The Ultimate Rose Perfume

I have a friend who will not wear rose fragrances.  They remind her of her grandmother, and this opinion is one often echoed through perfume discussions.  But ask a rose lover for his or her favorite rose fragrances and the discussion opens up to a world scented by roses—reds, pinks, yellows, and whites; Rosa damascena (damask) and Rosa centafolia (cabbage); Bulgarian, Moroccan, Iranian, Turkish; soliflores or blends; attar of roses or rose absolute; the most realistic, the ultimate rose…

rose-pink

Most rose lovers agree that there is no such thing as the ultimate rose; as is true with the flower itself there are simply too many perfume variations to ever settle upon just one.  From creamy to clear, from spicy to green, rose fragrances are as simple or as complex as can be imagined.  Some settle on the skin as if one is wearing a bouquet, while others announce their presences in operatic registers.  Still more are dark and earthy and others smell rained upon.

While for me nothing approaches the experience of the scent of the bloom on its thorny stem, I wear rose fragrances more than any other.  Here are some of my favorites:

A Rose is A Rose

For its realistic interpretation of fresh roses, Creed’s Fleur de Thé Rose Bulgare has little competition.  After a somewhat perfume-y and oddly “green” start, this one is unmatched rose verisimilitude with green tea over a gently salty ambergris and musk base. Now discontinued, or pulled from production, perhaps to return from the Creed vault at a later date.

Far less expensive– and even more streamlined– is the drugstore icon Tea Rose from The Perfumer’s Workshop.  I’ve had a bottle in my wardrobe forever.  Tea Rose smells of rose oil and little else. I often just smell it, rather than wear it.  At its low price, I can use it to scent linens and potpourri and I do.

DSH Perfumes American Beauty (Rose No. 1) is jam-packed with heady red roses and a hint of tart bergamot in the headnotes.  Proof that a smaller perfumer can hold her own with the big houses, American Beauty is a statement perfume of extraordinary lushness.

Frédéric Malle’s earthy Une Rose is a work of art—I say this from experience, having had artists at an art show, one after another, ask what I was wearing.  Une Rose is a still life painted in wine and truffles, elegant and baroque but at the same time ultra-modern.  If there is a deep purple rose, this is it.

Serge Lutens’s Sa Majeste la Rose (Her Majesty the Rose) is a diva rose wearing a headdress of green, unopened buds.  Sa Majeste is high-toned and perhaps a bit tempermental—it often won’t settle on my skin—but for a green rose it is unparalleled.

Annick Goutal Rose Absolue is a creamy rose so thick with the note that it becomes almost pudding-like in texture, acquiring a milky aspect.  It smells almost completely of rose oil and it contains six roses:  May, Turkish, Bulgarian, Damascus, Egyptian, and Moroccan.

Sparkling Roses

My first boutique rose fragrance was Annick Goutal’s effervescent Ce Soir ou Jamais (I wear EdT only).  Ce Soir ou Jamais features rose fizzed with champagne, or so it seems.

Jean Patou’s Joy was once said to be the costliest perfume in the world and if you get a bit of the vintage parfum you can see why.  Even though weighted with animalic base, Joy’s rose lifts into the stratosphere.  A textbook example of the art of classic French perfumery, Joy never loses it rose while at the same time combining and recombining it with other elements.

Roses and Fruit

Nahéma by Guerlain is a fruity, sweet and green rose tempered with peach and passion fruit. Make no mistake, this is no “fruity floral” fragrance.  It is a red-rope, opening night rose, as clear-cut as a couture ballgown.

Parfums de Rosine Rose D’Été is a yellow-rose fragrance with a delicate apple note that is a summer staple of mine.  It’s just fruity enough, as if rose and apple were grown side by side.

Voleur de Roses is one of L’Artisan’s iconic fragrances and a deceptively simple one. Combining rose with plum and patchouli, Voleur smells of rain-soaked earth around a rose bush.  Don’t fear the patchouli here; it’s subtle and it gives Voleur its grounding.

Ormonde Jayne Ta’if features an unusual date note along with the rose and saffron, giving the fragrance a clever gourmand-but-not-quite quality.  Ta’if is sweet and clear—it’s a sweep across a desert at night with a million stars in the sky.

Dark and Mysterious

Serge Lutens Rose de Nuit is a classic rose chypre, that is, a rose perfume built around a mossy base. It’s bewitching and dramatic, a Gothic fairytale of a rose.  Although classic in composition, Rose de Nuit isn’t fusty.  It’s a modern take on the chypre that allows rose and moss equal billing.

Caron Parfum Sacré gilds its rose in incense and burnishes it with myrrh and powder.  So well blended is it that the rose isn’t immediately apparent and when it is, it is rose that has become wood-like in tone.

For more dark and mysterious roses, please take a look at Victoria’s article My Sultry Valentine : Dark Rose Perfumes.

Modern Rose

Stella by Stella McCartney is an early-21st-century minimalist blockbuster immediately adopted by the young urban sophisticate.  Its dry amber and rose combination was everywhere for a while, the epitome of what a modern rose fragrance could be, deceptive in that it is more complex than it smells (look for hints of herbs and balsams among the roses).

In 1999, Lancôme issued a limited release rose fragrance in a deep blue, teardrop-shaped bottle.  This was 2000 et Une Rose, a fragrance that sold out and immediately became a collector’s item. Re-released (in different bottle) as Mille et Une Rose, the fragrance is a puffy cloud of delicate rose accented by creamy, almost vanillic-tinged amber and  sandalwood.

Rose Pour Homme

Men need not fear rose. The note works beautifully with spice and moss, or with salt and shrub.  Le Labo Rose 31, Eau d’Italie Paestum Rose, The Different Company Rose Poivrée, Parfums de Rosine Ecume de Rose, Rose d’Homme, and L’Artisan Voleur de Roses are just a few suggestions.  And of course there is Chanel Égoïste, probably the elegant scent for men accented with roses.

What are your favorite rose fragrances? Did you find your ultimate rose perfume?

Photography by Candie_N (Welcome Fall) via Flickr, some rights reserved.

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155 Comments

  • Rose: Thank you for this great article on *Rose*. Im forever looking for a Rose perfume that suits me well. Though I want the gormand Rose, of which i have tried so many & yet to find the right one. I think the idea of a creamy rose will be great, ill revist Annick Goutal Rose. I’ve got Tea Rose, Lush Rose Jam (i love!), A lab on fire Rose Rebelle, a few of the Montales. October 26, 2012 at 8:04am Reply

    • Suzanna: Glad you mentioned the Lush. I’ve smelled it once (no Lush store here in town) and will revisit it when I go down to Orlando to shop for the holidays.

      Keep trying and I am sure you will find something that suits you. There are so many great ideas here in this thread! October 27, 2012 at 11:19am Reply

  • Zazie: Rose fragrances are a thorny business.

