Note: I have been working on the fragrance list for some time and am always adding to it. I fear that I may be missing many rose fragrances in the huge list above and have been remiss in keeping up with this list.
My goal is to have a review of all of the fragrances listed here by guest reviewers. The list below of rose fragrances is by no means a complete list, just the ones that I am currently aware of.
I, as well as others, are passionately interested in fragrances that have rose in the top and middle notes. Rose is in hundreds of fragrances and it would be difficult to list them all.
Please feel free to comment and send in your favorite rose fragrance. Any additions are welcome and appreciated as others may enjoy viewing your favorites. If you wish to add to this collection, please email me and it will be listed here. -RB
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Parfume des Beaux Art Majhoun
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Perfume Des Beaux Arts
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz American Beauty
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Beach Roses
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz La Rose Fleurette
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Rose Vert
Demeter Vinatge Naturals Rosebush
Demeter Rose Bulgaria
Dioressence by Christian Dior
Dior Ambre Nuit
Diptyque L'Ombre dans l’Eau
Diptyque Opôné
Diptyque L'eau
Dolce and Gabbana Rose The One
Dolce & Gabbana Sicily
Dolce & Gabbana
Divine L’Inspiratrice
Eau D’Italie Paestum Rose
E. Coudray Jacinthe et Rose
Editions Frédéric Malle Une Rose
Editions Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose
Editions Frédéric La Parfum de Therese
Editions Frédéric Iris Poudre
Elizabeth Arden Red Door
Elizabeth Arden True Love
Estee Lauder Youth Dew and YD Amber Nude
Estée Lauder BEAUTIFUL
Estee Lauder Knowing
Etat Libre d'Orange Rossy de Palma
Etro Dianthus
Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 1561 Regina
Ferre Rose
Fragonard Ile d' Amour
Fresh Cannabis Rose
Floris London White Rose
Floris London China Rose
Floris London Rose Geranium
Fresh Index Bulgarian Rose
Givenchy Very Irresistible Rose Damascena
Guerlain Rose Barbare
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Rosa Magnifica
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Pivoine Magnifica
Guerlain Ode
Guerlain Nahéma
Guerlain Liu
Guerlain Mitsouko
Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle
Guerlain Apres L`Ondee
Gucci L’Arte di Gucci
Hanae Mori Magical Moon
Hermèssence Rose Ikebana
Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose
Histoires de Parfums 1876 Mata Hari Rose épicée
Houbigant Quelques Fleurs
Hors la Monde Shiloh
Indult Manakara
Issy Miyake L'Eau D' Issy
i Profumi di Firenze Florentia
i Profumi di Firenze Miele Rosa
i Profumi di Firenza Florentia 16
i Profumi di Firenza Florentia 24
i Profumi di Firenza Rosa di Damascus
i Profumi di Firenza Caterina de Medici
Hors La Monde Shiloh
Hermes Les Colognes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose
Hermès Hermèssence Rose Ikebana
Jean-Charles Brosseau Ombre Rose
Jean Patou Joy
JoAnne Bassett Contessa
JoAnne Bassett Chantelle
Jo Malone Red Roses
Juliette Has a Gun Midnight Oud
Juliette Has a Gun Citizen Queen
Juliette Has a Gun Lady Vengeance
Juliette Has a Gun Miss Charming
Keiko Mecheri Damascena
Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum Parfum du Soir
Keiko Mecheri Gourmandises
Keiko Mecheri Mogador
Kenzo UFO Unidentified Fragrance Object
Kingsbury Fragrances Twilight Rose
Kingsbury Frgarnaces Tres Bon
KENZO ESSENTIELLE FLOWER
Laura Mercier de Lune
La Maison la Vanille Noire du Mexique
Lancôme Trésor
L' Occitane Rose 4 Reines
L' Occitane Rose Nuit de Mai
Lancome Mille et Une Rose
Lanvin Rumeur 2 Rose
Laura Mercier Eau De Lune
Le Prince Jardinier Bouton de Rose
Etat Libre d'Orange Rossy de Palma
Etat Libre d'Orange Putain des Palaces
Laura Biagiotti Laura Rose
Le Jardin Retrouvé Thé Rose
Le Jardin Retrouvé Rose Opéra
Le Labo Rose 31 homme
Le Prince Jardinier Bouton de Rose
L'Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses
L'Artisan Parfumeur Drôle de Rose
L'Artisan Parfumeur Safran Troublant
L’ Occitane Four Reines
Les Parfums de RosineSecrets de Rose NEW
Les Parfums de Rosine Diabolo
Les Parfums de Rosine Un Folie de Rose
Les Parfums de Rosine Un Zest de Rose
Les Parfums de Rosine Ecume de Rose
Les Parfums de Rosine Rose d' Été
Les Parfums de Rosine Rosa Flamenca
Les Parfums de Rosine Roseberry
