One of the most quintessential floral notes used in perfumery to date is that of the delicate rose. It is also one of those fragrance notes that is either loved, or hated, with little to no in-between. What I have found to be true, though, is that the rose is a complexly misunderstood ingredient.
Shakespeare once wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” but sorry, Will, I have to disagree. In fact, what people usually don’t realize is that the rose has many other names, comes from many different regions of the world, and can be sweet, fruity, powdery, or even spicy. From the luxurious, heady, Damask rose of Bulgaria to the dewy freshness of Rose de Mai from Grasse, different types of rose will give you different facets of this precious flower in your scent. Hours of conversation could be spent peeling back the layers of what makes each rose fragrance stand out from the other, but for now, you’ll have to smell for yourself.
