Beyond Rose

Testing from an official 10ml bottle kindly sent me by Ioli19 (thank you!). I am ambivalent about rose dominant perfumes. If the rose isn't done right it can smell really sharp, dusty, cheap and unpleasant to me. My initial reaction on first spraying Beyond Rose was "Meh". I wish there was an emoticon to express that "Meh" reaction we've all experienced when smelling a perfume at some time or other. It's not an active dislike - but I have to mark it as one, otherwise it would be in the same category as many perfumes that I like but don't love. The rose juuuuuuusst teeters on the edge of making me recoil and scrub... but then the other notes pull it back into line. I am not that familiar with Clinique; I have only three perfumes, two of which I adore (Aromatics Black and Black Cherry - I cannot abide the original Elixir, although I feel as if I should love it) and Calyx so I can't really assess whether Beyond Rose is a typical offering. In common with many other reviewers I am picking up on oud, but this is very VERY smooth and subtle; Beyond Rose smells as if it could have been produced by one of the more expensive Arab houses. To me this is a pink, herby rose, with a hint of spice. There's a familiarity to this which I was trying to pin down and it wasn't until I read highonfumes review below that I realised s/he'd nailed it - it also reminds me of "Turkish Delight" after about an hour, but neatly avoids becoming a sugary, syrupy mess. Whilst I don't subscribe to gender assignation in perfumery, I feel this leans feminine. It's a mild June day, so I'm quite warm, but I think this could be an all-season perfume. Whilst I don't love this enough to buy a bottle for myself (I already have a rose perfume which I adore - Wisal Al Ahaba by Ard Al Zaafaran, which is THE most glorious rose I have ever smelled and is ridiculously inexpensive), but I would be very happy to receive Beyond Rose as a gift. Sillage is close, but this is a long-lasting perfume, even on my skin. Very lovely and I'd say it's a safe blind buy. ETA. I think this is niche quality at designer price. It seriously is THAT good. Edited again to add: I bought a bottle. I love this.

I discovered this incredible perfume thanks to a fellow Fragrantican friend (thank you, Anamandy!) who kindly sent me a sample after hearing me rave about other rose fragrances I love (specifically MFK Oud Satin Mood). I am so glad she clued me into Beyond Rose, and that I was able to find a reasonably priced bottle. Why in the world this was discontinued, I'll never understand. It's really hard to do anything new with rose, so ubiquitous it is in the history of perfumery, and especially in the oriental genre. That's why I'm always so delighted to find novel iterations of it, whether it be the aforementioned OSM or Guerlain's Encens Mythique. Beyond Rose succeeds in carving out a niche for itself thanks to a few clever touches on the part of the (unknown?) perfumer. First, this is not a very "green" rose in the traditional sense, like, for instance, that of Nahema or Joy. The dew, sap, and stem have been replaced with the drier, earthier, grassier maté, as well as the beautifully lactonic-sour osmanthus. Already, we are moving "beyond" rose in its botanical sense and into something more abstract, something resembling a rose but whose chlorophyllic green has been transformed into a painterly, otherworldly mix of greens, both wet-vibrant (osmanthus) and dry-reserved (maté). The freesia (a note which can be very artificial and cloying if overused) is the bridge between the greens and the rose itself, returning some sweet green-white floralcy that melds seamlessly into the rich red petals of the flower. I don't get any heavy amber or medicinal oud; rather, we have a trio of gentle balsams: soft, fuzzy, benzoin; warm, almost leathery labdanum (one of my favorite notes); and drier, sharper styrax. I personally don't detect any pepper, but that may be just me or my bottle. Altogether, a marvelous perfume, cheerful yet elegant, a modern take on an ancient flower. I also find Beyond Rose to be incredibly versatile in terms of season and time of day; there are enough cool notes to balance out the base, so I wear it year around. The bottle is gorgeous. Hopefully Clinique revives this beauty!

