The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Kiki Parfum Extrait & Rubj EdP by Vero Profumo

by 44 Comments

Kiki ExtraitKIKI PARFUM EXTRAIT

WHAT I SMELL:  Kiki opens with a heady lavender doused in cream.  It’s gourmand and smells like a topping that you would want on top of ice cream or some other dessert.  There’s a caramel quality that gives it substance and depth which makes it slightly sweet but more of a rich and substantial sweet rather than a sugary sweet, if that makes sense.  Kiki is lightly warm and very cozy.  After a bit, a fruitiness appears that gives Kiki a kick of brightness.  As Kiki continues to morph the fragrance swirls and whirls while radiating off your skin.    I wore this the other night out to dinner and couldn’t stop sniffing myself and was paying more attention to the perfume than to my meal.  Finally Kiki becomes a lavender dream wrapped up in a light musk…am I in heaven?  Overall, Kiki transforms little and is pretty linear, but it is beautiful from the first drop.

Kiki Parfum Extrait Notes – lavender, caramel, musk, fruits

louise-brooksWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Louise Brooks circa 1928

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE KIKI PARFUM EXTRAIT:  heavenly, bright, lush

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PARFUM EXTRAIT: Smellythoughts, Olfactoria’s Travels, Scent for Thought

BOTTOM LINE:  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Kiki.  I haven’t felt a love for a fragrance like this in a long time and that’s very exciting.  But the cost…oh my!!!  The parfum extrait is $220 at Luckyscent, which I believe has been raised from $185.  Why are the gods against me??

  • Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones (trust me I am tempted to give this 5.5 bones!)
  • Scent: Aromatic Fruity
  • Nose:  Vero Kern
  • Classification: Leans slightly feminine
  • Expense:  $220 for 7.5ml Parfum Extrait

rubj-edpRUBJ EdP

WHAT I SMELL:  Rubj opens with a bergamot blast mixed with white florals including tuberose ( I typically hate tuberose but here it doesn’t dominate so I don’t mind it at all.)  After the initial blast of its opening, Rubj is slightly herbal, slightly fruited and slightly floral…nothing is dominating at this point and I wonder soon if Rubj will transform or if it will stay in this kind of netherworld of personality.  After a bit Rubj starts to get slightly tangy, but it’s a tang from the basil and the cedar which give the scent a greener feel.  After a while longer the cumin starts to come to the surface.  I know that many people don’t care for cumin in a fragrance, but I am not one of them.  To me it’s earthy and exotic and wonderfully masculine.  Rubj is warm and its herbal essence to me is incredibly comforting.

Rubj EdP Notes –

Bergamot, mandarin, neroli, passion fruit, cumin, orange flower absolute, tuberose, basil, cedar, oak moss, musk

herbsandflowersWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  An herbal/floral garden.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE RUBJ EdP: spicy, green, snappy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT RUBJ EdP: Perfume Posse, Kafkaesque, All About Scent

BOTTOM LINE:  Suprisingly, I find Rubj to be a comfort scent.  I find it easy to wear and I like the fact that it’s slightly exotic.  Beautiful.

  • Bone Rating: 4.5 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Oriental Floral
  • Nose: Vero Kern
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $220 for 50ml EdP

BOTTOM, BOTTOM LINE:  Thanks to the sweet and wonderful Freddie from Smellythoughts for sending me these samples.  There is now a new Vero Profumo fan in the house and I am itching to sample her other creations as I have the feeling that they are all masterfully terrific.  Thankfully the line isn’t too large, but this could be bad for my wallet!

Author: The Scented Hound

Just a normal guy with the nose of a beagle!

44 thoughts on “Kiki Parfum Extrait & Rubj EdP by Vero Profumo”

Leave a comment

  1. nancyknowsbest
    May 27, 2013 at 10:58 am

    I have tried very hard to ignore this line because it is so expensive but you have made Kiki sound delicious.

