Seeing and reading everyone’s Valentine’s day lists with their favourite rose perfumes got me thinking and looking through my collection. I realised that I don’t own that many out and out rose scents. Indeed, things like Dior’s Ambre Nuit and Santal Noir contain rose, but is it the most prominent note in their compositions? Debatable. Santal Majuscule by Serge Lutens showcases sandalwood covered in rose petals and dusty cacao. Habit Rouge might be close, but it’s multifaceted, with citruses, woods, leather, and vanilla accords acting as an able complement to the floral notes. Rose & Cuir from Frederic Malle is more an abstract impression of a rose rather than a full-blown rose perfume.
Lesser still are Close Up by Olfactive Studio, which marries a cherry note to coffee, spices, and tobacco with the rose well down in the mix. Finally, Jean Claude Ellena’s delightful Un Jardin Sur Le Toit for Hermes feels like a walk through a freshly mown apple and pear orchard, with fresh roses off to the side. Probably the brightest rose in my collection.
We have a winner, though. Elie Saab Essence No.1 Rose takes the cake. One look at the colour of the juice gives you an idea of how this one smells. It’s a dark rose fragrance that contains essences of Bulgarian, Damask, Turkish, and Centifolia rose and rose absolute from Grasse and Turkey, all sumptuously blended with a smooth, creamy Vanilla. Overall, the fragrance has a sweet, dark, syrup-like feel, suggestive of Turkish Delights and whipped cream. So if you like your rose with some gourmand touches, this one’s worth trying.
Everything about this “Essence” line is quality, from the bottles to the ingredients used. So, of course, like all good things, they were discontinued. They are all authored by Francis Kurkdjian, and If you can find them, check them out. The rose is my favourite, and my rosiest perfume of them all.
On a side note, it seems 2022 might be a year for rose scents. Tom Ford, Guerlain, Diptyque, L’Artisan Parfumeur, and Molton Brown, amongst others, will have us smelling the roses in 2022. Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, however, it is possible to wear rose fragrances year- round, and judging by the start of the year, there will be a myriad of new rose perfume options for us to enjoy.
Do you have a favourite rose scent?
Note: Images are my own.