    I love, love, love smelling the scented flowers in real life, and marvel at the complexity and diversity of their bouquets.

    But rose perfumes are a different business. I can’t wear the soliflores (they all fall so short with respect to the real thing!!!) and I feel positively queasy when faced to the earthy/chocolaty/patchouliesque kinds (which I guess is the most crowded “rose perfume” cathegory).

    Symphonic compositions are another story: Joy and number 5 are beloved jewels, but that’s cheating, right?
    From your list I like Taif and parfum sacré…
    …and I would like to mention Alahine and Une rose chypré – these 4 rose perfumes I might happen to wear without being forced by adverse circumstances.

    But I am sure there is a ROSE perfume for me. I know because I almost loved two very rose centric fragrances: Juliette has a gun Lady Vengeance and, even more!!, Citizen queen. They smell cheap (too much clean musks in the latter, and too much patchouli earthiness in the former), but they almost hit the spot and gave me a clue: if I find a perfume built around Rose + vanilla (+ violets and aldehydes) I might have found my rose fragrance. Suggestions are welcome! 😉
    p.s. No, lipstick rose and une rose vermeille didn’t work. October 26, 2012 at 8:28am Reply

    • Suzanna: Drole de Rose might work, or it might be too close to Lipstick Rose to suit you.

      Cannot stand cheap-smelling perfumes. Horrible! And I agree that perfumes made with rose and quite different from real roses. October 26, 2012 at 9:57am Reply

    • annemariec: Have you tried Rochas Tocade? It’s a classic rose/vanilla combo, admittedly not subtle but very cheerful and bright. October 26, 2012 at 10:23pm Reply

      • Zazie: Annemarie, thank you for the suggestion! October 27, 2012 at 8:18am Reply

    • Kit: You might try Maison Francis Kurkdjian Lumiere Noire pour Femme. It’s by the same perfumer as Lady Vengeance and is designed along the same lines (dark rose with some patchouli to anchor it), but somehow to me it’s a more graceful blend. It could be worth a try! October 28, 2012 at 5:52pm Reply

      • Suzanna: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Lumiere Noire, Kit! October 28, 2012 at 9:43pm Reply

  • Lucas: I became interested in rose fragrances just a month (or maybe a tiny bit earlier) ago when I disovered the latest release from Atelier Cologne – Rose Anonyme which hypnotized me with it’s character and I bought a full bottle.
    Since that time I decided to search and discover more rose fragrances. So far I tried Keiko Mecheri Damascena (soapy rose), L’Artisan, L’Artisan Safran Troublant (spicy rose and jam), L’Artisan Voleur de Roses (dirtier rose), Histoires de Parfums Rosam (enchanting, dark rose)

    Each was different and unique and each had something really appealing. Seems like I discovered another perfume ingredient that I really like. October 26, 2012 at 8:35am Reply

    • Suzanna: I don’t believe I’ve tried anything from Histoires and I keep meaning to, more so now with your suggestion. Glad you have found another note to like! October 26, 2012 at 9:58am Reply

      • Lucas: Definitely you need to try HdP. They have an amazing sampling products (10€ for six 2ml sample vials, shipped)
        Don’t know what’s going on but when I was ordering my sets all samples were available and at the moment only few are left October 26, 2012 at 10:30am Reply

        • Suzanna: Too bad! I will have a look. October 27, 2012 at 11:30am Reply

  • rosarita: I love your photography illustrating this post, those images are beautiful! I’m a big rose fan – my online perfume name is rosarita, after all. American Beauty is my favorite rose soliflore and I hoard my little decant, but it only takes a couple of drops to bring that full blown rose to life. DHS Inner Sanctum is my favorite dark rose. It has incense in it and it’s probably the closest to my favorite rose scent, except for Tauer Une Rose Chypree; just have a sample of that one but one drop opens and opens on the skin. It really is gorgeous. October 26, 2012 at 9:04am Reply

    • Suzanna: DSH does remarkable work with her rose and I understand about hoarding each drop of that beauty.

      Thank you for your compliment about my photography. I enjoy capturing the fabric-like texture of roses in bloom. October 26, 2012 at 10:00am Reply

  • Allison: I love the smell of roses but I find very few rose perfumes satisfying! Right now my favorites are Ce Soir ou Jamais and Caron’s Or et Noir (which I believe has been reformulated). And I also loved Caron’s discontinued Rose in extrait form. Santa Maria Novella also makes an interesting rose soliflore.
    Also, I could have sworn that Rose de The Bulgare originally consisted of only rose, lemon, and green tea. I have a decant from many years ago that smells like a fresh green rose and nothing else. So maybe the ambergris base was added later? October 26, 2012 at 9:21am Reply

    • Suzanna: I pick up salty ambergris in there–but who knows how old my decants were.

      Or et Noir never worked for me and I wish it had! October 26, 2012 at 10:01am Reply

  • Caro: I don’t think I could live without Ta’if, Lyric and Ubar. The latter, though not strictly a rose fragrance, has a beautiful sparkly rose note at a point of its development.

    Zazie, Bond No 9 Broadway Nite is rose, violet and aldehydes. Lighter than Une Rose Vermeille and Lipstick Rose, though in the same vein. La Rose de Rosine is a soapier, softer option. October 26, 2012 at 9:25am Reply

    • Zazie: Oh thank you Caro, I’ll check those out! October 26, 2012 at 9:38am Reply

    • Suzanna: Caro, thanks for adding your favorites. Ubar I have not tried (list growing!).

      I love nearly all the Rosines. October 26, 2012 at 10:02am Reply

  • Heather: Oh, beautiful post and amazing photos! I love roses and about once a year I have a desperate craving for rose perfumes and I madly try everything and maybe acquire a few new ones. The keepers form quite a short list: SL Rose de Nuit & Sa Majeste, FK Lumiere Noire, FM Une Rose, ELd’O Rossy de Palma, Tocade, AG Quel Amour (I know supposed to be peony, but I smell rose too!), OJ Seraphim, and Guerlain’s Rose Nacree du Desert was my last purchase in this category. Some of my favourite roses pop out in the middle of blends though… the rose in No 19 parfum is to die for, and I love the rose in Petite Cherie and wish they would re-use it in another context. I also can’t resist make-up and body products that are rose-scented. Most of the Chantecaille skincare line is heavenly, but just as pleasing and at the other end of the price spectrum is some good old Vaseline ‘rosy lips’ lip balm. October 26, 2012 at 9:30am Reply

    • Suzanna: Oh, Heather, I hate to enable, but you must try the By Terry skincare line. There are rose creams and rose balms and rose this-and-that. It’s expensive, but I have very fussy skin and the rose day and night creams are the only thing that works for it when I have issues.

