Twelve Rosy Scents to Celebrate Valentine’s Day
It’s been reported that nearly 200 million roses are grown for Valentine’s Day every year. Because of the massive costs of producing such a large volume of flowers, the price for roses goes up significantly in February (no, it is not your imagination.) Roses are beautiful, and they certainly embody romance, but they don’t last very long. So why not buy your own roses this Valentine’s Day—roses that last, and that don’t have to be delivered? Give yourself the gift of a rosy fragrance. There are countless to choose from—virtually every perfumer has created a rose-based scent, and there are even fragrance lines with nothing but roses. I’ve put together a mixed bouquet of one dozen recommendations (listed in no particular order). There is bound to be one that will be the perfect gift to give to yourself this Valentine’s Day. All of the fragrances listed are available online from various retailers or from the companies directly.
1. Yves Saint Laurent Paris. I first wore Paris when I was in my 20s and I absolutely loved it. Its scent was the perfect mix of roses and soap, and it smelled how I imagined a florist shop in Paris would smell. I received compliments every time I wore it. Today’s Paris smells very different than what I remember, but who can resist roses in the City of Lights?
2. L’Eau de Chloe. I am a big fan of Chloe Intense—what I call “Chloe with the Black Ribbon.” This spring they are releasing L’Eau de Chloe—“Chloe with the Green Ribbon,” which is a light floral mix of rose petals and rosewater. The green juice matches the green ribbon, and the scent is clean and lovely. Could become my go-to spring fragrance this year.
3. Serge Lutens Sa Majesté la Rose. Serge Lutens is revered by perfumistas for his complex and sometimes even strange scents. Many of his fragrances are not for the shy, but they are beautifully crafted and definitely make you think. Sa Majesté la Rose does not really fit that description. Instead it is a beautiful rose-based scent that combines Bulgarian and Turkish rose with honey and vanilla. According to the salesperson at Barney’s, it was originally made for the Queen of Morocco. It is ladylike and elegant, and a beautiful Valentine’s Day gift that any rose lover will appreciate.
4. Lipstick Rose. Frédéric Malle’s Editions de Parfums line includes fragrances created especially for Malle by the world’s top perfumers. Lipstick Rose is a bright sparkly scent, a powdery rose whose fragrance is reminiscent of old-fashioned lipstick. I’ve seen it described as a descendant of Yves Saint Laurent Paris—making it a perfect new rose for me.
5. A Dozen Roses Gold Rush. A Dozen Roses is a specialty line of four rose-based fragrances sold exclusively at Neiman Marcus. The scents are packaged in beautiful bottles painted with images of roses, and each was crafted to create a modern interpretation of a classic rose. As you might guess from its name, Gold Rush is the richest and most complex of the four, a combination of blackberry, neroli and ylang ylang, layered with chocolate and surrounded by the line’s signature rose absolute essence. Nothing says Valentine’s Day like roses and chocolate.
6. Hermès Rose Ikebana. Hermès perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena says Rose Ikebana was inspired by the Japanese art of ikebana—the arranging of bouquets of cut flowers and leaves using very few elements. He describes the scent as “the smell of a rose early in the morning, damp, sprinkled with dew, delicate and light.” When I applied it in the morning I thought it was pretty, but didn’t think much more about it. But as the day went on it smelled better and better, and lasted longer than I thought it would. Plus I love the bottle.
7. Dolce and Gabbana Rose the One. Rose the One is a spin-off if you will of the Italian design duo’s signature scent The One. It is a pretty floral, which I did not think was very rosy until the dry down, several hours after I applied it. It was nice, but not particularly memorable, although the friend I was shopping with liked it.
8. Jo Malone Red Roses. Jo Malone is best known for scents that combine more than one signature ingredient, so Red Roses is unusual for her. It was the freshest of the roses I tried, and truly captured the scent of roses in a flower shop or in a garden. It gets greener as it dries down, but the red roses remain front and center. Probably the closest substitute for a real bouquet.
9. L’Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses. L’Artisan’s “Stolen Rose” is a mix of rose, plum and patchouli. I was intrigued by the description on the company’s website, “captures the chaos of a rose garden shattered by a thunderstorm. Regal and brutal, tender and long lasting.” I love the smell of the air after a thunderstorm, and combining that scent with the smell of a rose garden seemed like a winner. The thunderstorm was not evident to me, so I am assuming the description was metaphorical. If you like your roses a little woody and spicy, you will like this fragrance.
10. Guerlain Rose Barbare. Rose Barbare is part of Guerlain’s limited edition L’Art et la Matiere collection, which is designed to showcase the most luxurious materials in the perfume world. Rose Barbare’s precious ingredient is Turkish Rose Absolut, essential oil extracted from damask roses grown in Turkey. According to the company’s website, Guerlain’s perfumers did not want to create a traditional rose, but rather a contemporary, even rebellious scent that defied the ladylike stereotype we associate with roses. It is very subtle on my skin, and if I had to describe it, I would say it actually smells like skin. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but I expected something more daring.
11. Byredo Rose Noir. Byredo is a Stockholm-based niche line established in 2006 by Ben Gorham, a former basketball player and art student. Gorham met Swedish perfumer Pierre Wulff at a dinner party and became intrigued by the link between scent and memory. The name “Byredo” is short for “by redolence”, and the Byredo fragrances were reportedly all inspired by Gorham’s memories of specific times and places. Rose Noir opens with a sharp grapefruit note, and then warms up with freesia, rose, moss and musk. It is an intriguing blend, and inspired me to explore the line a bit more.
12. Stella. Fashion designer Stella McCartney—the daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney—launched her eponymous line in 2001, which is renowned for its youthful mix of Savile Row tailoring and sexy slouch. She released her first fragrance, called Stella, in 2003, saying she “wanted to capture the fragility of the high summer rose when the petals are just about to fall off.” It’s a warm and fragrant floral, which is also available in a body lotion.
