First seven days of not only a specific theme but predefined set of perfumes. Surprisingly, it was much easier to do than I thought: I didn’t have to think about what I would wear the next day – it was already on the calendar.
I publish this post to sum up my impressions from the first seven perfumes and to remind you that for each comment, in which you tell us what rose perfume you wore that day (or any of the days before), you are getting one entry into the draw for two bars of chocolate from a local artisan brand (my choice) – milk, dark or mix (winner’s choice) sent anywhere in the world.
Just remember: one comment – one entry, even if you tell in it about multiple perfumes worn on different days. At the same time, two comments about the same perfume posted on two different days will give you two entries. What’s the catch? You’ve probably noticed that, other than standard WordPress’ ads, there are no ads or affiliated links on this blog, so I’m not trying to get any hits or clicks from my readers; I just enjoy your company and want you to come back more often – even if I do not publish a new post.
February 1: Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur Esprit de Parfum (Bertrand Duchaufour)
I know that it’s called officially Mohur Extrait now. But the sample I was wearing was from the period when it still had the old name that hadn’t become official. From the first trio of perfumes, Mohur was my least favorite: I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t feel I’d want to wear it. Mohur Extrait feels different than just a higher concentration of the EdP version: it’s deeper and smoother. And agarwood doesn’t jump out on me as it happened before with Mohur EdP. Just in case you’ve missed it somehow: Mohur Extrait is a limited edition, and I’m not sure if those gorgeous bottles will be available again once they are sold out.
February 2: Guerlain Rose Barbare (Francis Kurkdjian)
While I enjoy wearing this perfume from time to time, the small decant that I have is probably all I need. It is pleasant; it fits its Guerlain collection well; but, in my opinion, Rose Barbare is neither “barbare” (whichever English equivalent you choose) nor that much “rose.” I am not trying to say that there’s no rose in that perfume but smelling it blind, I would have never thought about it as a rose-centric perfume. But still, it’s a nice perfume to wear.
February 3: Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin (Christopher Sheldrake)
I think it is a beautiful perfume. It was the second time I’ve ever worn it properly, and I will not be doing it again: I have ideological grievances against it. I decided to wear it on that day because it served two purposes: while it was a beautiful rose perfume that fitted this Month of Roses project, I used it as an anti-lemming perfume in NST’s community project. I do not feel bad if you choose not to read [into] this perfume pedigree or think of Marlene Dietrich while wearing La Fille de Berlin, but for me this is where our relationship with this perfume ends.
February 4: Amouage Lyric (Daniel Maurel)
According to the calendar, I was supposed to wear Tauer Perfumes PHI – une rose de Kandahar. I didn’t realize that my sample was empty: probably, it’s time to buy a travel spray. And since it was a weekend, and we were invited to the friends’ house for dinner, I wanted to wear something special, not just a quickly found replacement out of all the perfumes that didn’t make it to the calendar in the first place. So I moved Lyric to the earlier date hoping to find a replacement for it later.
A couple of Valentine’s Days ago I paired Lyric with one of the stories from my childhood (Ax +By = A Genetic Mystery).
This is one of classic Amouage perfumes that is worth trying even if one doesn’t like rose or Amouage perfumes: it doesn’t work for everybody, it shouldn’t (and can’t) work for everybody but it is a great illustration for opulence in perfumery. I happen to love Lyric, and I feel joy every time I wear it. I wonder though, whether I actually smell this rose as a dark one or is it a power of suggestion from the packaging?
February 5: By Kilian Rose Oud (Calice Becker)
Agarwood and I are not really friends. There is a handful of perfumes with this note that work for my skin (or at least for my nose when I smell them on my vSO) but most of them I rather dislike. Rose Oud is one of a few that are not bad, which brings me to the conclusion that it’s not real agarwood that makes up for this perfume’s price. No, I haven’t suddenly developed better olfaction abilities. But I remember that every time I thought I liked perfumes with agarwood, those were perfumes based on the “oud accord” (if any at all). I won’t probably go beyond the sample I have but I liked wearing it for the project.