      I wore Tocade the other day and it was glorious. October 26, 2012 at 10:05am Reply

      • Andrea: YES! I heartily agree. I never in one million years thought I’d spend $58 on lip balm but I have now purchased 2 of them! It is By Terry Baume de Rose, and I have them in different rooms of my house because I use it so much.

        I have horribly dry lips, to the point where a dr wanted to biopsy me for a type of autoimmune issue. This is the ONLY thing that heals them and makes them supple. It is also for cuticles, so I rub in the excess. I literally consider it a medical expense, too bad insurance doesn’t cover the cost!:-) October 27, 2012 at 3:49am Reply

        • Suzanna: I have the same issue with my lips, a hormonal thing. I agree about the Baume de Rose–was just ordering another one! October 28, 2012 at 12:54am Reply

  • kjanicki: I love your choices. I have Joy, Ta’if, Tea Rose and Parfum Sacre. I need to try those Lutens.

    I would add Andy Tauer’s Incense Rose for the incense, Rose Chypree for a rose with orange and vanilla and resin, and Rose Vermeille, for a yummy rose with raspberry and marzipan. October 26, 2012 at 9:32am Reply

    • Suzanna: I love Incense Rose, too, but have not yet bought a bottle. It’s great to see so many who enjoy Andy Tauer’s work here. October 26, 2012 at 10:06am Reply

  • Anne: I love roses scent, but definitely not all of them! And I can’t really define what I like or dislike in a rose fragrance. I am yet to find the ultimate one for me. But in the past I have enjoyed Chloe eau de parfum Intense. And I love Jo Malone Red Rose bath oil. October 26, 2012 at 9:33am Reply

    • Suzanna: Oh, yes, we mustn’t forget Red Rose bath oil, as scumptious a body product as one is likely to find. Deliriously good. October 26, 2012 at 10:08am Reply

      • bluegardenia: I’m not a fan of rose fragrances or body products. Never have been. But one sniff of Red Roses by Jo Malone and I melted! I use that bath oil at least three times a week now. It’s the most heavenly, mouthwatering, beautiful rose I’ve ever experienced. I wish it was edible, I’d drink it! October 27, 2012 at 3:39am Reply

  • Amy V.: Oh, what a lot of fascinating roses to add to my test list! I’m something of a rose geek – I adore the old-fashioned varieties and their myriad different scents, so much richer than most modern varieties. October 26, 2012 at 9:34am Reply

    • Amy V.: Old-fashioned rose flower varieties I mean! I’m not familiar with many older rose perfumes. October 26, 2012 at 6:14pm Reply

      • Suzanna: There are older and newer rose frags; they are stalwarts. Wouldn’t it be fun to try (hopelessly, I am sure) to match the scent of a rose variety to each perfume here? October 27, 2012 at 11:29am Reply

  • Emma: I love Nahema but it’s like eating a very rich in calories decadent triple chocolate cake, your stomach gets full rather quickly.
    I recently discovered long time discontinued Caron With Pleasure, a stunning highly sophisticated rose, one drop lasts forever yet it never feels like it’s wearing you. It’s brighter than Caron Or et Noir which is a reason why I love it so much, still it has dark elements with green and earthy tonalities or it wouldn’t be a classic Caron. I don’t understand why this rose was never reintroduced, far better than Caron Une Rose and less goth/more alive and fun than Or et Noir. October 26, 2012 at 9:37am Reply

    • Suzanna: Emma, thanks for mentioning With Pleasure, since I’d never heard of it. Perhaps others can join in that discussion.

      Agree about Nahema. Sometimes the fruit note can eclipse all else for me, or else it is magnified on me. October 26, 2012 at 10:07am Reply

  • Shirin Alzebari: Anybody can help to find which perfume is the violet rose, as it has a distinguished perfume, and it is used to make rose jam. October 26, 2012 at 9:52am Reply

    • Suzanna: This sounds like a question for Victoria! V,. any help here? October 26, 2012 at 10:07am Reply

  • Annikky: My favourites so far are Sa Majeste la Rose and Ta’if, and I still like Stella – I wore it a lot before becoming interested in perfume in a more concious way. I also like the pure scent of rose oil – my grandmother used to have a tiny wooden minaret that held a vial of the oil. It was empty by the time I was allowed to play with it, but it still smelled good. And I absolutely love to wear my boyfriend’s Egoiste, never really thought of it as a rose fragrance, though. Must go and check:) October 26, 2012 at 11:32am Reply

    • Suzanna: Annikky, I think you can buy something like the wooden minarets on eBay, from Bulgaria. Maybe not exactly the same thing, but with Bulgarian rose oil inside. October 26, 2012 at 12:10pm Reply

      • Annikky: Suzanna, thank you! I will definitely investigate. And regarding your comment to Heather: I love everything I have tried from the By Terry line. October 26, 2012 at 1:18pm Reply

        • Suzanna: Another By Terry fan! Happy you are enjoying their wonderful products. I am right now considering that new limited edition rose-colored blush! Love this line. October 27, 2012 at 11:28am Reply

  • OperaFan: Another Rose HO here! I can hardly pass by a rose topic without adding my 2 cents. 😀
    You’ve named some of my favorites here, in fact, I’m about to click the “buy” button for a bottle of SMLR. Although I still have some reservations about the drydown, the sheer beauty of the rose while it lasts makes it worth having.
    I’ll suggest a few more beauties in case you haven’t tried:
    Sonoma Scent Studio –
    Cameo is a rich, rose/violet/iris/mossy-woods perfume, and Vintage Rose is bursting with heady roses and jammy fruit. The latter is being reformulated but should be released very soon – a MUST try. Laurie has 2 more roses but these are my preferred ones.
    Montale –
    Highness Rose is pure, pure, pure rose (like a concentrated AG Rose Absolue), and Taif Roses (not to be confused with OJ’s Ta’if) smells like densely concentrated oils extractected from dried rose petals. October 26, 2012 at 11:35am Reply

    • Suzanna: OperaFan, two comments:

      1. Laurie of SSS is a fabulously talented perfumer (and a lovely person as well). Any time someone recommends one of her scents, I cheer. Her use of mosses and woods is distinctive and organically appealing.

