Different from your grandmother’s rose perfume
Eager for a bouquet of Valentine’s roses? Fortunately, they will be a trending olfactory gift as heritage and niche artisans twist tradition with avant-garde rose-infused elixirs. Some of the best noses in the business have taken on the rose challenge by offering new perspectives on this ubiquitous fragrance ingredient. With so many recent experimental rose-scented launches, let’s sniff out the best and highlight points of differentiation. Follow along and smell the roses!
The gourmand route
Some perfume houses went straight to the kitchen to update this garden floral. Alexander McQueen’s new Celtic Rose creates dark romance, adding the punch of black pepper to form a spicy floral. Young Rose, by Byredo, also features Sichuan pepper for a spirited take inspired by young Chinese creatives. Traditional Chinese medicine brings pink pepper and rose oil (meant to inspire enlightenment) in Vyrao’s Georgette perfume. Dries Van Noten’s recently launched beauty line offers two rose perfumes. One of them, Raving Rose, features a “kind of a kick in your face” masculine infusion of pepper. Comme des Garçons’ Odeur Du Théâtre Du Châtelet, inspired by the smell of theater velvet seats, smells powdery with black pepper oil and coffee accord. Speaking of coffee, Tom Ford’s newest rose fragrance, Café Rose, features the daring and awakening combination of Turkish rose and dark coffee. The beautiful fluted pink bottle houses the scent that gives way to a spicier heart of coriander and cardamom.
Cartier’s master perfumer, Mathilde Laurent, has openly expressed her dislike of roses, creating an antithesis in L’Heure Osée with a heavy dose of citrus notes. Similarly, Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s L’Homme À La Rose, a fascinating examination of ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine,’ features grapefruit accord. Saffron too becomes a popular new contrast. Bel Rebel’s Unrequited combines garish plastic roses sold on city sidewalks with an overtly synthetic-smelling rose oxide mixed with saffron and musk for balance. Mondo Mondo’s Doll combines Bulgarian rose and rose de mai with saffron and musk for a nostalgic heady fragrance described as ‘a hot, sweaty, electric rose … for acting the little brat.’
Sustainably upcycled
It takes four to five tons (yes, tons) of rose petals to extract just 1kg of rose oil. Upcycling serves as a new route to tackle this ingredient issue. La Bouche Rouge, the French luxury brand known for refillable lipsticks, launched five scents with at least 30% upcycled ingredients.
Founder Nicolas Gerlier mentions that the brand creates novel olfactive territories beyond sustainability. He says, “I am sure you have smelled rose, but not upcycled rose.” Eau de Parfum Eau Rose by Diptyque, an updated version, highlights two of the perfumery’s mainstay roses – damascena and centifolia. Besides, the rework features an rare third rose created from an upcycled extract from Damascena rosewater, normally unutilized during distillation. St. Rose’s Vigilante uses Moroccan cedarwood from the furniture industry by-products and double-distilled rose petals for varied rose facets. The fragrance has become so popular as an Indie Fragrance Finalist they have since created a travel blog for fans called Club Rose.
Vacation in a bottle
Are you looking for a getaway? We recommend exploring some of these current rose fragrance entries designed to help you escape the winter doldrums. Perfect for a romantic resort trip, master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian has created Dioriviera. The Eau de parfum blends the best scents of the French Riviera: Coastal sunlight, fig trees, and fresh roses. For city dwellers, Bond No. 9 New York Flowers, in a beautiful floral bottle, pays tribute to NYC’s public botanicals, including roses.
With so many novel takes on this classic note, let us know your favorite rose interpretations and how you plan to incorporate them into your Valentine’s celebrations.
