Everything’s Coming Up Roses

I love the smell of roses.

When I was in high school, I was in love with Her Majesty’s Rose, the fragrance by Victoria’s Secret.  To this day, I am still bummed that they discontinued it.  Roses became my favorite flower in 1996 when my husband, then my boyfriend, gave me a dozen, long-stemmed pale pink roses on our first Valentine’s Day.  To this day, I still have those roses, and most of the roses he has given me over the years, dried and stashed in a box.  They still give off that heady aroma I love.

There is just something so classic and romantic about the smell of roses and I am a helpless romantic to the core.  Now rose is making a serious comeback as the go to eau and I, for one, am totally on board.  This time around, the scents are more modern, more sensual and definitely not your grandma’s roses.

I’ve been wearing Stella by Stella McCartney for several years.  The soft rose, sensual amber and peony fragrance is really light and feminine and it definitely satisfies my love of rose fragrances.  It is not overpowering, which is why I like to wear it to bed or on a cozy night in.

Recently, there have been some excellent rose infused scents cropping up.  Those currently on my radar include:

Chloé Roses de Chloé ($70-120) – I recently smelled this in a magazine tear out, which probably doesn’t do the scent any justice.  It smells straight up like roses.  The fresh cut roses, bergamot, magnolia, and white must scent is really clean and classic.  I do love the original Chloé and Love, Chloé; so I am interested in testing Chloé Roses de Chloé.

Balenciaga Rosabotanica ($70-130) – Rosabotanica is perhaps the fragrance I am most excited to try, so I am glad I have a sample coming to me from Sephora.  The first time I smelled the original “botanica,” Florabotanica, I immediately ordered it from Sephora.  I was not disappointed. 

Rosabotanica is described by the brand as “beautiful but dangerous” and features green rose accord mixed with milky fig leaves.  A spice combined with a floral…my two favorites together…I am all over it!

Dolce & Gabbana Rose the One ($108) – As an owner of the original the One and with the One Desire on my get list, naturally I would be intrigued by Rose the One.  Rose fragrance is combined with pink grapefruit, peach, vanilla, amber musk and a host of other notes in this fragrance.  Sounds delicious!

Trésor Midnight Rose ($47-77) – Again, I love the original Trésor so this is one I might have to buy.  Using Paris as inspiration, Lancôme has created a scent that is romantic, sexy and feminine.  Notes include Raspberry, rose absolute, jasmine, vanilla and musk.

Fresh Cannabis Rose ($88) – Bulgarian rose, pomegranate flower, bergamot, cannabis accord, sheer jasmine, dark chocolate, white musk, patchouli, and oolong tea - the list of notes in this fragrance is all I need.  It is a virtual melting pot of sensuality.

Tom Ford Café Rose ($210) – An extension of the wildly sexy esthetic that goes into his clothes, Café Rose is an exotic Oriental floral intended for the sexiest occasions.

Top notes are saffron, black pepper and may rose; middle notes are Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose and coffee; base notes are incense, amber, sandalwood and patchouli.  Sexy!

Intoxicatingly sweet and intensely sexy, roses are as classic as a red lip and black lace lingerie…effortless.  Some may think they are boring, but to me, roses are grown up and quite sensual.  I’m in the market for a new fragrance, so I am sure one of these new roses will pop up on my perfume tray in the near future.

XOXO,

Kiki