Enslaved (2007)
by Roja Dove

This scent is like a dream come true...every beautiful note I love is here...

I shall have to give it a few more wearings this summer before I write a formal review...

This is a serious perfume for colder days while having Pimms and tea in an English Garden

Thanks Professor Roja Dove...We love it...!!!

10th June, 2011. (Last Edited: 20th July, 2011.)

I think Enslaved smells more like Shalimar than the more fruity Habanita. It has a dated, dusty feel to me and I certainly don't get any complexity. Get Shalimar instead.

30th December, 2010.

I really do not understand why this is not given more attention and praise. I own and love Habanita (EdT and Parfum Extrait), but one has to be fair. Compare Enslaved EdP with Habanita EdT and you have to admit that Habanita smells cheap, which is okay as I don't think it would be appropriate that it smelled too much of luxury and so forth given the idea behind it. The comparison with Habanita Parfum Extrait is difficult. Enslaved EdP is very close, indeed. However, I think Enslaved is a touch "warmer" and does not have this subtle green note (galbanum?) that runs through Habanita. Again, I am not a 100 % sure whether Habanita Parfum smells of quality all through. In the end, Enslaved manages to be a touch less ladylike, which I have come to appreciate. Then, think of the price difference as Enslaved is the EdP! Enslaved has good, noticeable but not offensive sillage, incredible longevity (even with my unforgiving skin chemistry), smells heavenly good and of quality ingredients! What more do you want?

24th July, 2010.

A melange of notes, Enslaved is a hugely complex oriental perfume which actually smells like a chypre on me.
Inspiration is drawn from Caron and Guerlain- old world french perfumery style . Begins as rose ,powdery violet ,lemon and orange ,jasmine enters ,zingy touches ffrom carnation and clove.Vetiver is a big player here, on my skin. A little bit powdery - not over powering. Lovely deep dry down with a little skank. Smells a tiny bit like Esprit de Chypre by Auguste. Excellent fragrance for those who love Caron and Guerlain.

20th July, 2010.

Incredibly beautiful, incredibly complex scent that is difficult to describe, but nonetheless one of the most beautiful perfumes available on the market today. I own over 80 full bottles of perfume from over 70 labels and this one is definitely in my top 5.

The jasmine heart notes are strong and definitely act as the dominant theme of Enslaved. On my skin the basenotes intermingle and form a very powerful smoky mix which smells a bit like burnt birthday candles in a surprisingly lovely way. The labdanum, clove, and other incenses (myrrh? benzoin?) curl around the ylang ylang, jasmine, oakmoss, and other florals - but Trebor is right, this is a very tightly knit scent that is difficult for me to break down beyond the dominant jasmine and resinous/smoky base notes.

I've heard Roja Dove himself describe this one as an 'Oriental', which is probably accurate as there is definitely something dark and mysterious about 'Enslaved'. Like a courtier in a velvet room, alit with silver candles and filled with expensive antiques, it is both seductive and classy - the perfect perfume for a masked ball.

I detected no powder and am baffled by the previous reviewers' comparison of it to ELO as Enslaved is in an entirely different league of greatness. I will say, however, that my friend was in the shop with me when I tried it on and it smelled completely different on her, so I wonder if this isn't one that reacts strongly to skin chemistry. It may be wise to sample it before you buy, as £95 is rather steep, even for 100ml. However, I think it was worth every penny and may be going back for a second bottle soon! Unheard of, for me. :-)

27th November, 2008.

Enslaved is a heavy, one-dimensional perfume that smells chiefly like old fashioned ladies powder, ie. loose powder in a cylindrical container that comes with a luxurious white powder puff. I detected a tiny bit of spiciness in the fragrance which I guess was the carnation and clove trying to get out but, it was firmly "enslaved" by the unrelenting Mistress Powder! None of other notes listed below were detectable. For comparison purposes, Enslaved reminded me a lot of that other cloyingly robust powder fragrance, Etat Libre d'Orange's "Rien" (aka "Dorian Gray").

In the powder/aldehyde genre of perfumery, I much prefer Hermes' Rouge or Le Labo's Aldehyde 44 to Enslaved.

Per The Perfumed Court, here are the notes: Bergamot, Orange, Lemon, Geranium, Orange Blossom, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Carnation, Clove, Oakmoss, Cedarwood, Vetiver, Patchouli, Labdanum, Ambergris and Musk.

22nd September, 2008.