17 Best Rose Perfumes for Women

#17 Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme

Spicy-Fresh Rose & Oud

Now:

This is not just a typical Rose-Oud combo. In fact, Rose Anonyme is super unique and is in a league of its own. Let’s take a look…

(In case you don’t know… Atelier Cologne are a fairly new niche fragrance house. The brand are known for their authentic smelling fragrance notes and high-quality ingredients.)

Rose Anonyme opens with a nice blast of fresh dewy roses — mixed with a dose of zesty citruses and a pinch of fresh ginger. However…

Jammy

The citruses quickly fade… to make way for the rose, which starts to lean on the dark, jammy, semi-sweet side.

Furthermore, it’s soon joined with a pinch of oud and patchouli — which give it a slightly woody earthy quality. However, the citrus and ginger balance it out and keep it smelling light and zesty.

But here’s the beautiful part:

When it finally dries down, you’re left with a soft, slightly sweet rose… with hints of dark chocolate and ginger. Gorgeous.

And hats off to the perfumer… as the rose smells super authentic — it’s perfectly blended and smooth.

Even better:

Super Versatile

This is super-versatile: all seasons, all occasions — days or nights (but go easy with the sprayer in the high-heat). This is unisex, but leans slightly towards the feminine side.

And to be clear:

Although this is called Cologne Absolue, it’s actually pure perfume concentrated at 18%. What does that mean for you?

This gives it excellent long-lasting performance and nice projection.

Ain’t complaining. 🙂

#16 Perfumer’s Workshop Tea Rose

Pure Fresh Roses

I will make it super easy for you:

If you don’t want anything overly complex, and want to smell of a straight-up authentic bouquet of fresh roses:

Get this. 🙂

To clarify, this is not a candied or jammy rose. It’s straight up in-your-face rose.

And the best part:

This is super affordable!

A Classic

Now, this was released way back in 1977, and became an instant classic. And today, it is still one of the most authentic rose-only perfumes you can get.

In fact, Tea Rose has got a LOT of love over the years and has been worn by many famous women, such as Princess Diana, Nicole Kidman, Princess Grace of Monaco, to name but a few.

And apparently, 55 – 60 million bottles of Tea Rose have been sold!

To be clear:

A Tea Rose is a name given to a type of rose. This is not a rose mixed with a tea note fragrance. 🙂

Anyway… Let’s break it down:

Powerhouse

Tea Rose opens up with a massive blast of rose mixed with a bergamot peel citrus vibe. However…

When it starts to settle, the citrus fades away… and you’re left with an authentic smelling freshly cut bouquet of dewy-wet dark red roses – the stems and all! (As they say… there is no rose without a thorn.) 🙂

'A Rose's Rarest Essence Lives in the Thorn.' – Rumi.Click To Tweet

Now:

This is a unisex scent and can be used in all seasons for just about all occasions. This is a mature scent, so suggest for the 25-plus crowd.

And the good news…

Tea Rose is super long lasting. Like, it literally lasts shower to shower! And this is not a shy perfume — it pushes out. So 1-2 sprays are all you need. No more. Please. 🙂

Simply put:

The rosiest rose of all!

#15 Acqua Di Parma Rosa Nobile

Citrus & Soft Pink Roses

In case you don’t know…

Acqua Di Parma are an Italian lifestyle company, that create high-quality fragrances. You can discover our favorites from the brand on our top 10 Acqua di Parma post — as most are totally unisex. Anyway…

This scent is pretty simplistic, let’s take a look:

Rosa Nobile opens up with a bright pink rose and peony combo… mixed with some fresh sparkling citruses and whispers of pepper.

The rose smells very soft and very, VERY natural.

Soft

After the citrus settles, the pink rose becomes the star of the show — it has a slight peppery vibe. And, as time goes by, it evolves into a beautiful soft pink musky rose, with the occasional waft of citrus. Nice.

The beautiful part:

This is hyper versatile: spring, summer, fall — for any occasion. It works well for dressed-up special occasions… or simply for day-to-day casual use. And is suitable for just about any age.

And to be perfectly clear:

This is NOT a powerhouse projection perfume. In fact, it’s quite subtle, yet it has decent lasting power.

Big thumbs up.

#14 Tom Ford Café Rose

Dark, Sexy & Luxurious

Café Rose is a superstar from the luxury Tom Ford Private Blend Collection.

