Beyond Rose Clinique 2014

As Aromatics has faithfully accompanied me for many years, I have a little weakness for the fragrances from Clinique in my heart. I hoped that someday another scent from Clinique would manage to enchant my olfactory senses. Therefore, I blindly purchased a decant of Beyond Rose.

Beyond Rose starts off very cool and green; I can clearly perceive the pepper. Quickly, roses come to my nose, a true sea of roses. And then Oud sparkles in my nose, that is the moment of disappointment, rose and oud… the quintessential floral-oud duo. This oud is not fecal, not bad from a distance, but as the nose gets closer to the scent, that little dirty note appears, which I don't like very much, so I keep some distance. Beyond Rose is bitter, thorny, cold. Rather the vain and self-satisfied rose. And at the same time, it is elegant, proud, and beautiful. In the base, the rose becomes warmer, a hint of peach and amber makes it softer and more agreeable.

Longevity and sillage are very good; men who like roses should test it. The scent is good to wear year-round, but I believe warmer temperatures make it more supple. I can't give a final rating for Beyond Rose (yet); everything is open between 7 and 9. I think it will be an on/off relationship between us, like the one I have maintained with Dune for years. And I sometimes quite like prickly scents with quirks.

Addendum: We are not warming up to each other; the decant is moving on. I have tried my best...