Exotic Rose

" After all, maybe I'm not a rose hater !! Thanks, my dear Exotic Rose. " " Love, yours tru-- " Yooo this perfume is so good it got me writing a love letter. Anyways, a month after I sold my Paloma Picasso EDP, I got the after-sale blues because I randomly started craving a good bitter rose chypre and PP always had hit the spot for me--it was a vampy, thorny, dusty, and a heavy-hitting deep crimson rose that dominated everyone around you; not gonna lie I still miss it :( Thankfully I remembered I kept a 3ml decant for travel back when I still had it and I'll probably save it for the best occasions lol. After a good sniff session with my small vial of madame paloma (umm that sounds-- ELECTRIC CHAIR) I had to search more rose-centric fragrances, I was trying to give my fragrance wardrobe a touch of freshness because babes all I wear is smoky resins, leathers, and incense vanillas. Oh and as for someone who doesn't like wearing citrusy and marine freshies it's kind of challenging to find a DEEEEPPPPPPP freshie that satisfies my wannabe edgy nose OK BUT LESS OF THAT !! so during the rose search, I remembered Portrait of a Lady or maybe let's just say POAL, a perfume that piqued my interest back when I was starting my fragrance curation journey--well, I never got to sniff nor get a decant of it because the cost of a sample is the same as grabbing a cup of coffee with friends, which sounds better and way more fun lol, so I thought "heyyy, why not just get a dupe version from ME brands !!" (which is a HELLLL lot of worse than getting a pricey 1ml vial. Maybe my life choices are worth more questioning than the prices of decants per ml). haha so i never found the ME POAL dupes around my area (yes, even online) Most of the available ME fragrances in here are based on popularity. Sucks to be someone who prefers less "spotlight-of-now" fragrances (wow what a creative way of saying trending fragrances), you rarely get what you want bc of the lower demand and supply. then I came across Radical Rose by Matiere Premiere, to which I read the reviews saying there are POAL similarities, and then jackpot I saw Exotic Rose by French Avenue in similar fragrances, AND THEN YES THEY HAVE IT AROUND MY AREAAAAAAA LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ok so i bought it hmm we have saffron, rose, pepper, and patchouli. Sure, they all look promising and chypre enough to me (although it's missing the labdanum from the original RR). Initial spray? I had my hopes up just to get !!!!!!!! Delina... To tell you, Delina is what made me a rose hater. Did I hate Exotic Rose because of that? Ummm no? Because I gaslighted myself to like i-- AND THEN IT STARTED DEVELOPING BEAUTIFULLY !! It went from princess-y, juicy, sparkly rose jam to a spicy rose wine with a side of dark chocolate patchouli. Also, somewhere in the mid dry down you get this stuffy feeling that's reminiscent of suffocating from smelling a spicy smoke AND I LOVE THAT !! The late dry down is also truly beautiful because the patchouli gets dustier with a bit of pleasant musty facet (which makes it justttt a tad bit animalic) and the spiciness gets more subdued as it turns to a sweet gentle tango of cinnamon and clove. IT'S EVEN BETTER AFTER LONG HOURS BECAUSE IT TURNS QUITE STEMMY AND A BIT ROSE LEAFY !! HOLY SH8 I'M OFFICIALLY A CONVERT. I FINALLY LIKE JAMMY ROSES?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!! OKAY NO! THIS IS NOT DELINA. I REPEAT THIS IS NOTTTTTTT DELINAAA (yipee!) Not only does it smell divine but the performance on this one is also impressive !! I sprayed this on myself then stayed in my room for almost an hour. When I returned to my room after grabbing a drink, I got welcomed with a gentle whisper of its scent, which tells me that this definitely lingers and wafts in the air. I also did the scent strip test where I left a freshly sprayed strip in my room, and when I returned to my room after a good night out with friends, the scent was gently lingering in my room !! Yup! this definitely fills a room. For now, I probably won't get to confirm if it is indeed similar to Radical Rose or Portrait of a Lady because I never got to sample those but smelling this beautiful creation definitely made me want to finally get a decant of those lovely fragrances !! If this dupe already smells THISSSS majestic? Just imagine how much of a masterpiece those two are !! Although this didn't really smell much of my rose fragrance wants and needs (LMAOOOO df am I saying). I usually go for bitter BITTER roses and earthy-dirty patchouli but this was such a good eye-opener, if not a perspective-shifting rose fragrance because I was a shallow rose hater all because sampling Delina gave me a migraine. I could've loveedd this even more if they amped up the depth of the patchouli like give me musty, dusty, crusty, witchy cellar vibes babes. But I'm totally fine with that, I'll just have to layer it with some patchouli fragrances I own !! <3 What I love about this fragrance is it also made me better at identifying rose notes in some fragrances !! Surprisingly, layering this with Pasha De Cartier Parfum was such a great idea bc the patchouli got more pronounced and it gave what needed to be given so it could gove with the earthiness. Who could've guessed Pasha De Cartier Parfum actually had a rose???? Exotic Rose and Pasha Parfum really had a great synergy !! Pasha intensified Exotic Rose's patchouli and Exotic Rose amplified the rose in Pasha Parfum !! and to confirm, based on pasha's ingredients they do use rose ketones which i never got to smell the rosiness from it but exotic rose was definitely the key enhancer <3 As much as I would love owning a more bitter and chypre rose, this was such a great plot twist to my palate !! If you're more of a sweet rose enjoyer but wanna slowly transition to appreciating spicier and deeper roses without taking too much risks? I suggest getting this bc apart from its immaculate scent being its selling point, it's also super affordable, so it's a total steal !!