February 6: Sonoma Scent Studio Velvet Rose (Laurie Erickson)
As with all Laurie’s perfumes, there is no doubt that it is a real rose you smell. More is going on in this perfume, but rose is at center stage from the big opening until the last curtain call, if I were to stretch that theater metaphor. Velvet Rose is very Sonoma Scent Studio perfume so if you like their floral perfumes, this one should work well for you. My bottle of this perfume is slowly nearing the end (so, 3-4 more years, and it’ll be done) – ask me then if I’m replenishing it.
February 7: Tauer Perfumes Une Rose Vermeille (Andy Tauer)
As I wrote in the post In the Search for the Perfect Berry: Raspberry, I cannot say that I love Une Rose Vermeille but I like it very much. It is fruity-floral perfume that is done the way this genre of perfumes should be done. It is a very strong and unapologetic lemony rose with the added raspberry sweetness. But unless you’re a [serial] monogamist when it comes to perfumes, do not go for anything more than 15 ml travel spray of this perfume: it is so potent that even that amount will serve you a decade.
I will be back in a week with a write-up on the next seven perfumes on my calendar. I hope you like rose perfumes (and chocolate).
Images: my own
Undina's Looking Glass 
I spent my week in PHI and actually enjoyed getting to know it as it isn’t often that I am so monogamous. Honestly, the drydown is incredibly powdery to my nose and I pick up very little rose (but I am no expert!).
This week will be Isabel, which some have described as a tea rose. I love the aesthetics of the Tocca bottles…they are hefty glass that is fluted with a beautiful decorative cap. I also love that Tocca is easily accessible at my small local Sephora and incredibly affordable.
I am enjoying this theme very much and also like the idea of committing to one perfume per week for myself. Looking forward to reading everyone else’s picks :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not an expert in any way but PHI for me is a very loud rose. But anyway, what is important – we both like it, so it doesn’t matter what exactly our noses pick out.
I agree that Tocca bottles look very nice. I’m not familiar with any of the perfumes – somehow nothing of what I smelled at a store spoke to me, so I never went beyond a paper testing (or maybe even a nozzle sniffing). I’ll give this one go if I come across it in a store.
LikeLike
I always love how different noses pick up different notes!
The SAs in my local Sephora are incredibly kind and generous and always make me three very large samples which are probably more like decants (3-4ml) whenever I go in there….one insisted that I try the Tocca line and made me samples of three- Isabel, Brigitte and Guilianne. While I did not react with enthusiasm initially in the store as I wore them several times at home they really grew on me so I have full size or travel sizes of all three now. I am eager to explore the rest of the line because they are so accessible and a full bottle is incredibly affordable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used to have a very friendly SA at my local Nordstrom, with whom we had good relationship for years. Unfortunately, the fragrance department at that particular location is very small, so I just ran out of both what to test and what to buy (you have to be buying something from time to time if it’s the same SA who gives you samples, right? :) ). So in the last couple of years I’ve been just stopping by to say Hi but not trying anything when she’s around.
LikeLike
Onto Week 2! My SOTD is Dior La Colle Noire from a sample. I was not impressed enough to buy a bottle. It’s pleasant enough, rosey, light, and fits today’s unseasonably warm weather. I was originally going to wear Solstice Scents Estate Carnation which has rose in it; however, it is a dirty, incensy and spicy carnation absolutely not appropriate for the office.
Re: Velver Rose – I think it’s discontinued but I think Laurie revives some of the older ones on occasion. I just unearthed a long forgotten pack from her that included travel sprays of Amber Incense, Cocoa Sandalwood and Lieu de Reves. I will wear Lieu de Reves at some point this month!
LikeLike
Somehow I missed that new Dior’s launch – and I even was at SF NM around Christmas but went by Dior’s stand thinking that I’ve tried everything! Well, maybe next time (I would have been much more upset had you loved it :) ).
LikeLike
Well, my dear, I have to eat my words. I used 4-5 sprays from my sample atomizer and it is actually more complex and BETTER than my initial hasty assessment! My previous wearing was barely 2 sprays and I was unrimpressed. With a higher volume, I got the spicier, woodier, warmer, fuller aspects. I still wouldn’t pay full price for this but with a good deal…I can see myself owning this.
It’s a SNOW DAY today and I am working from home. I will need to adjust my SOTD. I will report back later.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope your snow day was pleasant (and productive). I know that you had to adjust your perfume choice but at least you didn’t have to deal with fellow travelers ;)
I’ll try this perfume as soon as I get to the right store (the accessible one doesn’t carry all the cool lines, and I rarely get to the SF one – too far away, parking hassle, etc.)
