Rozu

A rose unlike any other rose! Most rose-centered perfumes usually smell too sweet, too strong, too bold on me but this one- I fell in love with right away. Very few times have I felt: “wow, this perfume understands me.” Rather than a rose in full bloom with its dramatic sensuality, this scent evokes young roses plucked from the garden, their green stems still freshly cut, resting on an antique wooden bowl. The shiso pepper note gives it a unique effervescence I really enjoy. It’s simple, well-balanced, and clean. I grew up in Japan and have developed a deep respect for the traditionally minimalist aesthetic, which can translate into every sensory experience. Japanese incense, for example, has a simple, quiet, contemplative quality about it. It doesn’t try to overwhelm you (as I often feel with Indian incense like Nag Champa). Some people might consider Japanese flavors bland, but I find it satisfying in it’s simplicity. Haikus are another example: just the necessary words in a rhythmic flow of sparse syllables. The air, the space, the silence, the negative space is as much part of the experience as the substance itself. Rōzu has this quality. It’s simple yet substantial. Though linear, it lasts several hours with moderate silage. It’s fresh, elegant, confident, sure of itself, and yet spacious in capacity, ready and willing to face whatever the day brings.

Rozu, like a bright burst of morning—sparkly pepper playing with zesty bergamot, crisp with dew-laden rose petals glistening in sheer freshness. It’s an awakening, a flash of rose that feels almost tactile—each petal delicate yet charged with life. Rozu, a morning rose in all its natural glory. Then the scent deepens into a forest of woody greenness. There's this most charming underlayer of verdant character, not the cloying, powdery vegetal kind but a sophisticated herbal bitterness. A hint of green, an enticing shiso leaf dose, precisely measured to keep things real. It’s as if nature itself whispered its secrets: the rose remains central, but it’s framed by a lush, almost tactile woodsy embrace and a crisp herbal edge that makes it unmistakably aromatic. I adore its balance. No syrupy sweetness here, none of that designer stuff. Just a genuine, well-crafted rose that dances between brightness and depth. It’s like strolling through a sunlit garden where the flowers are alive with subtle bitterness and green crispness, each note perfectly in sync. Simply put, Rozu is an amazing aromatic rose, a celebration of nature’s dualities, a scent most playful and profound.

This fragrance reminds me of a rose tarte from Yunnan. The rose note turns into something like a ripe fruit, soft, juicy, with sweetness and a little sourness from baking like an apple pie, and woody notes from bakery, and even a little fresh spice flavor. It ended with a classic woody + pachouli + musk combination and perfectly continue the underlying smell from the previous. I have to mention that the intergrity of this fragrance is very impressive, unlike some other perfume that you can notice some notes stand out a little bit. I recommend it as a choice of woody rose fragrance, and... hard to translate "人淡如菊" into english, let's just use "zen" to discribe. ------ 鲜花饼。 我真的这么觉得,但我的朋友都在问我的鼻子是不是出了问题lol。 就像云南鲜花饼处理玫瑰的结果一样,是很明确的玫瑰花香,但又像熟透了的水果甚至是苹果派一样,变得柔和、juicy、带着一些自然的像烤红薯流出的蜜糖一样的不齁甜但明显但很让人舒服的甜味、一些烘烤之后的酸味(可能来自表里的柑橘水果和粉红胡椒)、烘烤的木质香味,甚至开初还有一些辛香味(确实来自紫苏)。结尾的木质香+一些广藿香+麝香的组合也很延续之前的味道的底味。 值得一提的是香气整体的感觉是非常柔和恬淡圆滑到浑然一体的,让我印象很深刻,像别的香水你还是多多少少能够感觉出一些独立的成分。在身上也是让人整个人淡如菊()。 是一个非常zen的木质玫瑰香。

So, while I was in Dallas last year I stopped at Aesop. I remember the first time I smelled this, I had it sprayed on my wrist and I fell in LOVE with it. Immediately blown away. If you love YOU by Glossier, you will totally love this. Imagine it being Glossier's very BOUGIE big sister, that only comes around on special occasions. That's the vibe. Sophisticated and super SEXY. Anyways, I wanted to walk around to let it warm up on my skin and fell even more in love with it, I couldn't stop smelling my wrist. I HAD TO BUY IT. Such a warm, powdery, real CASH money, lipstick dry down. I don't pick up any "in your face” rose and that's probably why I love it so much. Best if worn at night (trust me) Glossier is more for daytime but ROZU is so sensual making it perfect for date nights. A total bombshell. Truly amazing on the skin but could be sprayed on your favorite teddy bear. Bougie, desirable, super sexy, warm & cozy but also very clean girl. I'm obsessed with it. BISOUS

