Belgwen

But you literally need to have a sweet tooth to wear it. :) On my skin, this fragrance fills the room with only two sprays and lasts around 12 hours. I get sticky sweet raspberries cooked in dark berry compote in a cedarwood pot. By no means is this concoction juicy or fresh. Fruity, syrupy, and woody with a hint of musk - I get no iris or oud. It’s fairly linear and consistently fruity/woody/musky all throughout its lifespan. It distantly reminds me of EU Apparition. It’s just so dark, sexy, and fun. This is absolutely divine to me!

If animals had a signature perfume, this would’ve belonged to the Black Widow! A dark, dangerous lady with a red core. Black spices, luscious red roses, and a touch of gooey balminess that sticks to you like a spider web. If Matahari wore this, she would’ve had presidents spill out state secrets! This powerful juice smells like the older, sweeter sister of Yves Rocher Rose Absolue. One spray equals to 12+ hours of diffusion within your 12+ feet radius. If you love florientals, you just have to try this. Masterpiece!

Ikat Jasmine is a light white floral with moderate-low projection. The notes don’t suggest it but I swear I smell a lot of bergamot in the opening. The bergamot note here is sweet and vibrant at the same time. I’ve sprayed this on my recently washed wrist three times before bedtime. When I woke up it was still significantly there on my skin. It is by far the longest lasting Aerin perfume I’ve ever tried. I didn’t get the honeysuckle or the tuberose. However, the dry down is sweet and powdery with sandalwood and jasmine in the base notes. Compared to a rich and narcotic jasmine such as Lush Lust, it is much more friendly and demure. Compared to a more modern jasmine such as Estee Lauder Modern Muse or Thierry Mugler Alien EDP, it is much more natural, bright, and joyful. While it may lack the opulence or the complexity of greater jasmine fragrances such as Creed Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie, it is still a feminine and beautiful rendition of this flower. It actually reminds me a lot of Guerlain Terracotta Le Parfum without the copious tiare & vanilla that dominates the Guerlain composition. For those of you who are looking for a fresh, soft, everyday or a sort of “introductory” jasmine fragrance, this may be a good one to try. I recommend it for all seasons.

This perfume couldn’t be named any better! It smells exactly like a lilac bush. Projection is moderate and staying power could range from 4-6 hours depending on the wearer and how much of it has been sprayed. On my skin this is a pure floral. If I had to imagine a color for it, it would be purple peppered with dark green dots. Google “Watermelon Tourmaline” and look at the pictures. In my mind, this smells exactly how that beautiful stone looks!

Compared to a pastel floral such as Yves Rocher Pur Desir de Lilas, this is a bit deeper, spicier, and more complex. If you were to compare this to a more perfume-y lilac composition such as Fleurs d`Ombre Jasmin Lilas, I’d say this is a less musky and a more natural interpretation of it. I know that there are a lot of perfumistas amongst us who are mourning the discontinuation of Jasmin Lilas. I was lucky enough to snag a very expensive but small bottle of it a few years ago. I’ve been using it sparingly because I was afraid to run out of it. It’s virtually impossible to find it anywhere anymore. Folks, the good news is: This is a very decent replacement for it!! The composition opens with a very prominent lilac note. The first few minutes are nothing but fresh lilacs. Unlike Jasmin Lilas, there are no overripe fruits present. For me this is an improvement to the composition. The heart phase, much like the Jasmin Lilas, is dominated by a spicy jasmine note with lilac following as the secondary presence. I cannot detect any orange flower or angelica as the notes suggest. I think a touch of galbanum is what gives it that spicy edge and, when combined with a hint of green notes, imitates that smell of “bush” as you walk down the lilac path. The drydown is a light floral that is subtle, feminine, pleasant, and wearable in all seasons.

I’ve been reading through the reviews for Aerin Lauder perfumes in general. I cannot understand the disdain generated towards them. I already own 4 of their beauties so it’s safe to say that Aerin is quickly becoming one of my favorite perfumes houses. I think, for the price, they are well composed with quality ingredients. Aerin Rose de Grasse is one of my favorite roses of all times and I’d be surprised if people wouldn’t plunk down a bunch of money if these were bottled under the Guerlain or Tauer or even Tom Ford brands. Give the Aerin perfumes a fair chance. They’re an understated house that deserves more credit. :)

I’ve tried and really liked with AL’s Evening Rose so it shouldn’t have been that surprising that I fell instantly in love with Rose de Grasse. Looking at the notes pyramid this seems like yet another amber-rose creation. Even though the formula itself is not groundbreaking, I'm quite shocked as to how unique this perfume is amongst its counterparts. To give you an example of my relevant taste range, I enjoy fragrances such as JM Red Roses, SL La Fille de Berlin, YR Rose Absolue, SM Stella (original formula), JHAG Miss Charming, TPW Tea Rose, Paul Smith Rose, Molinard Rose, Caron Delire de Rose, etc.

Upon first spray, I was expecting the dreaded aquatic notes (don’t like them). But thankfully, they were nowhere to be found. Those who would like watery notes to accompany their roses may want to steer clear of this and proceed to lighter formulas such as Especially Escada, Yves Rocher Pur Desir de Rose or perhaps Issey Miyake L`Eau d`Issey Florale. Compared to a photorealistic rose like TPW Tea Rose, Rose de Grasse is much less green but compared to JM Red Roses, it’s much less linear because it’s a much more multifaceted creation. Initially, there’s an intensive, delicious musk. Then, in all but 5 minutes, the roses are in full-bloom. These blossoms are voluptuous, vibrant, and expansive – and yet somehow evade being overwhelming or aggressive. I can almost taste these velvety red rose petals on my tongue! This is not a gourmand or sugary fragrance by any stretch of imagination but it is so skillfully done with such fine quality materials that my nose interprets this juice as completely edible. After about an hour I can smell faint amber & musk but these notes take a back seat and only serve to anchor this glorious flower to my skin. Another bonus: The projection & staying power are so outstanding that this fragrance walks at least a foot ahead of me and stayed on my skin for 12+ hours, passing the difficult “overnight test”.

In conclusion, I see Rose de Grasse as a masterpiece, the absolute perfect rose. I recommend this to all rose-devotees, who owe it to themselves to test this beauty on their skin at least once. I’d also recommend it to those who, like me, lamented the discontinuation of the original Lancome Mille and Une Roses. This is a very decent and albeit less-ambery substitute for it.