De gustibus non est disputandum

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Roses, Roses

I am 1) a Rose Lover and 2) a Big Scent Lover. Happiness for me is combining the two, but since I love roses so very much I am willing to ignore a lot of flaws.

Tea Rose by the Perfumer's Workshop - Wow, this is a Tea Rosey as it gets. Smells like a freshly cut rose from the garden. It's like a hooker with glasses and a cardigan - it's there to a do a job, not to seduce.

Stella by Stella McCartney - Vaugely sweaty, sweet rose. I always read a lot of complaints about lack of sillage and longevity, but this isn't meant to be Opium. A good girl frag, but slightly boring.

Maitresse by Agent Provocateur - Stella's trashy cousin from the wrong side of the tracks.Truth be told, I prefer this to Stella, that weird rancid sweaty top note is even more pronounced.

Rose Absolute by Yves Rocher -Sweet, light and powdery rose. When the talk turns to roses, this almost always gets a mention probably due to it's agreeablility and nice price tag: when there's a 50% sale at Yvesrocher.com, it can be had for around $30.

Bvlgari Rose Essentielle by Bvlgari- I don't even know what to say at this point other than it's a sweet rose, not as powdery and good girlish as Rose Absolute by Yves Rocher and lacks the weird top notes of Stella and Maitrisse (bad thing, in my book!), but it does have an absolutely beautiful bottle and can be found on the cheap at TJ Maxx.

Edit: This was a bit unfair. After wearing it last night, it is a lovely, crisp rose.I hold true to my earlier opinion that it is more no-frills than most rose fragrances, but it does feel lovely and quiet and sophisticated.

Roses, Roses by Avon - is this even still in production? Reminds me of a slightly more prettied up Tea Rose by the Perfumer's Workshop.