It takes some nerve to charge several hundred pounds for a citrus fragrance. Citrus is the most fleeting, least expensive-seeming family in perfumery, the stuff of cheap colognes and summer splashes. Yet when Roja Dove released Elysium in 2017, he did exactly that, and against all odds it became one of the most coveted fresh fragrances of the modern era. People did not just forgive the price. They queued up.
It came from an unexpected direction.
The professor goes fresh
Roja Dove, the British perfume authority known for opulent, maximalist orientals like Amber Aoud, surprised everyone with Elysium. Here was the same obsessive quality applied to the lightest, freshest of genres, a citrus built not from cheap synthetics but from the finest materials Dove could source. The result proved that fresh need not mean cheap or fleeting, and Elysium became the fragrance that made the wider world take Roja seriously as a fresh-fragrance house.
Citrus with a luxurious base
It opens with a brilliant burst of grapefruit, lemon and lime, sharpened with a green galbanum, genuinely sparkling and alive. But where most citrus scents thin out within the hour, Elysium has a secret: a sophisticated woody-musky base of cedar, vetiver, ambergris and a touch of vanilla and leather that gives the brightness somewhere to anchor. The fruit stays vivid for far longer than it has any right to, and the drydown is clean, expensive and faintly sweet.
What it actually smells like
Bright, juicy citrus over a clean, slightly sweet woody-musk base. It is fresh and uplifting rather than heavy, the kind of fragrance that feels like sunshine and clean shirts, but with a richness and longevity ordinary citruses lack. It is unisex, perfect for warm weather and the daytime, and projects with a confidence that belies its lightness. It is, simply, one of the best fresh fragrances of its generation.
The £395 question
A bottle of Elysium sits around £395 in the UK. For the money you get arguably the finest fresh fragrance a luxury house has made and the cachet of the Roja name. The catch is the obvious one: that is an enormous amount to pay for a citrus, even one this good.
Which is the reason an alternative market exists. People love the luxurious freshness of Elysium without wanting to spend the better part of £400 on a summer scent.
Elysian: the 35% interpretation
This is where we come in, and we will be straight about what we are. Our Elysian is Aromara's interpretation of that luxurious-citrus character, not a counterfeit and not a Roja product. It carries no branding and makes no claim to be the original. It chases the part that matters: the bergamot and lime opening, the grapefruit and cedarwood heart, and the clean vetiver and white-musk base.
There is a particular reason concentration matters here. Citrus scents are the shortest-lived of all. Ours is built at 35% extrait, roughly double a standard eau de parfum, so that brightness holds for seven hours or more. And it costs £4.99 for a 5ml to test it properly, against £395. We guarantee the wear time in writing, with 60 days to send it back for a full refund if it does not last.
Our guide to extrait de parfum explains why a fresh scent can finally last, and the strongest perfume dupes in the UK shows where our range sits. If you love a luxurious citrus, the story behind Louis Vuitton Pacific Chill is a natural next read, and our Pacific Breeze is another to try.
Frequently asked questions
Who created Roja Elysium?
It was created by Roja Dove and launched in 2017. It became one of the most coveted fresh fragrances of the modern era.
What does Roja Elysium smell like?
A luxurious fresh citrus: a sparkling burst of grapefruit, lemon and lime with green galbanum, over a clean woody-musk base of cedar, vetiver and ambergris. Bright but long-lasting.
Is Aromara's Elysian the same as Roja?
No. It is an independent composition inspired by the same character, built at 35% extrait for longevity and sold at a fraction of the price. It is not affiliated with Roja Parfums.
Aromara is an independent UK fragrance house. Our fragrances are original compositions inspired by the character of well-known designer scents. We are not affiliated with Roja Parfums, and all trademarks belong to their respective owners. Every Aromara fragrance is made in the UK at 35% extrait concentration, with a 7+ hour longevity guarantee and a 60-day money-back promise.