Bergduft - Alpenrose Art of Scent Swiss Perfumes 2008

I am in a dilemma. Do I like Alpine Rose? Or do I not like Alpine Rose? Does Alpine Rose smell good? Or does Alpine Rose not smell good? Is this a modern fragrance? Or is this an old-fashioned fragrance? Is it cool? Or is it warm? Is this a rose scent? Or is this not a rose scent?

Sometimes, such complexities in perfumes can enchant us. However, here I cannot enjoy these contradictions; they irritate me. And they actually annoy me a bit.

A brief overview: I like rose scents. I am less fond of floral powerhouses. And soapy is not my preferred target. Classic is not inherently bad. Squeaky sweet, on the other hand, is.

And for these reasons, Alpine Rose does not really work. A rose scent, yes, but (despite all the other notes) very soliflore, and in epic breadth. The intensity is fierce and voluminous. The scent character is somehow cool and soapy, a bit "sharp" and edgy. The actually romantic and sometimes lovely rose has broad muscles and teeth. It comes across as extremely self-assured and loud, which overwhelms me. Hardly anything has been placed beside it to soften this massive presence or to split it into further kaleidoscopic facets. For example, some musk for more sensuality, or spicier spices for a more oriental touch, or more vanilla for added sweetness. Instead, Alpine Rose remains very dark rosy-red and full-bodied intense. A touch too harsh and floral-bitter. The racily velvety rose petals are there - however pure, and they tolerate no other supporting players. If you like that, you are definitely in the right place in this one-man show.

I cannot really criticize Alpine Rose; it is made too well in terms of quality. However, it simply does not suit my taste. It does not fit me, and therefore it lies like a foreign body, heavy as lead, on my skin. And: I have a wardrobe scent (that I never use), a small bottle of fragrance direction "Rose," which you drip onto a sponge in a plastic piece and hang between the clothes. And it smells just like that. Unfortunately. This association is constantly in my mind or in my nose, and that is not really helpful. Because the wardrobe scent is, on one hand, mixed very intensely so that it can scent for as long as possible. And on the other hand, it always comes across as a bit too much, somehow forced, so overly strained to be trimmed and composed to "Rose" that you definitely realize it is supposed to smell like rose. And Alpine Rose strikes me similarly. Unfortunately.