Rose of No Man's Land Absolu

A much appreciated improvement on the original in my opinion, I have less than stellar thoughts and experiences with the OG, as it smellt like an old fashioned rose without any nuance on my skin from memory, not that there's anything bad with that but it's not my preference, this however keeps the core idea but adds quite a bit to it. Much like the original the core is a beautiful and strong Turkish rose, however the florals themselves smell sweeter in this to me, on top of that it has a hefty dose of a tart raspberry throughout the opening and the mid, which add a much needed brightness to the mix, all tied together with an airy almost fresh-like spiciness that is understated but more than welcome. Projection for me was medium to strong and longevity was an impressive 10-11 hours. As is with the original it definitely leans feminine, however I don't think this is entirely a feminine fragrance. This is honestly a solid daily driver fragrance for a certain person, due to its easygoing tartness and the soft but firm rose, all seasons except a hot summer day would suit it wonderfully. All this bring said, it's not something I as a guy would personally wear outside once every blue moon since I appreciate its profile, but objectively I think it's well made, high quality, and a good improvement on/flanker of the OG. Final verdict is an 8.4/10

Rose of No Man's Land is a ROSE lover's rose, so if you're ambivalent about rose, just carry on! I had a small travel spray of the original and loved it unquestionably but dammit, it did not last, and for that price I couldn't justify buying it given the lousy performance. This one, however, while I need to test further on skin, is lasting ages on the card I test sprayed it on yesterday -- a good sign! I enjoy the added fruitiness in this absolu version -- I love rose but rose and fruit - especially raspberry and blackcurrant?? I'm SMITTEN. This is a gorgeous, straightforward fruity rose bomb and I NEED IT!!!

The first whiff.. heaven. And than my critical mind said. Wait. Pause. This spin off from the original Rose of No Man’s Land may disappoint ( they usually do by an astounding 50% rate ) 30 minutes later, I carefully deeply inhale my skin, my cloth and sooo pleasantly surprised that it settled down to become more mellow, more richer and smokier.. yes its denser thanks to the prominent note of saffron, amber, patchouli that makes the projection eternal to me. All the fruity notes and peonies behave like the background choir making the whole ensemble complete. Now all it needs is an applause

This scent is as if a rose decided to be as mysterious, captivating, and chic as possible - an unmistakable aura of refinement. Passersby will get a hint of it, but it doesn't dominate the room, elevator, or car, nor does it offend those who aren't fans of rose. Two spritzes onto clothes is plenty for myself and those around me to enjoy. At $400 USD a bottle, this is certainly expensive, but for the compliments and its longevity, I think it's on the edge of acceptable. This is a wonderful unisex scent for anyone seeking something distinct for winter/night wear.

Byredo is a not for me kind of brand, nothing really hits me and I'm sometimes nose-blind to some of their perfume but this one is really good. I was looking for a rose that could go against portrait of a lady int term of strong and warm rose that follows you all day and I think this is the only one I've found, I was also looking for something less spicy and complex. It does not smell like Portrait but it's just so powerful, enveloping and also really pleasant. I did not like the original, but this is one is a hit for me.