Les Parfums de Rosine Pousserire d’ Rose
Les Parfums de Rosine La Rose d’ Rosine
Les Parfums de Rosine Rose d’ Amour
Les Parfums de Rosine Rose d’ Homme
Les Parfums de Rosine Rose de Feu
Les Parfums de Rosine Twill Rose Homme
Les Parfums de Rosine Rose d`Argent
Les Parfums de Rosine Diabolo Rose
Les Parfums de Rosine Rose Kashmirie
Les Parfums de Rosine Zéphir de Rose
Liz Zorn Perfumes Sinti
Liz Zorn Perfumes Citrine Rose
Lorenzo Villoresi Donna
Lostmarch Iroaz
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Lumiere Noire Pour
Maître Parfumeur et Gantier Rose Opulente
Maître Parfumeur et Gantier Rose Muskissime
Mariella Burani Eau Rosee
Miller et Bertaux Shanti Shanti
Miller Harris Rose en Noir
Manuel Canovas Ballade Verte
Molinard Les Fleurs De Provence Rose
Montale Oud Queen Roses
Montale Roses Musk
Montale Black Aoud
Montale Oud Roses Petal
Montale Oriental Flowers
Montale Oud Ambre
Montale Crystal Flowers
Montale Attar
Montale Velvet Flowers
Montale Royal Aoud
MontaleTa’if Rose
Montale Aoud Damascena
Neil Morris Rose Of Kali
Nobile 1942 Rosa Incantevole
Nobile 1942 - Anonimo Veneziano
Narciso Rodriguez Essence
Narciso Rodrigriguez Narcisco For Her
Neil Morris Fragrances Rose of Kali
Nobile 1942 - Anonimo Veneziano
Odori Zafferano
Ormonde Jayne Ta’if
Oscar de la Renta Rosamor
Paul Smith Roses
Paloma Picasso
Patou Joy
Parfums Gres Cabaret
Parfum d’Empire 3 Fleurs
Parfumes de Empire Eau Sauvé
Parfumes MDCI Rose de Siwa
Perfumer`s Workshop Tea Rose
Parfums de Nicolaï Balkis
Parfums de Nicolaï Rose Intense
Parfums de Nicolaï Rose Pivoine
Parfums de Nicolaï Juste un Reve
Parfumerie Generale Brulure de Rose
Parfums 06130 Lierre Rose
Parfums 06130 Yuzu Rouge
Pascal Morabito Or Noir
Penhaligon Elizabethan Rose
Penhaligon’s Malabah Eau De Parfum
Perfumers Workshop Tea Rose
Pierre Cardin Rose Cardin
Red Flower Guaiac
Ren Rosa Maya
Robert Piguet Baghari
Rochas Tocade
Roja Dove Scandal
Roxana Illuminated Perfume Rosa
Santa Maria Novella Rosa
Santa Maria Novella Rose Water
S-Perfume 100% Love
Serge Lutens Rose de Nuit
Serge Lutens Sa Majeste la Rose
Serge Lutens Nombre Noir
Shu Uemura Fleur de Rose
Stella McCartney Stella
Sisley Paris Soir de Lune
Sonoma Scent Studio Vintage Rose
Sonoma Scent Studio Velvet Rose
Sonoma Scent Studio Rose Musc
Sonya Rykiel Rose
Strange Invisable Perfumes Prima Ballerina
Strange Invisable Perfumes Black Rosette
Stéphanie de Saint-Aignan’s Le Pot Aux Roses
Ungaro Diva
The Different Company Rose Poivrée
Teo Cabanel Julia
Teo Cabanel Oha
Teo Cabanel Alahine
THERAPEUTATÉ une rose pour Sharon
Thierry Mugler Rose Angel
Trance Essence Abbey Rose
Ungaro Apparition
Ungaro Diva
Fleur de Diva by Ungaro
Valentino Rock 'n Rose
Velvet and Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Jewelry of Heaven
Vera Wang Truly Pink
Vicktor & Rolf La Vie En Rose
Vivienne Westwood Anglomania
Yosh Winter Rose
Yosh Sottile 1.61
Yves Rocher Rose Absolute
Yves Saint Laurent Paris
Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche
Yves Saint Laurnet Roses de Bois
Yves Saint Laurnet Yvresse
Oh, my luve’s like a red,
red rose,
That ’s newly sprung
in June;
Oh, my luve’s
like the melodie
That’s sweetly played
in tune.
- Robert Burns
"It was roses, roses all the way"
Robert Browning
"Perfumes are the feelings of flowers" Heinrich Heine
Click here to add text.
"Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs"
William Shakespeare
" I don't know, maybe it was the roses"
Grateful Dead
A White Rose
The red rose whispers
of passion,
And the white rose
breathes of love;
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose
is a dove.
But I send you a
cream-white rosebud
With a flush on
its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.
- J B O'Reilly (1844-1890)
We can complain
because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.
- Abraham Lincoln
Don´t worry about
the future;
better laze under the trees, drinking wine
and making fragrant
our graying locks
with roses.
- Horace
And I will make
thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies.
- Christopher Marlowe
Their lips were four
red roses on a stalk.
-Shakespeare
The world is a rose; smell it and pass it to your friends.
- Persian Proverb
What's in a name?
that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
-Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
Pleasure is the flower that passes; remembrance, the lasting perfume.
- Jean de Boufflers
Don't wear perfume
in the garden -
unless you want to be pollinated by bees.
