfums in overall but there is some which are subtle like Enigma Parfum , 51 Parfum and Enigma Aoud Parfum for example. And I love Guerlain a lot, that is not the point.

Finally I got a little decant of this one and I understood all that comparison. Britannia (2016) could be Guerlain's creation. There is something from Roja but if you are familiar with Roja's voluptuous floral bouquets like Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie (2019) , Turandot Parfum , NüWa (2015) or even the parfums from women's collection you understand what I'm talking about.

Britannia (2016) is beautiful and its top quality perfume, that is sure. But what I'm missing first is the complexity and some kind of extra wow effect which I have got every time when have been spraying my Rojas for the first time or rather every time when wearing them. If this would be in the normal collection I think it would match with my expectations. There are some notes which stands clearly out which is not the case with the most of Rojas. For me this is first primarily Heliotrope and Violet perfume while Sweet Acacia (earlier known as Mimosa farnesiana) and Champaca are making them thicker and opulent. Peach doesn't smell there, it's one of Roja's favourite notes and sometimes you can smell that delicious sweetness from it and sometimes not. The texture of Britannia (2016) is silky, powdery and it's luxurious, it's more airy than I'm used to so if some of you think that all those Rojas are suffocating or too much I think you could love this one. The closer the scent develops towards the dry down the more warmer and creamier it gets. Cocoa which has been mentioned is very subtle, it's barely detectable if you compare it for example with Ti Amo or Lilac Love Eau de Parfum so this is definitely not a gourmand but seductive, elegant floral. Vanilla is bringing only a sophisticated sweetness like in many Rojas. This is not spicy scent either, the base is masterfully blended and none of the notes pop out.

This perfume is great but I don't think it's something which I definitely need to add into my quite wide collection of Rojas. Anyway it's absolutely gorgeous and I think it would be perfect for the office to bring an extra luxury to the working days. If I will see it for sale for a reasonable price I think I will buy it anyway. The longevity of this one is easily the whole day and even if it's the skin scent the rest of three hours, it's so pretty, somewhat innocent and I think I would love to wear it as a bedtime scent.

The sillage is ok, not huge, not weak, and the scent bubble around you is pampering. The bottle is the best which you can find like all Roja's bottles.

Thank you for reading.
0 Comments
Sweetsmell75

210 Reviews
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Sweetsmell75
Sweetsmell75
Top Review 51  
You Soul Charmer...
... yes, that’s you... you flatter me... you hit me right in the heart and deep into my soul.
One spray ... a day with you ... and I never want to be without you again!
Out of curiosity, you were allowed to move in with me ... I didn’t know you... could only guess how you would smell.

A little impression was given to me by a dear perfumer... who said "L'Heure de Nuit with a scoop of cocoa and vetiver" ... and yes ... she is right... it does remind me a bit of the Blue Hour by Guerlain ... but only a little... because Britannia is so much more, it is much more intense and much deeper.

About the scent:
The opening of Britannia is initially alcoholic-musty ... but then comes a true explosion of citrus fruits. Clear, zesty, and fresh. It continues with a fine peach note surrounded by a delicate floral touch. The violet and also the heliotrope with a fine, powdery almond note are beautifully discernible.
Everything is harmoniously coordinated and the transitions are fluid.
It takes about an hour for Britannia to slowly transition into the base.
Cinnamon and clove spice up the powdery-floral scent. Vetiver, patchouli, and sandalwood darken the very bright scent so far, and Britannia slowly swings into a powdery-balsamic-creamy direction.
The iris adds even more powdery vibes. I don’t smell any vanilla, but I can very well perceive how amber and musk, with fine cocoa dust, give Britannia the finishing touch.
There is nothing gourmand here. And don’t worry... it never becomes too sweet even if the pyramid suggests otherwise.
I have never been able to discern individual scent notes as beautifully as with Britannia.
And even though the pyramid is almost overwhelming with the many notes ... Roja Dove is a genius!
I have never found a scent to be more harmonious, softer, and yet so present as Britannia. I also find this beauty very multifaceted.
The longevity is about 8 - 9 hours ... initially beautifully present, but not too loud or overpowering, I am enveloped in a wonderful scent aura for hours until Britannia slowly becomes intimate.
Britannia never feels too heavy and can therefore be worn on many occasions and in any season.
Unisex? I perceive Britannia more as a feminine scent... but as mentioned, it’s a matter of taste.
The bottle... typical Roja ... beautiful.
The price is hot, damn hot ... and everyone has to decide for themselves whether they would be willing to pay this gigantic sum... therefore I will not make a test recommendation here and will only whisper softly to the Roja fans among us ;)
Conclusion:
You soul charmer ... delicately enveloping me while being very present with your multifaceted beauty. Powdery-balsamic-creamy dream!

