Bouton de Rose Le Prince Jardinier

I fell in love again today ... with yet another of the many faces that the beautiful Rose presents. Having been after trying this fragrance for the longest time I finally made the hour long drive to my nearest niche outlet and this 'Rosebud' has captivated and enchanted me.

Adding to the pleasure, this fragrance was on seasonal markdown so I immediately bought one of the three left in the store. This appears to have been a fatal mistake ... I should have bought the lot, an oversight I intend on correcting as soon as possible.
Bouton de Rose opens with a tart blast of Cranberry, quickly followed by a delectable surge of green ... definitely the Papyrus. What follows is the beautiful intensity of a naturally grown rosebud about to burst into flower, still clinging to it's green bits but with the promise of heavenly sweetness, cleverly provided in this blend by the addition of Freesia and Peony. There are subtle hints of white florals too in the smallest amounts of Jasmine and Tuberose, as if adding their soft whispers to this budding voice from another corner of the garden ... paying homage to the Queen about to be born.
The dry down of Bouton de Rose is simply wonderful ... the woody earthiness of Frankincense and the resinoid Amber softly recalling sap and freshly turned, damp soil with a fungal, mushroomy touch.
I've seen on other fora that this fragrance is classified as a feminine. I beg to differ ... with Roses for men like "Declaration d'Un Soir", "Twill Rose" and "Rosissimo" on the market, there is no reason that Bouton de Rose cannot be worn successfully by either gender.

This creation by Le Prince Jardinier has skyrocketed to a place in my top 5 all time favorite Rose fragrances. It will definitely be a staple in my rotation.