Roses revisited

At the beginning of this month I jotted down a few thoughts on Neil Morris A Rose is a Rose, which you can read here. I really enjoyed the perfume, which is very rosy to start with, then becomes rather musky on my skin.

Recently I've also been wearing Sonoma Scent Studio's Vintage Rose. The website describes Vintage Rose as dusky, which I entirely agree with. It is quite a dry perfume, and the rose note is not fresh and dewy, but rather quite herbal, a little bit like potpourri. For me, Vintage Rose ends up smelling very strongly of labdanum, a bit of a Sonoma Scent Studio house note, I would dare to suggest. If you are not a fan of labdanum, then Vintage Rose might not be your cup of tea. For me, it is nice, but not my favourite from the line.

Another rose fragrance I've been trying is Frederic Malle's monumental Une Rose. I'm going to go out on a limb here and state that in my opinion this is one of the best rose perfumes ever created, a masterpiece by Edouard Flechier. I know it is a matter of opinion, but I think the other rose perfume in the Malle lineup, Portrait of a Lady, pales by comparison. Sorry some of you prominent bloggers out there, but that is what I think!

I've had a sample of Une Rose for years, and every time I wear it, I swoon at its beauty, sophistication and complexity. This is a rose fragrance that continually evolves and reveals different facets every time I wear it. It starts deceptively fresh, dewy and joyful, like a warm spring breeze. Then within minutes it darkens, almost imperceptibly, like a hint of the shadow from a cloud across the sun. It sweetens, it deepens, and then that rich, earthy truffle accord seeps through, so that it smells mysterious and dangerously seductive, on a woody base. The rose is always there though, reminding us that most roses have thorns, and that is part of their beauty. Une Rose is the dark rose to beat all dark roses. I love the Malle line, but I think if I had to choose just one (and it is a close call with the almost equally beautiful Vetiver Extraordinaire) Une Rose would be it.