If there’s one type of perfume that repeatedly gets mentioned as serving serious nostalgia, to the point of being referred to as dated or old-fashioned, we bet you can guess what it is.
Okay no, lavender, this time you get a pass, although you’re certainly responsible (and due for a makeover) too.
We’re talking about rose scents.
It’s likely they get their serious throwback connotations because of the fact rose petals were one of the earliest flowers used to make perfume, but we’ve come a long way from rosewater on a hanky, folks.
Now, perfumers have returned to the iconic bloom taking a number of fresh approaches.
Combining rose with less expected elements takes the rose in new, entirely inspiring and exciting directions. Paired with citrus, blackcurrant or pink pepper gives a fresh, bright personality, compared with perfumes that blend rose with patchouli, amber or oud for a deeper, sensual and intense take.
Of course there are also the classicists that work to capture the rose’s simple beauty in scent form, recreating the dew resting on a flower in the early morning or capturing the hallmarks of a particular variety like Rose Centifolia, or Rose de Mai, or the experience of walking among a sunny rose garden surrounded by many blooms.
Dispelling any notions of rose being a simple, feminine or romantic scent, even if you’ve not traditionally been a fan it’s worth taking a chance of some of these modern rose incarnations and their unique personalities.
Tom Ford Private Rose Garden Collection
Tom Ford’s Private Rose Garden is a trilogy of perfumes designed to evoke different destinations. Rose D’Amalfi is inspired by the famous Italian coast, blending baies roses with fresh citruses and spices, smoky and sensual Rose De Chine pairs rose with Chinese Peonies while the dramatic Rose de Russie intends to deliver the essence of ‘Russian black leather’ along with a spicy white pepper top, rose heart and woody base.
Founder Michelle Feeney describes this as a perfume that smells like a rose would if it were neon. Freshly chopped jasmine and roses collide with crisp, green angelica for a bright, buzzy botanical infusion.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian L’Homme A la Rose Eau de Parfum
Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s L’Homme A la Rose is a floral woody musk scent, intended to empower men to embrace rose scents with a greener vibe and grapefruit notes.
Jo Malone London: Roses Collection
Long a fan of the classic blooms – Red Roses Cologne has celebrated its twentieth anniversary – Jo Malone has a number of scents that highlight roses with different personalities. These include Rose Blush Cologne, a lighter, more playful scent, sensuous and alluring Rose & Magnolia Cologne and dusky and sexy Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne.
A light, fresh and slightly fruity rose, its top notes are citron and blackcurrant before landing on a heart of handpicked and ethically sourced organic rose and neroli and a soft woody base.
With its fiery Sichuan pepper upon a foundation of Damascus rose this scent will inspire a new, younger generation of rose lovers.
