1. Diptyque Rosaviola Candle $96
This pretty collaboration with designer Olympia Le Tan, sees Diptyque play dress ups in pink. Powdery rose and violet leaf mingle with fresh raspberry and honey notes in a deliciously romantic scene setter. (If you're not the candle kind, it comes in an eau de toilette for $139). From Mecca Cosmetica stores, see meccacosmetica.co.nz
2. Stella McCartney Stella 50ml eau de toilette $79
A new lighter rose from the woman who can claim to have helped kick off the rose revival with her original eau de
parfum sold in an eye-catching purple bottle. That simple citrus-rose-amber blend is here made lighter and brighter. Excellent for everyday. From department stores and pharmacies.
3. Acqua di Palma Rosa Nobile 100ml eau de parfum limited edition $300
This gold trimmed bottle encases a very Italian composition of roses uplifted with citrus scents of bergamot and mandarin on a base of cedar and musk. Not just any roses mind, these are the centifolia variety hand-picked in early summer from an organic garden in Piedmont. Exclusive to Smith & Caughey's.
4. Jo Malone London Red Roses Bath Oil 200ml Glass Decanter $150
For an even more lavish embrace of this regular inclusion on the list of best rose fragrances, try Red Roses in this beautifully bottled decadent bath oil. With its hint of lemony freshness, this is ideal for scent layering which the brand is famous for. Available also in 30ml for $50. From Jo Malone Britomart, and Smith & Caughey's Queen St.
5. Van Cleef & Arpels Rose Velours 45ml eau de parfum $120
All old world elegance, with a hint of iris added to the rose absolute and a lingering woody warmth lending it the soft richness of the velvet in its name. From selected department stores only.
6. Penhaligon's Elisabethan Rose eau de toilette $269
An amber base adds appeal to the ye olde English rose splash made garden fresh with geranium and chamomile. From World stores, see worldbrand.co.nz
7. Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne 50ml eau de parfum $138
In the 1980s YSL gave us the rosy Paris, the start of the explosion of effervescent, fruity sweet scents but done with a more restrained hand than many which followed. Then came Parisienne with its essence of Damascus rose. Both are still joie de vivre bottled. From selected pharmacies and department stores.
8. Montblanc Lady Emblem 50ml eau de parfum $105
The idea of intoxicating aromas is taken to a new level with what the fragrance makers describe as a rose sake note, inspired by the fresh zing of the Japanese rice spirit, with floral and fruity green notes underpinned with sandalwood. From selected department stores and pharmacies.
RARE BLOOMS
We've focused in our main feature on fragrances you can find in New Zealand and where rose is the undoubted star, but if you like to mix up your floral bouquets or shop from further afield here are some other well-regarded boutique options that come into play for the fragrance aficionado.
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• Maison Francis Kurkdjian A La Rose from the renowned nose for hire who has set up his own house in Paris and here balances citrus and powdery rose in homage to Marie Antoinette.
• Aerin Evening Rose from the third generation Lauder family member, embracing the elegant American fragrance legacy in her own modern style.
• Annick Goutal Rose Absolue which delicately gathers six different roses: May, Turkish, Bulgarian, Damascus, Egyptian and Moroccan.
• Other boutique names to sniff out include Le Labo Rose 31 which laces rose with spicy woods, charged with cumin and the similarly genre-stretching Rose Noir by Byredo and Rose Oud by Kilian.
CLOSE TO HOME
Locally, from fragrances we've featured in previous issues, it's worth making a second mention of the full flush of Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin and his crisp Sa Mageste La Rose (from Mecca) and the rose meets patchouli mix of Juliette Has a Gun Lady Vengenance (from World). For a fair trade option check out The Body Shop's Atlas Mountain Rose. Balenciaga's bright Rosabotanica, Viktor & Rolf's effusive Flowerbomb, Givenchy's sweet Very Irresistible, Armani's sophisticated Si, Guerlain's spicy Nahema and the refreshing Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater are other blooming pretty choices.