      2. I had been curious about those two Montales and avoided bec. they weren’t available stateside. Fie! Now, at great expensive (oh, the drama) I will try to hunt down both. October 26, 2012 at 12:09pm Reply

      • OperaFan: The Perfume Shoppe may still carry the 2 Montales, so you may want to check with them. I can send you samples of both…. 😉 October 26, 2012 at 12:38pm Reply

        • Suzanna: Oh, that would be super, OperaFan! I’d love to try. I’m just crazy about rose frags! October 26, 2012 at 1:24pm Reply

      • J’Nee: Have been craving rose lately and have been satiated with Montale White Aoud. It’s an Damask rose and saffron scent with a lighter hand on the aoud throttle. As I am fond of saying, if I were a perfume this is the one I would be. October 26, 2012 at 9:47pm Reply

        • Suzanna: J’Nee, I tried White Aoud years ago and it was one of only two ouds I liked (the other was Black, go figure). Thanks for mentioning it here! October 27, 2012 at 11:27am Reply

    • Annikky: Hi, OperaFan, I just couldn’t resist adding that my samples from SSS arrived a few days ago (with a lovely note from Laurie attached). They are all beautiful and now you’ve made me want to order samples of her rose scents as well. For the first batch I focused on woody-wintery ones and not a moment too soon: there was a snowstorm in Estonia today. October 26, 2012 at 1:41pm Reply

      • OperaFan: Annikky – What great timing! I’ll bet Winter Woods is in your sample batch – and a beauty, too! Suzanna is right, Laurie has a way with those mossy woods. I’m also especially fond of Champagne de Bois, which works year-round….

        Hope you enjoy them! October 26, 2012 at 3:12pm Reply

        • Annikky: Yes, I got Winter Woods and CdB as well (both lovely, as you say) plus Forest Walk, Wood Violet, Tabac Aurea, Incense Pure and Fireside Intense. I like them all, although I can see how the latter can be challenging to wear to a social gathering. October 27, 2012 at 6:09am Reply

      • Suzanna: Annikky, glad to hear your samples arrived from Laurie. Her wintery woodsy scents are magnificent, aren’t they? October 27, 2012 at 11:26am Reply

    • annemariec: Glad to see Cameo get a mention, as it tends to get overlooked among the many other beautiful SSS fragrances. I don’t wear rose/violet scents really but I do admire Cameo. I must look out my sample. At one stage I used to dab it as a bedtime scent and more than once I remember waking up in the middle of the night and noticing it on my wrist, ringing gently but with perfect clarity like a church bell in the distance. October 26, 2012 at 10:33pm Reply

  • Figuier: Thanks for all those lovely suggestions! For a long time I shied away from rose perfumes, and I still limit them to occasional wear in small quantities. Nonetheless, I’ve found a couple that are really appealing and tamp down the liqueur-like headiness that often bothers me with modern interpretations whilst avoiding the potpourri/cosmetic notes of trad rose scents:

    Rose Vermeille – the raspberry freshens up and lifts the rose without veering towards grandmotherly territory, and I love the gourmand-ish feel of it.

    Rose Oud – it might be because I dab rather than spray this, but the opulence of the ‘oriental’ rose seems restrained by the monochrome charred-wood feel of the oud. October 26, 2012 at 11:55am Reply

  • Suzanna: Figuier, I am taking a long while to make pleasant acquaintance with oud, but your description aptly describes why my first pleasant meeting with the fungus has been via rose. October 26, 2012 at 12:07pm Reply

  • Vishishta: A recent discovery is Keiko Mercheri’s Attar of Roses! Subtle and beautiful–I am about to buy a bottle! I did buy all of DSH’s rose perfumes–and sent them as gifts–as they were so true to roses. The best rose I have ever smelled is Attar of Roses from the factories in Egypt–each factory producing a different one. I do believe you can buy them online and have them shipped–worth it, because you’ll never find a better Rose! October 26, 2012 at 12:07pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Vishishta, I did try Mecheri Attar and have forgotten about it. Will have to find my sample and try again.

      The Egyptian rose? Where, where? October 26, 2012 at 12:12pm Reply

      • Vishishta: I tried them in Luxor — don’t remember the name of the factory — probably you can just Google Egyptian perfume factories and you’ll get a list. They put many rose petals in a cistern with a hole in the bottom (which drips into a bottle below) and bury it with stones on top. After a length of time, Rose Oil! Very expensive–but no more so than so many of these expensive commercial perfumes. Another friend went to Luxor after I–and I had already exhausted my bottle of Rose–he bought me another and the Rose was definitely of a warmer spicier variety (he went to another factory). But that is a trip worth making–or an oil to hunt down on the internet!!! October 26, 2012 at 1:39pm Reply

        • Vishishta: Googled Egyptian Rose and got Eden Botanicals–which sales a pure Rose Absolute from Egyptian at 10% in pure coconut oil for $92 8 oz. bottle. Personally I think that is a great deal. Eden is known for their high standards and Rose Oil from Egypt is very pricey. October 26, 2012 at 3:49pm Reply

          • Nikki: I second Egyptian roses! Absolutely fabulous scent! I first encountered these pink roses grown at the Oasis of Siwa years ago at the old Mena House in Cairo. There were roses everywhere. The oasis of Siwa is quite a mystical place with Cleopatra’s bath and an ancient oracle where Alexander the Great had an experience that moved him deeply. Back to the roses now, yes, the oil is definitely worth it!
            Regarding Bulgarian rose oil, it is ok and inexpensive to get in these small wooden containers. Creed’s Rose perfume is really like a rose in the morning, it was created for Ava Gardner according to Creed’s website….
            I prefer rose in perfumes like Lumiere Noire, not too obvious. I love your rose photos, they are almost three dimensional, great work, Susanna! I want to eat them actually! October 26, 2012 at 10:34pm Reply

            • Andrea: Mena House Oberoi (sp?)! I hadn’t thought of it in years. I stayed there as a child, where I only recall swimming in the pool, and again as a young adult, where the beautiful wood carvings and the history fascinated me. Now I am even more fascinated, and I must search for rose oil from here! October 27, 2012 at 3:56am Reply

              • Nikki: Yes, Mena House Oberoi, what a great place, swimming in the pool facing the pyramids, the architecture, and the Indian food with live Indian music at the restaurant!
                They served Karkadee (remember the hibiscus drink) and supplied every room with fresh, pink roses from the Siwa Oasis. October 27, 2012 at 10:58am Reply

              • Suzanna: You are not the only one! I have a feeling many of us will be trying to track it down. We will reconvene and share notes, I hope! October 27, 2012 at 11:25am Reply

            • Suzanna: Thanks, Nikki! My pleasure to share them here on BdJ! They were taken in Orlando, last spring. Not quite your Oasis of Siwa :–) and thanks for sharing your story about visiting. October 27, 2012 at 11:24am Reply

        • Suzanna: Thanks for this explanation, Vishishta! You have me craving some of this now. Fascinating how it is made, and the variations from factory to factory. October 27, 2012 at 11:22am Reply

          • Nikki: Just ordered the Eden Egyptian rose oil, let’s see how it smells! Tisserand aromatherapy has several rose essentail oils in their sortiment as well. October 27, 2012 at 11:31am Reply

            • Suzanna: Oh, good–let us know how it is! October 27, 2012 at 12:03pm Reply

            • Andrea: I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please keep us updated, Nikki. Maybe you should get a percentage of the business.;-) October 27, 2012 at 5:34pm Reply

            • Vishishta: Nice to see that Eden has samples of all their Roses–one could become discerning about the various ones used in perfume this way. For example, most people don’t know the difference between Australian Sandlewood and Mysore Sandlewood–not even the same tree! So then they don’t know why the perfume which lists Sandlewood as a base, doesn’t smell like what they wanted. A further refinement of taste!

