Years ago, in my 6th Blogiversary post, I said that I’d like to start doing a feature where I revisit perfumes to see if my “eaupinions” have changed. I said I wasn’t afraid to eat crow…and I’m not.
In January, I decided to revisit some rose-centric perfumes.
Indult Manakara review published April 11th, 2014.
Initial Thoughts – I found Manakara too sweet. I said, “A super, sticky sweet blend of rose-lychee lollipops, cotton candy and vanilla custard”. I had a difficult time sampling it because I found it to be too cloying. It was my least favorite from the brand.
Now Thoughts – I have worn this four times over the past week. And it has grown on me. Yes, it’s a sweet vanilla rose but there’s more to it. I notice there’s a sweet benzoin-like incense thing going on in the base that reminds me of Papier d’Armenie. It’s a rather linear fragrance of candied roses but there’s more than just what the note list says. It’s not my favorite from Indult, but it’s much better than I first gave it credit for. Sorry, Manakara.
Conclusion – Ate crow, yo.
Tom Ford Private Blend Café Rose review published October 16th, 2012
Initial Thoughts – I was a disappointed by this. Like many people, I expected a “coffee rose”. Instead, it was a dry, woodsy rose. As a rose perfume, it was fine.
Now Thoughts – It’s a peppery, dry woodsy rose. It has this bitter thing that I don’t really like but I can see it working on some people. It’s a good rose but it’s not the sort of rose that I like. It’s too bitter for my tastes. I guess that bitterness could be read as some sort of under roasted coffee bean. I don’t like that in my coffee and I don’t like that in my perfume.
Conclusion – I feel about the same. Actually, I like it a little less now than I did in 2012.
Amouage Lyric Man review published July 26th, 2011
Initial Thoughts – I thought of this as a tropical rose or at least a rose that for some reason reminded of Cuba circa 1930s-40s. I really liked it.
Now Thoughts – I love the tangy key lime opening in Lyric Man. It’s a great rose. It has freshness from evergreens, citrus and fresh ginger. It dries down to this long-wearing musk and sandalwood. I think what I was trying to say with this in my review is that it smells like a few drops of old-school men’s “pine and lime” cologne in a modern cedar rose perfume. The ginger and lime reminds me of warmer climates. The fragrance is a commitment in that it wears all day. And if you get it on clothes (in my case, a scarf), it will smell like that probably forever. Yet, I don’t mind. This is a wonderful modern rose. And it’s unisex, so don’t let “Man” keep you away.
Conclusion – I still really like it. I still think it’s expensive but it’s good.
L’Artisan Parfumeur Drôle de Rose published March 8th, 2011
Initial Thoughts – It was a powdery rose/violet that reminded me of fancy French cosmetics. It smelled like my friend’s face (because she used fancy French cosmetics). And I missed her face.
Now Thoughts – These days there are so many lipstick inspired perfumes on the market (Maison Martin Margiela Lipstick On, Prada Tainted Love) but this is the OG French cosmetics perfume. I’ve always loved the honeyed orange blossom opening in this. These days, I’m more senstitive to the orange blossom and green almond in addition to the powdery rose and violet. When it comes to “makeup” scents, Drôle de Rose is uncharacteristically complex. It’s like a pastel pink goose down powder puff in a bottle.
Conclusion – After trying a lot of other “makeup” inspired perfumes, I feel like Drôle de Rose is even better. It’s held its own. At this stage, it’s like an old friend that’s always been there for me.
Penhaligon’s Elisabethan Rose review published February 7th, 2012
Initial Thoughts – I said it was a literal, old-fashioned tea rose fragrance that really didn’t do much for me.
Now Thoughts – It’s still a literal, old-fashioned tea rose fragrance that really doesn’t do much for me.
Conclusion – I still feel the same. Also, this is the sort of rose that makes people think they hate rose perfumes. I mean, it makes me think that I hate rose perfumes…
Bvlgari Pour Femme Rose Essentielle EDT review published May 18th, 2009.
