Rose: 149 posts

“Each rose that comes brings me greetings
from the Rose of an eternal spring,”
Rabindranth Tagore, Bengali poet

If jasmine is the King of flowers, rose is most certainly the Queen. Whether one prefers the smiling and effervescent roses, like Hermèssence Rose Ikebana, Les Parfums de Rosine Un Zest de Rose and Parfums 06130 Yuzu Rouge or the somber oriental and chypre like Serge Lutens Rose de Nuit, Montale Aoud Queen Roses and Frédéric Malle Une Rose, the diversity in the world of roses is both fascinating and astounding. Just as aromas of fresh roses can range from apricots to violet jam, the fragrances exploring roses can offer a great variety. Attempting to provide a full overview of roses in the modern perfumery is an impossible task, therefore I shall limit myself to offering a few favorite examples of the rose focused fragrances that demonstrate a particular character and style.

The classical aldehydic florals cannot be envisioned with a rose, glowing in their hearts like a precious jewel, its honeyed sweetness and vegetal richness supporting an opalescent veil of aldehydes. Chanel No.5 is the archetypal aldehydic floral, while Guerlain Liu is Jacques Guerlain’s answer to Ernest Beaux, whose other creation Chanel No.22 gathers a bouquet of white flowers, rose caught among lilacs, orange blossom and jasmine and anointed with myrrh. …

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

Rose is often considered as a quintessential feminine flower, a flower that represents woman in different stages of her life, a flower that men traditionally give to the women they love. The pronounced rose notes in the modern perfumery are usually reserved for feminine compositions, despite the fact that this fascinating flower appears into 75% of all modern fragrances and into 10% of all men’s scents. In the Middle East, where rose is traditionally considered masculine, the yellow rose being the symbol of Islam, it finds way into fragrances intended for men much more often than it does in the West. Since rose is usually interpreted as sweet, lush and soft, it is interesting to experience creations that highlight its masculine side, such as Serge Lutens Rose de Nuit, Les Parfums  de Rosine Rose d’Homme and L’Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses.

Created by Michel Almairac in 1993, Voleur de Roses speaks of rose blossoms covered with wet soil. Patchouli creates a heavy feeling that pervades the atmosphere after the rainstorm as the humid vapors rise over the drenched vegetation….

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

French fauvist painter Henri Matisse once observed that “there is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted.” The same could be said about the perfumer and the art of creating a rose fragrance. At once familiar and desirable, the rose theme has been explored in the modern perfumery quite widely, which means that creating something new and daring requires not only forgetting the classical traditions, but also being able to erase the familiarity, to surprise and to even shock.

The beauty of Serge Lutens Rose de Nuit, created by perfumer Gilles Romey lies in its abstraction of a delicate blossom into a nocturnal animalic scent, as if the petals slowly transform into the warm skin. Every single quality one might expect of rose—sweetness, powderiness, brightness, is twisted into its opposite. Where the roses might evoke delicate softness, Rose de Nuit sheds dark petals, withered at the edges. …

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

A flower of many symbols, rose originated in Persia, where it was considered to be a masculine flower and a flower representing the divine, the ultimate achievement and perfection, since a fragrant blossom crowns its long, thorny stem. Possessing additional symbolism of secrecy and mystery, rose eventually became associated with beauty and love. Hindu goddess of prosperity Lakshmi, whose beauty was considered unrivaled, is supposed to have been born from a rose composed of 108 large and 1,008 small petals. Roman goddess of love, Venus, counted rose among her emblems.

In this light, it is fitting that the newest Les Parfums de Rosine fragrance should intertwine the themes of love and rose. Rose d’Amour was created by Camille Latron, the nose behind Rosa Flamenca. The aldehydic touch makes Rose d’Amour as classical as a bouquet of red roses. However, in contrast to the classical interpretations, Rose d’Amour is barely touched by the sparkling aldehydic veil, which lends a lovely luminous counterpoint to the rich floral motif coursing through the arrangement. …

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

One of the newest fragrances in Montale Aoud range, Steam Aoud is a scent that blends the earthy warmth of hot stones, darkness of dry roses and medicinal pungency of oud. Its base laced with sharp sandalwood and patchouli, Steam Aoud is reminiscent of other fragrances in the Aoud range. …

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