I really enjoyed this fragrance a lot. If you are looking for pure rose scent, you will be disappointed. One may expect a sweet, elegant, and floral smell, but Rozu is not it. Rozu is a darker and more earthy take on roses. When I first sprayed this on, I could smell the spicy yet earthy shiso notes. The spiciness of the pepper notes and the brightness of the citrus notes came through as well. There is a powdery and warm scent from the woods. As it settles down, it gets less citrus-y and less peppery. The shiso note remains, and the rose scent then appears slowly but surely. The dry down is very woody and manly. It smelled like incense. If I could describe the smell in a story. I felt like I was walking in this enchanting medieval forest. Everything is black and white. The surroundings are foggy. There were overgrown trees, luscious greens, and scarlet wild roses surrounding me. The brightness of the rose juxtaposed with the muted, drab colours around it.

No words can describe my love for Rozu. While Marrakech Intense and Hwyl made me a fan of Barnabé Fillion, Rozu really convinced me to put him on a pedestal for both his skilful composition and his intellectually artistic nature! I love everything about Rozu: the narrative, the muse, the execution, the scent, and the performance. Every note in here, be it really intentional or spontaneous, appears to be extremely thoughtful! While I can admire how perfect the composition is all day long, on a more sentimental note, Rozu intimately evokes a very vivid image of my grandma, sitting on a tatami by the balcony, knitting a brown sweater in early winter - it’s a very comforting scent of an early modern Asian household back in the 80s. Lastly, comparing this to Le Labo Rose just because of rose + woody notes is extremely insulting.

no but why is this actually the best guaiac wood accord ive ever smelled in my life. the opening has a bite of green most definitely shiso dom the mid has that photo realistic rose like the actual pedals are on my skin then my goddddddddd THE DRY DOWN ISNT EVEN THE SAME FRAGRANCE. each part is so different and so good but that late dry down maaaan. I'm not someone who believes (or wants) fragrance to last on me for 3-6 business days so if ur someone who is use to "room filling" scents (i hate u) or applies double digit sprays (and u) to compensate for their lack of personality, aesthetic and overall physical appearance go ahead and skip this one and the whole brand in general. 10/10

Rozu is entirely zen. It's a cool rainy day, delicate rose pedals sprinkled over resinous, slightly smoky woods. It shines softly once it settles into skin. Not suitable for a loud statement, but for a quiet, mysterious song to whisper as you go about your day. The perfect balance of masculine and feminine. For lovers of a rainy day, and eastern poetic minimalism. Edit: I bought a bottle from someone and was hugely disappointed, something about the base of the fragrance was just totally off, had to get rid of it. The poetry of the sample I tested was completely lacking in the bottle. It's clear that Aesop have quality control issues.

promise you i am not a rose person at all so i was shocked by how much i enjoyed this fragrance. it's very much a green rose scent with a hint of citrus—the first time i smelled it without any knowledge of the notes i thought it was a citrus-forward fragrance. the dry down is beautiful and soft, owing to the guaic wood and shiso i think!! EDIT: although not listed in the notes there is a cumin-like smell that comes out in the dry down that doesn't play well on my skin. i have bought and sold two bottles because i really do love the opening but i just can't get past the rest of the scent on me!! it's lovely otherwise, though.

Man, have I found my newest obsession with this one. Up until now, I’ve had love affairs with Diptyque Tam Dao, Le Labo Thé Matcha, Aesop Eidesis, Escentric Molecules, Beautypie Orange. Long story short, avoided floral scents like the plague. This though... when I first smelled it, I felt like I stepped into one of the mountain temples in China (where I used to live). It’s unique and grounded at the same time, never too loud, never too soapy or powdery, just clean enough. It’s a rose incense you’re burning while meditating. Absolute stunner - I wish it lasted longer though which is my issue with Eidesis as well.

