My husband discovered a third response to fragrance yesterday evening, just as I was accusing him of having only two in yesterdays post. Upon being asked for his opinion (what was I thinking anyway?!) he stated “All these perfumes are totally similar, one is just like the other, and that is probably because they are from the same range!”. And all that with the unwavering conviction of someone who knows what he is saying. Okay. (Just so you know, I let him smell Une Rose and L´Artisan Parfumeur´s Bois Farine!)
On to more serious pursuits:
Une Rose was created by Eduard Flechier for Les Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle in 2003. For me this is the reference rose I compare all others against (even Demi-God Serge´s Sa Majeste la Rose). Why? Because it is the perfect rose, one single perfect flower, from the softest, dew-covered petals down to the dirt still clinging to the roots, bottled for eternity (well, almost when stored properly).
Une Rose starts with a bright, fresh burst of “happy” rose, a little geranium for freshness and a tinge of green, a little citrus, all innocently enough. But soon it starts to develop and that is no wallflower, it is UNE ROSE, so now one would start to regret overspraying. One spritz is sufficient to last the work day. It smells like a rose in full boom, in bright sunlight, you smell the green of the rosebush, the earth, slightly damp, dark and cool. It smells alive. Divine. Une Rose is not a rose fragrance of the sweet, feminine kind, no prissy english maiden in sight, but more of a robust, self-confident french woman over thirtyfive, with an awareness of her dark side.
The drydown is ambery, darkish, with remnants of rose lingering for a very long time.
Une Rose is a perfume for days when I need strength, it anchors me, without weighing me down. It is outstanding, beautiful and unique.
And I´m sure this is the first review ever where Une Rose is mentioned in one sentence with Bois Farine. (Thank you, Honey!)
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Hello,
Thank you for the lovely, educational, and very entertaining review! Would you be so kind as to compare Une Rose with Serge’s Rose de Nuit and Sa Majeste la Rose? Thank you :)!
Kind regards,
Celia
Hello Celia, you are welcome, thank you for reading!
I am not very familiar with the two Lutens roses, because I am not a rose soliflore person. I prefer my roses spicy and dark in an oriental context.
I would say Une Rose is the most “complete” rose, it covers the flower in full bloom, the green leaves and the earth it grows in. It is bold and assertive, but not loud or overwhelming at all.
Sa Majeste, despite being a Lutens, seems more conventional, and it has the tendency to turn sour on me (but that is only my experience!), while Rose de Nuit is dark alright, it is sweeter than Sa Majeste and has a dirty honey-musk note I do not particularly care for.
Out of the three, Une Rose is definitely the winner for me.
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Hallo Olfactoria.
The photo of the red wet rose you are using at this post, belongs to me. It is showing the last flower in my mothers garden. I took it and posted it at my blog some years ago: http://my2008blog.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/mothers-rose/
I ask you kindly to correct the picture sources.
Regards
Hello Giiid,
thank you for letting me know, I have added the source to your photo. Sorry for the oversight! It is a beautiful image!
I’m travelling at the moment with a wobbly internet connection, but I will add the proper link as soon as I have more than my phone to work on.
Thank you Olfactoria. I know you thought it was belonging to another blogger, but this photo has been copied so many times since I posted it, that it´s origin sometimes disappear. I am glad to get your response, and wish you a good travel. 🙂
Thank you, Giiid. I put in a proper link now. I always try my best to follow the trail of an image, but sometimes I get it wrong. Thanks for being so understanding!
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