Scour Room 1015’s website, https://room1015.com/, and you’ll see references to rock ‘n’ roll, counterculture, and punk. The brand founder, Michael Partouche, a trained pharmacist, uses his fragrance to express rebellion and alternative ideology. From what I’ve sampled, I’ve been unimpressed. However, like many brands and bands, they got off to a good start. They launched with a trio of fragrances in 2015. Atramental, their olfactory evocation of a tattoo parlour remains their best fragrance. In my opinion, they remain a bit of a one-hit wonder. They’ve since gone on to release 12 more scents, bringing their catalogue to 15. Last year’s Wavechild was awful, a mishmash of gourmand and marine. Jasmine Freak, signed by Jérôme Di Marino, hit shelves in 2025.
The avant-garde marketing imagery for Jasmine Freak appeared intriguing. Indeed, a touch Bowie-esque. Unfortunately, all the intrigue went away as soon as I sprayed the perfume. Jasmine Freak disappoints – it’s a fruity floral straight from central casting, complete with a sweet as bubble gum jasmine note and an on-trend mango note on background vocals. The floral accord, composed of tuberose, ylang-ylang, and, of course, jasmine, has a creamy, glossy, sugary sheen that feels like a chorus ready for top 40 commercial radio. The musky outro dares not offend.
I’m sure it’ll be a success for the brand, but it’s about as rock n’ roll as a cucumber sandwich without the crusts. Surely, it’s time for this brand to start creating fragrances that live up to the marketing hype. Break some guitars, launch a Television into the pool. As cliched as that sounds, it’s better than receding to the norm. Do something rebellious (in a perfume composition sense). No more perfume clichés! Those I cannot stand.
Note: Sample of Jasmine Freak purchased by me. The first image is from Room 1015; all other photos are my own.
Have you sampled Jasmine Freak? What do you think of the brand?
Here are some more photos of jasmine from my garden.
So many perfumes that seem to aspire to their marketing image! The only one from this brand that I tried, years ago, was their eponymous Ten Fifteen. I couldn’t remember it well, so I looked it up and from the notes, it might have had something in common with Santal 33? Ah, well.
Yes, it’s always a difficult proposition. Ten Fifteen has sandalwood, and perhaps had a touch of Santal 33. But, it was the powdery violet note that I couldn’t get past. Luckily it faded away pretty quickly.
Beautiful photos of your jasmine, Daniel. Jasmine Freak was a bit of a turn off for me from the time I listed it on my new releases for January. Based on your impressions, I’d probably dislike it as much as you did. This is another “went I get to it, I’ll get to it” type samplings.
Thank you, Flaconneur. Yes, this isn’t one that’s worth chasing up.
Modern perfumery delivers lots of story telling for sure, but rarely will they manage to surprise us. The advantage of that is that there aren’t many itens to wish for. Great overview!
Thanks very much, Tetê. Yes indeed. Some of these perfume brands should go into fiction writing.
Your comment made me think of Imaginary Authors who based a brand on just that premise.
Yes, exactly. They have some ok fragrances, but I haven’t found one that I would want to buy from them, either.
I haven’t tried this one or any others from the brand. Your great post has me all fired up, though, and I might just smash my keyboard and throw the rest of my PC from the balcony (unfortunately, no pool below)!!!
Haha, Rich. Thank you! Well that seems like a good way to start the week. Sets the tone for the week ahead. Haha.