Def in my top 5, and my favorite Aesop (I also have Hywil& Eidesis). Aesop scent profile is divine, and I love the smell of their products in general (Geranium leaf, rind lotion, deodorants etc.). However, it feels like something is wrong with the formulations (body lotion just sits on top of the skin, doesn't get absorbed, deodorant completely inefficient, poor longevity perfumes). In addition, both Hywil and Rozu bottles are leaky and now I'm racing against the time to use them before they evaporate completely. I won't even discuss the prices and lack of sustainable, refill options. Style over substance... :(

I'll buy this as soon as I can afford to. I hope to raise the rating, as it started me on my broader fragrance journey. I love the "zen" vibe of the entire range, but this one stands out for me. I've yet to sample another rose scent that I prefer to the earthiness of this. I was complimented within 15 minutes of wearing it, but do agree it isn't very loud after an hour or two. I'm totally fine with that, as I can see myself even just wearing it around the home and appreciating it for myself.

This in one of the strongest fragrances I own, I can taste it in my mouth sometimes (tastes kind of soapy). This fragrance house is grounded, and so is this fragrance. It's an earthy rose fragrance - not fresh rose, I would describe the rose as dried rose petals. It works well for me - I only need one spray and it sticks to my clothing. It smells down to earth, like you might smell it on a spiritual person.

I've had this for a while now and still really appreciate it, however my perspective on this fragrance has completely changed. I see it now as a DARK green/woody/spicy/floral (rose adjacent), gothic to the point that I can rarely wear it in any kind of heat or daytime. This gives me the image of a thorny rose bush battered by strong winds after rain, under a very grey sky.

Simultaneously clean, fresh, warm, musky. A photorealistic rose bush (green, floral, and not too much of either) brightened with shiso and citrus but warmed up and grounded by creamy sandalwood and resin. Calling this a "rose" fragrance doesn't do it justice. Develops into a perfectly balanced woody-sweet, faintly chypre skin scent. My all-time favourite fragrance.

The top notes remind me of Zoologist Elephant—very watery, green, and cool woody tones. Later, the pink pepper comes out, and it still stays a woody scent overall. There is sandalwood, but it’s not particularly prominent. It could also be that I'm overly sensitive to pink pepper, so as soon as it appears, my nose just fixates on it.

The rose for none rose lovers if that makes sense. I often can feel like rose can be too stuffy or cloying and sometimes feel a bit dated. This fragrances doesn’t have any of those qualities and has offers a really refreshing take. It’s a calming and beautiful blend of woods and florals. Really nice but extremely ephemeral!

I thought I would find this one a little overrated... but oh my god. I had already given up on rose notes. Then this came into my life. This smells like one of those dark red rosaries. It’s an intensely warming scent that tames the power of rose with a carpet of sandalwood and myrrh. This is popular for a very good reason.

@VETTIVAER review is spot on. Really mature scent, I love it so much. It takes maybe a few tries but once you accept your appreciation for it (and more specifically, its uniqueness and its zen-like qualities), it quickly turns into an intense love for it. Rozu and HWYL are top tier scents, really on another level.

This is one of my favorite perfumes of All time. The cool soft rose mix with woody and spice blend very well. it lasts long on my skin and clothes. I can feel ZEN and Classy, it doesn't smell like some random perfume out of the market. 10/10

Modern, masculine, spicy rose. Not your typical floral scent. Dry and woody, I pick up some cumin which I’m usually averse to but this somehow still smells clean and thankfully doesn’t veer into body odour territory.

This is such a stunning scent. Calm and meditative and sits close to your skin. Warm and fresh at the same time and the composition of rose and wood together is perfect. Sexy in a very elegant way.

@Not_So_Perfumy You don't get Rose in the dry down, because in the final stage of a scent there is no Rose duh. The Base notes are Sandalwood, Vetiver, Patchouli, Myrrh and Musk.

This fragrance has incredibly nostalgic feeling to me. Like waking up in the early morning to the smell of burning rose incense, reminiscent of a Hindu or Buddhists temple.

This fragrance is so pretty! Strong rose in the opening but dries down to a light floral musk. This is what a hug smells like.

I visit the Aesop store in Nashville and firstly, the customer service there was fantastic! This was the last fragrance they showed me after telling them I liked woody scents... I had asked to see something that had a little more Patchouli in it. None of their offerings have a straightforward Patchouli note. However, the sales associate sprayed rozu on the card and I thought "oh ok, this is nice and probably my favorite so far" then she told me to smell her wrist and I was like 🤯🤯🤯🤯😍😍😍😍 She had Rozu layered on top of their Resolute balm. I tried the combination on myself and I ended up purchasing Rozu & the smaller size of the balm. The dry down of Rozu is where the magic happens, it's gorgeous! It's soft, a little powdery, musky, woody with a touch of rose. Not your average rose though. Their take on it so good. During the drive back to my hotel I did think to myself: I prefer this to Rose 31 by Le Labo but I wouldn't say this 100% reminds me of it (does that make any sense? Probably not lol) they're in the same neighborhood though, for sure. I think this is perfect for transitional seasons but also would be good throughout fall and spring & then parts of winter and summer. I think it's worth it and have been enjoying it so far. I'm excited to try more of their offerings in the future. Update: do not over spray. You will get a headache and be turned off by the scent 😩

