Oh, I’ll say it right away: The opening is amazing. I’m not a rose person, but this rugged rose, interpreted in various ways, herbaceous-green, dry, and then this striking pink pepper, a brilliant combination. The contrast between romantic and wild is really interestingly staged.
15-20 minutes in, unfortunately, the pepper fades away fairly quickly, but that’s okay, a beautiful, rugged vetiver takes its place. Alongside the dry rose from the start, other subtle, matte flowers emerge, a hint of jasmine and maybe even iris, beautifully shifting with the herbaceous vetiver and a tiny remnant of pepper. Overall, it’s now a bit less edgy, no longer as boldly contrasting as in the top note.
In the dry down, there’s a yellowish, slightly musty-dried cistus rose, but also a continuing greenish-herbaceous rose from the heart, a violet-green, rather fresh patchouli, natural, slightly sweet.
Overall, for me, it’s a truly top-notch rose scent, exciting facets, great contrasts, good transitions, nothing artificial. Beautifully composed and structured, only the pepper could have lasted a bit longer. For me, it’s still fairly unisex wearable due to the spiciness and green notes.