- Anne Raver
The old tree is shook
White blossoms slowly
float down
Dancers in the wind
- Alexandra Kim
You love the roses-so do I
I wish the sky
would rain down roses,
Why will it not?
Then all the valley would
be pink and white
And soft to tread on
They would fall as light
As feathers, smelling sweet;
and it would be
Like sleeping and like waking, all at once!
-George Eliot
A profusion of pink roses bending ragged in the rain speaks to me of all gentleness and its enduring.
- William Carlos Williams
Who that has reason,
and his smell,
Would not among
roses and jasmin dwell?
-Mme.A Bigot deCornuel Paris 1853
Beauty never slumbers;
All is in her name;
But the rose remembers
The dust from which it came.
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
Let me show you
Sweet smell of a
delicate whisper
Behind the vision
of gardens
Go and read of your life
Tiny ripping at the heart
Drunk from a rose
-Erica Caitlin Lee
I'd rather have roses
on my table than diamonds on my neck.
- Emma Goldman
A single flow'r
he sent me,
since we met.
All tenderly his
messenger he chose;
Deep-hearted, pure,
with scented dew
still wet-
One perfect rose.
I knew the language
of the floweret;
'My fragile leaves'
it said,
'his heart enclose'
Love long has taken
for this amulet
One perfect rose.
Why is it no one ever sent me yet
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah no, its' always just my luck to get
One perfect rose.
- Dorothy Parker
The Scent Of The Rose
Let Fate do her worst;
there are relics of joy,
Bright dreams
of the past,
which she cannot destroy;
Which come in
the night-time
of sorrow and care,
And bring back the features that joy
used to wear.
Long, long be my heart
with such memories filled,
Like the vase in
which roses
have once ben distilled.
You may break,
you may shatter the vase
if you will,
But the scent of the roses
will hang round it still.
- Thomas Moore
Eau D’Italie
Paestum Rose
by Kathy Patterson
Notes: davana, cinnamon,
pink and rose pepper,
black pepper, coriander,
blackcurrant buds,
osmanthus, peony,
Turkish rose, tea, elemi,
incense, myrrh, opopanax,
cedarwood, papyrus,
patchouli, Wenge wood,
vetiver, musk, and benzoin
I have never before
encountered a fragrance like Paestum Rose, one with so many personalities it seems like at least three different perfumes. The list of ingredients seems outrageously encyclopedic – how many does a single fragrance need, after all? And how on earth would they be anything but a cacophony? Amazingly enough, it works, as the many notes reveal themselves in stages over time.
Paestum Rose starts out with a peppery damp wood scent with elements of incense and myrrh and patchouli. Quite nice, and not as masculine as one might think. Then a big cedar note starts to reveal itself, slowly pushing away the cloud of incense. And all around it is the scent of roses, powdery ones that become less powdery and more musky over time. After about an hour, the cedar fades quite a bit and is replaced by a greenness, like rose leaves and unbrewed powdered green tea.
An amazing fragrance for those who love the intensity of roses and woods.
I Profumi di Firenze
Miele Rosa
By Kathy Patterson
Notes: Sicilian wild orange
blossom honey,
Damascus red rose
This is a very evocative scent for me. Every
spring during my Catholic childhood I participated
in a ceremony known as the May procession.
This involved a solemn parade of parishioners
following a statue of the Virgin Mary, crowned in roses
and borne on a flower-decked bier. I am also reminded
of the scent of hundreds of lit offertory candles that
fill the front of the church on this day of celebration.
Miele Rosa starts off with a very strong somewhat powdery rose with a delicate honeyed undertone more like beeswax than honey itself. I also detect an incense-like quality and a slight scent of woods. In the drydown, the rose softens quite a bit to meld with the soft honeyed quality of this fragrance.
According to the I Profumi press materials, Miele Rosa is the first collaboration between Los Angeles artist and beauty entrepreneur Miryana Babic and the Florentine perfumer Alessandro Morsiani. Inspired by the bathing rituals of the ancients, Miryana sought to create an all-natural aromatherapy-type of perfume that conveyed the sensuality and luxury of a honey, milk and rose petal bath. Miele Rosa pays homage to this royal feminine tradition, slipping one back into time as the perfume soothes, allures, and heightens the senses.
Miele Rosa is a limited edition perfume sold exclusively at Barneys New York.
Editions de Frederic Malle
Lipstick Rose
By Kathy Patterson
Notes: rose, violet, vetiver, musk,
vanilla
A sweet and powdery scent,
definitely starting out more violet
than rose to my nose. The rose comes out more
forcefully in the drydown, along with the musk and vanilla.
Unlike other powdery scents, Lipstick Rose is quite cheerful
and young, rather than old-ladyish. In fact, the powder
fades quite a bit as the rose picks up strength.
Serge Lutens
Sa Majeste La Rose
By Kathy Paterson
Notes: moroccan
rose, blue chamomile,
geranium,lychee,
clove, honey,vanilla
and gaiac wood
When I first sprayed
this on, I literally
said, "wow!" out
loud. The rose is
intense and fresh,
with a bit of greenery,
perhaps a hint of spice
from the geranium.
