Rose Load

Let me be the first reviewer to say I LOVE this scent! I got the “exploratory set” of the 5 Boy Smells scents because I was (and still am) a big fan of Boy Smells candles, and I liked Rose Load so much I actually bought a full bottle. I find the rose modern and not overwhelming, and the spices really complementing the rose. To me it may not be a black-tie event scent, but certainly not a going to the gym scent, either, because the sillage is quite impressive. I find the scent lingering for hours and the dry down is still very pleasant. There’s just nothing, not one element, that I don’t love about this scent. I’m a woman and do think Rose Load is leaning feminine but would love to smell this on a confident guy! Update: I wish this scent had 1/4 of its potency. Because it’s such a beast I rarely wear it for fear I’d choke out ppl surrounding me.

This is my signature scent full stop. I first received a 10ml sized bottle in a Space NK fragrance advent calendar and from the outset I was hooked. the heavy hit of rose that is fresh and tart at the start dries down beautifully to a fresh vibrant rose that is very similar to Diptyque rose load but stronger and longer lasting. The only issue is that it is difficult to get hold of in the UK and the only retailer to sell it is Space NK but they are often out of stock so I have to buy the 10ml bottles on eBay when available. That is why I ended up buying the Diptyque as the scent profile to me is very similar- unfortunately, for me, it does not last as long on my skin and I end up over spraying just to get that dopamine hit. This perfume is not given the hype it deserves, as far as I’m concerned it is a 10 out of 10.

This is amazing! Not funeral-y, or particularly grandma smelling. The rose is strong and complex, with the fruit brightening and rounding out potential sharpness. The sandalwood grounds the scent and continues to become more prominent as it dries out, strong enough to complement but not overpower the rose. A little goes a long way, did my usual four sprays and it can definitely fill a room. It also lingers on clothes and skin after washing for a while.

This has a Middle Eastern-Arabian influence that gives it a unique and appealing character. It’s the type of fragrance that oud and rose scent enthusiasts will not regret adding to their collection. Instead of a rich, syrupy, jammy aroma, it offers a more airy, delicate jammy note. It’s versatile enough to be worn all year round, and it has a cozy, comforting feel to it too. I blind bought this based on the notes and I'm so glad I did!

I’ll be honest that I am such a fan girl of Boy Smells. I often wear Woodphoria and (heretic) Scandalwood together to get the jamminess from the first and the rose from the later. Rose load gives both of those in one bottle. The rose is sharp the other notes are fresh and spicy and the overall scent has an almost “dirty” quality imho. Long lasting and strong in these summer months.

Spicy, fruity rose. The raspberry really shines through. If you're a fan of Kacey Musgraves' Slow Burn candle, you might love this. They are pretty similar, though the smoky incense that's in the candle is not in the fine fragrance. It's not a perfect direct translation but it's close. I'd wear this but it does lean towards the feminine end of unisex, if that matters.

i really really love this one however recently my boyfriend said it smelled "a little tiny bit like a dill pickle" and he's kind of right? it's very very faint but there is some kind of dill note in it. it doesn't make me love it any less but it is kind of an odd thing to have noticed

A very pretty incensey rose. Starts out strong but then mellows out into a soapy skin scent. Very pleasant great for layering on your skin, then a vanillic on your clothes xxo

First blast of bright sharp rose that immediately darkens and warms with brown smoky oud. Quite bold actually and there's a sharp sweetness that lingers from the opening... pink pepper? The oud is very rich and brings images of dark oily ancient temple doors and yet the sweetness of the rose is there to counterpoint. Probably the best interpretation of the classic rose/oud combo I've encountered to date. Neither element dominates the other; one steps forward for a minute and then retreats to let the other take the spotlight, all the while a tart sharp sweetness is always there in the background. Wonderfully blended but I do think it will turn into an "old lady rose" after a while. Unisex but does lean masculine for the moment and is best for cool weather.

Rose Load is incredibly long lasting! I tried it on just one forearm (two sprays) last night, and I could smell it strongly all the way until I went to sleep, and this morning I still smell it. That’s the longest wear I’ve seen on skin so far. The opening of this fragrance is much different than the dry down. The opening was kind of vegetal, hard to describe, but I didn’t necessarily detect rhubarb, pink pepper, or cardamom. I wasn’t in love with it, but when it dried down and I got more of the oud, it became something delicious. The longer it wears, the more it’s just straight rose. This and a couple other fragrance samples lately have made me realize that I very much like rose.

yeah this shit is STRONG but its so lovely ~ its kinda spicy and incense-y and warm from the pink pepper but the rose keeps it quite fresh. I love that this is a rose scent that isn't sweet at all. Instead, it's very earthy and "dirty"? I'm usually not a fan of woody scents but in this perfume it really works and isn't offensive whatsoever.

One of my absolute favorite scents that turned me on to rose, but (true to its name) unwearable for me unless I use the tiniest spray. It chokes out everyone I'm around, I can't imagine wearing it on public transit in a packed train car. I wish it was just a little less load in that rose load.

