Regardless of how you feel about the upcoming Hallmark holiday, you’d agree that traditionally it is associated with roses more than with any other flower. So, I thought it was a good enough reason for this week’s question.
Saturday Question #51:
What Is Your Favorite Rose Perfume?
Do you like perfumes with a predominant rose note? If yes, which ones come to mind first? If no, what is the closest to the rose-centric perfume in your collection?
Do you do anything special for Valentine’s Day? Do you acknowledge it in any way or ignore completely?
My Answer
Even though Valentine’s Day came into my life just a couple of decades ago, I rather like it (though, I like most of the holidays, so it’s not representative). I like it despite the fact that it interferes with my personal celebration: even though my birthday is a couple of days before, everything gets harder because of the upcoming holiday. Everything – plane tickets, hotels, flowers – are more expensive and harder to get, restaurants are busier, and any possible activities are sold out if you didn’t think about it at least a month in advance.
Nevertheless, I’m trying to do something nice to celebrate Valentine’s Day, and not just as a romantic couples holiday, but in wider meaning. I think it comes from the fact that when I was growing up, similar holidays (one for men and another one for women, on different dates a couple of weeks apart), while having some romantic component, also incorporated what in the U.S. is celebrated as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, including future/potential mothers and fathers. And being that inclusive, while still slightly forced (though, is it really that different from celebrating veterans on the Veteran’s Day or parents on the mentioned above designated days?), were readily celebrated both at work, in schools and in private settings.
At home, we always make a nice dinner on February 14. If I have time, I might decorate our living room a little. Sometimes we exchange small presents. Usually I’m getting flowers. Nothing obligatory or too elaborate, but nice and quiet.
This year, since we’re not back to the office, I didn’t get to do anything “publicly” in RL, so I decided to do “the next best thing” – a mini-project on Instagram: Rose Countdown to Valentine’s Day.
I did Mini-Monday with a mini bottle of Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur EdP, Travel Tuesday with a travel spray of Hermes Rose Ikebana, Throwback Thursday with Lancome Mille et Une Roses and Favorite Friday with Ormonde Jayne Ta’if Elixir (and later I wore Ta’if Parfum for the birthday dinner). I skipped Wednesday – and not because I couldn’t think of any day-appropriate secondary project (which I didn’t – any ideas?), but because an unexpected plumbing emergency didn’t leave me any energy to even wear perfume – let alone stage a photo. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see what I’ll be doing for Saturday and Sunday (and if you don’t, check back here in the upcoming days to see the latest picture on the sidebar (web)/below (mobile)).
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Happy Valentine’s Day if you celebrate – either with someone or alone. Have a restful weekend if you don’t, and do something nice for yourself, because you do love yourself, right? You should.
Undina's Looking Glass 
My favourite rose perfume is Une Fille de Berlin and it may well be the first full bottle I finish in years. I should wear it tomorrow.
Have a lovely Valentine’s dinner!
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Will you repurchase?
Every time I get close to the end of any bottle, I get anxious and want to run and buy a replacement.
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It seems mad to repurchase anything when I have so much but I don’t think I could be without my favourite rose.
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I might have to agree with Tara, LFdB is just gorgeous. I am actually on my second bottle, although it might not quite count because my daughter took a lot of my first. But I bought her a bottle inbetween my two. Which means I have bought three. I love Mohur too, and plan to wear it tomorrow, not that we do a thing on Valentine‘s Day. But will join in with the rose theme! Hiram’s Lustre is one I wear a lot too, often after an evening shower. xxx
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Have you noticed any difference between 3 bottles? My constant fair is that the next one will be a reformulated batch.
I’m thinking about continuing with the rose theme next week as well.
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No. They were all old bottles. The current one is not as rich. It was when they first announced the bottle change I bought the third. Because you just know that will cause problems. And who wants a 100 ml anyway? Bad move. You are? I will wear Lustre today then – just heading to bake —— xxxx
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It would be a close call between Lustre, Pink Wood (rose oud) and Rozy any version (does it count as a rose?). I also like the Goutal roses a lot (ce soir ou jamais, rose absolue, quel amour). I’ll join the theme!
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It’s interesting: while I like AG, none of their roses worked for me. On the other hand, it was so many years ago that I’m not sure any more. I’ll need to re-test some of those perfumes when I get a chance.
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Vintage Wednesday?
My favorites rose perfume is Atelier Cologne Rose Anynyme. I also enjoy AdO Rose Omeyyade, VC&A Rose Rouge among others.
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Well… As a non-English speaker, for my ear (and my native language) both “v” and “w” sound the same, so theoretically it could do, but I’m not 100% in love with this combination. I even thought of making it “Whiskers Wednesday” – and use Rusty’s picture with the perfume in question. I still might do it from time to time. I don’t plan, though, to do it weekly. Maybe I’ll be doing that type of combination projects from time to time – some note or other theme combined with Mini Monday, Travel Tuedsay, Whiskers Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Favorite Friday and Sample Sunday. Need to come up with one for Saturday though :)
I have a sample of Rose Anonyme somewhere, I should probably revisit it again before it’s gone off.
