Karenina

Roja Dove's Karenina is a floral with the restrained elegance of a woman who doesn't need to shout. Rather than the bombastic rose-led florals that dominated the mid-2010s, this is a composition where seven different flowers argue their case through whisper rather than declaration. The opening aldehydes provide that crisp, almost metallic clarity that frames the Grasse jasmine—the real stuff, with its indolic warmth—before carnation arrives with its spiced-clove undertone, cutting through the creamy ylang-ylang with remarkable precision. This isn't an overly sweet floral; the powdery accords (88%) emerge from violet and frangipani rather than from saccharine musks, lending the composition a sophisticated, skin-like quality that recalls vintage Chanel formulations.

What distinguishes Karenina is how Dove orchestrates his florals to prevent homogenisation. The geranium adds a green, slightly herbal anchor, whilst May rose provides structure without dominating. Gardenia contributes that creamy white-floral intensity without veering into plastic territory. The base—cedarwood, clove, and vanilla with a whisper of musks—doesn't sweeten the composition but rather grounds it, preventing the floral accord from floating away into generic tuberose territory. This is a fragrance for someone who understands florals; a wearer who appreciates the architecture beneath the prettiness, who wants to smell cultivated and complex rather than merely radiant. Wear it when you want to leave an impression through subtlety—boardroom meetings, intimate dinners, or simply those mornings when you want beauty that requires a lean-in to fully appreciate.