There is something undeniably cinematic about stepping into Burlington Arcade. A red carpet stretches beneath your feet, guiding you into a world where time slows, softened by the glow of grand chandeliers overhead.
Just moments inside, on the left, sits Roja Parfums – the setting for the launch of its newest creation, Espresso Aoud.
The boutique is immediately distinctive. Washed in soft lilac tones, it feels intimate and luxurious, lined with the house’s signature fragrances, each crowned with a jewelled cap that catches the light. It is luxury in its purest form.
At the centre of the moment is Roja Dove himself. Dressed in a black blazer with a striking jewelled collar, he commands the room with ease. Yet it is his warmth that defines the experience. Guests are welcomed not as observers, but as participants in his world.
Before unveiling the fragrance, Roja reflects on the origins of his craft, memories shaped by his mother, and a deep, ongoing connection to the Middle East, where scent is woven into rituals of hospitality and identity. It is here that the story of Espresso Aoud begins.
Positioned as “a shot of energy in the Aoud collection,” the fragrance introduces an unexpected gourmand intensity to one of perfumery’s most revered ingredients. As outlined in the official press release , roasted coffee beans take centre stage, layered with caramelised nuts to create a creamy, velvety richness. The depth of aoud anchors the composition, adding warmth, sensuality, and an enduring trail.
But beyond its composition, Espresso Aoud is about feeling.
Roja describes it as the experience of being welcomed into someone’s home offered warm coffee and sweet dates. On the skin, it unfolds exactly this way: enveloping, comforting, and quietly addictive. It is rich without excess, indulgent without heaviness a fragrance that lingers like a memory rather than announcing itself.
The launch also offered a glimpse into the wider Aoud universe. Sweetie Aoud delivers a more playful expression, reminiscent of stepping into a bakery filled with buttery, sugared confections while Aoud Extraordinaire, designed to be layered, reveals a vibrant composition of mango, plum and mandarin, softened by toffee, vanilla and a smooth leather accord. Each distinct, yet unmistakably part of Roja’s world.
Even the bottles carry their own signature. The jewelled caps, Roja explains, were designed to be instantly recognisable his answer to the red sole of a Christian Louboutin shoe. A subtle detail, that defines the house entirely.
Set within the quiet grandeur of Burlington Arcade, the launch of Espresso Aoud is more than a fragrance unveiling it is an immersion into a world where scent becomes memory, ritual, and identity.