Just a small note:
I wasn’t crazy enough to order a bottle blindly, I found one thanks to a dear perfumer in the souk and am now a proud owner of the Roja-automizer with the beautiful Roja-extrait.
But I am so crazy and will fulfill this dream someday. A small tin with the inscription Britannia is already ready for saving :)
27 Comments
ChatonNoir

34 Reviews
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ChatonNoir
ChatonNoir
Top Review 32  
Grumpy cat says "No!"
I had high expectations for this Roja. First, the positive reviews and then of course the fact that it’s a ROJA (*drumroll*) and costs around 990 euros (100ml)...
But do I have to love this "niche masterpiece" just because it’s so super elegant and expensive??
"No!"

WARNING:
This is once again a "Grumpy cat" comment! Meaning: The little black kitty doesn’t like this scent that much. So don’t read if you don’t want to hear anything negative! Done!

So I got a sample, sprayed it on, and thought "Did I swap the sample?".
A flight reflex took over me... Quick, get away!! Oh no, my arm is stuck...hm, stupid. So I’ll give it another chance and let it develop...
and the development is quite something.

HEAD
At first, Britannia unfortunately smells somewhat repulsive to me, very green and bitter, musty and dusty. Especially probably due to the iris, quite dry and powdery, but like strong talcum/baby powder scents that are rather bitter. I actually like powdery scents from time to time, like "Puro Talco". But Britannia is like green and five times stronger Puro Talco.
And there’s something else that’s quite unpleasant for my nose and annoying.

HEART
Then the perfume becomes increasingly "nutty".
The green stuff slowly fades away.
And after about half an hour or an hour? you can distinctly smell baking cocoa (unsweetened, dry). Wow, where did that come from? However, the dear talcum doesn’t want to disappear, and so Britannia now smells for quite a while like dusty cocoa with talcum. I wonder if it would smell the same if I mixed 2/3 talcum powder with 1/3 baking cocoa? Well, since I’m not really that "grumpy", I’ll tell you about my test attempt "making Britannia myself". For that, you need an unsweetened cocoa scent, e.g. 'Eau de Cacao' or 'chocolate greedy', and a strong talcum/powder scent, e.g. 'Puro Talco'... also possible 'Infusion d'Iris' or 'P1- careful hot' works just fine... First spray on the cocoa scent, let it sit, then spray on the powder scent (with chocolate greedy, more talcum), let it sit, done.
No, of course it doesn’t smell exactly the same, but it’s somewhat similar to the heart note ;D
Over time, I got used to this scent and even like it a bit.

BASE
After about 3 hours (+/-), Britannia has completely transformed again. How crazy... Cocoa and talcum say "Good night!" and in comes (once again *drumroll*) chewing gum!
Hello chewing gum. I must say, some sweet almond notes tend to turn into chewing gum on me and not on others. This chewing gum scent isn’t bad, though. Besides, I also smell something nutty alongside, which gives this scent a certain something.

CONCLUSION
The bottle is, of course, a feast for the eyes. Longevity is strong, but there are stronger ones.
Its drastic development impresses me, and for that, it gets plus points.
It’s well woven, somewhat extraordinary, but also a bit of an acquired taste. I don’t feel cozy with it, rather always on guard (flight reflex and all...) and I can’t forgive it for the terrible, bitter start.
And sorry... but 990 euros? For that?

**Grumpy cat says "No!**"

UPDATE (End of August 2017):
IN THE MEANTIME, BRITANNIA HAS CAPTIVATED ME! LIKE A SNAKE THAT GENTLY AND FROM BEHIND STRANGLES YOU.... I HAVE GAINED MORE UNDERSTANDING AND AFFECTION FOR POWDERY DUSTY SCENTS. EVEN IF THEY WILL NEVER COMPLETELY REACH MY HEART. BUT: BRITANNIA WITH ITS GREAT BAKING COCOA HAS SOMEHOW MADE IT!
I WOULD NEVER PAY THE PRICE FOR A BOTTLE, THOUGH!
THIS WILL NEVER BE A SCENT WORTH THAT. FOR THAT, IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE MAGICAL EFFECTS.
BUT: A TRAVEL SIZE IS OK ;)

BRITANNIA: You love-hate relationship has brought a mini smile to Grumpy Cat's naturally grumpy face.
15 Comments
ClarasTante

3 Reviews
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ClarasTante
ClarasTante
Top Review 40  
Sit down! Close the door! It's dusty outside!

"Dear customer,
we congratulate you on choosing the product 'Britannia' from the house of Roja and wish you wonderful hours with this fascinating fragrance, which seeks its equal in its uniqueness.
We look forward to any complaints with calmness."

If the person to whom I owe my sample had written an instruction leaflet - it could have read like this. Must. Should. Oh, what do I know.
Curiosity led me to Britannia, completely suppressing reason, which timidly kept raising its hand and saying: "It's powder! Powder! You don't like it! A POWDER SCENT! Pooowder! To spray! Spray powder, basically! You can skip it! Just stop!" it sighed.
Nothing. Bring it on!