You can journey through the cycle of a rose when you wear this one. Starting off like a fresh bunch, that pleasant chaos of a florist, or that single bud you lean in to smell in the park. You tangle through the physical organ of the rose plant, down the stem, down to the dry wood of the old growth thorny tangle, down to the earthy dirt, with the blossoming to wilting to drying petals following you throughout. A fantastic replica of a physical rose, for those who look for a pure ontological ode to the rose. It lacks longevity you’d hope for, with a clean skin finish following for many. Best fixed to a scarf or clothing for a longer experience. It does spread marvellously, a great way to freshen up a train carriage on the morning commute. Really androgynous, perfect for the masculine/male identifying, who wish to wear a floral for the first time. Nonetheless, the only rose fragrance that smells just like a rose in the garden, not what we often reimagine roses to be.

The scent is beautiful, but as with all Aesop fragrances there’s no longevity past a maximum of 2 hours. I have a decent fragrance collection (that includes 2 Aesop frags) and this is the worst performing. Also, this is nothing like Rose by Le Labo. Rozu is SO much heavier (not necessarily a bad thing) so I find it extremely weird it doesn’t have better or even close to the same longevity as Rose 31. Aesop make the most beautiful, unique and grounding creations but the longevity is dismal. I’m actually really upset about it because this definitely could be my signature if it was better :( Unfortunately I’m selling mine. Also, the price increase (yes I know everything is increasing in price) is crazy compared to when I purchased it a few years ago. And for $220 AUD for a frag that smells lovely but has no staying power whatsoever, is daylight robbery. I can’t understand why people are still willingly purchasing it. Unless for social media photos to seem ‘on trend’.

This is the one I liked best of the 3 current Aesop fragrances and its also the only one with any originality. It’s mostly a soft and clean guaic-woody-rose with a really compelling opening of gentle rose with shiso. That shiso/rose accord is delicious, faintly dark green and wet. I also love that the perfumer only used 1 or 2 rose ingredients to sort of rough sketch the flower and none of them are the tangy/acidic/fruity/geranium ones which are my kryptonite. I would buy this as a superior-performance replacement for one of the easy and light fragrances in my collection (Cologne Imperiale, Miller Harris, those sorts). Something to spritz after a shower when I’m not really dressing for a full blown perfume. Which, since the pandemic is like every day. 3.5 out of 5.

- The Hiding Rose - What an experience. I feel grateful to have sampled this scent. It’s a rich composition (in notes) hence the ‘hiding rose’. This is not a rose perfume. Or is it? I feel a fresh-turning-dried pink rose hiding behind a transparent wall of branches : shiso, guaiac wood and vetiver. The atmosphere is starting to get hazy and you can smell myrrh and a clean, yet earthy patchouli. A sacred place. Does this scent wear me or can I wear it? I try to understand it and the moment I get close to, it slips from my hands. Rozu is a paradox, an enigma and a true revelation to me. A learning/growing experience in my perfume discovery journey.

Beautiful. Felt my heartbeat actually slow down just smelling this. So meditative and smooth, woody, lightly rosy and astringent, but overall actually this smells like *jimami tofu* - if anyone has tried Okinawan cuisine. Gorgeous on paper and if it stayed this way, I'd have bought it. Unfortunately, on my skin, like @shannybaby, this one goes SO sour (and not in a refreshing way), it literally smells like body odour - stale sweat on someone that doesn't know the concept of personal space. Devastating. Vibe: Meditative and kinda delicious Longevity: Good (on paper), quite poor on my skin Projection: Strong!! Polarity: Unisex

As a vintage perfume lover, I really appreciate that Aesop’s perfumes actually have a narrative. Although given that the brand is called Aesop, I suppose that shouldn’t be a surprise, lol. This a lovely woody/incense/rose accord, though for my money the rose is too slight. But you actually can smell all of the notes. About an hour after spraying, it smelled just like the drydown of 1960s Femme de Rochas, but that didn’t last for more than 20 minutes or so. Nice and intimate and lasts 8 hours at least.

