Drseid
4
All Rose, Little Else...
A la Rose opens with a very realistic light airy rose with a subtle orange fruity undertone. As the composition moves to its early heart the realistic airy rose remains the star with the orange turning a bit more dull and prominent, now joined in support by slightly powdery violet and a subtle underlying woody accord well in the background. During the late dry-down the rose all but vacates leaving its subtle remnants to support the remaining natural smelling woods that take the fore through the finish. Projection is relatively poor and longevity is on the low side of average at about 7 hours on skin.
The rose genre has gotten super-saturated as more and more compositions have been released in the past decade alone. As such, it is understandable if one almost feels a bit jaded when they hear of yet *another* release in the crowded field, and A la Rose is indeed another entrant. Luckily, while the composition breaks absolutely no new ground in the genre focusing primarily as a rose soliflore for most of its linear development, it is so skillfully done the wearer almost doesn't care. Mr. Kurkdjian has first and foremost used some very high quality raw materials that immediately stand out in a positive way over normal rose focused offerings with an airy rose that is so realistic you almost feel you could reach out and grab it. The violet and wood really does not play much of a role in the composition except to propel the rose to the fore, hovering well in the background until late when the rose finally recedes. In effect, the composition is all about the rose, and *only* the rose. Apart from the lack of any real innovation, the other negatives are all on the performance side of the equation, or lack thereof. It is somewhat disappointing that the projection is rather dismal and longevity unimpressive. That said, sometimes low projectors are good fits for relatively close quarter situations, and while the longevity is unimpressive it is far from anything *too* worrisome. At the end of the day the composition is called "A la Rose," and that is what it delivers, nothing more, nothing less. The bottom line is the $245 per 70ml A la Rose is a very realistic if not overly linear and simplistic depiction of the rose that still manages to impress with its top-notch raw materials and skillful execution, earning an "excellent" 4 stars out of 5 and a solid recommendation. While certainly this is a great composition, with all the other rose offerings on the market it is debatable if yet another rose soliflore for this kind of money is the best investment one can make. That is a decision each prospective purchaser will have to make themselves, but those looking for a rose soliflore will find much to love here, I'm sure.