              Loved to be reminded of Mina House–Agatha Christie stayed there to write “Murder on the Orient Express” I’ve heard.

              All of Egypt has a wonderful smell–like sweat, dung and spice–nothing like it. October 29, 2012 at 3:13pm Reply

              • Suzanna: Great point, Vishishta! Cultivating a discerning nose is important in perfume appreciation. October 29, 2012 at 11:11pm Reply

  • sherapop: No Montales? I am surprised!

    I recently acquired Sonoma Scent Studio Rose Musc, which is gorgeous, too!

    Keiko Mecheri Attar de Rose is at the top of my wish list…

    Thank you for this lovely post! (-; October 26, 2012 at 12:18pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Sherapop, I don’t have many Montales, so there’s nothing to be surprised about. Also, living in Florida I have nowhere to access them. I am hoping that everyone will add to this discussion with a few words about their favorite scents and why they like them. October 26, 2012 at 1:19pm Reply

      • sherapop: The Montales are definitely worth exploring. You can buy manufacturer carded samples at a few different online emporia these days (rather than having to depend on decanters). In some cases, they will deliver them to your doorstep for no delivery charge whatsoever…

        I prefer carded Montale samples because they are generous (2ml), and I feel that fewer errors are made in their production. Attar, Black Oud, and all of the perfumes with the name ‘rose’ in them should be sniffed by rose aficionados! (-; October 27, 2012 at 12:43pm Reply

        • Suzanna: Thanks for the info! October 27, 2012 at 1:09pm Reply

    • Andrea: I just received my 3 ml decant of Attar today. I like to spray it on my heavy robe in winter; the scent is so calming and it just lasts and lasts. I’m glad to hear that Attar has other fans! Sherapop, yours are one of the reviews that I always read on Frag….ica! Good to “see” you here!:-) October 27, 2012 at 4:00am Reply

      • sherapop: Hello, Andrea! Enjoy your Attar–it’s beautiful! The quality of Keiko Mecheri perfumes is splendid in general, and that one makes me swoon… (-; October 27, 2012 at 12:44pm Reply

  • sara: Hi,

    My ultimate delicate rose are Roger & Gallet’s “savon crème pour les mains” Rose (hands’ scented cream soap) plus creme douce hydratante pour le corps Rose (gentle hydrating cream for body) used as shower + body scent. I also can play with this base of rose scent applying onto “Eau d’Hadrien” for a rose lemony final smell or Eau de Campagne in order to obtain a Chypre Rose.
    In the other hand my ultimate dark woody rose scent is undoubtedly “Portrait of a Lady” by Frederic Malle. A kind of scent that never annoys me. Best Regards. October 26, 2012 at 12:45pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Thanks for adding those, Sara! I agree about body products–for some time my favorite was a rosewater scent that is long discontinued. Glad your favorite is not, and that you found ways to layer it to make a whole new scent. October 26, 2012 at 1:18pm Reply

      • sara: I’m not sure but there are another rose scent in Roger &gallet’s UK website, I think they still sell the soaps. You can give a try. October 27, 2012 at 2:37am Reply

  • Jane: Lovely & comprehensive rose post! I am really loving Comme de Garcons Rose right now. Simple & beautiful, like Creed FdTRB, but with some sweetness added. Just gently fruity. Love! I also like to spritz myself head to toe with rosewater- good for skin, spirit & smells wonderful. October 26, 2012 at 1:25pm Reply

    • Suzanna: I prefer rosewater to rose in many instances, and what a great tip! Thanks! October 26, 2012 at 1:32pm Reply

  • Daisy: For a long time I shallowly dismissed Juliet Has a Gun because I didn’t like their packaging. But following some great reviews, I decided to order a discovery kit and give it the old college try.

    And you know what? I am so glad that I did. To your list, I would add Lady Vengeance. Delicious gooey, caramel rose! October 26, 2012 at 1:47pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Sounds toothsome! I smell a sample order coming. October 26, 2012 at 4:09pm Reply

  • Tracy: I would really appreciate any further detailed info about factory-shipped rose oil from Egypt
    ? October 26, 2012 at 1:49pm Reply

    • Vishishta: I will go home and look at the bottles from Egypt–I bought them in 2000–and as they are oils there is no way I could have kept them fresh for 12 years! I keep them now for memories–but of course used all the Rose immediately. I looked on the web to see what was going for online–because I do remember that they said they would ship to USA. The only one I saw online was ABU SIMBEL perfume house but I did see a lot of people looking for perfumes that they had bought and run out of. Especially in Europe. October 26, 2012 at 3:33pm Reply

  • Daisy: Oh, and I would also like to throw in FM’s Portrait of a Lady while I’m at it! October 26, 2012 at 1:49pm Reply

  • cryptic: A lot of the best ones have already been named, but I wanted to add Neela Vermeire’s Mohur. I think Victoria may have reviewed it right after it was launched. It is magnificent. October 26, 2012 at 1:56pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Yes! It’s fabulous. I’ve been captivated by it, and Neela has a review all her own coming up. October 26, 2012 at 4:06pm Reply

  • Jack Sullivan: I have not investigated many rose-based perfumes so far – I do not feel naturally drawn to them – but I just love the green rose swimming at the bottom of L’ombre dans l’eau. In the new edp version, it blooms wonderfully on my skin once the blackcurrant wave has receded. October 26, 2012 at 2:15pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Victoria has the EdP too. I haven’t tried it yet; I am still working my way through EdT and the little solid. October 26, 2012 at 4:06pm Reply

  • Austenfan: Loads of lovely roses have already been mentioned ( Ecume, Rossy de Palma, Rose Poivrée, Drôle de Rose, Nahéma, Une Rose Chyprée…). My ultimate Rose Fragrance (with capitals) is Paris. Others I love that have
    (I think) not been mentioned are: Le Maroc pour Elle ( Tauer’s first), White Linen has a wonderful rose note and HdP’s 1876, which is called the best victorian dandy fragrance in Perfumes the AZ Guide. I haven’t sniffed enough of those to know whether I agree or disagree with that. It’s a lovely scent all the same. I would recommend sampling the line. They used to have an exceedingly good sampling program, but I think you can know order only 6 samples in one go. But I am digressing. Wonderful post, anyway, thank you! October 26, 2012 at 2:20pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Thanks! I remember seeing that sampling program, but I never took advantage of it.

