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The best rose fragrances to wear now
See the season's most enticing takes on fragrance's favourite flower
The fragrance industry isn’t immune to the fickle nature of the trend cycle, but it’s true that fads are few and far between. Rose is one of perfumery’s most enduring notes and, while it never really fell out of fashion, its popularity is really blooming this year. From big names to niche operations, fragrance houses are returning to the flower’s romantic trail, and there’s a whole host of sublime rose scents to try.
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David Seth Moltz, co-founder of D.S & Durga, loves working with rose. “Rose is my favourite flower, which I know may sound bland – but the older I get, the more secrets seem to pour from its aroma (and cheerful appearance in the sun),” he says.
“The scent of rose oil is close to the real scent of a rose," he explains. “As a note, it’s extremely versatile - without you knowing it's there, a perfumer can use small amounts of rose oil to make things smell finer and fresh - more like a "perfume" rather than just an oil blend.”
Indeed, today’s best rose perfumes are more than a linear ode to the flower, with many contrasting rose against green, aquatic or oud accords to create something truly unique. According to Moltz, the olfactory options abound. “Think of classic notes in perfume like folk songs which return endlessly in new ways, reimagined by young musicians,” he says.
There are several different types of rose used in perfumery, and each one generally lends itself well to different accords. Rose oil, or otto, is a pure distillation of rose that tends to smell cool, fresh and green. At the other end of the spectrum, rose absolute is responsible for those bold, amber and earthy trails. “Rose extracts, like many naturals, vary based on when and where the flowers were grown and processed,” explains Moltz. What’s more, “there are many aroma chemicals (natural and synthetic) that mimic a part of the rose – these are endlessly used to build unique accords of roses and other floral ideas.”
Of course, with popularity comes ubiquity, and rose's fail-safe reputation hasn't always worked in its favour – there's undoubtedly a host of powdery, predictable blends out there. But a rose perfume doesn't need to be a 'safe' move – in fact, the best options on the shelves are brimming with surprises. Choose from verdant, fresh accords that pick out the flower’s green stems, or fall for something deeper with a prick of pepper or carnal patchouli.
Here, we’ll help steer you to your perfect rose perfume, be it an uplifting everyday spritz or something sultry for special nights out.
The best rose perfumes to indulge in now
Tom Ford know exactly how to imbue floral notes with a heady dose of sex appeal. In Rose Exposed, the latest addition to the prestige Private Blend line, delicate petals are wrapped up in leather, creating a scent that feels simultaneously feminine and fierce. The florals here are honeyed and warm rather than fleeting and fresh, making it the perfect spritz for wearing on colder days (and in dimly lit corners of your favourite bar, no less).
For her debut fragrance collection, Victoria Beckham has created scents that capture the most pivotal points in her life: Porfofino '97 is a splashy citrus aroma inspired by her first visit to the Italian coastline with David, while San Ysidro Drive is a warm, autumnal blend of saffron and amber that encapsulates the warmth of California. But for unabashed sex appeal, it's Suite 302 you need: this intoxicating blend of black cherry, rosa centifola and tobacco nods to the seductive trail of the Beckhams' Parisian hideaway.
When it was first created in 1947, the sparkling rose and jasmine trail of Miss Dior became the signature scent of the young generation. Now, decades after its debut, the iconic fragrance has been reimagined by house perfumer Francis Kurkdjian. This reinvented classic goes big on bright, mood-boosting florals, brimming with feminine energy and sure to summon the spring.
Santal 33 and Another 13 may steal the spotlight, but there are other gems to be found in Le Labo’s roster too. Rose 31 is warm and inviting, with cumin and a blend of woods ensuring sex appeal without the sickly sweetness.
From London's beloved Liberty department store, LBTY fragrance is a six-strong perfume collection that marries the retailer's commercial nous with its heritage-steeped creativity.
Cleverly, the team have tapped the noses behind the beauty hall's most popular perfumes to create each scent: Wild Rosinda, a deep and earthy blend of juicy rose, green ivy and grounding woods, was conceived by Hororine Blanc – the creator of YSL's legendary Black Opium.
If you live in London, be sure to experience Wild Rosinda and its fragrant sisters in the newly launched Liberty Fragrance Lounge. Nestled beneath that iconic beauty hall, this interactive destination is full of surprises that are sure to delight fragrance lovers.
Diptyque’s classic Eau Rose would have been the obvious choice here – and indeed, it’s a beautiful, pure floral fragrance – but we favour the complex, musky blend of Eau Capitale, a love letter to Paris. Tricky to pin down (and sure to elicit compliments) this blend of bergamot, pink peppercorn and blooming florals is warm enough for autumnal days.
A favourite among the most fragrance-obsessed, Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s A La Rose spotlights the sharp, green side of the flower: think delicate, dew-dampened petals, not full-bodied blooms. Light and sparkling, this is the best choice for anyone looking for a simple yet sublime daytime fragrance.
A bracing aquatic floral, D.S & Durga’s rose fragrance blends sea-spray saltiness with a twist of citrus. Light as air – and free from the commonly used vanilla in the base – it’s a perfect choice for those who like their scent bright and luminous.
By leaning into the rose's earthy qualities, Matiere Premiere has managed to keep its signature floral blend gutsy and modern, rather than girlish. This is a deep, sensual fragrance: all honeyed spice and damask blooms. Any serious lover of rose scents will be obsessed.
A rose scent with sensual intensity, this glamorous blend combines pink pepper and patchouli with a multifaceted rose accord. The brand describes it as 'a perfume for the red-carpeted stairs of Cannes Film Festival', and we couldn't agree more.
Jo Malone’s signature rose perfume is one of her most popular for good reason. The refreshing twist of lemon feels bright and uplifting, while the cedarwood in the base brings just the right amount of depth.
As crisp as a clinking glass of gin and tonic, this is rose in its most refreshing form. A hyper-real cucumber note floats above botanical juniper, creating something chilled and aquatic that’s perfect for cocktail hour. The striking flacon – inspired by a cut-crystal glass – is refillable, too.
Aqua Allegoria is Guerlain’s sustainability-focused perfume line, with each fragrance made from 95 per cent natural ingredients and housed in an infinitely refillable glass bottle.
Rosa Rossa is a youthful and romantic treatment of rose, with natural partners lychee and blackcurrant bringing out the flower’s sweeter side. Juicy and joy-inducing, this one makes a perfect daytime signature.
Frederic Malle is the master of memorable florals, and Rose & Cuir is a firm favourite (it’s even Alexa Chung’s signature scent). Simple yet impactful, this is simply a divine combination of rose and leather, with a twist of blackcurrant for juicy sweetness.
A true comfort blanket of a fragrance, Narciso Rodriguez' original Musc Noir is adored for its powder-soft trail. The addition of rose takes things into truly addictive territory: with warm petals and jammy plum, this is a very sophisticated take on femininity.
Pepper makes a great partner to rose, steering a scent away from powdery predictability and delivering a sharper twist. Byredo’s latest rose perfume – there are several in the collection – is its lightest and most modern yet, with Sichuan pepper and ambrette seed rounding off a verdant scent with bite.
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