Beyond Rose is an innovative, quite unique and modern rose fragrance the quality of which matches the brand image of Clinique. I have never smelled a rose like what you have in Beyond Rose before. Mind you, this rose is not baroque and opulent like some other examples out there, like Nahema or Rouge, which I can compare, based on my collection. She is modern, refined and borderline minimalistic, just not yet clean, which roses can hardly ever be. All the balsamic notes in the pyramid make the difference in impression, which is very rich and luxurious. This kind of rose is work-friendly, as it doesn’t oppress the wearer or their surroundings. I got asked once in an astonished tone of voice “What perfume is it that you are wearing?”. I didn’t answer, I just let the person asking wonder what on earth it might be, which she would have never found out, as practically no one wears fragrances in my country. Beyond Rose is quite a unique rose that has disappeared from online outlets, being a limited-release creation, probably designed for the Arabian market. The patterns on the box and on the bottle, as well as the quality of the composition reveal that this isn’t a mass market fragrance, just an artistic feat made for connoisseurs and highly collectible. I don’t really get some of the disappointed comments one can read here for a delightful perfume as this one. If you want to project some big-city allure, like you are a man or woman of the world, without actually someone suspecting, then you might want to launch a hunt for this veritable treasure. Think big city lights, glass and steel and carefree strolls on autumn weekends on some of the most expensive streets, just admiring the window displays and soaking up some glamour, if you are that vain. Otherwise, wear at any moment you like. You can’t go wrong with Beyond Rose.

Okay, I finally "get" this fragrance. And I love it. I blind-bought this a couple of years ago and immediately regretted it, and thought about off-loading it. My nose just wasn't up to this type of exotic concoction at the time. But now, this is reminding me of a "fresher" version of Lancome Oud Bouquet... minus the oud, of course. Beyond Rose has got its own woodiness, possibly from the styrax/white pepper/mate mix. I'm also really intrigued by the osmanthus note. For sweetness, instead of praline this has the vanilla/benzoin/amber, which work together to give it a rich sweetness. And then of course, the rose and rose oil accords. This is truly beautiful, and an all year round wear...unlike Oud Bouquet, which I would wear either only in cold months during the day, or for sultry nights out in warmer months. I'm glad I gave this another go! EDIT: I just got an Oil Perfumery dupe of Portrait of a Lady, and it smells really super similar to Clinique Beyond Rose. Not sure if the original does or not, but it's something I'm going to research more!

Exquisite! You don't have a perfume called "Beyond rose". You have at least 4 or 5 at the same time. It behaves totally different depending on nothing particular. Mind you I have been detesting oud since they started to use fake one as shop aroma diffusers in my country. Sometimes I feel as if the entire city has soaked up this bloody- hairy-fluffy- cloying - cheap -artificial-modern-whatwasitsname-unbearable stuff. This here case is not the same at all! This here oud, though non-existent according to the description, is the finest and most delicate note I have ever smelled. Amazing! It is all about blending, guys. All about blending. I love it from top to bottom. From the almost medicinal top-notes to the . delicious dry down. If it's rosy - let it be rosy. If it's spicy - let it be spicy. Call it whatever you like. The rose is drizzling down its liqueur over the bark of a honeyed agarwood tree. A masterpiece!

Originally released as an exclusive for Harrod's in London, summer of 2014. A friend recently sent me a bottle of this from the Middle East, as it is not available in the USA, and I understand that Clinique has no plans to do so in the near future. I may just have to have my friend send another bottle, so I have a backup bottle, I love it that much. Wonderful, marvellous, different from anything else offered by Clinique, on a par with ANY of the best French, Italian, British, American, Asian, and Middle Eastern houses. For me a resinously/incensy/spicy rose that lingers, morphs, and grows in beauty as the day goes on. I ran into a friend the first day I wore it, a friend who notoriously HATES scent of any kind. Her first utterance after hugging..."oh my god! WHAT are you wearing, you smell AMAZING!" Yup. This one's a definate keeper!

Wow. This is not a skin scent at all! One spray on a card filled my house with the authentic smell of oud. The real oud. I have incense from Dubai that smells like this. Not a western perfume. I repeat: Not a western perfume. I put one small spray on my stomach this morning, it almost killed me. Its opens sharp, spicy, and sour. It mellows out eventually, the edges soften. Its opulent, rich, EXOTIC. The rose is deeply camouflaged, I wouldn't call it a rose perfume at all actually. It is beautiful, elegant, but hard for me to carry off. I feel too humble, too casual for it. Would be a great evening scent for gentleman going out somewhere expensive. Update: I was wrong this is not to strong at all. I just wasnt used to it. I smell the rose with a couple more sprays. Deep, lovely. Perfect for a fun night out!

Masterpiece! A truly captivating and addictive composition of rose in a very modern interpretation and presentation. Not your "typical of late" Oud pairing, but a lighter more wearable version during spring/ summer as it is blended with Osmanthus and Freesia that give it light and softly sweet, airy qualities. The pepper and amber make it contemporary and give it body and bone. The mate note is the "novelty factor" and styrax, labdanum and bezoin make it last. It is truly addictive and perhaps one of the best rose creations I have smelled in a while. Wearable for a man when layered with another "masculine" scent if he wants to emphasize or amplify the rose in his signature scent. I would even wear it on its own for it is just drop dead gorgeous.

