Rose & Dragon

I admit it, the name drew me in. However, I'm a big fan of rose so it was a no-brainer. To be frank, this is not one to judge on first spray: the opening is admittedly quite harsh to my nose. I think the cinnamon and honey make it cloying and overbearing, a less well-blended, harsher version of Amouage's Crimson Rocks, kind of. Both perfumes share this cinnamon-honeyed rose DNA. However, the big difference lies in the drydown. Whereas Crimson Rocks stays pretty pungent and cloying the whole way, Rose & Dragon takes a shift and turns very smoky and incense-driven in the drydown, which in the end makes it superior to me than Crimson Rocks, which I find is too feminine and syrupy sweet. This turns quite unisex especially in the drydown however one has to enjoy rose which is not everyone, especially for guys. Longevity is alright, a good 8 hours on skin, pushing quite a bit the first 2 hours until it gets smokier and clings closer to skin. Very gothic in nature, this is one you want to dress up, preferably in black or pink (or both!). As a guy, I see a guy in a tux or a black suit. On a woman, someone with a flowing gothic dress would be stupidly sexy with this perfume on. This is also quite smoky so definitely suited for colder seasons. This is my first actual contact with this brand, I've had samples before and none of the "fresher" collections appeal much to me (exceptions for Megalium and D600, both wonderful) but the black and bestial collections absolutely are my cup of tea. Lovely presentation too, black box gold logo, inside is a simple quote about the perfume and an unusual square bottle shape sitting into a groove in the box. Simple yet classy. I'm curious for more!

It’s nighttime in a spice market, and the air is thick with red roses, strawberries, and spices that have baked all day under the desert sun. The heat has faded, but the warmth clings to everything, carried by the scent of saffron that rises like a slow, seductive wave. Cumin weaves through it all, grounding the air with a soft, earthy heat. There’s a smoky haze mixed with the smell of leather and the musk of passersby. This perfume opens with a bold hit of saffron and roses, immediately enveloping you. Then, strawberries and cumin round out the sweetness and spice, adding a soft warmth. But don’t get comfortable—the intensity deepens as leather and musk take root in the base, creating a heady, mysterious allure. It’s sexy. It’s sophisticated. This is for the girl who’s untamed yet effortlessly cool, the one who throws on a leather jacket over a floral dress and always smells like she’s just come back from some intoxicating, unforgettable adventure.

Fascinating start - through heaviness of leather and manuka honey that are intoxicating, a perfectly fresh and noble dark red rose shines through. It is so much a fresh bloom one, that it shows itself pink to me, at first. Only to reconsider that it's a dark red, fresh one. Wild strawberries are also in the spectrum, a dash of cinnamon, I would say violets too, but it can be subtle saffron note. It's just a start. Very dark in autumn, winter, but turns alive and lets the floral notes shine spring evening. It also has near licorice aspect. A slightly powdery, velvety feel. It's complex and high quality. A love potion. Background is very black and dense - incensy labdanum and leather. Very smooth and smoky. The vivid, feminine, velvety rose is a shocking yet bewitching contrast that plays well with the softness of all the notes. It is heavy, black, dense but velvety soft and full of surprises.

As another reviewer commented below, the notes may lead you to believe that this is much more complex than it actually comes off. The first impression is clearly rose and then I have to put effort in to make out any other notes, it’s so rose that it gave me the impression of wearing red roses by jo malone (though that one is certainly much brighter and more realistic, the leather-animalic notes here give this one a much deeper-darker-heavier impression and it’s much more “perfumey” than literal rose). It also has this interesting effect on me that I become quickly anosmic to it up close but I can smell it all around me, very pleasant projection! I find the name to be spot on. It’s a dark spicy animalic rose. Oh and it is quintessential gothic and vampy, this is some Victoria Frances and Morticia Addams kind of stuff.

This is a gorgeous black syrupy rose, an Iberian version of Clinique’s Beyond Rose or Aramis Calligraphy Rose. Definitely more “oud-like” than the other two, perhaps a nod to Moorish roots, but also more refined. Good projection for the first hour or so, then drops down to an intimate scent, clings well to clothing and will last overnight on fabric, not so tenacious on skin. Blind bought it on sale, not disappointed but I wouldn’t buy a back up bottle because the performance can be a bit frustrating.

