Rosa Alba

Yikes! On me not a white rose, but a rather spiky, whippy, ULTRA green one, freshly cut and alarmingly true to life. It is what it is. Gorgeously detailed and botanical - nothing less than the full Annette Neuffer genius at work, and it plays to the line's strengths of real garden florals, with natural ingredients built into terrific ensemble pieces. A problem child for me, though, because of a personal prejudice against over-pushy over-present rose notes which turn into bullies. This has amazing presence - a true sense of sap, bitter-green foliage, even a thump of something earthy at the bottom of the rosebush - but it's just too thornily ROSE!!! for me to grasp and hold on to. Seemed a bit close to some mad experiment like Balenciaga's Florabotanica, although miles smoother and more natural and without the cannabis-leaf note. Performance is a little weaker on longevity than some others from the house (maybe 3-6h on skin? ) but its first effect and projection seemed way stronger - this really throws across a room to my nose ... but perhaps I'm just over-sensitive to it. For real rose-garden fans - this will be spectacular; if you want to smell all day like you've been out there pruning the darling buds or dead-heading the gone-over blooms, even in the depths of winter - it can take you on that trip. It's not for me but it will very probably be some genuine rose-fan's dreamboat.