Belgwen
1
The perfect rose has been found!
I’ve tried and really liked with AL’s Evening Rose so it shouldn’t have been that surprising that I fell instantly in love with Rose de Grasse. Looking at the notes pyramid this seems like yet another amber-rose creation. Even though the formula itself is not groundbreaking, I'm quite shocked as to how unique this perfume is amongst its counterparts. To give you an example of my relevant taste range, I enjoy fragrances such as JM Red Roses, SL La Fille de Berlin, YR Rose Absolue, SM Stella (original formula), JHAG Miss Charming, TPW Tea Rose, Paul Smith Rose, Molinard Rose, Caron Delire de Rose, etc.
Upon first spray, I was expecting the dreaded aquatic notes (don’t like them). But thankfully, they were nowhere to be found. Those who would like watery notes to accompany their roses may want to steer clear of this and proceed to lighter formulas such as Especially Escada, Yves Rocher Pur Desir de Rose or perhaps Issey Miyake L`Eau d`Issey Florale. Compared to a photorealistic rose like TPW Tea Rose, Rose de Grasse is much less green but compared to JM Red Roses, it’s much less linear because it’s a much more multifaceted creation. Initially, there’s an intensive, delicious musk. Then, in all but 5 minutes, the roses are in full-bloom. These blossoms are voluptuous, vibrant, and expansive – and yet somehow evade being overwhelming or aggressive. I can almost taste these velvety red rose petals on my tongue! This is not a gourmand or sugary fragrance by any stretch of imagination but it is so skillfully done with such fine quality materials that my nose interprets this juice as completely edible. After about an hour I can smell faint amber & musk but these notes take a back seat and only serve to anchor this glorious flower to my skin. Another bonus: The projection & staying power are so outstanding that this fragrance walks at least a foot ahead of me and stayed on my skin for 12+ hours, passing the difficult “overnight test”.
In conclusion, I see Rose de Grasse as a masterpiece, the absolute perfect rose. I recommend this to all rose-devotees, who owe it to themselves to test this beauty on their skin at least once. I’d also recommend it to those who, like me, lamented the discontinuation of the original Lancome Mille and Une Roses. This is a very decent and albeit less-ambery substitute for it.