Hello perfume people and welcome to another session of Mood Scent 4. Each month my fragrant partners and myself team up to share some fragrance love highlighting a specific theme. The Mood Scent 4 team features Portia at A Bottled Rose (Australia), L’Esperessence (Netherlands) and I Scent You A Day (Wales, United Kingdom) and we are your perfume selectors today for roses, roses, roses.  

Roses are a foundation scent in perfumery. They are considered special, romantic and extremely desirable. Roses come in many gorgeous colours and in perfumery are used frequently as a soliflore or accent. Roses in perfumery range from a fresh, delicate scent to voluptuous dark blooms with patchouli or amber to bring forth a different sort of desirability. Patchouli and oud have been successful pairings in recent years that amplify the rose. Portrait Of A Lady by Frederic Malle is one of the niche classics that has popularised this theme.

Without doubt there is a rose fragrance to suit every mood and occasion.

So let’s smell the roses! 

Rosenlust : April Aromatics : Tanja Bochnig : 2012

Rosenlust is a clear, fresh natural rose that simply smells divine. Rosenlust is a blend of Rose Otto from Turkey, Bulgarian rose and Brazilian Rosewater Rosewood. The freshness comes from the pink grapefruit and there are also some other luscious ingredients like tonka bean and ambrette that give the fragrance body and more warmth as it wears on.

If you like rose perfumes then Rosenlust is definitely one to try. The scent palette is mixed with green, fresh tints to brighter pinks and reds that smell fruity and warm. It is a beguiling fragrance that soothes and centres. Rosenlust is unadultered rose and more. Like many of the April Aromatics scents, it makes me feel calm and relaxed. Another rose to love.

I love the way Tanja Bochnig creates natural scents and each fragrance in the line makes a connection. Obviously I have my favourites but with around a 90% hit rate this is pretty good. I often write about her scents because I adore them. For more reviews on her fragrances : read Pink Wood and Irisistible.

Rose Omeyyade : Atelier Des Ors : Marie Salamagne : 2015

This fragrance has sneaked up on me. When I first tried the Atelier Des Ors collection it was probably my least favourite in the range. However times change as they do and maybe my tastes have moved on as well. This is now a weekly wear.

The opening of Rose Omeyyade is fruity and sweet with a succulent rose blend (Damascus and centfolia) and raspberry. The scent immediately exudes a gorgeous voluptuous scent. It’s woody, with a hint of patchouli and moves through to a woody ambered concoction. The overall experience is really sensual and it has a strong sillage, with a dusky vibe. This scent is well balanced and I’m not quite sure why it didn’t agree with me at the beginning. Now it’s one of my favourite rose scents and definitely worth seeking out. 

Rose Royale : Parfums de Nicolai : Patricia Nicolai : 2017

Rose Royale has all the hallmarks of a youthful fresh, fruity rose with a thorny blackcurrant edge. This is the sort of rose that is perfect for spring ie right now. The fruitiness is amplified by bergamot and a touch of passionfruit and rhe rose feels fresh and pretty rather than sensual and intense. It turns more musky over time and there is even a hint of immortelle for a bit of added spice along with coriander.

Imagine the frou-frou-frou deliciously coloured pastel gowns and meringues in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. The royals and their courtiers are taking slow strolls around the magnificent rose garden and enjoying the fragrant sights.

Rozy EDP : Vero Profumo : Vero Kern : 2014

This rose scent was made by Vero Kern who was an independent perfumer based in Switzerland. She created a tightly curated collection of intriguing fragrances. I’m writing about the EDP version and there is also a Voile d’Extrait which is related but possess a very different character. The EDP is a very abstract scent. Yes it’s a rose fragrance but with a mélange of notes, so that rose isn’t really the dominant scent for me.

Rozy is a very fruity scent that sparkles with passionfruit and peach. The scent warms skin and golden drops of honey are omnipresent. The scent has a sandalwood dry down that mixes with the fruitiness. Rozy is also a very powerful scent and I smell this on skin for hours after spraying. This is not a youthful scent, it’s a mature full blooded wonder.

There are now limited editions of Vero’s scents at the Campomarzio store. Kiki has sold out but the others are available. The fragrances now come in a black bottle (like Naja). Vero had such a dedicated following that it’s nice to see that the fragrances are available again. 

Rosewater : Santa Maria Novella

The rosewater from Santa Maria Novella is a great pick me up to revive a tired face. It has antiseptic and anti-oxidant benefits and can also be splashed in the bath or in your laundry too. The rosewater smells rich and jammy and very bright and cheerful.

The flagship store is definitely worth a visit if you’re in Florence. I was lucky enough to visit the store in Florence a few years back and you can read about it here.

So that’s a wrap for this edition of Mood Scent 4. Thank you so much for stopping by and please make sure to read my fellow Mood Scent 4 group writers : Portia at A Bottled Rose, Samantha on I Scent You A Day and Esperanza on L’Esperessence. 

What are your rose favourites?

Notes : Images from the brand websites.

Disclosure : I provide services to Atelier Des Ors and the perfume was provided by the brand. Rosenlust and Rose Royale were gratefully received from the brands.