(Speaking of… If you want to know what are the best Tom Ford fragrances, check out our Top 10 Best Tom Ford list.)

Now:

Cafe Rose is a unique and complex fragrance. In fact, 3 different rose notes have been masterfully blended, to create this incredibly sexy rose fragrance. Let’s take a closer look…

Milky Creamy Coffee

This opens up with a blend of rose, spicy saffron and black pepper… with a faint milky, creamy coffee vibe sitting in the background.

The rose smells super authentic. It’s moist, sweet, and jammy — with a slightly powdery vibe. But it gets better…

Dark, Warm & Spicy

When it starts to dry down… a hint of patchouli and creamy sandalwood morphs in, with whispers of incense — giving the scent a nice hint of rich, dark sweetness.

'Private Blend is my own personal scent laboratory; where I create special, original fragrances unconstrained by the conventions of mainstream scent-making.' – Tom Ford.Click To Tweet

Now:

Performs

This is unisex (but leans slightly feminine). And is more suited for the spring, fall and winter… and for the mature 20-up crowd for:

Dressed up occasions, dates, special occasions, nights out, etc… But it can even be worn casually.

The good news…

Cafe Rose has excellent lasting power — sometimes hitting the 10-hour mark. Great. This pushes out, but it’s not a room-filler. So be careful with your sprays. 🙂

#13 Amouage Lyric Woman

Luxurious Dark Smoky-Rose

Here’s what you need to know:

Amouage are a Middle Eastern high-end brand, that create unique luxury fragrances. They also have prices to match. 🙂

Now, to be clear:

This is a complex scent and has a TON of fragrance notes. However, the notes have all been masterfully blended to create a beautiful, unique, incensey, powdery rose scent. Let me try to break it down for you…

Deep, Warm & Sensual

Lyric Woman opens with a blend of citrusy floral notes, and slightly powdery rose… And is joined with whispers of smoky incense, ginger and cinnamon.

Now:

When it dries down, the citrus starts to fade… And the florals and rose start to come into play… joined with a nice hint of soft, creamy, slightly sweet vanilla.

Also, you get some woodiness sitting in the background — which balances the fragrance out beautifully.

And it smells LUXURIOUS.

'A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.'Click To Tweet

Mysterious

It’s deep, it’s warm, it’s sensual, and it’s mysterious. It gives off a dark, smoky, spicy, jammy-syrupy vibe. Nice.

Now:

This is appropriate for the spring, fall and winter (just adjust your sprays). And also more suited for the mature 25-plus crowd.

Great for dates, romantic settings, nights out, special occasions, etc…

The beautiful part:

Super. Long. Lasting

This is super long lasting. However, it’s not a powerhouse that will fill up a room —  it’s quite subtle. But it leaves a gorgeous scent trail that WILL get you noticed. 🙂

Side note: The presentation and bottle are gorgeous.

Top marks!

#12 Maison Christian Dior Oud Ispahan

A Luxurious Rose Oud Masterpiece

I’ll be straight with you…

This isn’t for everybody. Let me explain:

Oud Ispahan is part of the Maison Christian Dior collection (formally called the La Collection Privée).

To be clear:

This is Dior’s higher-end, more exclusive luxury fragrance collection.

Furthermore, this collection is created by Dior’s very own in-house master perfumer: François Demachy — who chooses only the finest natural ingredients from all over the world.

So needless to say, these come with exclusive prices to match.

Master Perfumer

Anyway… In case you don’t know:

Ispahan, also known as Rose d’Ispahan (and Pompon des Princes), is a clear pink, half-open kind of Damask rose.

It’s named after the city Isfahan in Iran, renowned for its gardens and roses… where it was apparently discovered.

To be perfectly clear:

Daring

This is NOT a typical fragrance. It’s powerful, it’s daring, and it’s not for the faint hearted.

In fact, it has a slightly-dirty mysterious woody-oud note. So if you don’t like oud — you should stay well clear. 🙂

That said:

Masterpiece

This is an absolute masterpiece and if you can pull it off, you won’t be disappointed. Let me break it down for you…

Oud Ispahan opens up loud… with a dark, dry, slightly animalic, earthy rose note… mixed with whispers of smoky incense and a burning wood vibe in the background.

And to be honest, the opening is quite harsh and aggressive.

