My Dear Roses ... Part 2
Dusk has fallen in Kazanlak and since it is now the 1st of June, the Valley of Roses is just beginning to swell with the thousands of visitors who will come for the annual festival. Nikola makes his way to Rosa’s house and listens for her to call to the birds who stir at evening. Instead, he is startled when she speaks. “Who is it that hides in my garden by my window? Show yourself.” Without hesitation, he does. “I am Nikola.” Her eyes soften when she looks at him and in her sweet voice she asks, “Why do you hide here?” Nikola wants to pause to think, but words rush out, “Because I love you!” Rosa giggles, a good sign he hopes. “Tell me what your heart desires so I can prove my feelings?” Rosa ponders. “I hear rose perfumes have already arrived for the festival. I would so love to smell them because I’m not sure my family will let me go to the festival … or that I want to go.” Overjoyed, Nikola says, “Come. I will take you. No one will see us.” He reaches up to help her as Rosa climbs over the windowsill. He takes her hand. Together they run to the town center where a stage has been erected. On it they find a table of perfumes, and begin counting. “Ninety six!” Rosa wails. “Such a number. I’d better get started.” Nikola says, “Tell me your favorites and I will buy them for you.” He notes her eyes soften again. Nikola begins opening flacons for Rosa to smell, unaware of the presence of someone who prefers the night to the day.
Petite Chèrie by Annick Goutal. The rose scent struggles to compete with this grass/peach top note and the pear beside it in the heart. Vanilla sweetens from the base. “It is not strong. It almost vanishes on my skin,” Rosa says, “but while it stays, it’s nice.” Nikola adds, "It smells nice like you, Rosa.” Rosa has mixed feelings about Nikola, a member of the family that has cursed hers. She has seen him watching in the garden, seen him with the other boys, and finds him interesting.
Flower of Immortality by by Killian. “This one is similarly mild, overall, though the rose is stronger.” It might be the iris note, I observe. I’m beginning to see that mixing florals with fruit and only vanilla is going to produce a pleasantly mild if undramatic fragrance. Switching between my right and left hands, I can hardly tell the difference between these first two.
Indult by Mankara. “This one’s stronger,” Rosa says to me. I agree and it apparently only has lychee added to the rose, but it creates a slightly muskier rose/fruit combo that is appealing. As I wait for the dry down, Rosa looks nervously around. “Nikola, what do you believe? Will I die if I go to the festival? Is there really a curse? You should know, it’s your family.” Suddenly, Nikola’s sister, Penka appears, wearing a cape and lipstick so red that to Rosa it resembles blood. Rosa shivers. “The curse is real,” Penka says. “You should stay away or something horrible could befall you.” Nikola, undecided, says, “I don’t believe in curses, that is nonsense! If Rosa goes, and is fine it will take the shame from our family.” Penka takes the three vials Nikola is holding, smells them and says, “The first two are perfect for a young innocent like you, Rosa. However, the Indult has more lychee. which adds musky creaminess, making it the richer of the three. It’s better suited to me than to you.” Suddenly, a group of tourists approach the stage and ask if they can take photographs. “No!” Penka shouts and too late raises her cape. One tourist, an old man, had already snapped the three. Angrily, Penka leaves the stage erected for the rose ceremony, her cape flowing behind. I agree with her that Indult is the most interesting, but it soon has virtually no presence on the skin, like the by Killian.
ScentFan