Initial Thoughts – Who even knew what I was saying? These old reviews, I hadn’t really found my voice yet. I basically said it was a champagne-like rose with zero staying power.
Now Thoughts – This is a very sheer fragrance but throughout the years, these sort of “wispy” fragrances are the ones I like the best. The opening has this brilliant blackberry that is both fruity and musky. This perfume is much more complex that I remember. It’s sheer, powdery with rose, candied violets and mimosa.The dry-down is powdery, musky but not heavy.
Conclusion – I’m going to buy a bottle. I should have a bottle of this.
I did eat crow (Manakara). Revisting these was sort of harmful. I now have my eye out for cheap bottles of Lyric Man, Rose Essentielle and Drôle de Rose. I’ve always liked rose perfumes but I feel like after all these years, I love rose perfumes even more. I love the versatility of a rose. However, there are still rose genres that I stay away from (like Elisabethan Rose). My bank account likes that there are rose genres that I avoid.
Have you’ve tried any of these, what do you think of them?
*Product pics from the brand. Raven & Rose tattoo from Photobucket.
Ah, you have tempted me with several of these! I think this might have been the “rose perfumes for people who don’t like rose perfumes” post that I’ve been looking for! I’ll stay away from Elisabethan Rose, though.
I have that post started but haven’t finished it yet!
I think if you had to start with a couple of these here, try the Bvlgari and L’Artisan since they have other things going on. They’re both “girly” but I love to pair that kind of thing with a badass leather jacket.
I generally stay away from rose fragrances because that note tends to give me headaches, so I haven’t tried any of these…. But I really like the idea of revisiting fragrances after some time has passed. I have done that from time to time and it is always enlightening! Tastes change and evolve all the time so some of the scents that I used to hate might now be loves, and the other way around. I’ve been thinking of revisiting some leathers…
Out of these, try the L’Artisan one (that is if you can do powdery scents). It should be less rose-y than the others. And if rose gives you headaches, stay far away from that Penhaligon’s 😉
It really is good to revisit (especially if you have the perfume or samples around). Preferences do change/evolve. I also like trying them again in different seasons. I think we get so bombarded with trying new things, that we often forget how good (or bad) something can be.
Leathers, that would be good genre to revisit.
Previously I could enjoy a very sweet or jammy rose, like the KM Loukhoums or YR Rose Ispahan for example, but nowadays any rose at all is enough to trigger the dagger stab to the brain. So I’m staying away from rose completely for the moment. I also get headaches from sharp jasmines and incense sometimes but rose is the worst offender…
I tend to hoard samples, either just for reference or because I like them but not enough for a bottle or decant. And there are a lot of things that I’ve worn only once and then forgotten about. Need to try all of those again. Sometimes I try something in the winter and find that it really needs some more humidity to work, so I save the sample planning to try it another season… and then I forget about it. I’m sure I have a lot of that sort to revisit come summer, if I can remember then… 😉 The leathers were a favorite genre way back when I started exploring niche. I think I still have rather a lot of leather samples, stuff like Cuir Ottoman, Lonestar Memories, Chambre Noire, Tuscan Leather… but it’s been a long time since I tried any of them now.
It’s so weird how that happens. I hope you get relief from it. Years ago, I used to love ambers. Then one day I had reactions to any of the “sharp” resins in a lot of amber blends. They really made me ill. Now, I can wear them but I’m very careful.
I ended up buying this little two compartment box thingie at Ikea. It holds my “re-try in a different season” samples. I did this because I was always forgetting about them. Now I open it with a new season. Some, I don’t like but others I feel like I can “finally” appreciate them.
Early on, I bough A LOT of leather scents. Now, I rarely wear them. I have given them such a break that it would be fun to revisit them.
Hi Victoria, Can you tell me how FM Lipstick Rose compares to Drole de Rose? I have a small decant of LR but have never sniffed DdR.
Also, Diptyque has a new violet rose/violet perfume with a makeup vibe in a solid and candle format. There is a recent review on Now Smell This If you have any interest but the name of the scent escapes me.