The honey and wood notes are very subtle and remain in the background of this fairly linear fragrance. That is, the scent does not change much from initial application to drydown, except that it fades quite a bit. A very sophisticated rose scent, I picture stylish women in gorgeous hats wearing it. Lovely.
Les Parfums de Rosine La Rose
By Kathy Patterson
Notes: violet, marigold, ylang ylang,
roses, jasmine, iris, tonka bean,
benzoin resin, Peruvian balsam
La Rose starts out with a rowdy and sweet balsamic note that almost completely overpowers the floral aspects of this fragrance. Then it calms down and reveals the powdery iris and candied violet that accompany the soft rose, as equal partners rather than in supporting roles. In the drydown, the rose takes its rightful place as the star, coming forward from the powdery haze and settling into a light cloud of vanilla-y resins.
Montale Aoud Ambre
by Raphaella
Montale Aoud Ambre is undoubtedly one of the most voluptuous fragrances from Montale Paris. The luxurious layers of warm amber scattered with rose petals are supported by the intriguing tobacco and honey richness of Oud, the mystical and highly prized resin.
Like a passionate embrace, the woody notes cradle the radiance of amber, softening it up with the sweet spicy accord. I first tested this a year ago; I absolutely hated this since all I could smell was tobacco. I re-tested this recently and now consider this to be an incredible sexy fragrance for women! Montale Aoud Ambre is perfect for fall and winter especially if you are in the mood for something other than a “straight rose and amber” scent.
This is a luscious rose floral with amber and the slight hint of tobacco vanishes quickly. Everything about this perfume is perfect.
Alamut
Lorenzo Villoresi
By Raphaella Barkley
The latest fragrance from
perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi.
I find this to be a perfect
fall/winter fragrance for
walking in the fall leaves,
Christmas shopping, baking
cookies or just hanging around
feeling luscious.
This scent is warm and comforting
yet a tad glamorous and sexy.
How can that be? After reviewing the notes below, I can see why. Staring at the ruby red bottle, I imagine that a ruby gem would smell like this fragrance. The notes are: Osmanthus, Rose, Jasmin, Rosewood and exotic flowers, Narcissus, Tuberose, Ylang Ylang, Orange Blossom, Labdanum, Amber, Musk, Amyris, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Benzoin, leather.
“A warm and sensual fragrance, a journey to the Orient, a fragrant arabesque. The rich, opulent and velvety flowers of a Thousand and one night, dreams of secret gardens in the moonlight of the fresh oriental night. The enveloping scent of rare and precious woods, the seducing embrace of Tonkin Musk, the profound and mysterious aroma of Amber”.
“The ancient Persian castle of Alamut inspired Lorenzo Villoresi to create a fragrance capturing the opulence of its fabled gardens. Luxurious like brocaded silk and warm like Middle Eastern nights, Alamut unfolds in layers of jasmine and osmanthus. Made intoxicating by the narcotic richness of narcissus and tuberose, the heart of the composition melds into the sensual base of woods and amber.
The Rose
Throughout the history of civilization, the rose has stirred us with its beauty, filled our senses with its perfume, expressed our love, inspired our literature, art and sparked our imaginations.
No other flower has been so immortalized and integrated into daily life as the rose. From poetry to music, from festivities to wars, birth to death, holidays, the rose has held a unique role; they have been symbols of love, beauty, war, and politics.
The rose is, according to fossil evidence, 35 million years old. Garden cultivation of roses began some 5,000 years ago. During the Roman period, roses were grown extensively in the Middle East. They were used as confetti at celebrations, for medicinal purposes, and as a source of perfume. Mention of roses appeared frequently in the written records of early civilizations, such as those of the Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans.
Confucius (551-479 BC) was reported to have many books in his library on how to care for roses. It is said that Cleopatra (69-30 BC) was so enamored of them that on special occasions the floor of her palace was carpeted with rose petals.
The oldest garden rose is called the apothecary rose, Rosa gallica officinalis, and it was believed to cure a multitude of illnesses. According to Greek mythology, the rose is the flower of love. Endowed with beauty, charm, joy and sweet scent, it was created by the Greek goddess of flowers out of a body of a nymph.
Roses were considered special by the Romans and they were grown for pleasure and for use at wedding celebrations, as medicine, and to make perfumes and fragrant oils. In the 15th century roses became the political symbol of the York (white rose) and Tudor (red rose) families, who were fighting for control of England in what became known as the “War of the Roses”. Empress Josephine of France (1763-1814) is perhaps the best known patron of roses. In her gardens at Malmaison, she grew over 250 varieties of roses.
Napoleon’s wife Josephine was an avid rose collector and established a fabulous rose garden at her estate just outside Paris. It is rumored that she was so attached to her rose garden that an English nurseryman was allowed behind French battle lines during the French Revolution just to care for her flowers.
Roses were in such high demand during the seventeenth century that royalty considered roses or rose water as legal tender, and they were often used as barter and for payments.