Finally got to sample POAL to finally see the "similarities" on this one. I really get where people are coming from !! Surprisingly tho, it's mostly from the initial spray to mid dry down where Exotic Rose truly captures the essence of Portrait of a Lady but the patchouli is where they differ, as well as their spiciness, and how incensey they are--basically, the dry down. I've asked a fellow reviewer around here on how different POAL and Exotic Rose was and they noted how Exotic Rose was cleaner; however, now that I had an actual comparison to POAL, I beg to disagree !! <3 in addition, I find it beautiful that we perceive things differently. That's what makes it truly fascinating. The jamminess, sweetness, and freshness of the rose in POAL's initial spray is perfectly captured in Exotic Rose !! I think that a beginner would never even differentiate it from here until its last hour of wear. I wouldn't say that it's a spot on dupe for POAL but I surprisingly prefer Exotic Rose over it despite failing to look for an actual POAL dupe. I've heard POAL's reformulations ruined it, so maybe that's why POAL felt lacking to my nose. Most of the characteristics of POAL: Dirty, Dark, Smoky, Incensy, Earthy, Musty, Cellar-like, Spicy, and so on, were lacking to my nose but were unbelievably more present in Exotic Rose. BUT THEN AGAINNNN POAL GOT BUTCHERED WITH SOOO MANY REFORMULATIONS. While POAL's jammy rose develops to an oregano-like earthiness then dries down to a dusty-but-in-a-powdery-makeupy-way with ambery warmth and sweetness. Exotic Rose's POAL rose develops to something more complex than POAL (plot twist). The patchouli is creamy and chocolate-y at first but it develops into more of a hippie, earthy, and musty patchouli that resembles more dusty, dirtier, and cellar-like qualities than POAL. After which, the spiciness comes in later on the dry down, the pepper and saffron are definitely more detectable at this stage rather than at its top and heart like how the note pyramid promised. The spiciness in this one has a really good kick like it's more pronounced than the "spice" people were noting in POAL. If POAL's BO, cumin-ish clove note is already animalic or skanky, this one has a mustier skankiness to it that makes it a bit concerning to wear in public especially if u don't want people to mistake ur fragrance for bad hygiene. Exotic Rose is like POAL with everything dialed up which is probably worse or better. Sweetness? Amplified. Dusty and cellar-like mustiness? Amplified. Spice? Amplified. Every characteristic of POAL in Exotic Rose is so strong and almost screechy to the point that it has a burning plasticky accord that I enjoy. Props to POAL for being more elegant !! I also found POAL to be fresher bc it somehow retains the dewy and refreshing tartness of raspberries in the dry down. This one on the other hand is for attention-seekers. I do think that this thing needs a good cycle of usage and maturation before it reaches its potential because compared to when I first got it, I thought it was boring lol. For some reason, the more i kept using it, the more spicier and earthier it got. Now that I'm here I would also love to share that all I've been wearing for the past 3 weeks of April is Exotic Rose. It's just THAT good. Also, a surprising realization is I didn't know how strong and well-performing this thing actually was and it's absurddd that I WAS USING 5 SPRAYS ON AVERAGE (which i shouldn't). I sprayed this 3 times on my curtain then left my room to take a shower. and when i tell you, the moment I got out of shower, exotic rose was lingering in the air. the bathroom was 10 feet away from my room. It might sound like I'm glazing this cheaper product but I'm being deadass serious. I still think POAL would've been better if it was the older formulation but damn this was good. It's even better bc nobody talks abt this that much !! it's a hidden gem !! Even without the POAL comparisons, this would be a standout spicy rose + patchouli fragrance. If the dupe is THISSS good? Then I think the original Radical Rose is MAJESTICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC. I will definitely get more samples of rose fragrances soon and find something this good but higher quality !!