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I love so many rose perfumes, as evident from my “Roses de Mai Marathon” series I blogged last year! But if I have to choose one, I’ll go with my most special rose: the Abdul Samad al Qurashi Ta’if Rose attar my husband brought me from a business trip he took to Dubai. It is so beautiful. I think I’ll wear it tomorrow, especially as I’ve already been told to expect a bouquet of red roses. We usually just exchange cards and have a special family dinner at home for Valentine’s Day, but we all feel the need for a little extra this year, having been cooped up for so long (and enduring the ongoing house restoration due to our own plumbing disaster).
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For the obvious reason, I haven’t tried this perfume, but it sounds wonderful.
I remember your Marathon. I like this type of projects: they allow to fully appreciate the complexity of individual implementations and approaches to using the same note or genre.
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I had fun doing it each time — I think I’ll do roses again this year, as I have quite a few, or maybe I’ll do a mix of rose and muguet.
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Happy Valentine’s day! 🌹
I don’t have a favorite rose perfume, but I have some that I really love like SL La Fille de Berlin, Tauer Phi Une Rose de Kandahar, Jo Malone Red Roses, Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose, Portrait of a Lady and Une Rose.
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I forgot about my travel vial of Lipstick Rose. It’s very lovely as is Guerlain’s French Kiss, rose and violet.
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Both PoaL and Phi are my favorites as well. The other two Malle’s Roses I need to revisit: I liked when I tried them many years ago, but I’ve never went for anything more than a sample.
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OOOHHHHH Undina! Fabulous question this week.
Mohur is my favourite rose by far. It’s followed closely by a large bunch that include a slew of Oudh/Rose combos, some soliflors and my fave swampy, bewitching, dark of night rose: Ballets Rouges by Olympic Orchids.
Currently my heart is leaning towards CHANEL Misia for Valentine’s but let’s see what happens in the morning.
Portia xx
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Oud/Rose combo is the one that in the most cases doesn’t work for me (though, Ta’if Elixir is just perfect – despite the additional agarwood note added).
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My favorite is actually a little bottle of saffron rose I bought from a street perfume vendor in Jodphur about 3 years ago. But since that is impossible to find, I also love Tauer’s Rose de Kandehar, I also love two from DSH Perfumes: Le Reine Des Fleurs, an over the top rose and peach explosion, and La Vie En Rose, a bubbly, flirty rose. Both beautiful but very different. And now, thanks to you, I’m coveting T’aif. Can you tell me the difference between the Elixir and regular, and which you prefer? I’ve only tried the regular.
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If I had to choose one, it would be Ta’if, probably “made to measure” version (at 50%) – though, I haven’t tried it yet, my parfum concentration is the older version at 42%. But I hope to get this one the next time I’m in London (I hope we’ll get to travel again one day). Ta’if Elixir is very similar, but it includes also Cambodian agarwood. I was surprised to like it because I usually don’t like natural agarwood, but I know from interview with Linda that it is natural oud – go figure.
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I have to be careful with oud. I like it in small doses.
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I am not too much into roses, but I like Coriandre a lot, I also thought POAL was good, but a bit too much for me.
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PoaL is one of my favorite roses, but I can wear it only for special occasion (and there are not that many of those these days :) ).
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Not really a fan of rose perfumes, but two I enjoy are Smell Bent Bollywood or Bust (a rose crushed underfoot in a spice market) and Caron Parfum Sacre (rose incense).
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I liked Parfum Sacre, but never went beyond the sample.
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I have so many rose perfumes it’s hard to pick. Lots have already been mentioned: PHI Rose de Kandahar, Mohur, Lustre, Rozy, Fille de Berlin, Une Rose. So I’ll mention one more, Dior La Colle Noire. I love this fresh rose scent. For a darker rose, there’s Papillon Tobacco Rose and SL Rose de Nuit.
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I stopped trying new Dior perfumes after they revamped the line: there were so many of them, that I just didn’t know where to start at the store, and I wasn’t about ti start paying for samples of this line. But I see that La Colle Noire gets good ratings online… maybe I’ll give it a try if I ever go back to the store that carries it (and allowed to test).
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For over the top, LaFille de Berlin is hard to beat. I adore Rose Afire by Neil Morris, it ‘s simply gorgeous. If you’re looking for a dirty rose, look no further then Paul Kiler’s Dirty Rose. Comes thisclose to knocking most others out.
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I have a small set of PK’s perfumes somewhere, I need to check if this one is among them. Interesting.
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I’m not really into rose, although I have been wearing them a lot this winter for my 365 project (mostly because I don’t want to try to wear them in warmer weather). I do like Lustre, and also Tauer Une Rose Chypree. My mom wore Perfumers Workshop Tea Rose which is nuclear- perhaps too much association for me when I wear rose. Happy Birthday again, and have a wonderful weekend!
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Thank you, MMKinPA. And thank you again for the idea of the project: if it weren’t for your 365/365 project, I wouldn’t have come up with my own mini-projects.
