Eau Rose

EAU ROSE by Diptyque Breathtakingly beautiful Rose. Opens with a rush of bittersweet bergamot and juicy tart vine-ripe black currants followed immediately with a saturating flood of soft, tropical, delicately sweet litchi fruit. A pristinely fresh and glorious rose makes her entrance amongst the sparkling lemony threads of dewy-green geranium, which provides a zesty citric strength and additional support to the principal rose scent itself. A subdued non-indolic jasmine woven throughout provides an extra touch of sweetly refined floral complexity without intruding on the precedence of the roses. A warm, clean cedar houses the entire creation beautifully, while a cozy white musk adds a delicate hint of tender sensuality. A fascinatingly delectable drop of honey infuses just a trace of voluptuously natural silken sweetness with complexity and depth. The Rose here is poised gracefully between the refreshing cool vivid clarity of the Black Currant/Geranium, and the sumptuously smooth warm sweetness of the Litchi/Jasmine. The perfect balance achieved here between the pull of these four exceptionally contrasting elements, both of which are supportive of the Rose, yet diametrically opposed to each other, is what makes this composition a unique masterpiece. It is both simple and extremely refined. The myriad of subtle, elegant nuances woven within and throughout the strands of this scent tapestry succeed brilliantly. This is exquisitely beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful rose I have ever smelled on my skin. Sublime beauty personified in scent. I love this one completely and utterly.

Eau Rose by Diptyque is probably one of the most successful botanical portraits of recent years. It's not just a rose scent; it's the whole experience of a garden at dawn. Freshly sprayed, the Eau Rose does not impress with alcohol, but with an aquatic and fruity sensation. Lychee is the real star here: it adds that watery sweetness that perfectly imitates the smell of petals wet with dew. The blackcurrant and bergamot prevent it from becoming cloying, giving a burst of tart and green freshness. Unlike many "vintage" fragrances that smell of face powder or potpourri, here the Rose is vibrant and young. The addition of the Geranium is a masterful move: it serves to give that slightly spicy and "green" note typical of the stem and broken leaves. The jasmine remains in the background, giving body to the bouquet without stealing the scene. The ending is a whisper. White Honey does not make the perfume "edible", but adds a velvety texture, while Musk and Cedar guarantee a clean trail, almost like that of a linen shirt dried in the sun. Elegant, natural, effortless, luminous. It's the perfect fragrance for those who say they "don't like rose perfumes". It's modern, transparent and incredibly chic. It does not scream its presence, but accompanies the wearer with an aura of sophisticated freshness. Being an Eau de Toilette focused on volatile and natural notes, don't expect an "eternal" duration. It is a perfume created to be reapplied during the day as a refreshing gesture.

Edit: welp... thank GOD I passed by a tester for Yardley's English Rose today, because it's literally indistinguishable from this. For a tenth of the price. I was gearing up to buy this within the next couple of weeks too... whew!!! Money saved 😅 - Have I done it? After years of searching, have I finally found my perfect rose water perfume?! Well, yes and no. When I sprayed this on I could've WEPT. I've wanted "the perfect" rose water perfume for YEARS, long before I even picked this up as a hobby! Everything I've tried is too rose-forward (what I want needs to be 50:50 aquatic/watery & rose), or too much extra clouding the composition (greenery, citrus, jasmine, etc...). Seeing the scent pyramid for this one had my hopes in the gutter, yet here I am! ... Well, the drawback, you may ask? That beautiful, fresh, aquatic, delicate rose opening all too soon (about 2 hours) gives way to the woody musk base notes, and it gets up my nose in the same disagreeable way most men's perfumes do. It's such a shame! Also, this and MFK L'eau A La Rose are surprisingly similar, except that one is more "perfume-y" and this feels more mellow, and dare I say realistic. This is a 9/10 for me; I have a handful more to test but if they're all a bust, I'm calling it a day and buying this one. ETA: yep, crowning this one as my winner!

This perfume wears like a gently blooming rose. It's a rose floral throughout and the scent slowly opens up over time, starting bright then becoming sweeter as it warms to the skin. On first spray, I catch musk underpinning the rose. It's a rosy skin-scent. There's citrus, but just a tad, and some type of spicy-floral that weirdly reminds me of carnations. After an hour, it turns sort of soapy, in the dreamiest, rosiest way imaginable. (I think that's the geranium.) It's soapy in a way that ever so slightly reminds me of rose water. And then, it continues developing. I catch whiffs of honey and wonder where in the world the scent is coming from (spoiler: it's me). It's now rose with a honey chamomile tea-like quality. All throughout, it remains rosy, light, and airy. So dreamy and wonderful, the type of perfume I imagine Sleeping Beauty would wear. Of course, the longevity is terrible. At this price point, I would've preferred something with more lasting power. So this beauty, unfortunately, remains a "special occasions" scent only for me. That said, I may splurge on the solid perfume as well. It really is such a well-crafted fragrance.

I first tried this in Mecca about a week ago after sampling Á La Rose by Maison Francis Kurkdijan for the uptempth time and still not being sure about it (À La Rose, that is.) I told the girls in Mecca that I was desperate to find a realistic smelling rose that was a sweet pink rose with no citrus and little to no woodiness in the base, since I hate anything that is strong or smells remotely masculine. Well, they were right... this smells just like pure rosewater distilled from the rose! It delighted me so much, since the queen of flowers reigns supreme in this perfume and none of the other notes take over. All I can smell other than that is a tiny bit of litchi at the top to make it smell not as simple and a bit more sweet, but that's it. I also smell a tiny bit of the musk here, but I don't mind musk at all. If you want a lovely and feminine smelling rose that smells like the floral and not disgusting potpourri, citrus or some woody masculine scent that would smell better on your boyfriend or husband, buy this! My search for the perfect rose scent is finally complete :)