Moustache (1949)
by Rochas

My tastes in colognes go through phases: I'll wear fougeres for a few months, then move on to "powerhouse" scents for another few months, then move on to sweet oriental fragrances, and so on. But deep down, I am, and always have been, a classic scent guy, because time after time I always end up going back to the classics - Equipage, Eau Sauvage, Bel Ami, Habit Rouge, Monsieur de Givenchy, etc..

Moustache is that kind of French-styled classic scent that I truly love, and which I know I will always turn back to, after all the aoud fragrances, acquatics, niche scents, etc. have come and gone out of fashion. I absolutely love this fragrance. It has a timeless lime and orange citrus blast that I can still smell for a good hour or two after application, which morphs into a slightly powdery and leathery drydown. This scent is extremely well constructed because even after the citrus notes from the opening accord have faded, I can still remember and sense their presence in the drydown, simply by the masterful way this scent was constructed. My only complaint with Moustache (I'm reviewing their Concentree version in the beautiful ribbed bottle) is that I wish it had better longevity - I only get about 5 hours out of this, which I suppose isn't bad for a primarily citrus-based scent.

I'm disappointed to hear rumors that Rochas has already discontinued Moustache. This is really a shame, because Moustache will always smell great, will always survive the ebbs and flows of fashion and fragrance trends, and will always be relevant. There will always be a market for timeless, high quality classic scents like Moustache.

Rochas Moustache

Edmond Roudnitska was one of the great perfumers of the 20th Century, the short list of perfumes he created are classics but more importantly they all feel entirely original. What is most interesting to me is when I wear one of his creations for the first time, now, it feels thouroughly modern and unlike other scents out there. In 1949 after having created Rochas Femme during World War 2 he ,in collaboration with his wife Therese, created a masculine for Rochas called Moustache. When you look at the note list for any of M. Roudnitska's creations you realize what can be accomplished with a few notes skillfully blended. The note list for Moustache is simple; bergamot, lime, pine, vetiver, moss, rare fruit. The scent that those notes create is complex and wonderful and almost smells nothing like what that note list would lead you to believe. Based on the note list I'd expect a bright citrus scent with a grassy heart leading to a darkly sweet ending. Instead Moustache wears like a citrus, dark floral, leather scent. It makes Moustache feel like alchemy instead of chemistry. The top is a bright citrus mix of lime and bergamot, as advertised. Then, on me, in the heart I get a dark floral accord which feels like a combination of narcissus and jasmine. I'd also swear there is some patchouli floating around but maybe not. The heart does have the mossy character but it mostly feels like a rich suede leather. Once again, not what I would expect based on the note list. Moustache is another example of how a skilled perfumer can take notes that one thinks they know well and combine them in a way to show new facets of them. Moustache has average longevity on me and slightly above average sillage. It seems every time I wear another of M. Roudnitska's creations I keep fumbling for ways to describe the artistry of his perfume, Moustache is no exception to that.

The present version is the original one on a louder volume: think of a very traditional eau de toilet for men who has been reformulated in an effort to satisfy modern tastes. Present day Moustache opens with pungent citric top notes, the original also had hesperidic top notes, but they were far more subtle. However, drydowns for both are wonderful.

Take note this is not for those into the latest fashion. Roudnitska's creation is, even though a reformulation that sacrificed a good part of its character, still a classic, specially when compared to present day scents.

This is for the Eau de Toilette Concentree version in the classic columnar bottle which is almost worth the price of admission itself. Hard to argue with several of the other reviews here. This is totally unique while also bringing to mind other midcentury classics such as Eau Sauvage and YSL Pour Homme. Moustache adds a big, big dose of lime creating an effervescent sharpness oddly reminiscent of Lemon-Lime Alka Seltzer. And that's after the initial blast! I can see this scaring some away with the heady mix of lemon, lime and the animal urine note touched on by others. Luckily this latter oddity fades leaving a bubbly citrus in its wake. For those intimidated (or simply put off) by the harsh opening, Monsieur de Givenchy from a decade later, does a similar thing in a much smoother way. All in all, though, thumbs up for the uniqueness and the killer Rat Pack bottle.

Moustache was my dad's fragrance when I was a child and thus I've always had a special place in my heart for it - and a bottle on my shelf. While I have a vintage bottle of EdC and aftershave, this review is for the current EdC Concentree version.

Moustache is another work of Roudnitska's genius and like so many of his other creations was well ahead of its time (and totally relevant today). The opening blast of lime is tart enough to make your eyes water (it's the best use of lime in a fragrance, imo). Accompanying the lime note is a certain animalistic funk that I assume is civet, and the touch of depth it adds is really what sets Moustache apart from your typical citrus. The tartness subsides fairly rapidly and while the lime remains present, is balanced by a mossy/powdery note and a subtle, light fruitiness that is not tart, but sweet. [side note: the opening is where the EdT concentree really sets itself apart from the vintage EdC. The EdC's opening is much "brighter" and without the animalistic funk lurking in the background. I believe it even foreshadows the brightness that would later be found in Eau Sauvage.].

The drydown is long a pleasant. Rather than a typical woodsy base, it is more green and piney, with hints of fruit and the omnipresent lime that never fully fades. For a fragrance of its age, the longevity is remarkable (though not in the EdC version), and I get a full 4-5 hours. I wish the base was amplified a little because it it so pleasant, but hey - it is what it is. Considering one can easily find a 100ml bottle of Moustache Concentre for around $30-35, this is one of more affordable and underrated classics on the market today. You have to have respect for any fragrance still going strong after 60 years. Considering that Eau Neuve de Lubin is marketed as a feminine, this could easily be worn by either sex.

Absolutely a must-try for everyone with an interest in the classics AND for people looking for a contemporary citrus fragrance.

I'm surprised nobody has described this in the way I'm experiencing it: after a strange thickly citrus/wood opening, where each keeps stepping in front of the other for attention, this wonderful stuff opens out into fresh hay, a tiny whiff of horse-shit, and guest soap. And I mean all that in a good way, it is refined yet rumpled, comfortable, and inviting. I suppose the hay comes from the citrus fading to sour plus something green being uncovered. The hay goes fainter and brown as you move to drydown, but remains old hay for me rather than tobacco or leather. Perhaps I'm smelling the same thing as the rest of you, and just don't resolve it into such polite notes!