However, the fragrance slowly develops over time… And transforms into something MUCH more enjoyable.

Stay with me… 🙂

Smooths Out

After about 45 minutes, it starts to transition… The rose and sandalwood start to come more into play and smooth out the animalic oud note. Eventually, the rose and the oud blend beautifully.

And finally:

As the rose starts to bloom, it gets some added creamy woody sweetness. And is accompanied with a soft smoky incense accord in the background.

It’s thick, rich, sensual, and super unique.

(By the way, if you love woody scents, be sure to check out our best sandalwood fragrances list.)

Special Occasions

This is unisex and more suited for the sophisticated mature 25-up crowd.

And is also more suited for night time usage: dates, romantic, formal, special occasions, etc… (This is not an office-friendly type scent.)

Strictly for the cooler seasons – fall and winter.

And, there’s no doubt about it:

This has enormous lasting power — up to 15 hours! Also, it projects like crazy, leaving a gorgeous scent trail. So take it easy on the sprayer. 🙂

1-2 sprays MAX… And you’re good-to-go!

#11 Maison Christian Dior Ambre Nuit

Rose Amber Heaven

This is a fragrance that starts conversations. 🙂

Now:

Ambre Nuit is another superstar from the Maison Christian Dior collection. Here’s a quick rundown…

Ambre Nuit opens up with a blast of sparkling bergamot and grapefruit citrus freshness. And when it starts to settle, you immediately get a nice peppery rose vibe. Then…

Honey-like Sweetness

As it starts to dry down… the rose starts to come more into play and is joined with some amber — to give a slightly sweet, peppery, honey-rose quality.

(By the way, the term Amber is used to describe a scent that is sweet, warm, resinous, and honey-like. The Amber accord is created by blending various natural resins/aroma molecules.)

Also, as it develops, you can detect some creamy woods sitting in the background.

Opulent

It smells super inviting, comforting, and opulent. People will want to know what you’re wearing. 🙂

To be clear:

This is NOT a full-bodied rose perfume. In fact, the rose is blended perfectly, to create a gorgeous, smooth, modern scent.

Now:

This is unisex and more suited for the sophisticated 20-up crowd. And more appropriate for the fall and winter, but can be used all year (except for hot summer days) — just adjust your sprays.

The good news:

Performance

Ambre Nuit is highly versatile and can be worn anytime-anywhere. Dates, romantic, dressed-up, dressed-down, nights-out, casual — you name it.

Even better…

This is super-long-lasting – up to 10 plus hours. Although, it’s quite subtle and doesn’t shout out for attention… but it leaves a beautiful scent trail.

Immense compliments with this one.

#10 Armani Privé Rose D’Arabie

Dark Sweet Jammy Rose

This is from Armani’s Privé Collection. This collection are higher-quality and more exclusive than typical Armani fragrances (and also more expensive).

Let me break it down for you:

This opens up with a blast of luxurious dark sweet jammy rose. And…

Once the opening starts to settle, you get whispers of spicy saffron… and then the oud starts to creep in — giving the scent a nice woody backbone.

To be clear:

The oud is not overpowering and sits nicely in the background.

Velvety Smooth

And once it finally dries down… the rose stays rich, dark and jammy. And then vanilla comes into play — giving it a velvety smooth sweetness.

The fragrance is perfectly balanced: It’s rich, it’s juicy, it’s dark… and it’s intoxicating.

Make no mistake:

This is a head turner and garners a LOT of compliments. 🙂

Special Occasions

More for fall and winter night-time usage. I wouldn’t recommend applying this in the high-summer heat. Not good.

And:

This is a type of fragrance for when you want to smell your absolute best: Special occasions, dates, nights out, formal occasions, etc…

Sophisticated

So needless to say, this is more suited for the well-dressed 20-up crowd. And to be clear, this is not a typical teenybopper sweet type of scent; it’s a very sophisticated and well put together fragrance.

Also:

This has super performance: it lasts and lasts and lasts… And it jumps off your skin for the first few hours — so be careful with the sprayer.

Side note: The bottle looks gorgeous, and it even comes with a handy velvet cloth to clean the bottle. Nice touch.