Considering my favorite perfumes....this is definitely not one of them, though I love Jerome Epinette typically. Considering how I typically am not a fan of rose scents, this is pretty good. The raspberry and pepper really make it exciting and modern and fresh.

Pretty straightforward rose and wood to me; easily going to be one of my all rounder picks. Unisex but the opposite of gender neutral (genderful you might even say). This is dapper butch and mechanic with a manicure. A real drag king scent.

I get a very heavy rose from it, like I'm swimming in a shoujo manga page. It's an interesting experience - like being in a twilight garden - but I wouldn't say this is for anything indoors.

very nice rose scent with a wood base i feel like this formula has been done a lot so this is nothing new but still a great rose fragrance

This one is okay. It's very rose, obviously, on first spray, but it's very meaty. I want to say it's the oud that's giving the rose a lot of heft here. I don't think I get any rhubarb, and definitely no raspberry. I don't really get much cardamom, at least not in the way it usually smells, so perhaps it's also just lending itself to that heaviness around the rose. This heavy rose lasts in a singular way for a while, never changing, but then once that fades, this dries down to papery pepper. The dry down to this smells exactly like Un Bois by Obvious Perfumes. It's just papyrus and pepper. They smell so identical that I was surprised to see pink pepper listed here and not black. Overall, decent. Not my favorite rose. It's definitely not a clean fresh rose, but if I want a spicy rose I'd go for Kiss From A Rose from Kilian first. I will say though, I find a lot of the Boy Smells fragrances to smell cheap, like the ingredients aren't fragrance quality. Their fragrances tend to smell more like fabric softener or body wash to me. This is one of the more high-quality smelling fragrances in the line, I think.

I’m a big fan of Violet Ends and Suede Pony, so I blind bought this and, while it’s not the favourite in my collection, I often reach for it. The rose is not sweet, but it kicks off quite heavy and herby...almost overwhelming. 7 hours later, it’s straight rose and rhubarb. I’m still getting little wafts of it now and again - impressive performance. I tend to dislike the opening, with an immediate regret at spraying so liberally, but by the end I’ve always remembered why I sprayed it. It’s a grower. Update: don’t overspray. I went heavy handed before bed and it was overwhelming, to the point of nausea. It lasts an eternity - I can still smell it clearly on my hair 12 hours later. Just wish I loved it more!

I bought the discovery set and wasn’t really blown away by any of the scents. I felt like I should buy one because I had a discount from buying the discovery set though. I was torn between this and marble fruit. I ended up buying this Rose Load but never ended up really wearing it. The rose is just too strong to me although it is a younger smelling rose than most. I can smell a little bit of the fruitiness that’s mentioned but not enough where the rose isn’t just overpowering. I ended up re-selling the bottle. I wanted to like this brand because of the marketing, & I do enjoy the Slow Burn candle, but their fragrances just aren’t for me.

i blind bought a travel size when i saw this was on clearance. well worth my $15! the rose is sweet and a little powdery and it's a good balance of rose/wood/spices. i'm one of those people who sometimes gets that kind of pickle-y smell from sandalwood, and i do get it a teeeeny bit here, but it's not offputting. feels slutty. crazy performance as well: probably put on at like 7pm before a party and could still smell it the tiniest bit in the morning. i probably wouldn't have bought this full price, but i highly recommend snagging it if you can still find it on clearance!

I sprayed the sample and got allll the notes- a bright crisp floral and omg rose and for a second I thought I might actually like a rose scent. Then I smelled it ON me- nothing. Just agar wood and maybe rhubarb but really its so one-note. Its like I washed my hands with 50 year old rose soap in grandmas back bathroom that no one uses. An hour later it smells like Babe to me (I hated babe). Theres a teeny tiny bit of Rose scent and make a single speck of peppercorn but it "shot its load" if you'll forgive me, in that first spray and I was left disappointed.

I like rose; this is *a lot* of rose. If you told me this were something you found on my grandmother's a vanity, I'd believe you. I don't mean that as a slight to my grandmother, either; she's a classy lady with good taste, but that doesn't mean I want to smell like her. To me this is leans significantly more feminine than unisex, and not in a way that's playful or subversive. I'm also getting a little bored with so many of Boy Smell's fragrances featuring rhubarb so prominently. The nicest thing I can say about this scent is that it's not for me.

To my nose, this is a really jammy, fruity rose. Besides the rose, raspberry is the the strongest note on my skin. I only get a hint of the oud and woody base. None of this is unpleasant, but very bright, fruity, and forward. This lasts quite a long time on my skin and eternally on clothes. I put one spray on my wrist before putting on my coat a week ago, and now any shirt i’m wearing under my coat still comes out smelling like roses and raspberry. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I can’t escape it.

It's Ok. It's not a jammy rose imo. It's a slightly spicy, slightly powdery rose. It pulls somewhat green on my skin. But it stays a powdery rose. The dry down is my favorite. It's a little woodsy, a little powdery, a little sweet but it stays as that slightly spicy rose. You have to lose rose to like this. Boy Smells scents (candles and colognes) are unique and different, in a good way. You won't find any other fragrances or candles that smell like them.