So here's the deal with Exotic Rose by French Avenue: think of it as your spicy, sparkling rose that decided to put on a suave, peppery suit and show you it’s got layers. I mean, I was getting a little burned out on those heavy rose-oud combinations—felt like I’d been there, done that, got the T-shirt. But this one kind of pulled me back into the rose game in a whole new way. You’ve got the saffron and pepper doing this little spicy dance around the rose, and the patchouli here isn’t that full-on hippie patchouli—it’s just subtle and earthy enough to give it a grounded feel. And honestly, it’s got a hypnotic, almost sparkly vibe on the skin that makes it feel rich for the price point. Now, my wife gave it a sniff and was like, “Yeah, smells good, kinda creamy.” I don’t personally get the creaminess, but I’m too busy vibing on that earthy, spicy rose to argue. It doesn’t smell like your grandma’s floral bouquet either, so you can leave those old-lady vibes at the door. Bottom line: If you’re a rose lover looking for a twist—something earthy, spicy, and a little addictive—Exotic Rose might just be your jam. It’s got depth, it’s got a bit of that soil-like nuance, and it definitely doesn’t fade into the background. Consider it a spicy rose renaissance with a French Avenue twist

I do not know how these ME companies are doing it. IMHO, many ME companies are creating niche quality fragrances at a small fraction of the cost that niche houses charge for similar (and in many cases) nearly identical fragrances. And Exotic Rose...Exotic Rose is glorious! I've owned and worn at least 3-4 full bottles of Matiere Premiere "Radical Rose" in recent years. I adore Radical Rose. Please believe me when I tell you that Exotic Rose is 1000% Radical Rose with better performance. Exotic Rose is a beautiful, spicy, slightly dark, dewy, rose accord supported by patchouli. And yes, the ingredients smell and feel super high-quality. I doubt I will ever purchase a full bottle of Radical Rose ever again...not as long as Exotic Rose exists.

French Avenue absolutely created a masterpiece with Exotic Rose 🥀 This is a warm, seductive, spicy rose. In the heart, there is some powdery notes that im picking up, but I dont see any mention of that. I have not smelled the OG, but this smells so niche and luxurious. This is date night in a bottle. Perfect for evenings, cold weather, or whenever you’re in the mood to embrace your most seductive self. If “come closer” had a scent... this would be it. 🌹🔥

My New Favourite Rose Fragrance.Sensual,Alluring,The Rose and Patchouli go so well together,and with the Pepper. Longevity 7~8 hours on skin.24 hours on clothes.

Such a deep rose scent mixed with patchouli, the saffron gives the sweet touch. This fragrance needs an advanced noise to appreciate it.

Such a lovely rose scent with great silage and projection. Similarities to POAL.

An amazing rose fragrance with depth. Rich, solid, and spicy. Lovely

This is utter perfection. No notes.

The moment I wear Exotic Rose, the air changes and the lights dim. This is a rose that has been simmering in saffron syrup for nine hours, plotting something decadent, something slightly dangerous, something that requires soft lighting and a chaise longue. The saffron rises first, molten, like someone melted gold over a rose petal. A boudoir rose, jammy and glistening, the kind of rose that knows exactly what it’s doing. It leans in close, warm and edible, like it wants to be tasted rather than smelled. The pepper flickers around it like sparks from a match. Not aggressive, but just enough to remind you that this rose has a pulse and a wicked little smirk. Then the patchouli. Oh the patchouli in this. Not the gothic, incense‐smoked patchouli of Portrait of a Lady. Not the polished, lacquered patchouli of Oud Satin Mood. Not the crisp, dry, minimalist patchouli of Radical Rose - the kind that stands in a white gallery space and refuses to make eye contact, and not the clean, fruity‐musk‐friendly patchouli hiding shyly behind Delina’s lychee tiara. No.. This is chocolate‐leaning, warm, sensual patchouli, the kind that feels like it’s been slow‐cooked in amber and velvet. By the dry-down, I am no longer wearing Exotic Rose. Exotic Rose is wearing me. It thrives when the air is cold and you are warm. Cool air, sharpening the saffron, thickening the rose jam, and lets the patchouli melt into a dark gold cloak, molten and certain of its power. The warmth, the sweetness, the molten patchouli - radiating off you like a private furnace. Turning your skin into a rose truffle served in a candlelit room, a saffron-lit altar, a boudoir in orbit. It is sweet, but not girlish. Warm, but not cozy. Sensual, but not soft. It is the fragrance equivalent of biting into a rose that bites back.