Napoleon's wife Josephine established an extensive collection of roses at Chateau de Malmaison, an estate seven miles west of Paris in the 1800s. This garden became the setting for Pierre Joseph Redoute's work as a botanical illustrator. In 1824, he completed his watercolor collection "Les Rose," which is still considered one of the finest records of botanical illustration.
The rose is the supreme symbol of the heart and the heart chakra. Congress designated the rose as the national floral emblem of the United States.
From a painting from Pompeii, 1st C. A.D., showing a rose tied to a cane.
Rose Photos: Rose Images for Office & Home
Jim Bass's photographs of roses are true works of art, they offer images that
explore the subtle beauty of roses in a highly artistic way.
They bring to your home or office a truly spectacular and unique rose photograph that are true works of art.
As a presence in a room with its scent, color, and shape, a rose
can take possession of the viewer's innermost thoughts and emotions,
making everything else look absurdly small in comparison.
Flowers are the messengers of our most sacred feelings. They
have a language of their own. As gifts they are capable of expressing
all shades of feelings and passions. The rose is especially noted,
as it is the archetypal flower. The rose has endured as metaphor
through the ages, surviving a partial death for at least eleven
centuries in the West. The decline can be attributed to the difficulty
and ambivalence of applying its meaning to new religious beliefs,
primarily Christianity. Eventually the rose ended up as a predominant
symbol of Christianity, and the Virgin herself became known as La
Rosa Mystica or the Mystic Rose. The rose has deep meanings that
cannot be destroyed. They can simply be redirected.
The rose encompasses a magnificent territory that must be experienced
first hand. Consequently, when we attempt to construct a map of the territory
we leave much of it uncharted. The rose transcends a specific meaning to a given culture and a given time. The rose has been prized for thousands of years throughout a wide range of cultures, and has come to symbolize many different things. We can search for its meanings through mythology, religion, art and literature.
Cirlot stated that the meaning of roses can be attributed to the number of petals and the colors, to this I would like to add fragrance. Our sense of smell is one of our deepest senses. Fragrance is the secret substance that embodies the true nature of the rose. Sartre once described the spiritual essence of scent as, "A vaporized body which has remained completely itself but which has become a volatile spirit". David Austin has said that scent is the soul of the rose. It is something that we can not hold in our hands, which is always shifting and changing. Jack Goody states that applying meanings to flowers came from the East. Meaning can be highly subjective but some thoughts are universally accepted.
Old things, in such a light, grow subtle and fine.
Bare oaks are like still fire.
Talk to me: now we drink the evening's wine.
Look, how our shadows creep along the grave!
And this way, how the gravel begins to shine!
This is the time of day for recollections,
For sentimental regrets, oblique allusions,
Rose-leaves, shriveled in a musty jar.
Scatter them to the wind!
There are tempests coming.
It is dark, with a windy star.
If human mouths were really roses, my dear,
(Why must we link things so?
I would tear yours petal by petal with slow murder.
I would pluck the stamens, the pistils,
The gold and the green,
Spreading the subtle sweetness
that was your breath
On a cold wave of death....
Now let us walk back, slowly, as we came.
We will light the room with candles; they may shine
Like rows of yellow eyes.
Your hair is like spun fire, by candle-flame.
You smile at me--say nothing. You are wise.
For I think of you, flung down brutal darkness;
Crushed and red, with pale face.
I think of you, with your hair disordered and dripping.
And myself, rising red from that embrace.
Excerpt from a poem "The Charnel Rose" by Conrad Aiken (1889-1973)
Antique Les Parfums de Rosine bottle
"Would you tell me,' said Alice, a little timidly, `why you are painting those roses?'
"Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a RED rose-tree,
and we put a white one in by mistake; and if the Queen was to find it out,
we should all have our heads cut off, you know." -Alice In Wonderland
The structured prayer form of 150 Hail Marys was termed a "rosary". This expression came from the Latin rosarium or rosarius, a name given to works collecting the best of teachings. Arnold of Villanova wrote a Rosarius Philosophorum, explaining that it was a compendium, a thesaurus, a treasury of philosophy. Here the symbolism of the rosary stands as a precious anthology of spirituality.
Our Lady of the Rosary is Our Lady of the roses, because the flowers are the symbols of greeting offered to the Mother of God. We greet her with spiritual flowers.
Rosa Mystica ~ Mystical Rose
The rose was symbol of mystery (antiquity), and for early Christians a metaphor of both martyrdom and paradise. The half image (on left) of Mary in this illustration emerges from a giant rose bush planted in a French garden. Two potted rose trees flank the central image. All three serve as visual support to the scriptural references of the rose symbolism applied to Mary.
The rose bush with open petals serving as throne of Our Lady bears the following caption: “Open up your petals like roses planted near running water”
The Rose
Sung by Bette Midler
Some say love it is a river
that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love it is a hunger
an endless aching need
I say love it is a flower
and you it's only seed
It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
who cannot seem to give
and the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live
When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long
and you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed
that with the sun's love
in the spring
becomes the rose
THE ROSE WITHOUT A THORN
CATHERINE HOWARD:
1520-1542
A strumpet in the finest tradition, Catherine Howard
was a rather silly, vivacious girl of nineteen when her
uncle the Duke of Norfolk tossed her into Henry's lap.
