
Musicandarts
2
A lovely fruity floral fragrance, but it is nothing special
Room 1095 projects a transgressive counterculture personality in their branding. Unfortunately, I don’t find anything subversive or unusually innovative in their fragrances. I came across this brand on Jovoy Paris, and the cheap samples available on Jovoy made my exploration easy. I know nothing about Jérôme Di Marino, the perfumer behind Jasmine Freak. This review is based on a sample vial from Jovoy.
The notes listed on the Room 1095 website are mango, black pepper, blackcurrant, sweet orange, bourbon ylang-ylang, jasmine, tuberose, musk and cashmere wood. Contrary to its description on their website, there is nothing that breaks the rules or defy expectations in this perfume. It feels more like a designer floral perfume that you are likely to see in a department store, though this is not a negative. The opening notes are fruity but not cloying. Mango is the dominant opening note, but blackcurrant and orange are also perceptible. The black pepper peeps out in the opening when the fruits subside. The opening notes are the best part of this perfume. Soon after, the heart notes of jasmine and tuberose come on strong. I cannot identify ylang-ylang in the middle, primarily because I am not very familiar with this note. The heart notes are a bit generic because of the prominence of jasmine and tuberose. The base notes on my skin are woody musky notes with jasmine and tuberose, again something rather underwhelming. In summary, Jasmine Freak is a serviceable nice floral fragrance that is unlikely to offend anyone.
The performance of Jasmine Freak is very good on my skin. I can smell the floral and woody notes on my skin even eight hours after application. The sillage is very good in the first few hours. Though not exceptional, it will work as an office perfume in smaller doses.
Jovoy sells a 100 ml bottle of Jasmine Freak for about $135. I am hesitant to recommend Jasmine Freak at this price. My main concern is that no one will notice the difference between Jasmine Freak and a Givenchy L’Interdit flanker that costs nearly half when you wear it. But I admit that Jasmine Freak more elegant than L’Interdit as its sweetness is not as cloying as that of L’Interdit. If you are interested in fruity florals, it is worth testing a sample.