À la Rose Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2014 Eau de Parfum

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.

Almost. I have never been this close to 'clicking' with a MFK perfume before. This little gem has such a joyful appearance. Light and airy, frivolous and carefree like a Sunday afternoon in spring.

Initially I get a brief whiff of orange-colored fruity notes. Those were gone before they could earn the perfume a 'fruity' label. A seemingly simplistic rose is left. It has some support of magnolia shampoo and some violet powder, but those stay nicely in the background. Along the way, intensity seems to go up and down without changing much of its character.

When sniffing up close to the skin, something did not feel right to me. Maybe the powdery violet and the fresh musk combo is not fully compatible with my skin. It turned a bit rubbery. From a distance I did not have this problem at all. Instead it serves a featherlight rosey trail and that is exactly what makes this perfume worthwhile.

One of the most naturalistic rose smell. Like rose garden or bouquet. Very bright, natural, calm. Orange starts, then roses. I think its better for +25/30 age people. Because I know young girls dont like rose scents so much. Its very pretty gift for a woman who likes flowery rose smells. Longevity and sillage are not good.

À la Rose is a an older (2014) rose fragrance from Msr Kurkdjian that is fresh and woody. It doesn't become a gourmand, perhaps due to the absence of vanilla in it. It opens with a citrus and rose, and floats into magnolia and violet, and ends in musk and cedar. You get exactly what is listed on the olfactory pyramid. Though the opening has plenty of rose in it, it is very fresh because of the orange and bergamot.

It is very good, as expected from Kurkdjian. But it is not exceptional as there are no surprises. If you really want a fresh powdery rose with an upbeat spirit, this is for you. As for me, I am not sure if I need this. I can't figure out what empty niche in my collection this fragrance fills.

I am so, so picky with my roses. I like roses in real life, but I'm usually not a fan when it comes to rose in perfumes. I often find them to be just too overwhelming and cloying and the very sweet jammy roses can really turn my stomach or set off a migraine. The more sensual, deep roses give me old dusty dirty vibes. There have been roses I like but I've never encountered a true rose perfume that I would say I love, but I love a la Rose.

This is the freshest, brightest, most realistic rose fragrance I have ever smelled. When I spray this, I am sitting in a rose garden in the early morning. There's dew on the grass and there are fresh cut roses on the table. Maybe there's a lemon tree in this garden as well. This is not a dark heavy gothic rose, rather it is light and bright and happy. This is so feminine and pretty and I also think it's one of those scents that feels just ageless/timeless. A young girl could wear this as well as a more mature woman. In terms of performance, a la Rose has moderate projection (this is no BR 540) and lasts about 3-4 hours. I also think it will be a bit too fresh and bright for really cold days but for the realism of the rose itself none of this matters to me. I'll happily reapply and at the expense of my bank account, happily rebuy as well.

I have been playing around with layering this with a woodier scent in the cooler mornings (specifically Santal Blanc by Van Cleef and Arpels) to help give it a bit more depth and I am liking the combo. It's still a fresh rose but the extra woody boost just helps ground it some.