Deleted my old review as this one deserves much better 2 months down the line. Fresh, spicy and metallic comes to mind. Very good lasting power. Powerful and not for everyone so try before you buy.

This smells more like MFK Oud Satin/Silk Mood than Radical Rose. The rose is more soapy, clean smelling and is missing the jammy sweetness and spicy kick of RR. I can see the similarities to POAL but they are faint. Not a bad perfume, but I have Oud Silk Mood, and Exotic Rose is redundant for me to own. Still on the hunt for a less expensive interpretation of RR/RR extrait....

This perfume made me realize I hate saffron. Smells like straight chemical, I don’t know why they compare it to Fredric Malle’s Portrait of a Lady. Absolutely horrendous and headache inducing

This perfume is clearly a dupe for Radical Rose by Matiere Premiere. When I first smelled it, I was blown away by how 1 to 1 it matches the original. Now, after wearing it a few times, I've noticed a few differences, which doesn't necessarily make it worse, just a bit different. Radical Rose opens with that signature, very spicy or at least very patchouli heavy gothic vibe. With Exotic Rose, the rose also starts off very dark, and you can definitely feel that saffron is at work here. However, it contains less patchouli, and the patchouli itself smells a bit more chocolatey. The incense is also much more noticeable, it has this typical, very slightly sweet, balsamic scent that is super hard to describe, at least for me. I do miss that massive gothic vibe, because that exact thing was what originally caught me about the scent. I wanted something truly gothic, something Morticia Addams would wear. That is exactly what I am missing here, so maybe I need to try Portrait of a Lady instead. Nonetheless, it is a truly gorgeous perfume! Especially for those who want something a bit sweeter. You can't deny it, it definitely goes in the Radical Rose direction and really is a dupe. It is very close. For me, it is more of a cool weather scent. And something I should probably mention, it lasts an insane amount of time. French Avenue really delivered here. It lasts so long that I once put it on in the morning, went to work, came back in the evening, and went straight to the gym. While sweating through my workout, the scent suddenly drifted up to me again. I was so surprised and realized it was still Exotic Rose! One of my acquaintances, who is not into the fragrance community at all, said it smells like an expensive designer perfume, something you would spray inside a Louis Vuitton boutique. The projection is not the absolute best, but oh well :) It is supposed to be elegant and not scream, after all. Maybe you just need to spray a little more

A nurse friend of mine has this perfume which she wears often. She and I were discussing her/my perfumes and fragrances. I asked he to bring the bottle next time she visited me (HomeCare). I was pleasantly surprised. It's a lovely warm rosey rose perfume with the (obvious) accompaniment of Patchouli and Saffron....which, my unsophisticated nose cannot tell you which-is-which in this composition. It's definitely unisex; if you're man looking for a rose fragrance that doesn't scream Valentine's Day bouquet or Funeral Home arrangement. From a marketing perspective, I think this perfume would smell much better if it was in a more elegant bottle. Many books are, afterall, judged by their covers.

It's nice to finally find a non-oud rose scent that isn't overly feminine and doesn't project as sour on my skin. The rose note is sugary and prominent, and there's just the right amount of spice and patchouli to reinforce the rose and provide depth without interfering. A very rich scent, and quite the compliment magnet as well. If you like rose but you aren't a fan of oud or citrus combinations, this might be up your alley.

Exotic Rose is a very good inspired by fragrance. It is not a 1 to 1 to Radical Rose the Rose note is definitely of a higher quality in the OG. I have to say it is still a very good fragrance with good performance and for $25 its an easy blind buy. I also think it leans closer to the Extrait than the EDP, Exotic Rose is more darker than the EDP but doesnt have the depth like the Extrait.

I smelt this briefly from the atomiser of a tester, so take this lightly, but the rose here immediately reminded me of how the rose is done in Tom Ford Rose Prick - a synthetic candy rose scent used in pink musk sticks. Delicious.