Rose: 149 posts

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

The rose is indelibly associated with Lancôme, given its founder Armand Petitjean’s strong passion for this flower. An avid rosarian, he cultivated roses in his garden in Ville d’Avray, outside of Paris and as a result, not only has the rose become an important symbolic representation of the house, but it has also found a central place in the Lancôme fragrances from Conquête (1935) to Trésor (1990). To commemorate the millennium, Lancôme chose its symbol to shine in a fragrance composed of several different types of roses, such as dune rose, musk rose and Bulgarian rose. The fragrance was named 2000 et Une Rôse (now called Mille et Une Rôse).

The task of creating an outstanding rose fragrance is complicated by the fact that the theme has seen many variations, from the dark chypric to the light citrusy roses, from the languidly seductive to the coyly delicate interpretations. Composed by Christine Nagel, Mille et Une Rôse is a rose that tantalizingly straddles the line between natural and abstract. …

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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 petals floating on water is the aspect of S-Perfume 100% Love that lends it a serene and wistful quality. Luminous accords are arranged like delicate patterns on Japanese silk, their translucence evoking a gentle touch. The composition captures the moment when one loses oneself in a reverie of perfect contentment. If this sensation could be bottled, 100% Love comes close.

100% Love was created by Sophia Grojsman, the nose behind fragrances like Jaipur by Boucheron, Eternity by Calvin Klein, Paris by Yves Saint Laurent, and Trésor by Lancôme. 100% Love is a fascinating fragrance in terms of the development of Grojsman’s artistic vision, whose earlier creations have been revolutionary in terms of their structure, where most of the formula was made up of only a few ingredients, with carefully chosen accents ornamenting the composition. In case of Trésor, four materials comprise 80% of the formula. The result is a panoramic, rather than a sequential composition, unfolding like a fan. …

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

Une Rose was created by Edouard Fléchier for Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums in 2003, and it is a fragrance that hides darkness of woody amber under the sweetness of crimson roses. Its utter lack of sentimentality and preciousness that are common in rose fragrances is akin to Degas’s sympathetic, yet honest treatment of ballet dancers. Beauty with a sinister edge is how Une Rose can be characterized.

The top notes spill into luscious red rose petals, touched by dew. Rose is accented beautifully by geranium, which emphasizes the voluptuous quality of the central accord. A dark honeyed aspect is thrown into relief by the vividness of the rose as it unfolds slowly. The petals can almost be felt against the skin, their silkiness contrasting with a distant dark whisper. This whisper grows louder until it is strong enough to scatter the unctuous richness.

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Focus on rose in a fragrance designated for men seems like a radical offering, yet as my recent interview with sociologist Marcello Aspria revealed, there is nothing quintessentially feminine about rose, other than the meaning afforded to it in a given social context. In the Middle East, rose based fragrances are very popular among men, where rose plays an important role in the religious symbolism.

For the newest offering from Les Parfums de Rosine, François Robert created a rose that is devoid of sunny sweetness and honeyed richness. Instead, the rose in Rose d’Homme is accented by the lemony coriander in the top notes and the earthiness of vetiver in the base. It is a rose that vacillates between waxy petal and woody stem, settling only in the heart, where the floral accord lightens and turns sweeter.

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

Among the fragrances André Fraysse created, none can rival Arpège, which the perfumer composed in 1927 for the French couturier Jeanne Lanvin, in collaboration with Paul Vacher.  Scandal (1932), Rumeur (1932), and Pretexte (1937) followed after the success of Arpège. Jeanne Lanvin dedicated Arpège to her musician daughter, Marie-Blanche, who picked the name for the fragrance.

The original 1927 formulation of Arpège is true to its name–a musical concept of arpeggio–in a sense that individual notes are played distinctly one after another instead of simultaneously. Rose dusted by opalescent aldehydic shimmer unfolds first, followed by rich jasmine.

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