Of Roses: Lamar, Cafe Intense, Ottoman Empire.

[smokingboot]

A lot of my Christmas samples are rose based perfumes this year.

The most deliciously lush is Lamar by Kajal; it's got a creamy tropical fruit 'top' which now and again reveals itself to be pineapple - but not a pina colada! - with a classic rose and jasmine combo underneath. The thing that's so sumptuous about this is that it generates the sense of a texture, a smooth almost silken quality. I love it, and suspect it's for holidays in the sun. It's around £160 for 100 mls. Gorgeous and possibly going to happen.

A more restrained rose scent is Montale's Intense Cafe. Except this is meant to be a coffee scent, and on my one test of it, the coffee just sinks away within minutes. It's a well made close to the skin scent, good for office days, got its own muted elegance, and can be found between £65 to just upwards of £100 per 100 mls, but when it fades it really is just vanilla, musk and amber over again. I think. Probably needs another test, away from more dramatic roses like for example...

Ottoman Empire by Areej Le Doré

...This breathtaking Olfactory Composition consists of the most precious materials: namely, pure agarwood essential oil, pure rose otto, rose absolute, pure, aged sandalwood oil, rose water co-distilled with frangipani and jasmine... several different types of natural rose oils that are unknown to many and experienced by few. These rose oils are hydro and steam distilled, and combined to release an aroma that is of unmatchable diversity and soul-healing potential. The rarest, pure florals are enhanced and made more masculine through the addition of spicy, sweet pepper... This brings a sensation of luxurious comfort that is both warm and romantic. The waves of floral bliss and blooming ecstasy usher one slowly to a middle stage, where there resides a uniquely extracted and carefully captured infusion of frangipani flowers covered in warm, soothing spices and clean, smooth Indian vetiver. Highly aged, silky smooth Indian saffron attar adds an exotic, opulent touch, creating a palpable, extravagantly soothing aura. Meandering along the velvety smooth, crystal bridge of olfactory delights experienced thus far, and one arrives at the ouds...

Blooming ecstasy eh? Hmm. This is rose, a lot of rose, rose oil, Bulgarian rose, white rose, have some more rose, you'll be wanting more rose with that. The only thing it can't do is compete with an actual fragrant rose, but then what can? As R ran away from this stuff yelling 'smell baaaaaad'* my suspicion is that this would never be my buy, even if it was available. Later variants are easily upwards of £300. For this kind of cash I could fill my back yard with an entire rose garden, why would I need some tiny potion of more money than sense? I can't see the original on sale anywhere from verifiable vendors; apparently Ottoman Empire was limited to one hundred, full 50ml bottles due to the 'rare ingredients being used.' It would doubtless go for an utter mint now. And yet the perfume house still has enough to send samples out. Why?

*Bit of a shocker as he likes the smell of real roses.

Comments

[house_wren]

I love scent, and loved reading what you had to say about your rose perfume samples. Thank you.
Rose often gives me sneezes. When I find something I enjoy, though, I use it anyway.

[smokingboot]

Thank you so much, I'm delighted you liked it! Rose fragrances can be so beautiful. I am less likely to get sneezes, more likely to get a very small skin reaction. But like you, if I enjoy a perfume, I wear it anyway.