Unlike her cousin Anne Boleyn before her, Catherine
was apparently guilty of the "crimes" attributed to her,
having galavanted about with some lad named Culpepper
both before and after her marriage to Henry, for which
she was tried and beheaded. The youngest and prettiest
of Henry's brides, she was wedded at a buxom 19 to a
fat, doting, cantankerous Henry. We can hardly blame
her for seeking comfort and refuge elsewhere. What we
can blame her for is for being daft enough to get caught.
On Sunday evening, 12 February 1542, she was told that
she was to die the following day. She merely asked for the
block to be brought to the apartment, so that she might
rehearse the scene, so as not to falter or appear nervous
at the crucial moment on the following day.
Rosicrucian Rose
The rose is a yonic symbol associated with generation, fecundity, and purity. The fact that flowers blossom by unfolding has caused them to be chosen as symbolic of spiritual unfoldment. The red color of the rose refers to the blood of Christ, and the golden heart concealed within the midst of the flower corresponds to the spiritual gold concealed within the human nature. The number of its petals being ten is also a subtle reminder of the perfect Pythagorean number. The rose symbolizes the heart, and the heart has always been accepted by Christians as emblematic of the virtues of love and compassion, as well as of the nature of Christ—the personification of these virtues.
Occasionally the symbol of a cross rising from a rose was used in connection with their activities.
The Rosicrucian rose was drawn upon the Round Table of King Arthur, and is the central motif for the links forming the chain from which the "Great George" is suspended among the jewels of The Order of the Garter.
Dante:” Why are you so enamored of my face that you do not turn your gaze to the beautiful garden which blossoms under the radiance of Christ? There is the Rose in which the Divine word became flesh: here are the lilies whose perfume guides you in the right ways." Dante uses also a more general symbolism of the rose that of the universe, like the lotus in Asia. Indeed, with its multiple petals the rose is a beautiful image of our expanding cosmos.
rose woodcutting from year 1410
NEW
A Week of Roses
Kathy Patterson
I've been testing rose fragrances for the past couple of months, and I'm starting to find some favorites. Some were love at first sniff, and others I didn't care for at all. Judging by the huge list of rose fragrances--an incomplete one at that--that the lovely Raphaella is compiling for Sniffapalooza Magazine, I haven't even made a dent in the number of rose scents available!
I'm astonished to find that there are so many different varieties of rose-based fragrances. Some are fruity/gourmand (Balkis). Some are powdery with violets (Lipstick Rose). Some have citrus notes (Rose Ikebana). Still others are blended with incense (Ava Luxe Incense Rose). Some fragrances I simply love (West Side). Others, I find somewhat harsh (Une Rose).
This week was my Week of Roses - I wore a different rose-based fragrance to work every morning. All ones I like, of course - why spend the day smelling something I don't absolutely enjoy?
Monday: Stella McCartney Stella
My first rose scent, and still one of my favorites. A deep dark rose with amber and peony.
Tuesday: Bond No. 9 West Side
A rose scent that lets peony share top billing in a sweet ambery haze.
Wednesday: Vivienne Westwood Anglomania
A powdery rose with spice and leather.
Thursday: Hermes Rose Ikebana
Both green and citrusy, this rose is a bracing and refreshing scent.
Friday: Frederick Malle Lipstick Rose
A bright and happy rose scent accented by powdery violets.
"Barefoot, we walk on a path
of multi-hued rose petals,
a sigh of intoxicated
enchantment ...at every step"
Caron Parfum Sacre
By Kathy Patterson
Notes: vanilla, myrrh, civet, cedarwood, lemon,
pepper, mace, cardamom, orange blossom, rose,
jasmine, rosewood
Parfum Sacre is a sweet floral warmed by vanilla
and spices. The opening jasmine and orange
blossom floral notes are accented by the leathery
quality of the resinous myrrh that turns spicy with
hints of mace and cardamom. The rose emerges
in the spice along with sweet vanilla and a bare
hint of woods.
This is a comforting scent that is for an
evening by the fireplace with a good book,
but it is also quite sexy and delicious and
perfect for the boudoir as well.
Parfums des Beaux Arts,
Dawn Spencer Horowitz Perfumes
American Beauty
By Kathy Patterson
Notes: bergamot, cassis bud, palma rosa,
rosewood (bois de rose), Bulgarian rose
absolute, Bulgarian rose otto, centifolia rose
absolute, Egyptian rose geranium, Moroccan
Rose absolute, orris, ciste absolute, East Indian
patchouli, Mysore sandalwood, Peru balsam
A slightly boozy opening note first turns powdery
then becomes a beautiful sweet rose, yet one that
is muffled a bit, as if hiding under a cloth or in a box.
In the drydown, a dry, powdery, not at all woodsy
sandalwood comes forth, accompanied by a slightly
balsamic note. This sandalwood note is not a pleasant
one to my nose, as it seems to lack the quality of the
other notes in the composition; it is far too powdery/
dry/dusty and smothers the already subtle rose scent.
Several hours in, the sandalwood dies down a bit to let the now-faded rose reemerge.