It's really a really strong, jammy rose, but it kinda makes my eyes water. One spray and it immediately takes over the whole room. I like my roses a little greener, a little more dewy and less sweet. I wish I got more of the cardamom others are detecting, but it's purely rose jam and rose soap for me. I sprayed this from a sample size from Boy Smells' sampler kit, and probably will not purchase a full size.

Nothing about this smell is bad. Just a generic wood with generic rose. First spray is heavy on the wood then it fades to the FAINTEST rose. I have to heavily reapply throughout the day although i did hug a friend recently after having it in all day and she said i smelled nice. I don't hate it i just would never repurchase.

Spicy cardamom opening. Then a cool, powdery rose appears with something like ripe fruit. The dry down is powdery, almost musty. Took me a while to figure out what this smell reminded me of but it finally hit me: it's the smell of scented stationary!

A unisex rhubarb rose is very on-brand for Boy Smells, fresh in theory but the execution is harsh. Like most unisex "roses" it's really about wood, but the wood's kinda screechy and nothing else lasts, so it's downhill after the first spray.

i never got the oud unfortunately. this is a powdery, soapy rhubarb/rose. this lacks the tartness and character of rose and rhubarb so this is just a bit plain.

Smells like straight up natural Rose to me, with a touch of raspberry. Nothing else. Boring and linear but not offensive. A very solid meh.

sweet rose, & rhubarb, soft and soapy forward.

I'm a rose lover, but I'm not loving this. Rose is front and center and it's a fresher, greener garden rose scent. There's a bit of cardamom noticeable in the opening and slught woody, smokiness in the drydown. What I don't like is the persistent metallic/salty vegetal note, probably the unsweetened rhubarb and geranium, which smells like celery or even a little like dill or pickling spices. Obvious Perfumes Un Rose has that same vegetal, aromatic quality, and in fact, I think they smell somewhat similar to me. With all the other roses out there, this one doesn't do anything that different, which is fine as I do have some not-very-novel roses in my collection. But, I'm not a fan of the vegetal element (in general).

Yep.. that’s rose. I have to admit I’m not a rose fan but wanted to give it an honest try as part of the line’s discovery set. Very strong sillage and long lasting, definitely leaned feminine to me and would also describe it as a jammy rose.

this is kind of a unique rose. the rhubarb stands out a lot and lasts. it kind of dries down to smell like strawberry rhubarb jam mixed with rose water. the opening is heavier on the pink pepper which i love but also similar to all boy smells perfume openings (they tend to be very woody and spicy on first spray but dry down differently). you also get that raspberry leaf after a few minutes which gives it a kind of earthy quality. it’s interesting because i can’t quite put it into one rose category. it’s at times a sparkling rose, at times jammy, fruity, and at times heady and woody. lasts a long time and just very nice. i sprayed it on my arm in sephora and fell in love and ordered it during the sale. definitely don’t blind buy even if you love rose (like me) because i have a feeling it will smell differently to different people.

The first spray is dominated by the sharp, zingy whizz of pepper — another reviewer compared this to pickling vinegar, and I concur. Then it shifts to an aquatic rose, which is very pleasant. I can’t really detect any oud (which is good as rose and oud are my least favorite combination). This reminds me of Killian’s Roses on Ice a teensy bit, but this is spicier and more astringent.

This fragrance seems to split the tide, but it’s my favorite rose in my collection. This rose is jammy and lush. Nothing about it is powdery! To me, it smells alive. You get gorgeous green notes and pepper. It’s still wearable but complex. It’s the only rose scent I not only have appreciation for, but love and wear!

I either love or am bothered by this and I can't totally tell which. I'm not sure if it's rhubarb or what, but something in this is tart and actually triggers my salivary glands. Underneath that is rose, which I enjoy. I think this is a good perfume?? Probably?? But it makes me drool. Worth trying for sure

i desperately wanted to love this one, but it just does not agree with my skin chemistry. on first spray i could only smell alcohol, but the dry down was extremely bitter. reminded me of trying to eat an acorn as a kid. just sharp, dry and headache-inducing. i couldn't smell rose at all :(

I can’t agree with those calling it a “jammy rose”, to me this is resolutely not a jammy rose. Jammy is syrupy, sweet, thick... this is a spicy rose quickly overwhelmed by the burning wood scent of oud. Rose and ashtray. Interesting, but doesn’t quite work for me.

I just got a small size of this from an advent calendar. At first it wasn’t bad, it’s not bad overall. But it kinda smells like a jar of olives, bitter olives.

Pretty and skanky rose scent. Reminds me a bit of Le Labo Rose 31 which I adore and already own so I will not be buying a full size.

A lovely, woody rose that is almost a twin (RL is slightly sweeter IMO) of Byredo's Rose of No Mans Land at almost half the price.

First spray smells like DILL. The herb.