#9 Montale Intense Café

Roses, Vanilla & Coffee

Maybe you’ve heard…

Montale are a French luxury perfume brand, known for their powerful long-lasting scents. Does this one perform? Let’s find out…

Intense Café opens with a blend of sweet rose, white florals and vanilla… mixed with a hint of sweet creamy coffee.

Sweet Creamy Coffee

When it settles, the coffee and vanilla start to amp-up and smooth the fragrance out.

And once it’s dried down, you also get a nice hint of musk in the background.

The result?

A beautiful sweet coffee and candied rose vibe. Super unique.

By the way, if you’re a vanilla lover, be sure to check our best vanilla perfumes list.

Sexy & Addictive

This is a unisex scent for all ages, and best for fall and winter usage. I wouldn’t recommend rocking this in the warmer months.

And:

More suited for semi-formal occasions, casual, dates, nights out, clubbing.

Powerhouse

This is super long lasting: it can hold on for an impressive 12-plus hours (and has excellent projection) — so be very careful with the sprayer. 🙂

Important note: Montale use super lightweight aluminium bottles. And because they are so light, when you receive a new bottle, it can feel like it’s not full. This is normal (but causes a LOT of confusion).

Bonus: The bottle comes with a handy carrying pouch.

#8 Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin

Dark, Spicy, Sweet Jammy Rose

Serge Lutens are a French luxury fragrance house, and in case you’re wondering… La Fille de Berlin translates to “The Girl of Berlin.” Let me break it down for you…

La Fille de Berlin opens up with a burst of bright sweet jammy rose — with a hint of greenness.

Now:

When it starts to settle, you get a slightly cold metallic vibe, mixed with some pepper and honey. This gives the rose a deep, dark, spicy, sweet jammy quality. Nice.

Rich & Luxurious

And when it dries down, the rose remains the star of the show — with a slight touch of woody earthiness.

It smells like a luxurious bouquet of roses…. and oozes quality. It’s elegant, yet modern. And the good news…

Lasting Power

This is a super versatile everyday fragrance: all seasons all occasions. It’s unisex, but leans slightly towards the feminine side. And more suited for the 20-up crowd. Even better…

This has excellent lasting power — up to 10 hours. However, it’s not a projection monster, it’s subtle and none-offensive.

Side note: The juice itself is a gorgeous red color.

#7 Frederic Malle: Editions De Parfums Portrait of a Lady

A Modern Masterpiece in Perfumery

Maybe you’ve heard…

This is reportedly a firm favorite of Madonna. Good choice. 🙂

Anyway, here’s what you need to know:

Editions de Parfums are a luxury niche perfume house, created by perfume connoisseur Frederic Malle — for those of you who don’t want to smell like the rest of the world.

Malle was sick of perfumers using the same accords, and sick of one-size-fits-all perfumes. In fact, Malle wanted perfumery to be what it once used to be… where perfume is the result of total creative freedom. With no marketing and no deadlines. So…

He created Editions de Parfums to solve this problem.

But here’s the cool part…

World Class Perfumers

He handpicks the best perfumers in the world, and gives them total freedom to express themselves. Malle only gives them guidance — like an editor.

In fact, there is only one rule the perfumers have to follow:

'Eliminate all that is superfluous or merely decorative’ — Frédéric MalleClick To Tweet

Now:

Unlike other perfume companies, who keep their perfumers anonymous, Malle gives them full credit for their creations by placing the perfumers’ names on the bottles and boxes.

With Editions de Parfums: it’s all about the perfume. In fact…

They have:

• No famous brand ambassadors
• No fancy bottles (Malle designed the most basic bottles)
• No marketing
• No massive launch events

Instead, Malle invests ALL the money into the perfume itself. The result?

Pieces of Art

Fragrances that are like pieces of art. But here’s the kicker, the fragrances also come with prices to match (understandable).

Anyway…

For the creation of Portrait of a Lady, Malle commissioned Dominique Ropion. (Widely considered to be the industry’s best perfumer.)

They wanted to create a perfume using rose in wildly overdose proportions. (About 10%, equivalent to 400 flowers per 100ml bottle.)

You’re probably wondering…

How Does Portrait of a Lady Smell?

Portrait of a Lady is a dark, earthy, smoky, semi-sweet, jammy rose scent — with an added Middle Eastern twist.