Drole is similar to Lipstick Rose, but more like a
sophisticated older sibling than a twin.
There is the nutty nip of aniseseed and the softest
hint of leather in the opening, and the floral sweetness
of orange blossoms dipped in honey. Apart from
the orange blossom note, the drydown is almost
exactly like LR, sweet and powdery, yet young
and playful.
A Maze
Notes: henna, saffron, taif rose, orange blossom,
wardia rose, agarwood, sandalwood, musk, civet
The distinctive astringent smell of saffron is my first
impression, with a rose undertone. The beginning of the
drydown is slightly woodsy and slightly musky, and then
quite a while later, it's all about sandalwood.
I'm not smelling the civet though.
Marketing material states that A Maze "strikes a
somewhat lighter note." I've read reviews that have
wondered, "lighter than what? surely not the soft and
comforting Luctor et Emergo!" I've also seen comparisons
to Montale Oud fragrances (having never smelled
any, I can't confirm or deny this), but I understand
they are powerfully fragrant concoctions. But wearing
the two fragrances side by side on the same arm, I can
agree that yes, A Maze is indeed lighter than L et E.
The saffron becomes softer in the drydown, the roses are a
faint whisper, and the whole composition, if rated on a scale of 1 - 10, 10 being the strongest, would be about a 4.5, whereas the powdery marzipan of L et E might score a 6. A subtle difference yes, but that's the way I see it.
I rather like both fragrances and will have to test them a few more times to decide whether they are full bottle-worthy, as they are on the pricey side (EDP $165 for 90ml.)
Lure of the Temptress
Les Parfums de Rosine
Ecume de Rose
“Foam of the Rose”
By Raphaella
I have always been intrigued by Les Parfums de Rosine and often wonder if I am on my way to collecting all of the fragrances in the line. How many variations of rose can there be? The collection revolves solely around the timeless appeal of roses, one of perfumery’s most highly treasured materials. In 1991, Marie Hélène Rogeon's experience in perfumeries led her to found Les Parfums de Rosine in the Parisian Palais Royal. Her
intention was to relaunch the forgotten perfumes of Paul Poiret, and on doing so, led her on to her own journey of creating these distinctive rose-based fragrances.
In the Rosine line, each perfume is uniquely different and Ecume de Rose is no exception. Ecume de Rose opens with a refreshing burst of bright water lilies and black currant leaves, conjuring images of a morning walk in a garden near the ocean. The fragrance then melds into the heart with a
fresh bouquet of dune roses and rose attar
with a wonderful base of light woodsy notes
of vetiver, amber and white musk.
Ecume de Rose by Parfums de Rosine
By Diane Artzberger
At first sniff this was a “ perfect rose” to my
nose. Ecume de Rose smells so like the
fragrance you get when you stick your nose
into a large tea rose bush that is growing
outside your home. I get a tiny touch of
powder, and find the fragrance a bit old
fashioned but only a little. Ecume is a really
refreshing perfume, and one that has become
a favorite. Despite the many notes listed, I really smell mainly rose with a slight tang of something else, the something that makes it an outside rose instead of an inside rose bouquet, but not something sweet. I found it to stay fairly linear, even though it is not really a linear fragrance.
The Rosine line in general is very nice, but this one, to me, is a standout, more so than La Rose or Rose d‘Ete. The sillage is light and it is fairly long lasting.
Notes include : blackcurrant leaves, water lilies, dune roses, vetiver, white musk.
NEW REVIEW
Guerlain
Rose Barbare
by Kathy Patterson
Notes: Ottoman rose,
honey-chypre notes
Chandler Burr has written that
Rose Barbare is a modern
reinterpretation of Guerlain’s classic
chypre Mitsouko. The new fragrance
substitutes rose for Mitsouko’s jasmine.
It opens up with a rose and peach combination with a nice balance of tart and sweet. Then the scent turns almost leathery and quite a bit spicy with the typical chypre patchouli notes. The drydown also has a greenish woodsy quality that supports the ever-present rose.
The overall effect of this scent is sharp and perhaps even a bit astringent, and I’m not getting the “honey” part at all, unless it’s describing the sweet (but not cloying) quality of roses. I might not describe this particular rose scent as “barbaric,” but it definitely has thorns.
Rose Barbare | Guerlain
Mitsouko | Guerlain
by Chandler Burr
In 2004, the Creative Director of Guerlain, Sylvaine Delacourte,
approached several perfumers, among them Francis Kurkdjian,
with the proposition of creating a new Guerlain feminine.
What was interesting about the "perfume brief" (the perfume's
conceptual blueprint) was that there was no brief, at least not
in a traditional sense. Delacourte wanted, she said quite
concisely, a concept of rose. She stipulated a rose not vapid,
not romantic, and not sweet. But what it could be? No guidance.
"Give us your concept— whatever you want." Kurkdjian not only
created Rose Barbare, a sublime rose, in three weeks,
he did it in one, single modification.