      Forgot–imagine that, shame on me–about Le Maroc. Used it up and forgot about it in a rush of new fragrances. Now want some more and it def. belongs in the list along with so many others mentioned here. October 26, 2012 at 4:08pm Reply

    • Annikky: Austenfan, I apologise if it feels like I am stalking you on different threads, but just wanted to let you know that I have ordered 6 HdP samples as you recommended. 1876 wasn’t available, but I’m still excited. October 28, 2012 at 7:31am Reply

      • Austenfan: I don’t feel stalked at all. Which HdP’s did you pick?
        I like: 1740, 1725, 1876, Ambre 114, Noir Patchouly and swooned over the Tubéreuse 3 (Animale) when sprayed in Paris, ordered samples ( not spray) and don’t know what to think now. October 29, 2012 at 7:09pm Reply

        • Suzanna: I couldn’t get my nose around the tubereuse trilogy at all. I have misplaced on purpose those samples :–) October 29, 2012 at 10:02pm Reply

  • carter: Rose de Nuit and Homage Attar are my desert island roses. I also love L’Arte by Gucci (d/c’ed) which is a beautiful dark rose well worth seeking out and, at the other end of the spectrum, Gres’ cheerful Cabaret is a terrific bargain rose. October 26, 2012 at 3:03pm Reply

    • Suzanna: You know, I never could get into Cabaret. Not sure why, but I know so many people who adore it and as you point out it is a great bargain and certainly something that should be sought by those looking to expand their discoveries!

      I think L’Arte de Gucci can still be found, expensively. October 26, 2012 at 4:03pm Reply

  • Anna Minis: In the Vondelpark and in the Artis zoo in Amsterdam there are rosaria where we can smell roses. How different they smell! Sweet (the yellow), crisp, dark… My favourites are the dark (Une Rose) and the very fresh (Un zest de Rose). My Always There Rose: Cabaret de Grès. And I was glad that some of us love Tocade! Veleda crème pour le visage has a wonderful smell of roses, and for the body: Moroccan Rose, the Body Shop. — Beautiful pictures, as always, Susanna! October 26, 2012 at 3:20pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Thank you, Anna Minis!

      I avoided Zeste for years, thinking a tea note would not work for me. How wrong I was! It is one I wear all the time now, along with Ecume (great for men, too, this one) and d’Ete. October 26, 2012 at 4:04pm Reply

  • Kimberly: Beautiful photos! I just have to second SSS’s Rose Musc and throw out En Voyage Perfumes L’Embelm Rouge. I only have a sample, but every time I try it I wrack my brain to try and figure out how to afford a full bottle. If it were from a better known company, there would be rave reviews for this amazing dark rose all over the internet! October 26, 2012 at 3:22pm Reply

    • Kimberly: Beautiful photos! I just have to second SSS’s Rose Musc and throw out En Voyage Perfumes L’Embelm Rouge. I only have a sample, but every time I try it I wrack my brain to try and figure out how to afford a full bottle. If it were from a better known company, there would be rave reviews for this amazing dark rose all over the internet!
      Whoops! I just went on their website, and found that they have a little bottle for only $40.
      Yay! October 26, 2012 at 3:26pm Reply

      • Suzanna: Never heard of it, but now I have :–)

        There’s quite a bit of enabling going on in this discussion! October 26, 2012 at 4:01pm Reply

        • Kimberly: Sorry, I thought my first comment disappeared, so I wrote it again! October 27, 2012 at 6:11pm Reply

  • Kathy: One star that hasn’t been mentioned yet is Shiseido’s White Rose, the truest most luminous rose scent I’ve yet found. I have an alba rose in the garden called Great Maiden’s Blush and it is exactly the same true scent as Shiseido’s, I always wonder if it is what was used. October 26, 2012 at 3:49pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Isn’t that an Asia-exclusive? I have another by Shiseido, the name of which escapes me. Have heard of White Rose, though, and understand it is coveted by many. October 26, 2012 at 4:00pm Reply

      • Kathy: Yes it is, but there are often some from reputable sellers on ebay, that is where I got mine. October 26, 2012 at 9:01pm Reply

        • Suzanna: Good advice, thanks! October 26, 2012 at 11:58pm Reply

  • Cybele: I am not a rose person but I love Homage Amouage; I also enjoy Rose Barbare and Le Labo Rose 31 and highly appreciate Nehema and Paris although I don’t wear them. Urgently need to try Rose Nacree! October 26, 2012 at 6:14pm Reply

    • Suzanna: I wear Paris quite a lot, in its big bouffant rose. Nahema is in the same family, to me.

      Just got the Barney’s catalogue and it has Le Labo Rose 31 body products. Sigh. Add to list with that Jo Malone Red Rose bath oil. October 26, 2012 at 11:52pm Reply

  • Ariadne: So I am in heaven with this post and madly scribbling perfume names! I cultivate “antique” roses in my garden and know of Great Maiden’s Blush. ‘Moooah’ to the maiden!
    Zephrine Drouen is a fabulously scented moderate climber and has NO THORNS.
    I think SSS’s rose perfumes are just great…beautiful quality!
    I also love Juliette Has Gun Lady Vengeance. I find I either like my rose perfume with a whip or a porcelain teacup, nothing in between.
    Ce Soir ou Jamais is one everyone should at least smell. It is like no other and is one of my FBs.
    You also cannot beat having a bottle of rose water as a perennial household staple. It’s lovely as a face tonic as well as a zillion other uses. October 26, 2012 at 6:39pm Reply

    • Suzanna: I am joining you, Ariadne, in the mad scribbling of names.

      Many of us have complimented Sonoma Scent Studio’s rose frags and I like that–as I said, Laurie is very talented and deserves the accolades from us rose lovers.

      Ce Soir ou Jamais was my first “real’ rose frag.