When Britannia arrived here, of course, I had to immediately unscrew the atomizer and hold the vial to my nose. If you slip while doing this, you end up with the vial on or almost in your nose, thus getting a first impression.
And what was that? Powder? In here? Nope! A strong, stiff laundry breeze, the white giant must live here!
But wait.... The stuff quickly changed its state. Yes, now the tip of my nose felt snow-white. For real.
No time now, wash the nose, examine it more closely tomorrow.
The next day, the conscious test. Powder? Really now?
Well then...
I like the white giant, especially because the laundry flutters so airy and joyfully on the kilometer-long line.
So it is here too. Clean! Powdery? Yes, but not so dry and dusty that you choke.
More like I’m sitting in a huge tub filled with finely perfumed luxury body powder (outdoors!) and happily letting the powder trickle through my fingers. A sandbox for the crazy, basically. And depending on how deep I dig, sometimes cocoa (powder) or even vanilla (powder) - not the sweet one! - or just a bit more floral powder comes up and trickles through my fingers. Sometimes, towards the end, it gets really warm! Warm powder? What a world...
I’m having a blast! For hours!

With this POWDER perfume. Well. What can you do. It doesn't dry out my skin and brings joy. That's enough for me!
THIS is how I like powder. Fact.

PS: Thank you, Grumpy ;-)
9 Comments
Achilles

83 Reviews
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Achilles
Achilles
Top Review 39  
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves...
Margaret Rutherford as the incomparable Miss Marple in Murder Ahoy, I can easily imagine her as the wearer of "Britannia".
Anyone who has seen the 4 films knows her as a always well-dressed, resolute, and witty detective who always gives the impression that she could only smell of lavender or carry a trail of lemon balm behind her. But when I tested Britannia, it became clear to me: This is much more suited for M. Rutherford! A strong, floral-creamy scent, whose beauty lies in the excellently crafted robustness of its fragrance notes.

But let's take it step by step. What do you smell? With the first spray, it hit me like a bullet: IRIS! And body powder. Dust-dry, powdery, white iris molecules, then immediately white blouses, talcum, and tons of unpacked white soap and then the packaging/inside of the paper. Iris, heliotrope, baking cocoa powder, and vetiver are the 4 main players running in parallel here. Later, the scent becomes spicier, denser, creamier, and clove is sprinkled over it, with hot vanilla sauce poured on top - like the cloves and vanilla in L'Heure Bleue. But it remains chalky white and ladylike; the scent certainly has a certain "madam" aura on a woman, although I can also imagine it well on a man, as it has, depending on interpretation, that rugged, spicy-creamy, well-groomed gentleman note and could also suit a Mr. Stringer. Who is not exactly a daredevil, but rather gentle and yielding.
In the base, it becomes the most beautiful, cozy, woody, aromatic - One thinks of old furniture from the 19th century, massive secretaries, warm colors, and a calming, homely, yes, bourgeois atmosphere, Biedermeier in the best sense.
Cocoa with cinnamon in front of a crackling fire and a subtle peach note like in Mitsouko. One is reminded of two great classics here, which speaks for itself. The base is actually the most beautiful part of the fragrance, as it should be, since it is perceived the longest, and here too, you will not be disappointed by the longevity.
Overall, Britannia is wonderfully unexcited, smells high-quality - in the most high-quality way simply and strongly, with a great scent progression and magnificent depth. The mentioned notes, gathered at the highest level, result in a modern interpretation of classic scents and bring them together into a perfume that, although released in 2016, smells of the tried and true and good, and at the same time seems to be a homage to Guerlain.
So Miss Marple and Mr. Stringer could have easily shared the scent before they went hunting for the crooks, always well-groomed, oddly beautiful, smelling very British with a Francophile touch.
15 Comments
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Statements

56 short views on the fragrance
4
It’s simply beautiful... Its debut is quite strong, but it settles into the most delicate gourmand powder.
0 Comments
2
Delicate sweetish bouquet, simultaneously subtle fresh, in fine powdery cloud (orris).
0 Comments
2
Warm, floral, sweet, powdery, gourmandish, you can smell the cocoa. Very elegant and luxurious.
0 Comments
47
79
The Brits of today
are probably sweet little fruits
drinking their flower tea
with sugar cubes
putting on a lot of
powder & cream
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79 Comments
26
6
And how are the Brits? Distinguished, stylish, reserved, a bit aloof and eccentric, yet understated. That's their scent!
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6 Comments
19
8
Noblesse oblige in Windsor's gardens
Riff Raff hands out powder puffs
Corgis sniff out colonial spice
The Queen is amused.
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8 Comments
16
3
Omg - I never want to wash my wrist again - the scent is to die for and the price is heartbreaking.....Still - WL
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3 Comments
16
3
I'm chalk-white. Do I like powder now?! Seems so.
But only the kind that makes you talk through your nose. No, not coke! Britannia!
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3 Comments
16
If L'Heure Bleue had been created in 2016, it would smell like Britannia! A powdery, cocoa-dusted iris dances in the moonlight.
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0 Comments
16
2
You soul-soother ... Gently enveloping me yet very present with your multifaceted beauty. A powdery-balsamic-creamy dream!
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2 Comments
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