Secrets d'Essences - Rose Oud Yves Rocher 2016

That the latest offspring of the "Secrets d'Essences" series contains real oud, I doubt given the affordable prices. But: It smells good, quite good actually, and it does indeed have a hint of oud.

But let's take it step by step...

"Rose Oud" has an opening like a super sports car; a gentle press on the nozzle is enough, and everyone within a 10-meter radius knows what has been sprayed. It thunders and crashes, and the scent comes straight to the point without any preamble or even the slightest hint of a tender foreplay: A powerful, dark, spicy candied liqueur rose. This spiciness and a tiny touch of freshness in the very first sniff balance the syrupy liqueur sweetness fairly well, so that it just about stays within the limits of my personal sweetness comfort zone.

So, the rose is frolicking in the foreground, it is completely drunk and behaves utterly unladylike, laughing its head off, the little minx, because it knows that it only needs to hint at oud and cumin should anyone dare to even mention the word "indecent." Because there is this little dirty undertone and some dark background notes, and it really does smell a bit oudy and like great mighty Padabooom.

I quite like the whole thing; it is as subtle as a firecracker, but it smells great and quite atypical for Yves Rocher, and it defines the other end of the "Secrets d'Essences" line: On one side "Accord Chic," for me the most elegant and subtle YR scent in a long time, and now this funny, loud, dirty, tipsy wanna-have-fun little rose that burps oud-spicy clouds.

With something as unnecessary as a development, the scent doesn't linger much: It starts with the big bang and quickly becomes quieter; the rose eventually falls into an alcohol coma and thus no longer makes an appearance, the amber and warmer notes get to play for a short while, and then it's gone.

This moderate longevity is very typical of Yves Rocher after all. Really a shame.