      I’m with you on the rosewater! October 26, 2012 at 11:50pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Pope John Paul II, a white rose–such a creamy scent with apricot nuances. Oh, for a perfume that smells of this, with Mysore sandalwood drydown 🙂 October 26, 2012 at 11:53pm Reply

  • Lynn Morgan: I love the original Stella MacCartney for its naughty, smoky note- it smells like a rose that has been out clubbing all night and has stopped for a ciggie break in the alley out back… not at all grandmotherly! October 26, 2012 at 7:23pm Reply

    • Suzanna: I am almost done with my bottle of Stella, and will buy more. It’s always worked for me and I’ve stayed with it, unlike with other passing-fancy frags. October 26, 2012 at 11:44pm Reply

  • minette: i love rose scents, and probably have more of them than any other (even my “others” have roses in their blends). many of those you mentioned are in my collection (and two – the lutens chypre and the malle – are on my to-buy list).

    my current favorite rose is maitre parfumeur et gantier’s rose opulente. i wind up wearing it several days in a row, which is unusual for me. in other words, it has so much going on, i don’t easily get bored with it. the other rose i am drawn to now is pasteum rose – cold stone, incense and jammy rose. if i want a real mood lift, i choose coup de foudre by parfums del rae – the mix of rose and vetiver is so bright and sunny!

    in vintage scents, i really love the rose in piguet’s visa parfum. i respect the rose in gucci’s arte di gucci, but don’t wear that one often.

    now i must go resmell my egoiste (which i love to wear!) with roses in mind! October 26, 2012 at 8:04pm Reply

    • Suzanna: I’ve not tried that MPG scent, minette, and I am glad you mentioned it. I have Rose Muskissime, which I don’t really love. I’m usually more drawn to the men’s MPG scents (like Santal Noble, for example). October 26, 2012 at 11:45pm Reply

      • minette: i really like rose muskissime, too. but it’s unusual, so i understand why you might not!

        over the weekend i realized that i’d neglected to mention my creeds – fleur de bulgarie, and fantasia de fleurs, which is rose-heavy. both are really nice, if you like a vintage-style dry down. which i do. October 29, 2012 at 4:56pm Reply

  • minette: oops, i meant paestum rose. and oh, yes, i wore cabaret by gres a few days ago – love the bright spiciness.

    and thanks for mentioning stella – i really like that one and wore the heck out of it for a while. must dig it out. October 26, 2012 at 8:07pm Reply

  • Sisty: Thank you for this post — I’m deeply drawn to rose perfumes too. They are my perfume-hating husband’s favorite flower scent. About 10 years ago, when I was getting back into wearing perfume, I asked him (actually, pushed him) to pick a perfume for me. He picked Stella, which still remains one of my favorites. Very true to the flower.

    I don’t think anyone mentioned the problem with many rose perfumes — that they turn sour on the skin. It borders on tragic, but this is what the queen of them all, Creed Fleur de The Rose Bulgare, does on my skin. Stella doesn’t, which is why it remains one of my favorites.

    A dear friend always maintained that Creed Fleurs de Bulgarie was the REAL rose fragrance in that line — sometimes, but not always, I agree.

    Finally, for all you Tocade lovers — a more cheerful, happy, unabashedly synthetic rose-vanilla has yet to be created — you will be blown away by Victoria’s heartbreakingly delicious recipe for rose-vanilla sugar scrub. This one is the Goddess of rose fragrances, costs pennies, softens your skin, and tastes good, too! October 26, 2012 at 9:59pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Sisty, that sour note perplexes me, but I always see it as a rose/bergamot issue. Who knows?

      I used to adore Tocade and wore it a lot. Almost a sig scent, but then someone likened it to Libertine from V. Westwood, which I couldn’t get my nose around, and I haven’t felt the same since. Or quite the same. A happy synthetic, as you say. With a cheerful cap. October 26, 2012 at 11:48pm Reply

  • RVB: Hi Suzanna-I totally agree with you about Une Rose.It truly is a work of art.It’s probably the most powerful rose perfume I know of.I’m also currently enjoying Portrait of a Lady.The ingredients are blended seamlessly and the way the Patchoulol interacts with the Ambrox overdose literally creates a shimmering 3 D hologram of a Middle Eastern rose.It seems to levitate above the skin and I catch whiffs of it throughout the day.I also have and enjoy Paestum Rose(interesting pairing of rose with incense and myrrh) ,Tauer’s Incense rose and Une Rose Chypree,Le Labo’s Rose 31 and DSH’s Inner Sanctum a dirty mossy rose using Bulgarian rose absolute.I wish I could find pre reformulation Rose Poivree before some of the cumin/animal notes were removed.There’s a few in your article I’m definitely going to have to seek out even if that means crossing the gender aisle at the store.Great review! October 26, 2012 at 10:20pm Reply

    • Suzanna: I adored Paestum Rose and then never bought it. Rose Poivree I had in the original form, wore it to the finish, and then it was cleaned up and I never bothered with it again.

      There are never enough and then at the same time too many rose perfumes. My list grows. October 26, 2012 at 11:43pm Reply

  • Elisa: It’s really too hard to pick one “ultimate” because I love rose so much, including many of the perfumes you mentioned above. If I HAD to pick just one rose for life I would choose Rossy de Palma. Just a few that you didn’t mention:

    Fruity dark rose: SSS Vintage Rose, which is really rich and gorgeous with plum and honey.

    Fruity gourmand rose: PdR Rose Praline, which I wore nearly to death this summer, along with the similar Pretty & Pink from DSH.

    Tauer’s roses are great — especially Une Rose Chypree and Incense Rose but I also like Une Rose Vermeille, though not as much as Broadway Nite which has some note overlap (violets, aldehydes, vanilla).

    Also I wanted to say that I use Tea Rose the exact way you do! Mostly for reference, sometimes as a room spray, and every now and then to layer. It layers very well. October 26, 2012 at 10:23pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Great suggestions, Elisa, and thanks for adding them to the list! The comments here alone are a reference unto themselves! October 26, 2012 at 11:37pm Reply

  • carole macleod: God help me, but-Alexander MacQueen’s Kingdom is all roses and sandle wood on me! I love it, but never wear it because it had so many unfavourable reviews. To me it was a rose fragrance-nothing more, and nothing less.

    I love Une Rose, and sometimes wear it on my wrists, with Vetiver Extraordinaire on my ankles, for a woodier rose.

    Creed FDTRB is discontinued? I have the ginormous size, but I kept giving loads of it away. I had no idea it was gone from the line!

    I love Nahema too-roses, sandlewood dry down, with some amazing blooming peaches and passionfruit in the middle 🙂 October 26, 2012 at 10:35pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Carole, I still have my Kingdom, plus the lotion, and wear it often. It always smelled of dry rose petals, sandalwod, and cumin to me (I like and wear a cumin note well, attracting many compliments so it must suit me).

      FDTRB is a vault fragrance now, meaning that at some point it might be de-vaulted and brought out again for purchase.

      GREAT tip about Une Rose, of which I have a decant, and Vetiver Extraordinaire, of which I just bought a bottle and am perplexed what to do with–it isn’t as grassy as it once was and is very ozonic. Thanks! October 26, 2012 at 11:36pm Reply

  • carole macleod: Oops=I forgot-one more favorite-Creed’s Fantasie des Fleurs, which is ultra ebullient roses and osthmanthus.It always makes me smile! And has the ambergris base which I love. October 26, 2012 at 10:41pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Thanks for adding that other Creed, Carole! October 26, 2012 at 11:33pm Reply

  • Cyndi: I think the only rose perfume I ever owned is Guerlain’s Nahema. I have it in the EdP, and it’s so lovely. Would like to venture out and try more. AG Rose Absolue sounds wonderful! October 26, 2012 at 11:15pm Reply

    • Suzanna: I am craving Nahema again and wish I had some…right now!