Make no mistake:

Complex

This is a complex fragrance; with a LOT of notes. But, I will try my best to describe it to you…

Now, this opens up with a mega overdose of semi-sweet Turkish rose, mixed with a blast of patchouli. These are softened with some blackcurrant, raspberry, and smoky incense — with whispers of clove and cinnamon.

Wow. 🙂

The scent is truly an experience. And as time goes by, the fragrance starts to develop beautifully. Eventually…

Opulent

The incense starts to settle down and balance out with the rose. And then you can detect more of the raspberry and blackcurrant. Also, a hint of musk and amber make an appearance.

The end result?

You get a dark, semi-sweet, jammy, musky rose… with a slight woody note in the background. And it smells SUPER high-quality. Top marks.

Now:

This is more suited for fall and winter wear, and for the mature well-dressed 25-up crowd.

To be clear:

This is a special occasion, dressed-to-kill scent — for when you want to make an impression. Dates, nights-out, upscale events, etc… This is not a casual everyday type scent. The good news…

A Little Goes a LONG Way

Lasting power is stellar: up to 15 hours. And it projects like crazy for the first 4-5 hours. So roll with only 1-2 sprays MAX. Any more and you may choke people out. 🙂

Bottom line:

One of the best rose fragrances ever made (with a price tag to match).

#6 Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood

Rosy Vanilla Sexiness

This is a fragrance that will get you noticed; it has the WOW factor. 🙂

First off…

Don’t be put off by the name of this fragrance. To be honest, some traditional oud fragrances can be very off-putting and in-your-face. However, this is NOT one of those.

In case you don’t know… Oud is a scented resin that is distilled from the rare Agarwood tree. This resin has a dark smoky woody quality.

And due to its rarity — it is super expensive. In fact, to create this fragrance, MFK have used a protected super-high grade of Laotian Oud.

Anyway…

What Maison Francis Kurkdjian have done here, is to create a very safe modern rose, vanilla and oud combo. And they nailed it! Now, for those of you who don’t know…

Luxury

Maison Francis Kurkdjian are a luxury niche perfume house, co-founded in 2009, by the legend master perfumer himself: Francis Kurkdjian.

Kurkdjian became famous back in 1995, after he created one of the world’s best-selling fragrances of all time — Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Male.

But that’s not all:

This was followed by many other blockbusters for major perfume companies worldwide. Such as Narciso Rodriguez For Her and For Him, Guerlain Rose Barbare, Christian Dior Homme Cologne, to name but a few.

In fact:

In 2001, Kurkdjian won the Prix François Coty award for his lifetime achievements and earned a place in fragrance history. This is like the Oscars of the fragrance world.

Fast forward to today, and he now has more than 180 fragrances to his name. Impressive, right? Anyway…

Long story short:

Francis Kurkdjian is a genius perfumer. So you can be sure you’re getting a true masterpiece here. 🙂

'Perfume as a work of art is a transmitted expression on intimacy.’ — Francis KurkdjianClick To Tweet

You’re probably wondering…

How Does Oud Satin Mood Smell?

MFK Oud Satin Mood smells like a luxurious sweet candied rose. It’s so delicious and so addictive.

Let’s break it down:

This opens up with a beautiful bright full-blooming sweet candy rose… mixed with a slightly powdery violet accord.

When it starts to settle, the rose starts to reveal itself more. And is joined with a nice dose of vanilla sweetness with a mild touch of woody-oud hiding in the background.

And it smells GORGEOUS. 😍

Warm & Comforting

It’s warm and comforting. Sexy and luxurious. This is top-of-the-line juice — beautifully blended and smooth.

And the beautiful part:

Oud Satin Mood is a unisex scent — so you share it with your significant other. Bonus. 🙂

Now, this is more suited for the sophisticated 20-up crowd. And more suited for use in cooler weather (as a night time scent).

Perfect for romantic dates, special occasions, upscale events, nights out, etc…

Super Long Lasting

This is super long-lasting: up to 10-12 hours of performance! So go easy with the sprays, 1-2 sprays MAX…. and you’re golden.

This jumps off your skin for the first few hours… It then becomes more subtle, creating a gorgeous scent bubble around you.

MASSIVE compliment getter. Watch heads turn. 🙂

#5 Tom Ford Noir De Noir

Dark Chocolate & Roses

Another superstar from the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection, that has stood the test of time.

