Un Zest de Rose Les Parfums de Rosine 2002

A fresh rose with green overtones coupled with a good touch of lemon. Very naturalistic and simple, very pleasant and fleeting (poor staying-power, alas). For those who look for a light, summery, refreshing kind of rose-scent - much nicer than the latest "Eau de Chloé" (2012), by the way.

When your mission statement and goal in life has become to combine rose with every conceivable permutation of all other possible perfume notes, you're going to have to face up to the world of citrus. UN ZEST DE ROSE does just that, with a big dose of yummy candied citrus rind powerful enough to make you forget that you're still romping about one of the many rooms in Rosine's resplendent rose mansion.

I have to confess that when I saw the name, I was a tad bit skeptical: rose citrus? Even the house of Fresh holds back on the citrus in its CANNABIS ROSE, and they have a penchant for citrus that certainly rivals and may even surpass Rosine's obsession with rose. Happily, my skepticism was all for naught in this particular case: UN ZEST DE ROSE is really beautiful, when all is said and sniffed. I was reminded of this perfume during a recent test of Frédéric Malle Bigarade Concentrée, which has a similar overall structure. I imagine that people who like that would like this one as well.

Although the citrus rind (primarily orange, to my nose) strikes me as somewhat candied, the bitterness tempers the sweetness, making this a very pleasant citrus-rose scent in which the rose plays, in the end, only a supporting role. This composition is straightforward and linear, but the components are natural and nice enough to land this unexpected creation on my wishlist. I would recommend UN ZEST DE ROSE to anyone who appreciates a good citrus fragrance, whether or not they usually do rose...

This song was always belted out by the Greek singer Nana Muskatnuß. She had a great voice, but the glasses were terrible and the hairstyle too.
I have always been very skeptical about rose fragrances, especially when roses play the leading role in scents. At times, they could really chase me away. However, I know that roses can have hundreds, if not more, scent variations. Perhaps I should engage with them a bit more, because I love roses themselves very much, just not so much in fragrances.
But here, everything is suddenly quite different. Un Zest smells like lemon sorbet with bright roses. Clear, radiant, almost cool. It is indeed the rose that defines this fragrance, but the blooming jasmine bush plays a small supporting role and probably ensures that the rose remains bright, sparkling, and fresh.
The base is soft, but not very warm. Well, a rose perfume that really turns my head. Flori wrote that it doesn’t last forever. Strange, despite the fresh spring scent, it has a remarkable longevity on me.

There are many rose fragrances, and most of them tend to drift too easily into the sweet territory. So far, I have only encountered one single rose fragrance where this is not the case: Hermèssence Rose Ikebana. Un Zest de Rose is similar, and indeed, these two have quite a bit in common. Orange, lemon, tea, and musk can be found in both perfumes.

After applying (thanks to dear Daisy, I was finally able to test Un Zest de Rose), I am greeted by a citrusy freshness that carries a veil of roses and develops a lovely creaminess in the base note. But beware, don’t be misled by the name! This is certainly not just a hint of pink; I find that name somewhat inappropriate.

Un Zest de Rose is, for me, the bolder of the two citrus roses, even though the longevity could be a bit better, just like with the Hermès rose. But as long as it is present, it shows a distinct presence, which is not the case with Rose Ikebana.

Of course, my latest test candidate could linger a bit longer, but when a perfume has convinced me, I can overlook that. One can always reapply, especially in the summer, a little more.

Thanks to lychee, this wonderfully pretty little bottle is now part of my collection.

From the very first second, I was enchanted by this fragrance. Immediately, the song by the Spanish group MECANO "Una rosa es una rosa es una rosa" popped into my head. And every time I apply the scent, I hear that melody again.

It truly is a basket full of roses. Garden roses, like those that flower vendors sell only in June and possibly early July, with a bit of crushed petals and in an incredible variety of colors. From greenish white to pure white and cream white to apricot, salmon, and pink, then orange and bright red, dark red, and especially this fuchsia. I mean, they smell the strongest, even though all the others emit their own, very different scents.

Just like this mixed bouquet of roses, Un Zest de Rose smells on my skin. I keep sniffing it, if only for the beautiful memory.

Because when the song by Mecano came out back then in Spain, I was on vacation in Spain and spent a total of 5 weeks (traveling by train across Spain), with 2 whole weeks in Granada and the Alhambra, which I visited daily.

These blooming gardens, full of various fragrant roses, this fairy-tale setting of the Alhambra, and the song...

My life was complete!

Even though Un Zest de Rose doesn't last very long, I love to reapply it because it truly smells wonderful.