      AG Rose Absolue hits the mark quite often. It just feels rich. October 26, 2012 at 11:33pm Reply

    • Andrea: I had been searching for it online for awhile, and finally broke down and bought it on e-bay. If you go that route, ask questions first. I was sold a “tester”, which I was not told beforehand. It had the gold lame bag inside of a cardboard sleeve that had “test” written on it. I kept it, because I love the frag, but I was not happy with the seller… Friendly warning!:-) October 27, 2012 at 4:07am Reply

      • Suzanna: Hope you are happier with the frag than you were with the seller! October 29, 2012 at 9:59pm Reply

  • Sisty: I forgot to mention — what about the old-school roses from Caron? Caron Rose, and Nuit de Noel? Exquisite, and the only chypre roses I really like, October 26, 2012 at 11:29pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Sisty, I wish I liked Nuit de Noel, but it has not worked for me and I keep trying. But yes, I most certainly can appreciate the rose in it!

      My post is really just a broad overview of some rose scents I like and own or have owned, and is not meant to be a comprehensive survey of rose fragrances. October 26, 2012 at 11:31pm Reply

  • Andrea: Suzanna, there is another fragrance called Rose Absolue and mentioned a lot on boards. It is not Annick Goutal, but I believe it is another French house. Do you know what perfume this is? I believe it is supposed to be reasonably priced… I need to add it to my “list” but do not know the maker! Love learning about new rose perfumes, BTW! October 27, 2012 at 4:11am Reply

    • George: Yves Rocher…………. October 27, 2012 at 5:25am Reply

      • Andrea: Thank you, George! October 27, 2012 at 5:42pm Reply

    • Victoria: Andrea, is it Yves Rocher by any chance? If so, it’s a wonderful rose with a warm, gourmand twist. For the price, it’s quite a bargain, because it’s really well-made. October 27, 2012 at 10:51am Reply

      • Andrea: Yes! That is the one. I just ordered a mini on e-bay; I like a rose-gourmand on occasion. Tocade used to fit the bill for me, but only when “dabbed” from my sample vial. When I received the bottle, the spray was headache-inducing. It would be great to find another scent that may be similar without the headache! October 27, 2012 at 5:41pm Reply

        • Suzanna: Try Libertine by Vivienne Westwood. October 27, 2012 at 6:36pm Reply

  • Ann-Sofie: I have been wearing Agent Provocateur and Estée Lauder Knowing a lot this autumn. Especially Knowing is supreme – it almost glows during these crisp days. These two are also the only two rose fragrances that does not turn sour and/or dusty on me, but instead transform into yummy rosy leather. And they stay with me the whole day! October 27, 2012 at 5:12am Reply

    • Suzanna: Ann-Sofie, perhaps your finding that AP and Knowing do not turn sour on you will lead others to these great rose scents. October 27, 2012 at 11:12am Reply

  • monsieur: I wore recently rose perfume “Portrait of a lady” and my new favorite rose perfume Tauer “İncense Rose”… October 27, 2012 at 7:07am Reply

    • Suzanna: Two great choices, monsieur! October 27, 2012 at 11:11am Reply

  • Eva S: I adore rose-scents, mostly the dark ones. Favorites are Rose Nacree (SOTD), PoaL, NV Mohur, Tauers Rose Chypree, Amouage Epic Woman and Lumiere Noire pour Femme. October 27, 2012 at 11:48am Reply

    • Suzanna: Great list, and glad to see the Neela mentioned again! October 27, 2012 at 12:01pm Reply

  • Little Red: Patou Joy and Guerlain Nahema, both in parfum, are my absolute favorites. I can’t live without them. I also have Mecheri Mogador in my collection and I thought that was pretty spectacular rose as well. October 29, 2012 at 1:47pm Reply

    • Suzanna: Mogador–there is one that rarely, if ever, gets mentioned!

      Shame Nahema is so HTF these days, but I suppose Saks carries the parfum. I hope so! A gorgeous match between a blooming rose and a pulpy passionfruit.

      I always have Joy EdT on hand. It fizzes. October 29, 2012 at 9:58pm Reply

  • fleurdelys: I don’t do rose perfumes well, although I love the flower itself. For me, the rose has to be hidden, well-blended with the other notes in order to control its cloying aspects. My skin has had success with YSL Paris, White Linen (that rose floating in the middle notes surprised me!), and Ungaro Diva. And of course, Joy is to me the ultimate floral blend. October 31, 2012 at 3:19pm Reply

    • Suzanna: I feel the same way about Joy, fleurdelys. I think I will wear it today! November 1, 2012 at 9:31am Reply

  • MERCEDES: I just love two rose fragrances: Rose Ikebana (Hermessences) and Brulure de Rose (Parfumerie Generale)
    Keep on posting your great reviews!!!! November 24, 2012 at 9:40am Reply

    • Suzanna: Thanks, Mercedes, and I love your rose choices! November 24, 2012 at 8:06pm Reply

  • Aria: Though it appears to be years since the last comment, I couldn’t help myself. I love rose perfumes, Stella being one of my first acquisitions. Having just acquired a sample of Creed’s Fleur de The Rose Bulgare, I can completely agree with you that it is utterly wonderful, if way out of my price range now that it’s only sold in 250ml bottles…

    I stumbled upon this article while attempting to find a creamy rose scent, and now I have ones I’m dying to try! The online perfume oil store Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab has a scent called London that’s quite a nice tea rose as well. February 3, 2014 at 10:11pm Reply

  • Shaumyika Sharma: Thank you for all your very helpful information. I can’t wait to try the Frederic Malle in particular. I really love Tea/Rose by Christopher Brosius (CB I Hate Perfume). I wonder what you think of his brand? He makes water perfumes. June 11, 2014 at 4:22am Reply

  • Rishi Shah: I really love the rose flower and its smell is awesome for everyone, also rose is the flower of kings. And then I’m looking for the ultimate rose scent, and as I know this is an incredibly large pool of fragrance possibilities.Thanks for sharing this valuable article. November 7, 2014 at 2:35am Reply

  • Maya: The most realistic and startlingly beautiful rose perfume I have ever smelled is ‘Persian Rose’ by Pacifica. I was introduced to it at a party I was hosting. I kept smelling roses, and eventually asked if there were roses somewhere that I couldn’t see. It turned out it was just this perfume. I have NEVER smelled a perfume that smelled so much like an actual, fresh rose January 25, 2015 at 11:27am Reply

    • Victoria: You make me want to smell it, Maya! And Pacifica is so affordable too. January 26, 2015 at 3:46am Reply

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