LikeLike
WOW! It’s been a weak already! Time goes by so fast.
From your list of week 1 roses my favorites would be Kilian Rose Oud and NVC Mohur Extrait. So exquisite
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know! Time goes fast. But we have almost 3 more weeks to go (and wear beautiful rose perfumes).
LikeLike
Oh funny. I did not consult your calendar but wore Une Rose Vermeille myself yesterday! Decant courtesy of you as well. In another parallel incident, my Travalo of PHI Rose de Kandahar (worn on Sunday) had massively evaporated since I last used it not long ago. But I have more elsewhere, so come to me before you buy. Other things I have worn lately are Attrape Coeur (I hope that has rose!) and Rose Kashmirie (again), and I plan to wear Lyric too if I can locate my decant. ;)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those Travalo are sneaky! (I should do a follow-up! I keep forgetting)
I’m glad we had such a serendipity with URV.
If you can’t find your Lyric, you know “where I live”, right? :)
LikeLike
These all sound lovely, especially the Amouage. This week I sampled Maison Martin Margiela’s Lazy Sunday Morning. I can’t smell musk in it; to me this scent is all about the rose. It was okay, but my standard for judging rose perfumes is Jo Malone’s Red Roses, which I wore the week before. It’s greener and purer, a sure soliflore.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t remember whether I’ve smelled that MMM’s perfume: I stopped following the brand once it went to Sephora. I liked JM’s Red Roses on my co-worker but sadly it doesn’t work on my skin. I might give it another try if I feel like testing another rose perfume during the month of wearing rose perfumes :)
LikeLike
Just as an aside (and I hope this comment will not offend you) but I actually like fragrance combining the JM Red Roses….I have done it with JM Peony & Blush Suede (will be wearing that combo the last week of this month) as well as JM Grapefruit….wonder if that would make the Red Roses more tolerable for you? I know on the JM website they have combos they recommend and I have tried quite a few of them and actually like what I smell! I find it fun to play around with my perfumes and mix thing up a bit :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s absolutely nothing in your comment to offend me! And thank you for the suggestion. But since you’re not opposed to reading older posts, I want to refer you to the one that explains my relationship with perfume layering :)
LikeLike
For some reason the link isn’t working and neither is the search :( …could be my computer as it acts up from time to time…give me the month and year and I will find the post…I am curious to read it! I know some perfume enthusiasts find it horrible to suggest layering so I am careful about that subject :) ……
LikeLike
It wasn’t you computer- it was autocorrect on my phone :) Fixed now.
LikeLike
Eeek, I wonder if I accidentally clicked on a setting. When I clicked comment, the formatting on the page went away and the text became Times New Roman and shrunk to a tiny size. The comment boxes also disappeared so all the comments were lines up flush left. Anyway, SOTD = Lush Imogen Rose, powdery and rosey primarily with Iris thrown in. I should wear this more often!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Did you do it on mobile? If yes, I wouldn’t be surprised ;)
Even though I started my day in lavender, in the evening I returned to the planned PoaL – so I wore it for both of us! :)
LikeLike
Thanks for wearing POAL! I was using my iPad mini. No issues at all right now as U leave this comment via iPhone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
wearing Chloe this week and loving it…bought the bottle in 2008 when it first came out and it is holding up quite well….last night experimented with PHI layered with Peony & Blush Suede…I really like this combo…may try it again soon!
LikeLike
I know that I tried Chloe but I have no recollection of it: I tend to skip most of mainstream perfumes these days. If I get more PHI, I might consider trying your combo because Peony on its own is nice but a little boring.
LikeLike
Chloe is rose, peony, honey and cedarwood….nothing earth shattering but pleasant….and regarding Jo Malone Peony, I like boring :)……I don’t get too experimental with perfume.
LikeLike
Week 1 I really enjoyed wearing Tobacco Rose because for some reason in the winter it didn’t smell as patchoul-heavy as it does in autumn.
I also wore your decant of Mille et Une Rose which made me happy because it really made me think of you. It’s a multi-petalled peach rose in my mind and super pretty.
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I think of Tobacco Rose I think of you since my sample came from you, and I remember that you liked it. According to my calendar, I’ll be wearing it today :)
LikeLike