The concept of Rose Barbare is a contemporary
reinterpretation of Guerlain's 1919 Mitsouko, one of the
greatest chypres ever. A chypre perfume is the most strictly
parametered of any classic category, built on a mathematical
equation of three precise materials: mousse de chêne
(oak moss) + ciste labdanum (which comes from a bush
and smells, bizarrely enough, like a wild rutting animal) +
patchouli. And then all the usual theological arguments:
Must there or must there not also be a citrusy bergamot top,
etc. Jacques Guerlain built Mitsouko by breaking the power
of the oak moss with a natural jasmine and, more significantly,
a new synthetic molecule that had recently appeared. Jukov
and Schestakow might have patented aldehyde C-14
(actually not an aldehyde but a lactone; it's real name is gamma-undecalactone) in 1908, but Michael Edwards reports that it had been available from other suppliers, and it was probably Firmenich that introduced Jacques Guerlain to the molecule in the form of a base it called Persicol, which it had put on the market in 1908. C-14 was a marvel, a fruity, aromatic, delicious scent that gave ripe peach skin. Guerlain plugged C-14 into the equation perfectly (the rumor is, actually, similar to Chanel 5, that he in fact accidentally overdosed the stuff; who knows), and Mitsouko became a thing of subtle opulence, strength and balance and silken twilight.
Kurkdjian took Mitsuoko's idea and spun it forward. Instead of jasmine, he built with rose as the steel skeleton of this machine, an extremely expensive Turkish rose absolute from the excellent Grasse-based scent materials producer Robertet. The rose/patchouli accord features in Clinique's 1971 Aromatics Elixir by IFF perfumer Bernard Chant, and Kurkdjian himself had done a run with it in his Narcisco Rodriguez. Here, he welded on the C-14 for the peach, then attached aldehyde C-11, which gives at once a certain rosiness and a tiny zinging sharp. Then Firmenich's Hedione and some musks. The result is one of the most stunning roses on the market. That this thing was built in one mod doubles the effect. Here is a scent that sweeps over you like the shadow of an Airbus 340, vast and utterly smooth in a mixture of light and dark, impressive in its wingspan, but it has is a tactile component that is eye-narrowing, like running your fingers lightly over 000-gauge sandpaper. Paris is a gorgeous rose, and Shiseido's White Rose is a luminous one, but Rose Barbare, with this texture like a sheet of graphite, is the one whose skin you can feel.
(Re-printed with permission from Chandler Burr. All rights reserved.)
Chandler Burr of the New York Times now has a new "one click" link to all of his New York Times
columns on "The Moment", The Times Style blog. Chandler's new blog version of his Scent Notes
column on the Times website conveniently gives access to all the online Scent Notes columns, with the
most recent always conveniently on top. His columns appear each Thursday.
Chandler Burr is the fragrance critic for The New York Times and renowned author of The Emperor of
Scent and THE PERFECT SCENT: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris & New York. Kirkus
Reviews called his book "A fascinating, unprecedented work of behind-the-scenes long-form journalism
by the New York Times' scent critic" . You can also visit Chandler Burr.com
The opening rose note of Une Rose is sweet and tangy at the same time, with the slight spiciness of geranium and the herbal quality of chamomile. In the drydown, the “truffle accord” makes itself known, not as the sme
ll of truffles (thankfully) but as the sting of patchouli and the earthy and somewhat balsamic quality of vetiver.
The overall intentioned effect of Une Rose is of a garden rose ripped from the earth, roots and all. (I’m guessing those Malle folks don’t realize that roses grow on bushes and chances are there won’t be “une” rose attached to those roots.) Interesting, yes.
All rights reserved 2006-2009. All content belongs to Sniffapalooza Magazine and Raphaella Brescia Barkley.
All articles by individual writers and contributors, understand and agree that each article that is accepted by the Editor for publication; becomes the property of Sniffapalooza Magazine for the sole purpose of publication for Sniffapalooza Magazine. Articles may be archived for permanent use on the web site for Sniffapalooza Magazine and for future issues. All articles remain the property of Sniffapalooza Magazine for display purposes only.
Head: currant leaves, lilies of the sea, Heart: roses of the dunes, strawflowers, St John's Wort, attar from roses, Base: vetiver, grey ambergris, white musk
Last rose update March 5, 2010 with over 45 additions
"When all of the flower ladies want back
what they have lent you
And the smell of their roses does not remain... Won't you come see me,
Queen Jane?"
--Bob Dylan, "Queen Jane Approximately"
Serge Lutens Sa Majeste La Rose. Some describe this a "dirty green rose". This is Serge Lutens’s ode to the Queen of flowers. Sa Majesté La Rose is another stunning rose and ultimate seductress, a rose of fresh dew resting on rose petals. Notes of Moroccan rose absolute, gaiac wood, clove, white honey and musk. A fragrance which blooms on the skin in the heat of day or night.
One of my favorite reviews of Sa Majesté La Rose was by Theresa Duncan.
out of the ocean, shimmering blue waves crowned by soft green and white foam. Out of this, grows the wild rose, this enchantress. There is an exciting wildness of Ecume de Rose, conjuring a romantic magical image, indeed, of an ocean goddess that just happens to be right next to a spectacular flower garden that leads straight to my heart.
"Nympho" Image/Art above courtesy of Carol Tipping FRPS.