    Like

    Reply
  2. Kafkaesque
    May 27, 2013 at 11:42 am

    Love the Louise Brooks photo and the reviews as a whole. Nice job, as always, my dear Mr. Hound. It’s a testament to you that you’ve actually tempted me a little with the Kiki despite it having that dreaded lavender note that I struggle with so much. I have a sample of Kiki EDP, but I think the Extrait version sounds like it may be more manageable for me. As for Rubj, it clearly played nicely on your skin — I envy you. Thank you for the referral link, by the way, my dear.

    Like

    Reply
    • The Scented Hound
      May 27, 2013 at 5:20 pm

      Lavender can sometimes to me come across as shaving cream smelling, but Kiki mixed with the caramel note tones down the medicinal and herby aspect. I think you’ll like it?? As for Rubj, boy do our bodies wear that differently. There was no funk for me at all… but I could see with some other chemistry it could get there. Or maybe I’m just naturally funky and I don’t know it 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  3. lucasai
    May 27, 2013 at 11:45 am

    So cool to see you loving Kiki! And I like the fact you reviewed it just a few days after I did it!

    Like

    Reply
  4. poodle
    May 27, 2013 at 1:36 pm

    I guess I’m going to have to try Kiki. I’ve been avoiding it because I know I’m going to love it. Rubj grew on me. It’s much sweatier on me than it sounds like it is on you. Once my nose got used to the cumin though I was able to appreciate the other things going on in it.

    Like

    Reply
    • The Scented Hound
      May 27, 2013 at 5:14 pm

      Poodle…how come the most exquisite and expensive fragrances are the ones we want??? Rubj was not sweaty on me at all…and actually after writing this post I went to work in the garden and it still never got funky on me. Maybe the fact that I’m so sweet kept the funk at bay 🙂

      Like

      Reply
      • poodle
        May 27, 2013 at 5:36 pm

        I bet that’s it! You are definitely sweeter than me. My bitterness must amplify the funk.
        The good stuff always seems to be pricey. Yet I find myself stashing money away for the ones I really love.

        Like

        Reply
  5. hajusuuri
    May 27, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    I am going to stay far far away from Rubj (if it was sweaty on Poodle, it will be disastrous on me!). As for Kiki, I am now convinced I must try it after yours and Lucas’ review AND most likely straight to the extrait. Oh my aching wallet…(and fuggedabout the vintage stuff trend and you KNOW who to blame for that).

    Like

    Reply
  6. smellythoughts
    May 27, 2013 at 4:28 pm

    Fantastic reviews Houndy I’m THRILLED you’re loving the line so far and that you’ve fallen so hard for Kiki ❤ Beautiful taste you have! Rubj is totally a comfort scent to me too, I wear it so often, it makes me feel fantastic.
    Look forward to hearing what you have to say about Onda EDP
    x

    Like

    Reply
  7. Té de Violetas
    May 27, 2013 at 10:59 pm

    Glad to see someone appreciates Kiki parfum as much as I do.
    I didn’t expect to love it but it won me over and it is my favorite from Vero Profumo.
    Cheers!

    Caro

    Like

    Reply
    • The Scented Hound
      May 28, 2013 at 5:34 am

      We obviously have great taste Caro! Have you tried the other extraits? What are your thoughts on those? I’m dying to try Mito as well. So much to smell!!!

      Like

      Reply
      • Té de Violetas
        May 28, 2013 at 11:05 am

        Hi, Houndy!
        I have tried both Onda and Rubj. I think I prefer Rubj in EdP as there is something more playful about it. Onda is very intriguing and sensual (I have sampled it only in extrait), but just not me.
        I am sure Mito extrait will be a beauty. I think the eau de parfum is excellent, but it is Kiki the one that has captured my heart.

        Like

        Reply
        • The Scented Hound
          May 28, 2013 at 7:30 pm

          Good to know… I have to hold off a bit before I test the others, although I do have an Onda EdP sample that I have yet to open. I’m afraid that the magic elixer will be much too tempting for me.

