A Rose for Every Nose theme
You can order all perfumes featured in this theme as a pack of samples.
In this theme
Roses first appeared on Earth about 56 million years ago, well before homo sapiens showed up with their fancy ideas about distilling the oil for use as perfume. That would have been around 1000 BC, when the Persians developed technology to extract the fragrance, making it the go-to ‘fume for clout-conscious kings and queens for millennia to come. The attar symbolised status and luxury, with ancient Romans in particular excelling in displays of decadent rose-scented excess. Emperor Nero was the talk of the town after he had silver pipes installed at a bacchanale to spray guests with rosewater between courses. Victorian-era painters delighted in depicting hedonistic scenes of Roman revellers wallowing in towering mounds of rose petals, like hysterical toddlers in an IKEA ball room.
Apart from signalling indulgence and romance, the rose’s truest power lies in giving pleasure. As Gertrude Stein famously wrote, “...a rose is a rose is a rose,” but from where we’re smelling, a rose is not just a rose. The syrupy, sumptuous, sensual bloom is a perfume in itself, and always recognisably rosy. But given all the facets of its distinctive fragrance, “recognisably rosy” includes smelling like clove, myrrh, lemon, raspberry, violet, apple, wine or tea…and beyond.
And if you were to check rose’s perfume report card, “plays well with others” would be one of its many attributes. Twinning rose with geranium enhances its lemony-fresh aspects, for example, while pairing it with spices highlights the wine facets, and partnering with oud foregrounds rose’s leathery side. Contributing to the wide range of rose modes (eg wild and bracing; fresh and pretty; dark and dangerous) are the personalities of the varieties themselves, from fruity Bulgarian rose and green Turkish rose, to honeyed rose centifolia and vivid Taif rose.
Cultivate your budding rose romance with this bouquet of an edit.
A bit of a misnomer, because this Rien (“nothing” in French) really is something! A commanding animalic chypre, with an aldehydic (rather than classic citrus) opening and seriously naughty leather vibes fortified by spicy cumin and sticky labdanum. Here rose is a supporting player, its feral mystery lying in wait beneath layers of smoky incense.
A hypnotically beautiful, geranium-glazed rose from the Taif region of Saudi Arabia. Taif rose is honeyed and lush, and this edp showcases its incredible richness by setting it against the fresh mint-lemon inflection of geranium. Dewy garden gorgeousness.
The friction of grapefruit and guava rubs up against soft, round rose, resulting in a sparkling fruity-floral. The opening is softened by a fig leaf and white peaches accord, before the full tropical smile of guava and lime shines over the proceedings.
The audaciousness of NSFW is that it combines not two, not three, but four superstar roses. This rose supergroup features centrifolia (raspberry-tinged), Bulgarian (sweet), damask (velvety and spicy), and Turkish (clove and cinnamon). A towering Oriental rose perfume.
The wine-like, almost fruity quality of rose is given a piquant lift here by geranium, activating the two flowers’ wonder twin powers. Geranium is decidedly rosy, with an appealingly green/fresh lemon and mint aspect. Its union with rose results in a crisp yet full-bodied profile.
Complex layers of fruits, woods and florals on a leathery background. Roses and tea-like rosehip fuse to a shimmering effect, while earthy patchouli offsets bright orange and raspberry. Musk underlines the edible quality, which is enriched by warming amber. The result is a spiced and leathered rose.
A powerful, powdery and slightly metallic rose fragrance, blended with eight different rose extractions. The result is a raw rose minus sticky sweetness, balanced by an oddly appealing aquatic core.
Rose and violet have a very particular affinity: side by side, they’re both innocent but worldly, sweet, a touch metallic, and suggestive of vintage decadence. Hanamachi’s orris root powderiness is offset by the warmth of agarwood, creating a sensual, feminine effect
A tough, street-smart rose which punctuates honeyed rose Centifolia with a spray of pepper. A move-closer drydown of amber and leather keeps things frisky and confident.