I woke up the other day knowing that the only perfume I could wear was Les Roses De Rosine’s Roseberry. Only. But this happens sometimes; a scent I virtually never wear, that is hidden somewhere in the back of my closet, suddenly comes to the forefront of my scent mind and then only that perfume will do, one that just wills me towards it (do you also have this? Almost a premonition?) The three Rosines that I own, all found cheaply in Yokohama, are just perfumes that I somehow don’t usually think of wearing on a regular, day to day basis, and yet Roseberry – a curiously astringent, less-berry-than-you-might-imagine, chamomile, green, and wine-note laden rose perfume with softer iris and cedar notes hiding in the background, has been quite unexpectedly driving my other half wild the last few nights – you would think we had just met, seriously – and is now suddenly my scent of the week. La Rose De Rosine, the original perfume from this house, a gorgeous, bright, balsamic and powdery violet Turkish rose that I do turn to on occasion on a sultry summer’s evening, quite amazed a friend that was over from England when I randomly suggested the other night that she try it when we were doing perfume (she swore that she would definitely have to get some as soon as she got back: like her, I also really do think that this is exceptional, just a devil-may-care jolt of life, and love, and happiness, almost giddy); and I find that even Zephyr Rose, a weirdly aniseed-topped, mintily aggressive fresh rose, a more recent release and one that I had never even heard of before I came across it (something I often now find to be the case with this perfumery) is now down to her dregs; ready for the bottle bin: exhausted. She worked quite well, though, as a guest-greeting house rose, a bathroom spray, or as an adjunct to perfumes that needed a quick rose-up. A cherry on top. A rosebud. A spritz. Odd, and a bit harsh, but nice. Fresh. French. I remember the Parfums De Rosine boutique, tucked away beautifully, all glass and filigree metal and windows, at the Palais Royal in Paris, thirteen winters ago or so, and thinking, how pleasing, all those roses, how pretty…………. but where is Serge Lutens? And yet this evening, with Roseberry once again gracing my person after a rose soapy long evening bath, and feeling exceedingly right, I am more complicit. I have always loved the lettering and the packaging, the colours, and the inconspicuousness of the Rosine roses, and I know that I have quite liked virtually every rose from this house that I have smelled; and yet not usually quite enough, for reasons I am not sure of, to splurge away my income. I don’t know. There is always something else I want ; they are ‘secondary’; there are almost too many of them now; they have overwhelmed me. But what about you? Are you a Rosine person? Do you have any other suggestions? What else, what other potentially essential or gorgeous roses from Les Parfums De Rosine, have I been missing?
The Black Narcissus 
I own three of them but rarely wear them.
Can you put a finger on why? Which ones do you have?
I have “Un Zest de Rose, Folie de Rosine and Flamenca de Rosin. I truly like them all but do not think of them and therefore very rarely wear them.
I like Zeste, actually, and Folie (patchouli, no?), although Flamenca with the orange blossom always struck me as a bit odd.
I bought several, didn’t wear them, and sold them all on, except Rose d’Amour, which I rarely wear but quite like. For some reason when I want a rose scent, they are not the ones I reach for, plus distribution of the line is rather poor. I would like to resmell them, especially the ones you mention.
It’s interesting though that you also have had Rosine equivocations. You also say ‘for some reason’…..I wonder what that is.
I am pretty sure though that La Rose De Rosine is too sweet for you and Roseberry too fruity. And the aniseed in the other one is really full on. Not anisic but full on aniseed.
I’ve never come across bottles or samples, though I see Liberty has them. Not keen on rose as a main note but perhaps will explore them. I love that you manage to use up even the ones you don’t specially like!
Don’t you?
No, I usually sell them on. I have a big cupboard of perfumes I love, all nearly full – need to start spraying more! I did try perfuming the sitting room curtains with Cuir Pleine Fleur, to complement the unlit Florentine Leather candle which scents the other end of the room. Mixed success – felt like a ghostly presence…
I am yet to truly get with Heeley actually, but they seem a little too expensive, don’t they, for curtain sprays?
They are a bit but I have two 100ml bottles of CPF, one £80 from ebay and one £90-odd from the Heeley website when the exchange rate was far better. So was willing to spare a couple of sprays. I put a squirt of Sycomore on my dressing gown when I was finishing off an evaporating decant. It startled me every time I walked into the bedroom for the next couple of days.
You know that is a scent I always wonder if I will finally, at some point, need. Me and vetiver……but does it ultimately have the soul? Convince me, Mrs Dalloway.
I love it – hay, subtle flowers and a leather note which is now a tiny bit dirty, now beautiful expensive leather soap. But let Portia convince you too:
http://perfumeposse.com/2016/10/27/cuir-pleine-fleur-james-healey-review/
Portia is very convincing….
I’ve been reading him/ her for like years and only just got the Portia/ Porsche pun. Dense.
Sorry, just realised it was Sycomore you wanted convincing on, not CPF! I expect Portia likes it too.
Right on: http://perfumeposse.com/2015/01/22/sycomore-chanel-review/
I bought 15 samples and they are not interesting to me. All of them remind me of other perfumes that are for sale by other brands. Rose d’Etê reminds me of YSL’s Paris, Roseberry has a creaminess in the background that evokes No. 19, Ballerina No. 2 to some Mugler perfume. The one I tried most times is Secrets of Rose.