          Like

          Reply
  8. baconbiscuit212
    May 27, 2013 at 10:59 pm

    I am dying to try Vero Kern’s perfumes! Thanks for the wonderful reviews! Isn’t that always the case that what you end up adoring costs a small fortune?

    Like

    Reply
  9. parfumistasdiary
    May 28, 2013 at 9:29 am

    Kiki was love at first sniff at my first Milano Esxence. And I tried that one at the beginning. What a mistake. I couldn’t find something to compete with this perfume. When reading this I found the similarity to Guerlain’s Jicky (the first edition). Creamy lavender. Unfortunately to me too, the price of Kiki holds me back strongly from buying it.

    Like

    Reply
  10. thesmellyvagabond
    May 28, 2013 at 10:38 am

    Welcome to the Vero Profumo fan club! 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  11. Kay
    May 29, 2013 at 12:49 pm

    I love scenting things with lavender, and the thing I found most about lavender-based fragrances is that the lavender is too strong. To me, lavender has this creamy, sweet–almost ice cream quality to it (or maybe my nose is just crazy). It sounds like Kiki might be a good match for my impression of lavender. 😀

    Like

    Reply
  12. australianperfumejunkies
    June 1, 2013 at 1:25 am

    Hey Handsome,
    Just got to this. Val the Cookie Queen inspired me to fall deeply in love with Rubj EdP. What a fragrance! I’m glad you’re loving it too. I think I get more cumin than you and it sings pretty much through the frag life, YUMMY!
    Portia xx

    Like

    Reply
  13. Undina
    June 5, 2013 at 4:41 am

    I haven’t had a chance to try Kiki yet (and I have high hopes for it) but Rubj EdP doesn’t like my skin at all 😦
    Impressive review and bone ratings! 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  14. Pingback: Annivers-Obso-Bestof-Draw Mega Post! | The Scented Hound

  15. Gían
    July 8, 2014 at 12:48 pm

    I’ve been reading your blog for a bit & staying politely in the background, but your review of Kiki compells me to pipe up. I love, love Rubj & I brought FBs of both the EdP & the Extrait (the 15 mL no less)! Somehow I was late to the party & I only just discovered Mito- which I’ve unfortunately now have fallen head over heels for (the Extrait version, of course). Because I really don’t care for lavender I have not even bothered with Kiki before- but your review seems to suggest a radically different treatment of lavender & your description of it makes it seem so irresistibly deliscious (it is literally giving me visions of a lavender ice-cream sundae with melted caramel & piled high with gobs of fluffy whipped cream…) that I have to clarify– is Kiki really worth trying for someone who really does not care for lavender? I mean my perfume hobby is gonna send me into the poorhouse- granted the poorhouse will smell very pretty- but still…

    Like

    Reply
    • The Scented Hound
      July 8, 2014 at 6:36 pm

      Gian – Thanks for popping out of the background and saying hello 🙂 You lucky dog you with your purchases. I too LOVE Rubj, but I have only experienced the EdP, I have heard that the extrait is divine which I have no doubt. I’m also a huge fan of Onda (I have only experienced the EdP there as well), but that had to take some time to grow on me. Mito is not for me, but I know that many LOVE it. OK…for Kiki. I’m not a huge fan of lavender as well. To me it can get dry and boring and typically it will dominate any fragrance overtaking all notes. I fell in love with the extrait immediately as it’s not the typical dry lavender and that caramel topping is just incredible. Now, since I got my bottle, let me say that I have found that I have to be in the right mood and the weather needs to be a bit cooler for it to wear right. One night I wore it and it became incredibly cloying…probably because I put too much on and it was rather stuffy where I was so that just choked me out. I would check it out if you can and give it a test…but for that price you really should kind of like lavender. I hope this helps???? And say hi more often 🙂

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment