Rose Absolue

If I told you guys that I almost CRIED when I smelled this perfume for the first time, would you believe me? Well, that’s what happened – and it almost happens every time I wear it. I apologize for the length of this review, but this is a perfumaniac’s heartfelt outpouring lol. You see, rose has always been my favorite flower, with one of the most sublime scents God ever created in nature: rose is considered the Queen of flowers; in antiquity, it was associated with the goddess Aphrodite, it has been the subject of poems and poetry, referenced by Shakespeare’s Juliet, is one of the symbols of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and, of course, rose is one of the foundational flowers of perfumery, alongside jasmine. I have always wanted to own a rose perfume and, in theory, it should be an easy task, since there are hundreds of fragrances dedicated to this flower. I’ve tested almost all of them — from the cheapest to the most expensive, from the popular ones like Roses de Chloé (which I blind bought and regretted), Atlas Mountain, Stella McCartney, to niche creations like Elizabethan Rose by Penhaligon’s, Miss Charming by Juliette Has a Gun, and La Fille de Berlin by Serge Lutens. NONE of these perfumes was the rose I dreamed of: almost all of them were artificial, plasticky or musky roses, or with a fruitier, syrupy nuance. Some of them almost get what I wanted, but the rose ended to be fogged by other notes. My disappointment was so great that I even came to think I would never find a true rose perfume. I had, of course, read about Rose Absolue by Annick Goutal and was interested in it, but I had never had the chance to test it or even seen it for sale in my country— until I finally found it and decided to blind buy it. I was terrified of being disappointed yet again, until the unbelievable happened. Rose Absolue is my PERFECT rose perfume, exactly as I had always dreamed: the purest, most sublime, most natural rose you can imagine. This perfume is rose from start to finish, without the interference of any other note that might distract from the flower. No citruses, fruits, woods, resins, or musks — nothing but rose petals, an enormous rose garden on your skin, the rose in all its facets: with nuances of tea, honey, a slight soapiness and powderiness, but always ROSE. Rose Absolue is one of the most poetic perfumes I have ever smelled; every time I wear it, I find myself smiling and sighing. I wish my bottle were 100 ml, I wish I had a backup so I could use it without restraint. Longevity is moderate — 6 hours at most. It projects really well in the first hour, then becomes more intimate. I could easily wear this for the rest of my life. Wonderful!!!

If you want a naturalistic rose fragrance, Rose Absolue by Annick Goutal is your perfume! It smells just like the real thing, which is quite a feat in perfumery. There aren't any woody, spicy or fruity notes mixed into this perfume and you can tell that all of the rose oils that they have put into this are of the highest quality. This perfume is very feminine, light, sweet and airy in the most glorious way and I feel like I'm in Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast's rose garden when I'm wearing this, smelling with delight the pink petals of the damask roses covered in morning dew. I loved Rose Des Grasses by Aerin Lauder as well, but that fragrance had problems with its lack of longevity and I found out that Rose Absolue by Annick Goutal lasts a lot longer on me. It's not a beast in longevity by any means, but it lasts a decent 4 and a half hours on my skin, with it starting to become a skin scent at the 3 hours mark. Sillage is moderate too and this gives you a nice scent bubble that's not overpowering at all. All rose lovers will adore this, just like I adore it. I highly recommend it and I don't think that there is a better rose fragrance out there personally. Rose Absolue is the queen bee of rose 🌹 perfumes! I really don't understand Luca Turin when he said that he thought that this smelt like "rose liqueur." He's just dead wrong! 10/10 from me. This is a must-have in any perfumista's collection and is a masterpiece! I'm so glad that I took the chance on this and blind bought it 🥰

I admire Goutal as a house, particularly their older creations, and they make beautiful soliflores. I had to try Rose Absolue, which is, as expected, a rose soliflore by way of Goutal - very classic and French, made with high-quality ingredients. I am a lover of rose, and this is a beautiful example. Realistic and well-rounded, it is fresh yet jammy, bold yet airy. Rose is more than just the focal point here - this scent features none of its common complementary notes (citrus, tea, woods, patchouli, violet, spice etc.) which actually makes it pretty remarkable. Rose from top to bottom, RA is comprised of a blend of high-quality rose oils from multiple varieties of rose. I cannot discern between different roses, especially when blended together as they are here, but the overall effect is of the blooms themselves, lush, floral, petal-y perfection. Dewy and fresh initially without any green tinge or thinness, it becomes jammy as it develops while remaining sheer. It becomes somewhat powdery as it dries down, with a hint of muskiness as it fades. Sillage and longevity are moderate, and it is best worn in spring/summer. It is a pretty, feminine rose, perfectly formed. A true soliflore, RA is for rose lovers. A rose is a rose is a rose. By any other name, etc. 4.5/5.

Imagine you are out shopping and you’re craving chocolate. But you’re not craving the chocolate from the usual chocolate boutique that you go to. Although this chocolate is very good quality, and you enjoy it immensely, you are craving something a bit more out of the ordinary. So you go to the most expensive, high end choloate boutique in your city. While you are perusing the choices, the shop keeper shows you a box of chocolates that has a combination of the finest chocolates from Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom. All in one box! This is Rose Absolue. The roses used are not the common garden variety and come from many locations in the world. If this was a food, it would be considered very gourmet and of the highest quality, I can smell nuances that I have not smelled in other Rose fragrances. This fragrance is all about the roses, with no base. So if you prefer a fragrance with a bit of musk or woody base, this is not for you. But as a rose lover, I am in sheer heaven when I wear this one. I feel like I have bought the most exclusive box of gourmet chocolates from the highest end chocolate store.

For my perfume wardrobe to be complete I wanted it to include among other things my dream soliflore of every flower that I love the smell of and rose was among them. I was looking for a rose perfume that smelled like the living flower and not a rose perfume, so I was not looking for one with woods and musks. Also I was not looking for one that was weighted down with massive, syrupy Bulgarian rose absolute. I saw all the types of rose absolute that she picked to put into this and correctly predicted that the effect would be a very well balanced full, rich rose that just offered everything that I could imagine in a rose and nothing more and nothing less. That is pretty much what this is. It's an extremely natural smelling rose presume that smells like a living rose and not a heavy rose perfume. It is not overly sweet, nor is it peppery or spicy or heavy on the citronella. Once my bottle ran out I did not replace it but in the neat future I will. It is a great rose perfume that I think every rose enthusiast should definitely have in his or her collection.

One of the best rose solifore if not the best I have ever smelled. Smells like pink damask roses right on the bush and nothing else. Beautiful. Going on my want shelf. If you love roses and want a beautiful true pink damask rose solfifore this is the one. Rose Absolue captures every element of the rose. The fresh aromatic quality of rose, the slight animalic musk of the rose, the musk that is a part of all of nature. The green and cleanly perfection of the Queen of flowers is in this bottle. Pure, simple, perfection. Rose in all her glory. Edit: 5/4/23 I also should have mentioned that you get a sense and a feeling of an abundance of rose petals. Like you are covered in pink rose petals. That dense waxy feeling of perfectly bloomed rose petals. There are subtle jammy nuances though out but this is not a sweet rose. It is not soapy or powdery or overly green in character. Just velvety, lush and dewy rose.

You only have to take one look at this note list to know this is a scent that will make any rose lover's heart beat faster, provided that it's done well, and since this is Annick Goutal there's no need to doubt that. It's rose, rose, rose and more rose - wonderful! Kind of oldfashioned, so realistic that it can indeed be surprising or even a little repulsive at first, it has that cold green botanical side to it that does call to mind mosquito spray a little, but not in a bad way (if that makes any sense). It rather reminds me of a higher end version of Tea Rose, actually. I understand why this is not for everyone, but I love it. The only downside is the less than great longevity and projection; based on how this smells I'd expect this to be more of a powerhouse.

I bought a bottle for a friend of mine around 2005. It was to commemorate our time spent together in London - one favourite memory was watching Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et la Bête. For some reason the scent I remember was more of a classic rose scent. The latest version which I purchased recently has an astringent/soapy aspect, which I actually like, reminding me of Aura-Soma’s Pink Pomander. I think this scent has an element of mystery - you have to allow it time to revel its various aspects, as though through a crystal prism. It is quite diffusive and this adds to its ethereal nature. One moment it greets you with fragrant tendrils and then it disappears, promising to return later, which it does. It is my favourite rose perfume.

(This review is for Eau de Perfume) ROSE ABSOLUE is like a beautiful dream where I am surrounded by countless number of roses of all colors and their heavenly smell. Oh wait, I look in the mirror and it is no longer me – I was also turned into a beautiful red rose. ROSE ABSOLUE is a rose in a concentration of times ten. It is pure, sweet, strong and oh... so rosy and so heavenly! If you are looking for pure and concentrated rose fragrance, this is it.

A gorgeous refreshing bouquet of pink roses, perfect for spring as it is light, fresh and green with a touch of vintage charm. This is perhaps the most authentic rose I have stumbled upon and Rose Absolute makes it to the top of the list of fragrances featuring this accord. I can detect the depth and opulence of Turkish and Bulgarian rose with the light, powdery freshness of Rose de Mai, perfectly rounded and multi-dimensional roses in abundance.

IT is really THE ROSE fragrance, for rose soliflore lovers as me:) For me the slight sourness in the opening fades away quickly giving way to the brilliant different rose extracts, lovingly put together making the room you (over)sprayed it in turn into a lovely rose garden..just brilliant! after 4 hours I still got some sweet powdery Bulgarian rose.. and yes maybe it's not for the lovers of abstract rose fragrances.

Annick Goutal's Rose Absolue is simply the best Summer scent for me. It is a sweet, high quality rose scent that has neither soap nor incense, and is not overwhelming. It is refreshing and not overpowering, sitting gently on the skin. I love it's simplicity, best paired with a Helmut Lang dress!

Two dozen red roses. Great big clouds of white baby's breath. Red ribbon. A beautiful note signed only: "Your secret admirer" It does bear a resemblance to Jo Malone's "Red Roses." But where Red Roses is "happy and carefree," Rose Absolute is "hopeless romantic." 4/5

This started a little questionably on me at first—it was a little more vintage than I was expecting and veered to soapy—but, throughout the day, it settled into an unfurling, layered rose that kept me pleasantly surprised.

i would like to test it , any way i think i will buy it cause i like nearly every perfume with rose and cause i especially lov Morrocan, turkish, and damask roses i think im gonna love it ! yeah

This is my favorite rose fragrance so far. It's a soft sweet rose that isn't super soapy or overpowering. I even like it better than Jo Malone Red Roses. Is that blasphemous? 😉

How i can i find this perfume. I want realistic rose perfume.. this one has only rose notes. So its pure rose , only rose.. i want to havee immediately

"You smell like you just walked through a rose garden!" <--actual comment from a classmate when I walked out of my dorm room wearing this

This perfume is truly beautiful. My mother bought it for me years ago. She brought it back from a trip to Paris. It's a blend of six different types of roses, and has a natural fresh rose scent. It's subtle, but it lasts a long time. I e-mailed the company, and I found out that they are cruelty free and this product is vegan. In fact most of their products are vegan. Their perfume Sables is not. And their body milks might have beeswax in them. Overall, beautiful perfume. Everyone should try it at least once.

I am a rose-lover so I do like Rose Absolue by default. It is however, not my favourite representation of the majesty of roses. Nor is it as good as AG's Ce Soir ou Jamais which is much sweeter and 'petaly'. Absolue is greenish, dry, peppery and yes, a little sour. It is still however, unmistakable rose in all its glory. I recommend testing before you buy, even for rabid rose-lovers, just to make sure this type of unusual rose is what you are looking for.

This fragrance really smells roses, besides very natural. I like it, but I prefer even more intensive roses fragrances. It's intensive in the beginning, but in the end it starts to smell like Bulgarian rose oil - rose damascena. A good choice for the roses bouquet lovers in perfumes:)

Of all the rose parfums I know this comes closest to a scent of live, blowsy, opened up rose on a hot summer day. Trouble is it does not last for me. Had to layer it with Crabtree and Evelyn Rosewater to take me through the day (an expensive rose and a cheap rose, but it works).

This one smells like a bouquest of red roses. Very natural rose smell and obviously of high quality. I enjoy a bit more the Rose Spendide from AG line. I gave this to my mom as she is a huge fan of rose perfumes and loves this one with passion.

top is roses with a hint of a mulched rose as they decompose then gone; couldn't smell it after a few minutes though others could; not jammy but not as good as Perfumer's Workshop; sort of Perfumer's Workshop after the sore has started to wilt

This is simply gorgeous. It's like a bouquet of freshly cut roses - sweet, fresh, and natural. I feel beautiful when I wear this perfume.

Very natural rose scent, if you just want to smell like roses you can't go wrong here

From its vial it is not as fresh and clean a rose as AG's Rose Pompon and has a hint of a spicier, drier type of rose, On, it has a humidity and a weight to it that is not as appealing as the Pompon brightness, This is a true rose but there’s something that’s holding it back, Maybe it’s a weightiness that suggests older rose scents as though it’s carrying decades of rose fragrance legacy. It’s not a fragrance that will bother anyone but is a bit old fashioned. It won’t get anyone’s attention in a positive or modern way. 35m in this isn’t filling the space around me but you can smell it without putting nose to skin. It remains true to it beginning. Overall it’s a flagging tired rose weighted down by so many rose scents of the past. 5hr later a very nice dry rose scent remains.

This fragrance is a strong rose that I think would be more liked by mature women. It's an intense, reputative smell that I don't feel is casual for a young woman but could work for someone who wants to come across as strong and respectable.

Pure rose scent, but I dislike it very much. On me this is very cold, sour and mettalic rose, reminds me lot of the Bulgarian rose oil my grandmother used to bath herself in. By this I mean - she used so much of it, that it was hard to breath standing next to her. No offence, I do like rose very much. But I like my rose powdery and warm (except if we talk about chypre's, then cold rose is ok), but here it's just EXTREMELY soapy and reminds me a lot of some kind of rose scented soap. And for the price? A definite NO.

Rose Absolue is absolutely nostalgia, it’s the kind of rose came from the 80s. Other than the six breeds of roses, the background in this scent is quite heavy, smells like musky sandalwood. The roses themselves do not last long on me, about 2 hours. When the roses are gone, only a woody note left over. This is Very different from what we often smell from modern rose scents, subjectively I don’t like it. Rose from Chloe is my favorite.

At first I smelled roses on top of something soapy and woody, but after a while there was a smell that reminded me of hospital waiting rooms and mosquito candles! I think I'll look for a different rose scent!

A beautifully realistic bouquet of pink roses. Unfortunately, it stinks on my skin, so I had to give it away.

At first spray you get something along the lines of Joy: something very "Grande Dame". The first few minutes are very animalistic and green, yes I'm talking about that cat pee note... like those vintage perfumes that didn't have to smell pretty and clean like nowadays. The further the fragrance develops, the gentler it becomes. The animal turns musky and powdery. The roar from the opening turns into a purr as the scent stays quite close to the skin. Karlovonavesti made an clever remark about the difference between rose absolutes and headspace rose notes. Thought Rose Absulue is made of absolutes it really smells of a living flower to me. An antique rose bush (you know that type of rose with just a few petals). Something like say Chloé Signature only smells like the "idea" people have of a rose but not of the real thing. In a former life I used to work in a perfume shop, when customers asked me: "I would like something with roses, I love roses". I always had to test them to be sure they really liked roses, or just floral notes. So, I showed them first Drôle the Rose by L'Artisan, which is a nice romantic rose with lots of violet and orange blossom... lovely, soft, romantic and powdery. And then I showed them my idea a real rose: Fleurs de Thé Rose Bulgare... green, animalistic to the point of the narcotic. From their reaction I could work further to find their perfect rose fragrance. Only to say that Rose Absolue isn't going to be everybody's cup of tea, it's not a crowed pleaser. Some persons might even have strong negative reactions to it. But as for me I love it, but I'll wear it only when I'm not working.

In the boutique where I managed to track down this fragrance, the tester bottle was hidden away due to many instances of thievery, with this fragrance being the most desirable to steal. The sales assistant refused to spray this on a card or on my skin, and argued that Rose Absolue is best experienced when sprayed directly into the cap. From what I can recall, which is not as vivid as other scents that I often review, was a rather strong, rich concoction of various roses. The concentration of this fragrance is close to rose-scented oil. In some instances the amount of roses in this fragrance can seem like way too much. The name pretty much sums up this fragrance. If you don't like rose, don't bother trying Rose Absolue. I can only imagine that this fragrance would feel like velvet on the skin. There's something so very majestic about it. Rose Absolue smells like royalty and the upper class. Many mention the old-fashioned appeal of this fragrance, which I'm a huge fan of. That quaint, antique style is what makes me love Annick Goutal's scents in the first place. Every single, unique and exotic rose blends together so naturally. In all honesty I love my rose scents when blended with other notes, like Rose Barbare with its honey and spices or Quel Amour! with its mint and peony. However Rose Absolue is beautiful in all its singularity. Due to Rose Absolue's richness, I would recommend this fragrance for Winter wear or even romantic occasions. For a fresher, more Spring-like rose, Quel Amour! or Ce Soir ou Jamais are nice alternatives.

Anyone who even considers a perfume with the name ROSE ABSOLUE, can hardly find fault with a composition comprising all and only roses all the time. That's what this Annick Goutal creation is. To be more precise: all rose petals, all the time. There are apparently six different varieties of rose present in this creation, so if you love roses, you'll probably be in heaven. What is not present is anything but rose petals! This is definitely not a rosebush-in-a-blender (no green elements) or a powdery or an oriental or a fruity rose. No. 'Rose' is the key word here. ROSE ABSOLUE may be the result literally of suspending rose absolute in the usual fragrance solvent suspects. This composition is less complex than Guerlain Aqua Allegoria ROSA MAGNIFICA, which contains aldehydes and some other "adulterants". It is also a lot less complex than Yves Rocher ROSE ABSOLUE, which also used this name, but arguably in error. If I had a bottle of Annick Goutal ROSE ABSOLUE, I'd in all likelihood use it in the way I use my ROSA MAGNIFICA: to mix with the Montales which I find too oudy. It's nice, but I usually want a bit more to my perfume than a pile of rose petals. Of course there are much worse things!!!!!

Broadly speaking, there are two categories of rose perfume out there: those that employ the relatively-new "headspace" technology, and those that render the flower the old-fashioned way by using absolutes. Rose Absolue is of the second method, and stands as one of the finest in the genre. I prefer this type of rose scent over the headspace stuff because the experience of inhaling rose fumes from several inches away for a sustained length of time usually leads to a headache. However, the dense, rubbery oil of rose possesses none of the heady green loudness of modern perfumes. The redness is turned a deep purple. The smell is that of raw rose, mixed with ground stems, soil, and burnt mulch. The sweet verdancy of a young rose is nowhere to be found. Rose Absolue conjures the feeling of deep roses, old, ripe roses. The intensity of the absolute is such that granny perfume is replaced with oily, Arabian-like woods and spices. This is man juice in disguise. Rose Absolue is truly unisex, beautifully made, and worth the price of admission. Wear it confidently in the late summer, early-fall, and enjoy the delicious warmth and depth of its composition.

As already mentioned, this is a soliflore rose—very realistic and very beautiful. Of course, it has to be your kind of rose: don’t expect an oriental-leaning rose, nor a fresh citrusy one. What you get here is the pure scent of rose petals themselves. For this reason, this Goutal is also quite “soft” in performance (which absolutely does not mean low quality!). I personally find it extremely BEAUTIFUL, but you have to accept its poor longevity and complete lack of evolution—precisely because this is a pure rose fragrance, which stays true to itself and then fades away after about an hour. Great for layering and for soothing, comforting wear at home. I wouldn’t wear it to go out, as it’s essentially gone after an hour.

Tricky to review. Rose perfumes are so varied in their style and people have different preferences. This is not a strong heady Tauer type rose. It doesn't smell artificial. It does smell beautiful initially and on dry down more of a soapy damascene rose oil. It isn't too strong, in fact I would say strength is perfect for a rose perfume. I didn't get a headache. It's nice and if you like roses then I think you would like this perfume. It would suit all ages and is feminine without being too girly. I like it although I don't wear it too often. I will try it on other people and update this post.

This is a very nice rose fragrance, nothing exotic, nothing deep, dark or velvety. It has great projection and quality-wise I am not disappointed. It isn't a sexy fragrance, nor is it "old" in any way, or even "old-fashioned". Just a strong and pure fresh rose. No surprises.. I knew this wouldn't be the type of rose I normally seek out, but I blind bought anyway, in a phase of wanting to explore Annick Goutal, and also because I am a rose lover. I was honestly expecting something pure, simple, and a bit weak.. This perfume has definitely exceeded my expectations.

Started out an old fashioned smelling rose; going further in, this smells like an actual rose plant like you'd get a whiff of outside. It is so plantlike it smells a bit acidic or vinegary, and if I sniff very hard, I catch a very faint ambergris-like note. Not sweet, but honest for a flower fragrance. Very much a "living rose." I am still looking for another rose fragrance like the one that started my current craze: Bvlgari Rose Essentielle; this one definitely isn't it, but I think I'd give this to a gardener friend, because it makes me think of planting roses.

I have the vintage bottle. It smells exactly as everyone says, like real roses. It is exactly how i imagine quality roses to smell like in the victioran era. It is a fresh, powdery, upbeat rose, not jammy. Which i'm pleased about. It also smells a bit like rosebottle. The silliage is far from explosive but it's noticable the first half hour or so. However, I can't say im a fan of the projection though, its very minimal for a perfume of this price. But I'm completely infatuated with the smell of this perfume, its elegant, classic and enough to make one swoon!

There are days - usually in May - when I crave roses. Pure, dense roses - like walking in a field of roses in full bloom at the daybreak. That's when my bottle of Rose absolue is irreplaceable. It is not a bouquet, it is a field of roses - sweet, blooming, heavy with oil. For me, Rose Absolue is regal, majestic scent. Totally amazing. The beginning is quite strong - like you inhale strait from jar of rose oil, but quickly mellows into sweet, heavenly rose scent - rounded and rich. For devoted rose lovers only.

In short: natural, lightweight rose, thru and thru. on rod: sweet lychee-tinted rose, and sour-sweet hard candy. On hand: oh, that bloody annoying waxy-soapy tone which appears in many natural rose scent came out on top, and kept its presence at the first half of the show. A tender rosy floral fragrance is wrapped inside this soapy-waxy tone, and it has a subtle rose-tea flavor. The sour-sweet hard candy tone floats up later, and that soapy-waxy fog finally dissipates.

I don't detect much rose in this at all. It may be a rose water,not absolute. Goutal's scents are quite herby anyway,so this is a fresh scent but not rosy to me.. Disappointing,I did want it to be what it sais - a rose absolute. All the reviews here are raving about it being perfect rose, and I wish I could say the same.

I purchased this fragrance because of my love of roses. I was disappointed as the rose smell is old fashioned. The perfume was also very expensive (85.00). I own "Elegant Rose" by Taylor of London and the scent is much better, longer lasting, and under $25.00

I got this perfume bc I thought it would be realistic rose smell, which when I smelled did not prove to be accurate. It’s fresh but not a realistic rose. The smell is way too subtle and disappears after 10 mins. I’m returning this perfume.

Transition First spray: Soapy Heavy Rose. Drydown: Balsamic and bitter Heavy Rose. Skinscent: Rose. Pure and beautiful rose.

Goes on wet as a simple, moist rose scent, but dries down really super sweet on me, which kind of ruins it.