Czech & Speake: 1 post

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Czech & Speake Dark Rose is a fragrance that is certain to surprise. Exploring rose fragrances over the past couple of weeks led me to revisit a number of rose focused compositions, wondering why the roses that fascinated me the most were nocturnal and masculine. Voleur de Roses by L’Artisan, Une Rose by Frederic Malle, Rose d’Homme by Parfums de Rosine, Rose de Nuit by Serge Lutens and, to a lesser degree, Rose Poivree by The Different Company, present beautiful treatments of rose that do not link flowers with their feminine associations. Layering roses with vanilla and sweet notes seems like a natural pairing, and it has been done to the extent that it is refreshing to discover a fragrance that takes the flower and accents its woody, spicy and raw aspects. Experiencing the smoke and incense anointed layers of Dark Rose makes one understand why in the Middle Eastern tradition roses are endowed with masculine traits.

Dark Rose makes one discover the rarely exploited aspect of rose, its thorns, thus separating Dark Rose from the sweet and pretty rose compositions. Admittedly, Dark Rose is not the best rose of the nocturnal genre, but its story still remains novel and its execution intriguing. In this light, my gravitation to Dark Rose after weeks of wearing other rose fragrance is understandable. Moreover, doesn’t one wish to reveal one’s own claws from time to time? …

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