Reviews of Rochas Lui (2003)
by Rochas

Definitely echoing the thoughts about Lui/Gucci PH. Lui has more bite to it but is mellowed out and given warmth by the vanilla. Definitely a very classy, masculine fragrance. I love it, though it's definitely not a summer scent.

What Trebor said about it being what Gucci Pour Homme wanted to be is so very accurate. This is a very masculine scent and I don't get the floral notes at all. Jenson made a good point about it creating an aura of fine automobiles, perhaps from the wood panels of such. All in all a great creation.

I didn't like the attempt to create a modern-retro fragrance. It seemed discordant to me. It's another dark, sweet and woody scent with a bright note (looking at the pyramid I guess It's the neroli) surrounding it. I'm not a big fan of vanilla and even less when It's combined with patchouli...

perfectly balanced one. mixing 80's spirit with the millennium attitude. but after you read "80's", dont dare thinking about the old fashioned ones! it walks the line. very vanilic tender, little bit floral but yet masculine. sillage is good and longevity is very good indeed! the scent is not overpowering and gently caresses ones nose. it's definitely suitable for all seasons and all occasions. i adore lui! it reminds me golds...

Neroli and cedar. Modern classy smelling but very weak on my skin. Almost like 70's/80's powerhouse feel to it with the now subdued I'm-trying-not-to-offend-you-with-my-perfume 00's take. I like it but I'd like it more if it was stronger. Imagine the original Davidoff without the repugnant oakmoss note in it.

rochas have produced some really crappy: perfumes over the years..aquaman being a bottler of piss...yuk!
HOWVER..i just looooooove LUI.
it lasts forever,and gets better and better with warmth of chest...mmm.
my fave was,and still is MACCASAR or ONE MAN SHOW,now i love ROCHAS LUI'.if i had cocktail of my 2 best frags. ie:-habit rouge & Z-14...it would bve ROCHAS LUI

Rochas Man is practically everything that Gucci pour Homme wanted to be (but miserably failed). It’s quite woody, yes, but there’s no association with pencil shavings here – just a slightly dark, warm and sensual woody scent (with a generous measure of patchouli and vanilla thrown in, to balance things out). The bottle design is beautiful and simple (and I just love the way it rocks).

This is an underrated gem that may be in danger of being discontinued – get it while you can!

luxury redefined..literally. i feel as if i own a fleet of mercs and BMW's when i wear this one...i feel so confident and good, it literally makes my day. a fabulous scent...im glad its not a serge lutens or a amouge which are out of my range...a must have for anyone who enjoys good controlled oriental scents. guys who enjoyed baldessarini would definitely appreciate and enjoy this one. lasts forever. 5-6 sprays max...pleasure gauranteed.

Lui is a very comforting woody scent, with bits of fresh, green and floral. On me, it goes through a bit of a rough patch between the top and middle notes, but it recovers very quickly, and the rest of the ride is very pleasant. I think this can be a dress-up scent, but I wouldn't exclude it from casual attire days. Maybe not for torn jeans... I don't know what buffalo grass is, but it reminds me of something I first knew as sweet grass. I think it contributes that bit of sweetness I find in this fragrance.

This one is a real winner. Rochas Lui opens with a neroli note that quickly joins with an impressive cedar wood and citron to form and excellent citrus accord—classic and old fashioned. But this scent isn’t about citrus, it’s about wood, and it’s about showing off its moves. In no time at all, the energy of the opening morphs into a refined warm, grass / cedar accord — the nature of the fragrance has changed from traditional to the natural, the modern. There is nothing old about Lui now, this is up to date and niche quality. But Lui isn’t done yet. The next move is to the patchouli / vanilla base. (Actually, the patchouli and vanilla have been hovering around in the background since the opening, so this warm, earthy, semi-sweet base — this exceptional aroma fits in perfectly with the unity and balance of the fragrance.) I find Rochas Lui so very rich and attractive with its bow to the past and movement into the future. It’s hard to believe that this is a modern designer fragrance. But then, there are elements of Lui that remind me somewhat of A*Men — rich, sweet patchouli and vanilla sans chocolate. What a beauty. Get it while it is still available.

Rich, suave juice with echoes of Habit Rouge. There is the same sense of being enveloped in a sophisticated, expensive perfume cloud, deep and dandyish. True, Rochas Lui has less of the "pink perfume citric fizz" of Habit Rouge. Rochas Lui has less of that light sparkle, more of a softly stealing "golden brown" quality - a sort of Habit Rouge feel damped down and deepened by shadowed vanilla woods.
Imagine the Compte de Rochas, having left his stockbroker's office, ascending in the elevator to visit the apartment of his mistress. Surrounding him throughout his entire journey is this luxurious, aristocratic, slightly decadent cloud of scent.
According to my friend Marcel, Rochas Lui puts him in mind of the generic smell of the leisured and haughty Faubourg Saint Germain society of his youth in the 1890s and early 1900s. Of course, this may be to with imagination as much as memory.