Yes, that was the one lingering in my mind. Extremely sexy ( labdanum?) if I remember rightly.
I know what you mean about their not being ‘interesting’ – though I think that Rose D’Homme is very original – but in general they don’t have the difficult niche edginess; they are almost rather tame and conventional in a way. I do like the rounded ‘niceness’ in them personally, though, the romantic element.
I think they are pleasant and pretty but though long-lasting, they have no real depth.
Definitely. These are not psychological perfumes, nor are they especially poetic. There is something very ‘normal’ about them perhaps, quite grounding and pleasing in a bourgeois kind of way. We all have our square days.
I have Rose d’Amour and Clair Matin, both of which I like very much.
Ooh tell me more. This is the second time that Rose D’Amour has popped up. Clair Matin is a recent one, isn’t it? What kind of thing is it? I am tempted to go and try the ones they have here in Tokyo Isetan later this week.
It was launched in 2011. Here’s what the listing says: Top notes are cassis, amalfi lemon and raspberry leaf; middle notes are chamomile, peony, rose and violet; base notes are musk, sandalwood, amber and apricot. I like it a lot; it’s a fresh kind of rose. It is meant to evoke a rose garden where there are other flowers blooming, in the early morning when there is dew on newly mown grass. Some people don’t like the chamomile, but I do. It’s not like tea; it’s like live, green chamomile. Do try Rose d’Amour if you can! Luca Turin reviewed it in his book and he liked it. It’s a very classic rose with an aldehyde opening. Sadly, I think both of those have been discontinued, but you can still find them online.
I just checked out the Clair Matin and it is apparently a fresher version of Roseberry, whose chamomile I definitely do quite like. I will look out for it!
I like Rose Goldea by Bvlgari and Izia by Sisley. Paul Smith Rose is also nice and fairly cheap.
I am curious about the Bulgari, actually as I quite like their Rose Essentielle. I reviewed Izia earlier in the summer and quite liked it (except the base note). How about the roses from this line though?
Odd man out, I guess. I find many Rosines can be really quite psychological and poetic! My fave is Poussiere la Rose, and I also really like d’Amour, Une Folie, Kashmirie and La Rose. These are pretty full-throttle, fully-realised compositions.
Some of the others – I had samples of the whole line – can be a little “normal,” I agree. I took them all with me travelling around the west coast of Ireland and the rose theme was somehow just exactly right. I only own one bottle, Poussiere, and I rarely wear it, just because it’s very hard to get in Canada. If I had a gallon I’d wear it much, much more often. If I could get hold of the others in the line I liked, I’d definitely buy them and wear them.
All this, however, from someone who loves roses. So, grain of salt required.
No grain needed – I really enjoy roses too when the moment hits me like it has this week. I am intrigued about Poussiere even more now. I vaguely remember it but I am sure it would be my kind of thing. How is the Kashimirie?
If you like Feminité du Bois or Dolce Vita, you’d find Poussiere has parallels.
Kashmirie is the most adventurous Rosine, I think, or at least the most un-normal (unless you’re in India or the Middle East). It’s got a lot going on. In other hands, it might have gotten a little Kurkdjian, but with that natural, moderate-volume style of the house, it stays soft, blended and cozy. Staying power is good. It smells like classic quality, which the better Rosines I mentioned do, I think. I have a decent-sized decant, so I’ve worn it several times. Per fragrantica: Top notes are saffron, coriander, bergamot and rose; middle notes are myrhh, rose and peony; base notes are vetyver, sandalwood, amber, benzoin, vanille, grass and cypriol oil or nagarmotha.
Thanks for keeping an open mind, dear N.
And thanks for being such an innately eloquent and sensate perfumist!
That would be you.
Re: Sycamore…that what it is…it doesn’t have soul (a least to me). It is the only one of the original Chanel EDT Exclusifs that I never “spoke” to me. Now I know the reason!
The EDP is very different anyway – It’s lost that knockout opening and is generally more dialled-down and mainstream. EDT- lovers are disappointed but I know some who disliked EDT and prefer it. But whether it has soul I couldn’t say! There is also more creamy wood so not likely to be ginzaintherain’s thing.
you know me too well…. thanks for the aversion.
can you accept that note and tone in perfumery?
I hate many of the synthetic woods – whatever is in SJP’s Stash is just horrible. The start was great but then no. I don’t think new Sycomore is actively offensive but it’s a shame.
‘I am very much enjoying my new scent. It is not actively offensive’
(!)
Chanel: Not Actively Offensive Since 1921. Though I’d make an exception for Allure Homme Eau Sport or whatever it’s called.
And Allure itself.
It actively makes me angry.
Ha!
https://theblacknarcissus.com/2015/06/18/beautiful-poisons-four-perfumes-from-the-early-90s-allure-cabotine-dolce-gabbana-pour-femme-tendre-poison-2/
How could I have missed this post?!
This: “. . . the embittered older sister perhaps of Cabotine ( more demure), Red Door (lower IQ), and Fleur de Rocaille (pseudo-chic).
And, oh my, this: “. . . foundation and mascara merging in a sweaty, oily mass of face powder under the breakers. It can all get a bit much; a big smudge of olfactory OTT.”
I had Allure Sensuelle at one time. A gift from a very well-meaning friend. It was such a relief when I found someone who actually loved it and I could justify giving it away. It was like Allure, but that vulgarity and crassness squeezed into black fishnets and a push-up bustier. Omph.