In a nutshell:

Noir de Noir smells of dark red rose petals… mixed with luxury dark chocolate liqueur — with a hint of velvety vanilla creamy sweet richness.

Dark & Mysterious

The rose is the star of the show in this fragrance, it’s a beautiful dark creamy woody/earthy rose.

And when this dries down… a patchouli, vanilla and oud combo join the party… to give it a delicious dark chocolatey vibe. Nice.

Is it sexy? Absolutely.

'Private Blend is a series of fragrances I love and wear. Ones that never cease to challenge, to stimulate, to delight.' – Tom Ford.Click To Tweet

Now to be clear:

Noir de Noir is strictly a cool weather fragrance — do not rock this in the high summer heat (trust me). And go easy with the sprays. 🙂

Upscale

This is unisex, and more suited for the classy 25-up crowd. And, as it’s a bold, complex, and sophisticated scent… is more appropriate for upscale, dressed-up events, special/romantic occasions, dates, nights out, etc…

And the good news… it also has GREAT lasting power.

Make no mistake:

You will get noticed with this on 🙂

#4 Maison Lancôme Oud Bouquet

Deliciousness

This one is a head turner. 🙂

By the way, Maison Lancôme are the brand’s higher end and more exclusive luxury fragrance collection. Let’s take a sniff…

Oud Bouquet opens up with a heavy blast of sweet praline and vanilla… with an earthy, smoky-woody vibe in the background.

Now, I should point something out:

Please don’t judge this fragrance by the initial strong opening. Be patient and wait until it dries down — for the magic to happen. 🙂 Stay with me…

Praline & Vanilla

When it starts to settle, the rose begins to shine through — and brightens up the fragrance. And it has a delicious, jammy syrupy sweetness quality.

And to be clear, this is a mature sweetness. It’s NOT a typical teenybopper synthetic sweet fragrance. Far from it.

This smells super high-quality and is perfectly blended.

Now:

The woody oud sits quietly in the background, and it’s not the medicinal or overpowering kind. Thankfully.

It’s deep, delicious and sensual.

Now, this is a mature scent, so more suited for the 20-up crowd. And is suited for cool weather use (fall/winter).

Dates

Also… go easy with the sprays — as this is NOT weak. 1-2 sprays does the trick.

Leaves a beautiful scent trail… and is a HUGE compliment getter.

Perfect for nights out, dates, special occasions, clubbing.

This is EDP concentration and is super long lasting — expect up to 10 plus hours. Good stuff!

Side note: The bottle is gorgeous.

#3 Chloé Roses De Chloé

Light, Fresh & Fruity

This is a youthful, easy-to-wear rose scent. No vintage vibes here. 🙂

(By the way, Roses De Chlóe was released to celebrate 50 years of the house of Chloé.)

This opens up with a fresh, light, realistic pink rose bouquet scent… mixed with a nice fruity vibe, and hints of fresh green notes.

Youthful

When it starts to settle, the rose takes control. It’s soapy, soft, and sweet (but not overly sweet). And…

As it evolves, the rose becomes powdery soft and is joined with a nice hint of musk and woodiness.

The beautiful part:

Super Versatile

This is super-versatile: all seasons — all occasions (also office friendly). Perfect for the spring and summer (and more suited for daytime usage).

Now, to be clear:

Subtle

Roses De Chlóe is not a perfume that screams out for attention — it’s soft, friendly, and non-offensive. So, if you’re looking for a room-filler, this is NOT it.

That said, this is an EDT concentration, and has decent lasting power.

Bonus: The bottle looks gorgeous.

#2 Lancôme Trésor Midnight Rose

Rose & Raspberry Heaven

This is a playful fruity sweet raspberry rose scent. Let’s take a look…

Midnight Rose opens up with a nice smelling dark, sweet jammy rose. However… the magic begins when it dries down — after about 15 minutes.

Stay with me…

Juicy

As it starts to develop, some raspberry and musk join the party and make the scent juicy and delicious. You also get whispers of pink pepper and some creamy vanilla sexiness.

However, hints of woodiness in the background stop it from becoming overly sweet.

It’s sweet, sexy, and alluring.

Sophisticated

To be clear, this is NOT a typical teenager fruity scent. It’s sophisticated and well composed.

Make no mistake:

This turns heads and garners a LOT of compliments. People will want to know what you are wearing. 🙂

It works well in the fall, winter, and even on cooler spring days. However, this gets sickeningly sweet in the high summer heat. Trust me.