I was about to be indifferent about this one, but I just put some on, and Wow! Is it the 80's or is it the 00's? Lui is the one of the most confusing fragrances I've ever encountered. It is a wild card. The first 60 seconds it's, neroli, cedar, neroli, cedar and then the vanilla shows up to do its job, taking the bitterness off the neroli. But then it freezes up and it's back to neroli, cedar, neroli, cedar. The notes are what make this one an 80's tribute, but the contemporary feel comes from its cedar sweetness. I really can't decide on this one. What I do know is, that it's very flashy.

Does anyone else see the similarity between Rochas Lui and Terre d'Hermes? The bitter orange in the top notes of each reminds me of the way oranges smell after they've been left in the garbage for days in the hot sun. Based on the reviews in Basenotes, I was really prepared to like these fragrances, but they left me utterly disappointed.

I just bought this fragrance without ever trying it out based on the comments here. Wow! What a veeeery pleasant surprise! I love it! A soft, warm oriental imbued with class and distinction. Classic and new. A long-lasting scent. This will definitely become a part of my inner-circle fragrance wardrobe that I feel will be appropriate for any time of the year, formal or office (but not casual).

Fantastic old-barbershop style opening of neroli and cedar, but lo and behold, after about 10 minutes this behaves itself and gives way to a subtler (but still substantial) midnote, less sharp, more woody (sycamore, some say smells like balsa). This wiles itself away until the final act of Mr. Patchouli and Mr. Vanilla appearing in their silken gowns ready to change into something smarter for a night out with the ladies. Launched in 2003, but surely they have kept the formula hidden for 30 years...?!

Picked up a bottle today and what a pleasant surprise. A fragrance at ease with itself straight away. Not a hint of competition from any of the beautifully blended ingredients that is worthy of any note. A stayer which probably turns Romantic after the small hours. I know its nothing like it, but i found similar qualities in some of the JOVAN products, particularly SEX APPEAL. Its because LIU reminds me of my very well placed adolescence, with beautiful company, exploring each others delights. LIU is worthy of a thumbs up everywhere, if only for its silky charisma and affluent appeal. 10 / 10

Oooh what a wonderful fragrance...! The combination of new and old really comes together in this fragrance... What first feels like a slightly irritating neroli-cedar-old-sicilian-barbers-cologne-annodatzumal...later turns in to be a very manly, subtle but yet distinct companion for both suit days and little nocturnal play... The vanilla base note makes this somewhat formal first impression, more friendly when you reach its peak...

Yum yum YUM! This retro-inspired gem is sure to be a new classic, and I'll just DIE if Rochas discontinues it. It reminds me of something my Dad would have worn in the late Sixties or early Seventies -- very masculine, with lots of bravado. Still, it's not "in your face" (as Aramis or Gentleman can easily be if over-applied).

Superb drydown, with a soft muskiness and subtle citrus-y notes to tone down the upper cedar and sycamore notes.

Very reasonable, too -- picked up my last big tester on eBay for less than USD$25.00. (A real bargain!)

little bit sweet, little bit spicy, a bit green. All blend very nicely to create smooth warm masculine cologne without being stuffy. Another classy winner from rochas. I also love the bottle.

Amazing! It reminds me of a cologne my father used to wear back in 70's; classy, masculine, mysterious, daring; ambiguity plays a real role here: retro style fragance but there's no doubt it's a very modern one. It's also longlasting, I sprayed it on my wrist and 2 days later it still remained untouched. What an art job Rochas!!!

At first I was so disappointed by this scent, that I placed in in the guest's toilet for occasions of room odorizing. But after more than one year I have gut used to it, especially to its resinous aspects and reestablished it to my all-day collection while Gaultier2 has taken its place in the loo.

The fragrance people at Rochas really thought outside the box when creating Lui, and for that they should get some cred. Cause this one could have easily come out in the 70's or even 60's, it is VERY classic smelling. The juice itself isn't exactly super original, an orange blossom/vanilla cocktail with a dash of patchouli. But the overall impression is a sympathetic and masculine one. Can't imagine it's selling very well though.

Rochas Lui is a great fall fragrance. It’s a nice woody, almost Oriental fragrance. Some have said it’s like Habit Rouge light, but I don’t really get that. It’s very understated and very well mannered. It’s a great swiss army knife of a fragrance.

This is one of my favorite light spice/woods. I wouldn't go as fas as saying this is perfect for a 3 peice suit, but more of a nice casual scent. If you like gucci pour homme but think it is too dry and doesn't last long enough this scent is for you. Similiar to Mayhem by goth rosary.

one of best fragrances in 2003. fresh, green, chypre. imo, much better than gucci pour homme, but rochas never had that popularity in media as gucci. nevermind, this one by rochas is high class.

hi
i don't know why the previous reviewer said that about lui but i think all products of rochas are one of a kind and also LUI
it is a fragrance for a three peice suit
if you in tend to wear it with a jean or a T shirt of you are a little boy it is not in your level it should be wear by a hight class guy

I don't like this stuff is very different a mix between a sweet and an old fragrance. it's not a bad fragrance
but I'll never buy it.