Rose Week 2015
It’s Rose Week, an annual tradition on EauMG. This week I’ll be reviewing a few rose-centric perfumes. And you guys know I’m a rose lover. I love roses because they are versatile. A rose can take on many different personalities. Rose should win best actress when it comes to perfume notes.
PK Perfumes Carissa is one of those “green” roses. It’s like a florist shop. It’s a perfume inspired by a South African shrub with gorgeous white flowers, Carissa. It’s a mix of white florals and dewy roses.
Carissa opens as a bouquet of florals with dewy green leaves.There’s a hint of tart raspberries with red roses. It wears as a watery, dewy floral with a hint of acidic fruitiness. The heart is a clean, “green floral” with an even cleaner musk; this has an almost vintage feel like something Estee Lauder could have launched in the 1970’s. It dries down to a tuberose with a sharp sandalwood and leafy greens.
This is a style of rose or floral that I hear people say they dislike. It’s green and dewy, very floral. Personally, I like to wear a floral bouquet every now then. And for this genre of extroverted, unapologetically feminine florals, this one is good.
Notes listed include greens, rose, tuberose, jasmine, opoponax, myrrh, Australian sandalwood, orange blossom, ambergris and musk. Launched in 2012. PERFUMER – Paul Kiler
Give Carissa a try if you like green florals or vintage roses. Or perfumes like Shelley Kyle Sorella, Annick Goutal Rose Splendide, Bond No. 9 Union Square, Estee Lauder Beautiful Sheer and/or Jacomo Silences Sublime.
Projection and longevity are average.
Carissa comes in a few sizes with a 1 oz retailing for $85 at PK Perfumes. Samples are also available for purchase.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – A big bouquet of red roses and tuberose, greens, stems and all. One to try if you want to smell like a big bouquet of flowers.
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*Disclaimer – Sample was in a FRAGments swag bag. Product pic from PK Perfumes. Liselotte Pulver from www.fanpix.net.
Thanks EauMG! It’s funny that the Carissa flower is ubiquitous in So. California landscaping, usually around parking lot borders. The bushes get really big, and the thorns are just as big. But the smell of the FLOWERS! WOW! Much like a gardenia. And strangely, I named the perfume Carissa, before I even knew what the plant was, I just thought the name Carissa sounded pretty. But my ‘sheer” rose accord is a large part of this fragrance. By ‘sheer” I mean that it is not a sweet rose. It has a low level of Phenyl ethyl alcohol, which is honey sweet rosy. Plus Tuberose and Gardenia as well. My Wife loves to wear it, and does several times a week. I guess she likes to smell a green clean flower bouquet…! 🙂 Thanks for the wonderful review! -PK
I don’t think I’ve ever smelled Carissa (too far north) but it sounds fabulous. And yes, it’s a pretty name 🙂
Well, I like to smell like a clean flower bouquet too. I love a “cool” floral, green floral, especially during this time of year when all is gray and gloomy in the PNW.