The beautiful part?

Modern

This is super versatile — any occasion: casual, formal, daytime, evening, dates, nights out, clubbing, you name it.

Now, this is a feminine rose scent that has a young modern vibe to it, but any age can rock it.

Even better…

This is mega long lasting, and pushes out for the first 3-4 hours — so be careful with your application. 🙂

Bonus: The bottle is simply gorgeous.

#1 Jo Malone Red Roses

Rose-Heaven 🌹😇

If you LOVE the smell of real roses… and you’re bored of all the sweet syrupy rose fragrances — then maybe this is for you.

In fact, the name of this perfume says it all as you get exactly what it says on the bottle. And apparently… 7 different types of roses have been masterfully blended into this beauty.

Furthermore, this also cracked into our top 10 of our best Jo Malone perfumes — for good reason. Let me break it down for you:

This opens with a strong blast of fresh cut roses… mixed with a citrusy lemon and minty vibe.

And it smells SUPER authentic!

When it settles – the lemon and violet notes give the fragrance a slight green undertone. And then the roses begin to bloom, with that nice hint of lemon freshness.

Mild Honey Sweetness

And, as time goes by, whispers of slightly sweet honey join the party, to give the scent some beautiful warmth. Nice.

The good news:

This is super versatile: All seasons all occasions, and would make a beautiful signature scent. However, this is more suited for the mature crowd — so suggest 20-up.

And… although this is called a Cologne, it is quite strong and super long lasting.

Hats off to Jo Malone. 👍

A Quick Primer on Rose Perfumes

Roses have been used to make perfume since the ancient times.

And there are over 300 different species, and thousands of cultivars, with colours ranging from white through to reds.

Also, the fragrance of each rose varies according to the species and the climate conditions.

That said:

In today’s fragrance industry, they use only two major species to create perfume:

The Damask rose (Rosa damascene), which is mostly grown in Syria, Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Iran and China. Damask account for about 95 percent of the world’s rose oil.

And:

The Cabbage rose (Rosa centifolia), which is more commonly grown in Morocco, France and Egypt.

But what you might not know is:

They are harvested by hand in the morning before sunrise because this is when their scent is the most potent. And the petals must be distilled the same day.

What Are Rose Oils?

Rose perfumes are made from rose oil, which is the essential oil extracted from the petals. This is NOT to be confused with rosewater (which is made by steeping the petals in water).

Simply put:

In perfumery, essential oils are the concentrated chemicals that are extracted from the plant.

It is called “essential” because it contains the essence (the most important part) of the plant — its fragrance.

By the way:

The oil that is extracted using a steam distillation method, are called rose otto or attar of roses. And oil that is extracted using solvents, are called rose absolutes.

To be clear:

Rose otto and rose absolute differ in scent, color and density. Rose absolute is a darker reddish color, and smells so close to that of an actual rose.

But listen to this…

It can take up to 60,000 roses to make just 30 ml of oil. Then this oil is aged for a period that can last anywhere from one to ten years!

Needless to say:

Real rose oil is super expensive.

Which means:

The majority of perfumes don’t actually contain ANY real rose oil. Seriously.  Instead, synthetic representations are used, so the companies can make more profit.

Different Types of Rose Perfume

The queen of the flowers sometimes needs to be tamed.

Rose on its own can come across old fashioned and venture into old lady/grandma territory (sorry grandma!) And, for some people, it can be a hard note to wear.

That said:

It has made a big comeback, with intoxicating modern blends that are sexy and sophisticated (minus the old-fashioned vibe).

But the scent profile can be different:

They can be warm.

They can be cold.

They can be sensual, sexy and romantic.

They can be spicy.

They can be fresh.

And:

They can be sweet and jammy.

But don’t worry, in the list above, we have figured it all out for you. 🙂

Now, it’s your turn…

We would love to hear from you:

What do you think is the best rose perfume? Have you tried any of these?

Or maybe you have a question.

Either way, please let us know by leaving a comment below right now.

Where to go from here?

I highly recommend you check out our Top 10 Best Perfume for Women and our best Victoria’s Secret perfumes posts out for some more awesome recommendations.

We hope you enjoyed our article and found this list useful.  If you did, we would love it if you would share it to your favourite social networks!