Ombre Rose L'Original

(Review of a mid-1990s EdT) Ombre Rose is misnamed. Ombre Hiris, or Ombre Musc on the other hand would be very accurate. The perfume wants to play in the gray shadows of orris and musk. To create the shadowy effect, Francoise Caron relies heavily on powdery textures. The opening of powdery aldehydes and sweet, honey roasted nuts lasts only for a second - at least in my vintage bottle - while a whoosh of civet brushes them away like a broom and disappears very nearly as quickly as those sweeter opening notes did. The rest of the perfume is a linear presentation of orris and musks that have very demur costars entering stage right and then exiting stage left in rather quick but seamless processions. The orris is properly starchy yet oily, not buttery or creamy or dry, like texture of cooked and cooled potatoes - or perhaps like a fine luxury powder that was probably applied while the skin was still a bit too wet. The musks help with this texturizing by coming across as animalic, thick, gray, and almost slick to the touch. Ylang-ylang walks on stage, presenting a pale yellow floral that’s a touch fruity and creamy, and then exists stage left. A bit of vanillic tonka slowly works forward from backstage, but then the lights continue to dim and you wonder if this character is actually a creamy, benzoic sandalwood type actor. And that is where Ombre Rose L’Original stays for the rest of time nestled against your skin - the powdery orris, the silken musks, and the creamy and vanillic sandalwood. Much like many others before me in reviews of this perfume, I use the word “nestle” very deliberately. Ombre Rose feels like a second skin, a whole other layer to your person that is warming, comforting, inviting, and snuggle worthy. It might not be much to write about in terms of accord or note presentations, but this perfume is only barely short of a masterclass in textures. Like pleasant and gentle shadows that move about quietly, effortlessly, and quickly around you it is just as much a part of you as it is separate. Lovely.

Ombré rose is my kind of rose if it grew on a bush. It would be dusky pink with golden edgings and veins greying softly. Warm, soft, rich and round. It's like a beautiful musky night infused with real rose essence leftover on a huge down pillow. Its soft, barely sweet, not sharp or acrid. I want to wrap myself in it, drink it. Its one of my favorites. What I love most about it is that it doesn't change on me, just mellows. Its not a crazy roller coaster ride from one bunch of notes to another, it's a perfect sensual lullaby that you can trust not to turn on you. Ombre Rose is one of the softest most beautifully feminine fragrances I’ve ever owned. I purchased a bottle soon after it was released and couldn’t wait to try it. I managed to spill a large amount of the mini all over myself and my things which upset me to no end. I was on a Chicago train, any other fragrance would have people moving to another car or ejecting me from this one. Ombre Rose began soft and stayed soft, it’s what I love most about this fragrance. Ombre Rose doesn’t change like a roller coaster, it just mellows. Soft, smooth and creamy, it’s a masterpiece. The Jean-Charles Brousseau site and Frangrantica site show different compositions, but the lovely soft rose is balanced by musk, honey, peach and sandalwood. It’s one of those scents that seem simple in their complexity. The bottle is beautiful to touch and feel too, like Lalique. Textural not slick, like the scent. I just recently purchased another EDT through amazon while I still have my original mini perfume (actually two) On testing, the perfume from the 80’s is just as rich and warm as I remember. The EDT is a pale shadow of the delicious Ombre Rose I know and love. EDT is ok as a quick fragrance splash, but it’s not the one. My next trial will have to be the current perfume not EDT

I didn't know what to expect when I blind bought this last year. The reviews here run the gamut, so I was truly on my own when I ordered it. The first time I sprayed it on, I was underwhelmed. It didn't smell bad, it just didn't smell much. Because my hubby is sensitive to smells, I always try new ones while he's not home. (It has happened many times that my first try of a new fragrance has included trying a little or a LOT of sprays until I feel like I've finally understood the scent and how it wears on my skin...hence trying all new frags while hubby is away.) So, being the owner of a very brave olfactory system that I am, I just kept spraying - neck, chest, shirt, hair even. After only a couple of minutes I was OVERwhelmed - in a very good way. A lot of people who describe some scents as smelling "like an "old lady", I suspect would describe this gem that way. Patience, my beloved frag addicts. Give it more than one try, and try it with one or two sprays and then try it again with many sprays. To me, this is such a beautiful scent that I would say any lady of any age would love this. Just give it time to "develop" on your skin before you make your judgment about it. Ombre Rose has made it to my top 20 list, and considering what a perfume hoarder I am, that is a real accomplishment! Other than roses, I get a pleasant, mild, soapy glow. If you like/love roses, and if you are feeling like you would like to add another rose scent to your collection, I highly suggest this one. I don't think you can go wrong here. Even if the rose scent isn't as powerful as you would like to be, it is mingled with such a beautiful background, that I truly believe you will be pleased you try it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Brosseau's Ombre Rose is one of those landmark perfumes that revolutionized the industry when it debuted back in 1981. It's readily available and inexpensive so I decided to buy a 1 oz bottle blind. I've been wearing it on and off for months, here's what I think. A low budget, high concept abstract floral masterpiece. In the center of this floral powder puff lies a smooth, rounded lipstick-y type of rose. The rose is accompanied by a softened, abstract bouquet of powdery purple flowers... iris, orris, heliotrope, with other subtle floral touches. The base reveals clean, soapy musks, soft woods, and tonka. The notes blend seamlessly, this perfume was crafted with the intent of maintaining the lovely texture throughout its lifespan. Impressive to think that cheap synthetics can be tweaked and refined to such a degree that they smell this plush and velvety, but I suppose that's where creativity, innovation, and skill come in to play. Ombre Rose has a deeply nostalgic, warm aroma that will remind people of makeup products, talcum powder, and playing with plastic dolls. This type of scent feels like it has existed since time immemorial. I'm not an iris lover, but this is an inexpensive, sophisticated, and stunningly executed iris-rosy floral perfume. I would encourage everyone to sample this before sampling niche irises. There is a timeless quality to Ombre Rose, it smells a bit old fashioned but there is nothing off-putting or unpleasant about it. Most people will enjoy the smell of this perfume. I love discovering perfumes with this level of mass appeal that aren't boring to wear, it's a great option for the workplace environment.

This review is of vintage parfum in the black quarter ounce bottle. Although rose predominates, it would be a mistake to think of this as a rose perfume, much less a rose soliflore. This is a well composed woody floral with an exceptionally protracted and inspired heart. Peach and rosewood open, giving a creamy, succulent fruit note that is well balanced with a citrus that is not at all sour, nor sweet, but fresh and crisp, surprising since most of this fragrance's work happens on a different tonal level. The heart is complex, precessional, stately, not playful, but certainly witty. The roses, since there are more than one rose, open strong, and never really leave the scene, but are quickly joined by an inspired iris, a delicate lily of the valley, and a soapy sandalwood, that combine to create the "first" heart, and which also combine to smell hauntingly of theatrical makeup, powders and lipsticks. There is a moment when you are suddenly backstage, in a dressing room with old fashioned powders and feather brushes. But ombré rose doesn't stop there. You literally have another heart and two Base phases to go, with at least two distinct dry downs. And what dry downs they are, musky, woody, balmy, earthy. The honey, iris and tonka create a profound vanillic backdrop, on which the vanilla, cinnamon and heliotrope are anchored. The long, sexy dry drown combines a rich rose, deep woods and a resinous cedar, and a velvety iris. Lovely, powdery, sophisticated and more sensual than sexual, with fabulous longevity, projection and sillage on me.