Rose Divine ID Parfums 2006

I have long wondered how I should understand or perceive this fragrance.

Paradox 1:
First of all: 'Rose Divine' actually means 'Divine Rose'. It's actually a great name for a perfume that puts the rose in the foreground. But in this case, unfortunately, it's unfortunate. One should know that there are many roses, but the Centifolia (Cabbage Rose) is not one of the 'God-created' roses, thus not exactly divine. The Centifolia, which prominently flares up in Rose Divine, belongs to the 'man-made' roses. It originated partly by chance and a whim of nature. However, it is mainly humans who have contributed to its targeted breeding. Partly, the Centifolia (bot. Rosa x Centifolia) is mistakenly marketed as May Rose or even Peony. Besides the fresh-floral and spring-like scent impression, they have nothing in common. The Peony is not even a rose but belongs to the peonies.

Paradox 2:
With the keyword fresh-floral, I have also arrived at the scent. According to previous comments, Rose Divine is considered anything but fresh or spring-like. I make no exception. It is rather described as warm, balsamic, and sweet. Due to the high proportion of Centifolia Absolute (the percentage of 1% surely refers to the total content including alcohol etc.), the composition may seem narcotic to some. The only remedy for that is to save strictly: two sprays on the neck or just a little spritz on the décolleté for sensitive souls. A rose bomb like Black Aoud is certainly not Rose Divine. The scent is interesting to me but also contradictory. I do like contradictions, but there should be a discernible meaning, which I miss here again. More on that shortly.

Paradox 3:
Now it gets technical :-). The suspicion that Céline Ellena wanted to recreate the scent of the divine rose, Rosa x Damascena, using Centifolia is unavoidable. However, in terms of scent, Centifolia and Rosa Damascena differ in certain ways. The Damascena contains more than 400! different molecules in its essence, some of which have not even been isolated. The Centifolia has far fewer substances. If we consider the molecules as physical structures, the Centifolia lacks certain molecules to harmoniously absorb warm-balsamic tones like benzoin or sandalwood. Additionally, sandalwood has the urinous undertone (did someone complain about headaches? ;-))? They certainly did not skimp on benzoin and sandalwood here, as can be easily detected. With the much fuller Bulgarian or Turkish rose, however, this is quite possible and popular.

Paradox 4:
While I could easily detect benzoin and sandalwood, I have trouble with blueberry and currant. Perhaps they are too weakly dosed? Whatever the case: a bit more of the fruit cocktail, even if of an exotic kind, would have pleased me more. As it stands, the fruits, perhaps because they shine through their absence, reinforce the overall contradictory character of this fragrance.

Conclusion:
Overall, a very good perfume to which I would gladly give 100%. However, the name raises a certain expectation in me. This is not satisfied. Instead, I have an image of a divine, delicate singer and the tailcoat of an equally divine, more than just stately singer in mind. It's as if one were trying to drag the great Maria Callas onto the stage in a tailcoat of Luciano Pavarotti.

The fragrance gets 90 percent from me also because this idea is so abstract and yet somehow beautiful :-D.