A beautiful, intense strawberry-rose. Almost more fruity than floral. The tart rose is deep and almost alcoholic and pairs well with the animalic funk provided by the honey. It lasts beautifully. At the dry down, the rose is coated with a layer of soft sweet powder. Very cozy and pleasant.

Love this. A touch too sweet, but it works. Great performance. Wish this came in 100ml. I don’t detect too much castoreum in here even tho it’s listed as a note. I don’t find it animalic. But if you’re not into castoreum, don’t let that deter you from this. It’s beautiful.

Rich passionate rose with some dark base, smoky incense and a bit if tart, sour (and even animalic) undertones. It’s very cool and unusual. Great job! It’s not within my typical scent profile, but I love it. Follow me on IG: scent.guide

This is lovely and no Oud or patchouli! Hurrah. I’m so tired of these notes in rose perfumes. Instead this has depth due to the leather and incense. I understand why this fragrance has been so popular.

Sweet slightly Jammy rose on soft leather with a touch of oud. Nuff said... dreamy... killer in quality and performance...

This is a beautiful and versatile unisex rose scent which leans slightly to masculine scents. If you feel unsafe wearing a rose based scent try this beauty. The opening is full of "fresh/green" roses, quite pungent. This is the rose from Lyric. Then it settles down to a nice rosy leather (light leather, again the versatility is great) with very strong geranium (I get a mild citrusy vibe from the geranium / wild strawberries probably), a slightly honeyed saffron note, mild labdanum & incense which give a smoky vibe to the blend and wild strawberries. There is also a very faint cumin note. Nice smelling cumin. I do not get cinnamon and castoreum. This scent is not sweet. Even the light honey note is dry, zero sweetness, it has a faint honey aroma which blends nicely with the saffron. This is not a gourmand scent. Masterfully blended having only the natural aroma and not the sweetness. The projection/sillage are both moderate. The longevity is above the average. A rose-leather dominant scent suitable for all year round use. Versatile, safe and pleasant. It retails here 321 usd per 50 ml. Update The more I wear it the more I love it. Beautiful rose scent. It works with body warmth. This rose melts on you, a fantastic feeling. After hours I loose it but it's still there according to other people. Somehow it comes and it vanishes. I guess it's a mind-nose game of me. Anyway, I'm happy that it lives more than 7-8 hours.

Rose & Dragon is amazing! i got a bottle just after 2 days of testing, and thats a rare thing to happen. usually i try perfume in all seasons, to make sure that it suits me right. Rose is sweet, but sweetness is intertwined with slightly sour, but complimenting, note of strawberries. very unique, very pleasant, definitely not like any other rose scent i have come across, to me this was just right combination. this accord is there from start to finish, just stronger at the beginning, where heart and dry down is being accompanied with very nice smoke note, coming from combination of leather and incense. cinnamon honey and rest of ingredients may be there, but you cant call each one out. but you dont need to. they create a great supporting accord to main players. Scent is not dense, but its always present, cant say its gourmand or oriental, since it doesnt have aura of Interlude but its rather natural smelling. Better than any other "dark" rose category to which others place rose 31(synthetic), better than Lyric(too acidic/peppery), better than C&S(a bit weird all in all) simply better. Definitely compliment getter. Longevity is excellent, i get around 10 hours on my forever hungry skin, and thats very unique for today. just 2 sprays. Silage is not room filling, but good enough for people to notice you. if you have a chance, try it, wont be disappointed.