I’m rethinking my status as a rose hater... but then again, this is more herbal and woody than it is rose, with prominent peppery sandalwood grabbing my attention. Casual and unisex, this has exactly the natural aura you would expect of a perfume made by a skincare brand. By that virtue it’s not super exciting, but I love this down-to-earth rendition of a typically elegant floral note. Highly wearable, and a standout compared to designer scents.

A spicy, fairly strong rose fragrance. I usually dislike rose or floral fragrances, but this fragrance is great since it has some balance between the natural sweetness of the rose and the warmth of the pepper. Performance is decent. Definitely try and sample this if you're interested in buying it; when I first tried it, I was a bit unsure, but after getting used to it for a bit of time, I can confirm I made a pretty good choice in getting it.

One of Aesop's less complex scents. Very straightforward rose with some dry woody notes that help keep it grounded rather than sweet like other rose perfumes out there. It smells like dried roses pressed in between book pages. Not bad. Just... personally I think rose scents lack personality. Rose in itself is overused and too mainstream. But if I must use a rose scent, I'd go for this one over other brand names purely because of its dryness.

I love talking to Aesop employees about what they think of this fragrance because it's so polarising, they either find it delicious or disgusting. It is a really nice every day scent, a little woody, a little floral, a little fresh, smells very natural and non-synthetic. Definitely overpriced and you can find better value for your money--it's nice but forgettable, like music you put on in the background while you go about your day.

I LOVE the shiso at the top and it imparts a very unique greenness to the rose. After about an hour though, there's something in the drydown that hurts my nose to smell - the guiac wood maybe. It has a similar effect of certain cedar-heavy fragrances. Still like it, but I don't think I can wear it.

A very interesting, refreshing rose scent. Doesn't smell like a traditional "rose," but is very green, fresh, with an emphasis on wood and shiso, smells like walking in a forest right after a rain and coming across a small rose bush. Feel like it leans more masculine / cologne-y.

Lovely rose scent with a similar essence of soil that Hwyl has. The initial scent of a rose covered in damp soil eventually matures into a spicy rose fragrance that I enjoy. Although the scent of rose lingered for hours, the scent itself was a whisper, hardly noticeable.

Many notes listed here but if you were to distill it down (pun intended) to the basic experience, it smells like a rosy incense stick being burned in a Buddhist temple. Smells of dried rose petals and incensy dry woods. Perhaps suitable for an older audience.

I bought a decant of this and it wasn't at all what I expected - to me, this is a dry iris scent with bergamot and spicy green notes. Not particularly rosy, sour, or animalic; dries down into a somewhat generic but tasteful sandalwood scent.

Shiso adds some wetness to the rose—a well-paired aromatic here. This is the kind of vertiver I like; expansive and organic. Sadly the whole affair dissipates quickly on skin.

very green and stemmy in the opening, but quickly dries down into a true rose, the tiniest bit bubble bath-y and powdery but very, very pure and fresh. this is lovely!

Beautiful rose. Love at first sniff, but dry down is just ok. Nothing too special about it. Overall, it’s bright, full, and soapy. Very nice rose perfume.

Opening very strong floral. After 20 Minutes, a soft lingering aromatic and slightly woody smell accompanies the rose scent. Its sensational.

A spicier, dirtier, and murkier version of Lorenzo Villoresi Musk. I like it!

I’m not a rose person but wanted to try because of the pink pepper note. Super green opening but that fades quickly. It turns into a realistic rose with some sort of spice that I’m not good at identifying. Almost minty. Not quite pink pepper. Maybe it’s the rose/patchouli combination? It’s more an edgy rose instead of girly so it’s good for that. If you do like rose and want to try one a little different, this is worth a sample!

If you ever tried rose centefolia by schwzerlose it’s almost the same fragrance Nice rosy and masculine My significant other gave me a compliment which doesn’t happen often I can hardly imagine a woman pulling it off The performance is abysmal I have the previous fragrance so this one is not necessary I think this house is mainly about weak or airy fragrances ..... not good

Aesop Rozu is very gentle, very plain, and maybe more suitable for Japanese style perfume. I can’t smell it after 1-2 hours. You can barely detect the shiso, or any other notes. And the rose smells... like dried roses or potpourri. Seems more suitable for an older woman or a room spray

Started off pretty green and bitter. Dried down to Santal 33. So where is the rose? Left dried upside down somewhere behind those notes, I guess.