I read so much about the Workshop’s perfume. And it was so inexpensive… But when a fellow-perfumista sent me a decant, after the first time wearing it, I knew it wasn’t for me: it is one of those roses that turns absolutely unpleasantly soap-y on me. I passed on the decant – even though at the time I kept most of perfumes I tested “in the library.” I knew that I won’t be able to make myself to try it again :)
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Rose was always a difficult one for me, often turning somewhat sour on my skin. However, I felt I could not be a proper parfumista if I didn’t have a rose perfume so I threw myself in, and ended up with quite a few. Top of the list; Caron Or et Noir and Gucci L’Arte Di Gucci. I did find others too, Dame perfumery Desert Rose was great and a dc’d Jo Malone called Tudor rose and amber ( Not sure if this one has real rose…) Nahema works in extrait version.
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Gucci L’Arte Di Gucci was soooo beautiful! Unfortunately, I got to try it long time after it got discontinued and became a cult vintage treasure.
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I’m glad one choice has your approval 😊
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I do not disapprove any of the choices – I’m just not familiar with the rest but Jo Malone’s one, about which I just don’t remember since that collection sold out too quickly for my usual “think for a year, then wait another one, then buy” MO :)
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At the moment really enjoying Melodia, rose and sandalwood. And the purple bottle is stunning.
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I don’t think I’ve ever tried anything from this brand or even seen it at a store. But the bottle does look nice (I like that color).
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I get really carried away with rose perfumes. Rose and iris/orris are my favorite notes in perfume, followed closely by violet and lavender. My favorite roses are Keiko Mecheri’s Attar de Roses, very swoonworthy, and Ormonde Jayne’s Ta’if. Next in line are Initio’s Atomic Rose (modern rose with a soupcon of metallic note), Lutens La Fille de Berlin, such a rosy beauty, and Auphorie’s La Anima de le Rossa, an ambery honeyed rose with a lot of staying power; It’s an extrait so it’s quite the powerhouse. January Scent Project’s Smolderose is my newest rose acquisition, a lovely smoky deep rose. Mecheri’s Damascena, rose with black currant, and Diptyque’s Essences Insensee’ Rose de Mai are also loves. More great roses are my Parfums de Rosine Glam Rose and Penhaligon’s Luna. My lighter spring and summer roses include Parfums de Rosine Rose d’Ete, La Amie de la Rose (rose with white tea, bamboo and lotus) and for hot muggy weather I enjoy Prada Infusion de Rose and Teo Cabanel Early Roses.
That’s a lot of roses!!!
For Valentine’s day I’ll be burning a rose candle, Persian Rose by Lumira, and wearing OJ’s Ta’if during the day and JSP’s Smollderose in the evening. Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day. And hubby is buying roses at Trader Joe’s as he does every other week.
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Also, I love the photo of Rusty with the roses that match his beautiful fur!
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Rusty loves all the flowers… Unfortunately, he eats them – so, I have to hide my bouquets in the bedroom or office behind closed doors at night :)
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Oooo!! Attar de Roses!! My dad, whose in his eighties, borrowed my bottle and returned it empty :) . It’s a beautiful rose.
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Your dad has good taste! That’s wonderful that he enjoyed it so much.
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OMG, so many nice suggestions…! I haven’t tried so many from your list so now I have my homework to do. I don’t mind ;-)
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Wow… I’m not familiar with half of those you’ve mentioned! Will investigate.
I’m currently testing Atomic Rose. Not sure yet what I think about it – will test again.
I admire your husband :) Unless I buy flowers myself, I’m getting 3 bouquets per year from my vSO – for my birthday, Valentine’s Day and our anniversary. But because those are just 3, they are just spectacular every year – so, I do not mind. After all, we always go grocery shopping together, so it doesn’t matter who buys flowers – and this way I can always figure out which flowers I need for pictures that week :)
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Mine is Brulure de Rose, though I do also like Lustre very much. I must try Fille de Berlin again, as it gets a lot of love, especially from Tara. ;) Happy Valentine’s weekend!
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Brulure de Rose! It is great (thank you again)
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Happy belated birthday! I have several rose perfumes, and would put Penhaligon’s The Coveted Duchess Rose high on my list. For The Hallmark Holiday, however, I think I’ll go for Portrait of a Lady. Enjoy the day!
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Thank you!
I liked The Coveted Duchess Rose, but never enough to go for a bottle… I wish they’ve created a mini bottle for the collection – 15 or maybe 30 ml – with the same type of caps. I would have bought 4 or 5, for the caps, if nothing else :)
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Although I love the scent of roses, I don’t have many rose perfumes. My favourites are the green rose – Caligna from L’Artisan and the deep, opulent rose – Penhaligon’s Much Ado About the Duke.
I hope you had a beautiful birthday and happy Valentine’s day!
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I did! Thank you! Everything went much better than could be expected under the circumstances.
Much Ado About the Duke is nice. Don’t need 75 ml, even though now it can be bought really cheap online. But nice.
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Rose is my favorite note and probably the one I own the most of, but I go back to my roots. The best rose is Perfumer’s Workshop Tea Rose. Hands down. It is the first, biggest and best to me.
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As I commented in another answer above, that particular rose was the first that I absolutely couldn’t wear. But I know that many perfumistas swear by it, so I’m not surprised it’s your favorite.
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