First of all and before my review, I want to say that Rose & Dragon is well made and has some olfactory quality and I would also like to comment that a sweet leather deal attached to a red fruit like raspberry, strawberry, plum or cherry, And it works well and therefore is also very commercial because of the pleasantness of the final result of smelling that fruity sweet flowery leather. It was demonstrated many years ago with Knize Ten that has survived unprecedented to this day and a little closer is Tuscan Leather, Russian Tea, Charles Street or Chambre Noir to put a close example. Well, this fragrance is another of that style, a "deja vu" olfactory and insistent because there are many such, too many I would say and better than this, which personally I start to get bored and also to get tired because they do not contribute Nothing novel, original and substantial that excites me, although, I reiterate so I do not get me wrong, this is not bad. Summary, a very sweet note of strawberry, pretty, well achieved, a spicy, dry point and the note of pink, which gives the arrangement of sweet leather very nice floral nuances with a smoky, round point, all well structured in general with Good duration and moderate projection. Anyway, unnecessary and another clone !! Rating: 6

This may be the holy grail rose I have been searching for, on my sample vial at the moment. So far probably the most appealing of similar genre gourmand-ish oriental roses such as the Armani rose d'Arabie and Tom Ford Café Rose. I have been looking for a jammy rose with enough leather/smoke support (not oud or patchouli), a juicy one without soapy or green undertones. This fits the bill and is wonderfully balanced, the rose is dominant but not overwhelming and I'm gladly wearing it. Only thing that keeps me away from purchasing it straight away is the EUR 180 price tag. Can't help thinking that there may be something like this ...for less? :) P.S. I expect some folks to compare this to Tom Ford Noir de Noir but Rose&Dragon lacks the truffle moldy thing which made me sick wearing TF. No patchouli prickling the nose here either.

My bottle of Rose & Dragon arrived yesterday and I must say that I was slightly underwhelmed. This is not to say that I don't like it, I do. The note breakdown led me to believe that this would be much more complex, with more depth. A couple of hours later my daughter came over to visit and I got a whiff of her perfume, "What? Did you buy Rose & Dragon too?", to which she replied, "Huh? No, I'm wearing Roses Musk by Montale". They are 95% similar. Pleases, someone, tell me I'm wrong... *EDIT; After sitting in my frag cupboard macerating for a few months, this frag grew a set of balls and completely transformed into its own unique and splendidly spicy rose. Essentially it has gone from a, "Not bad" frag, to a, "I love this stuff!"...frag.

Honey rose on dragon elm. The Bulgarian and Turkish roses are known for their inner sweetness and less sharpness, so imagine adding honey to them! you will think it'll be over sweetened! i thought that too, but never, it became a bit rose sharp with mild sweet cause the pink pepper is also there with saffron, and cinnamon that made the whole blend balanced quite well. The cumin, and the castoreum are there but in bits & i can barely detect them, & they are there just to add that tiny dark effect to the blend. The amber, and the incense are there too, but i can't detect any leather. This one is quite good, although i'm not into roses at all. Edit (2nd Jan 2018) I sense fruit notes within, and i believe it could be pomegranate, & lychee.

A sweet gourmand rose layered beautifully with animalic leathery accents, castoreum, amber and honey, this one is a gorgeous composition. In addition to the notes mentioned above, there is strawberry, cinnamon, cumin, saffron, and incense. The overall feeling is of dark euphoria and unbridled sensuality. The rose is not dominant, so those of you like me who don't particularly like this note do not have to worry. The rose settles very fast, revealing a luscious unclassifiable sweet resinous sensual juice in its full drydown. Beautifully blended, unisex (slightly feminine leaning), with moderate to strong silage, projection and longevity. Must try for lovers of exotic Orientals and rose based fragrances. Enjoy!

A true niche, yet wearable design. Potent, thick, a bit challenging and anything but banal, even with that strawberry note. The strawberry actually makes a perfect balance with otherwise mature company of velvety rose petals, thorns, red wine and the animalic notes. Yet there's a stoic church-like balm & smoke pair, enveloping the whole composition. A very complex fragrance, well designed and elaborate, like a cathedral ceiling.

This should be called Strawberry Tea and Incense. It is what I'm getting the most. It's an intriguing combination of smoky and fruity, with sort of a fruit tea base emerging in the dry down. I don't get much leather or rose, perhaps as a fruity rose or a jammy rose. An ambery accord is noticeable much later. Overall, it's interesting but somehow messy. I am still experimenting with it.

An expensive smelling jammy rose with the impression of a touch of oud. Castoreum and cumin aren’t prominent. Quite a popular style nowadays but this is well done. Great performance. Unisex. Love the name and the bottle!