My favorite roses, at least this time of year, are fairly heavy orientals. I love Tauer’s PHI Une Rose de Kandahar, Lyric Woman, and Rose Boheme. I do really very much like Lipstick Rose too. Ever since you mentioned the shower gel, I’ve been craving it.
Great Post!
Years ago I found more similarities between the two then than now. They both have the violet/rose thing going on, but LR is “denser” and the berry note is different. LR is one of my favorite perfumes and I think of it as more “waxy” than powdery. DdR is a powdery fragrance (more like face powder than lipstick). I used to think of it as a rose but these days I’m starting to think of it more as a mimosa fragrance.
Oh, yes! I read that review. I was trying to think of which brand just launched something like that. It was Diptyque. I also saw that there is a lipstick-y candle by Byredo now too. Lots of brands are doing that now, especially with candles and I can see why. Candles are wax based 🙂 It’s seems like a natural thing to do.
I love Lyric Woman but never ended up buying a bottle, same with Rose Boheme. Actually, I should dig out some of those more oriental rose samples. They are what I’m craving right now.
That shower gel is really nice. It’s pricey but you don’t need to use too much of it. There’s Carnal Flower too. I haven’t decided if that would be amazing or if it would be awful as a shower gel…
I have tried the Carnal Flower shower gel… It is beautiful. I won a free sample on the Perfume Posse. I am not a huge tuberose fan but I think I will make an exception for this one. I think STC may sells samples of CF shower gel if you want to try before you buy.
I didn’t need to know this 😉
It’s not eating crow, really. Tastes change. I like some now that I didn’t years ago. I find it more interesting to to look at those that I haven’t changed my mind on. Angel, No 5 or Chocolate Greedy. Nope then and nope now. You have had me reevaluate my dislike of Rose though. With the exception of Velvet Rose (SSS) and Incense Rose, I wasn’t that fond of rose. But now I have Dangerous Liasions and Lush’s Rose Jam (in my shower). I’ve been getting it when it goes half price after Christmas. I am also one who likes Cafe Rose and that bit of bitter. Like Noir de Noir too. Have been testing some Amouages and I like some some, not all. Have not tried the Lyrics. I have taken a liking to Fate, both male and female. Female has a nice rose swirling away in there. Have you tried it? Compared to Lyric? And ouch those prices still.
But, I get to post pics of crows, so that’s good 😉
SSS roses are amazing. I have yet to do a post of my favorite roses, but when I do, you’re going to see a lot of SSS.
Kilian DL is one of those really grew on me with time. It has that bitter-rose thing going on (more subtle than Cafe Rose) and I really like it. When it comes to the Tom Fords, I still prefer Noir de Noir as that brand’s rose.
I avoided trying Amouage perfumes for years because of the prices. If someone gave me a sample, I’d try it. The few that I’ve tried, I really like. And this is why I have avoided trying any others from the brand! I don’t like falling in love with stuff I know I’m never going to buy.
I’m sure you must know but you can find Amouage heavily discounted at Fragrancenet and Beauty Spin. I found a travel set of Lyric with about 30 mls of perfume for just over $100. I felt like it was a great deal and I don’t want 100 ml bottles anymore. I did buy a FB of Beloved but it’s a HG fragrance for me.
Actually, I forgot about that. I have noticed then back in the day but back then I haven’t tried any Amouage.
I’m totally OK with a smaller bottle of perfume. I have too much already!
[…] I’m kicking off the week with a designer rose perfume. I’m not a perfume snob and most of the perfumes in my rotation are boring, mainstream designer perfumes. This doesn’t mean that I’m free of designer perfume complaints. One of my issues is that it is difficult to find a quality, cheap rose perfume (there are exceptions such as Elizabeth & James Nirvana Rose). I think one of the issues is that rose perfumes are viewed as old-fashioned and some business department says they won’t sell. And they probably won’t. I’m an anomaly in the market. Anyway, since I’m a rose-lover that appreciates perfumes that are accessible, I like to try every rose-centric designer perfume. Most of the time I’m disappointed but sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised (like I was with Bvlgari Rose Essentielle). […]