Can not believe this charismatic juice haven't received an army of admirers just yet! It is same good as Calligraphy Rose of Aramis by quality, has very Eastern spiced-woody-oudy aspect, a little trace of JHG's DNA from Midnight Oud as well, yet still keeping its own charm and elegance. I was smitten by it from first minutes, such a moreish fragrance, and frankly speaking I DO smell "oud" in it, even though very refined "oud" and very polished. Not really peppery to my nose, as described, but resinous-ambery rich rose. I definitely recommend it to ppl, who, like myself, appreciate Rose, oud, amber and woods and for whom there is no such thing as "too many roses and woods on the market". Well done, Clinique, at last well done.

Beyond Rose. Beyond beautiful. This must have been what the inside of the Sheik's tent smelled like when Rudolph Valentino brought bouquets of red roses for his beloved, Agnes Ayres. Roses at their most fragrant, having fully opened- mixing with the finest incense. Burning incense gently rising up into the air carrying with it the deep,unmistakable perfume of mature roses. The few lamps in the tent glow as the Persian rugs cover the ground, the seating, the insides of the tent, and the ceiling...What a trip for the senses! I can't believe this isn't more expensive than it is. Clinique, what happened??

I just picked this fragrance up at Winners, so glad to have found it! This is a gorgeous spicy rose scent. I find that it is perfect for the cooler days of Autum and I am looking forward to getting loads of wear out of it this winter. The Rose is somewhat vintage to my nose and oud is discreet, just enough to keep it from being too sweet. The amber and spices add warmth and depth, perfect for cooler weather. Even though it was a bit pricier than what I usually spend on my perfumes, I have no regrets. This beauty could become a contender for my "desert island" scent! It's lovely!!

Ahhhhhh, just beautiful... If you can imagine a gorgeous Valentino-like sheik living in the desert...his tent is walled up with oriental rugs and on the ceiling too. He burns desert wood/oud in the fireplace with a view of the Milky Way through the chimney/flue. And he has kidnapped a beautiful woman whom he intends to seduce. And there are bouquets of roses that he placed there for her, (in various stages of freshness) that strongly scent the inside of the tent. This is what I see when I smell this masterpiece. What a shame it is gone.

Love this, a soft almost medicinal rose. It stays so close to my skin, unusual for a Clinique perfume. I was so loved up and realised this has no sillage for me. I wanted someone to share in my joy and kept asking friends "can you smell my perfume?" offering my pulse points around. Nothing."Hmmm.smells like money"one said Still don't know if as in lux smell or old coins. Still, the loves all mine, like a bunch of roses I bought for myself.

For me, this is the ONE Arabian style Rose oriental. Light as a wing feather... exotic with a touch of French joie de vivre! I find most rose/oudh/amber/whatever too much zowza for me. This beauty is just right. I get a lovely smokey incense sitting on a bed of just fully bloomed roses, a discrete touch of resin... perfectly wearable for most any occasion. Lovely! Feminine and discrete, with a touch of sexy. Great work Clinique.

Beyond Rose is elegant and rich, developing into a warm rose with hints of turkish delight. Don't judge a book by its cover, the opening smells like an expensive pharmacy. I would have walked away if I had sprayed it on a card instore. Luckily this was a blind buy. It is cosy without being sweet. A crimson angora sweater of a scent. Beautiful packaging and bottle. All round elegance, just give her a few minutes to get there.

This is an incredibly beautiful rose perfume!! What is WRONG with Clinique that this isn't widely sold?? This is a mesmerizing, seductive rose amber that haunts memories. Not only is the fragrance gorgeous, so is the bottle. I love the "bellydancer" review...it suits this scent perfectly. It has the irresisible aura of a belly dancer.

Candied roses. The opening has a sweet and sour taste, and as it dries, it becomes an increasingly light rose aroma. This stage is super long lasting, like a mist, suitable for all ages from young to mature. I sometimes use it to overlap with other perfumes to increase the level.

Magic in bottle.Fragrance is worm, balsamic, and smells very niche. Rose oil, amber and stirax gives, a little bit oriental vibe. Beautiful creation, unisex, perfect for cold winter, smoky and mistiqe. Performanse is great, and price is more than correct

I received this today because I am in constant search of the perfect rose. Very lovely. I was in the grocery store and a gentleman standing next to me turned around and said “you smell fabulous.” Nuff said.

An extremely beautiful smokey rose scent. I feel very feminine and mysterious when I wear it, but I think I would love it on a man too. Very special.