Arcana Rosa 9

Indeed Arcana Rosa bears a striking similarity to Le Labo's Rose 31 (both signed by Daphne Bugey). I feel though that the woods are drier in this composition and the overall performance is better when compared to a fresh sample of a recent formulation of Rose 31. The rose here is well augmented by a delicately sweet note of labdanum which does not spiral heavily with incense. The cedar is beautifully aromatic and fresh. Juniper lends a briar of something that leans toward a prickly antiseptic, but it's subtle yet well-textured, spicy and curiously inviting. Sandalwood is very soft and light blending the wood and rooty vetiver notes together well. In summary, Arcana Rose, although an aromatic beauty is a wild rose with a thorny dark character. I think those lamenting the discontinuation of Lancome Magnifique will be thrilled with this as an updated substitute.

Could this be my perfect rose? I agree with datura-darling that it feels gothic and velvety, like something an androgynous aristocratic vampire would wear or the most opulent rose incense burned in an old wooden church. The price point is pretty ridiculous but the quality speaks for itself and I'm turning 25 this month so I was able to justify buying it as it's a milestone birthday. I did smell it side by side with le labo rose 31 to see if I agreed with the reviews saying they're similar and to me they're cousins, both woody roses, but with different styles and personalities. I didn't like the sour, sharp quality of the cumin in rose 31, and found arcana rosa much deeper, darker and fuller, which I prefer.

I disagree with the reviews that day this is “indistinguishable” from Rose 31. It is very similar , but instead of cumin the supporting note is vetiver. Rose 31 is fresher and sharper; this is warmer and creamier. Do you need this if you have Rose 31? This is my current dilemma, although I think it will ultimately be a question of how much you love Rose 31. If you wear it frequently, then this is worth buying as it will give you something similar with slightly different vibes. Very unisex, a beautiful woody rose.

A spiny thorny dark crumbling rose. Perhaps roses left to wilt or pressed into a books pages as a keepsake. It does smell similar to Rose 31. But I have mixed feelings about Le Labo as a brand overall and I find the presentation here much more appealing. Gorgeous gothic bottle that looks like a an apothecary’s remedy. I’d rather have this bottle on my shelf than the millennial minimalism bottle of Rose 31, and I find this composition creamier and stronger. Overall this is a 9/10 for me.

A rose scent heavy with sandalwood; those are the stars of the show here. I can’t figure out if it is more masculine or more feminine... it really walks the unisex line to perfection in my opinion. Either way, my favorite in the line, truely a lovely scent. PS: This fragrance is very close in profile to Aesop’s Rozu.

This is a defanged Rose 31 (same perfumer). A bit lighter and without the cumin angle that makes the Le Labo so challenging and uncomfortable for a lot of people. That said, it’s a lovely scent.

There are a few perfumes that I would use the term 'gothic'to describe - 'Arcana rosa 9' is most certainly one of them. To my nose, this is a more masculine leaning rose, although for a more effeminate man. This is something that I imagine a good looking Victorian dandy, dressed in thick, plush velvet and fine silks, would have worn on himself. The opening is a very peppery and aromatic rose, with the dry grass note of the vetiver containing a hint of cacao that is sometimes found with its use in Perfumes. This one has an interesting sense of moving between being dry, like dried rose petals, dusty and earthy, with some soft, almost powdery woods, before it then, gradually, turns darker and heavier, into some syrupy rose sweetness and sticky resins with the labnadum. I didn't get too much juniper, but if I sniff my wrist close it is, just barely, perceptible. Which is a shame, as I think ramping up the juniper in this one would have been more interesting and unique. The dry down is all faded dried rose petals kept as potpuri and the remains of the labnadum in the incense burner. The below reviews are interesting, as it certainly conjures up the image of velvet clothing in sun faded blacks and burgundy colours, rooms lit by candles with old stone walls, and writing poetry on yellowed papers as an ode to nature and love. I like how certain Perfumes seem to paint such similar pictures and evoke similar feelings all round. I find that fascinating. If the opening was longer and the scent lasted longer for this one I could consider a full bottle, as it is a beautiful take on rose. I will keep an eye out for a cheap one that comes up at some stage (I think it's been discontinued now?) But there are other L'Artisan Perfumes that are more at the top of my wants list.

First impressions (0-20 minutes, testing in late Spring): a contradiction in terms. It's dead yet alive, astringent yet organic, spiny yet soft and plush, olde worlde yet a little apocalyptic in the murky nuclear wasteland sense (no sleek technotopia here). It spores into my head and unfurls, sitting there like a malevolent purple cushion of hungry and primal seethe, that can't reach out grab me but can perhaps try to entice me into its lap. It's a bit heart-pounding and disorienting just for the first few minutes, at the same time as being somewhat hackneyed and Walter Scott-esque about its sensuality. It puts me in mind of both the dusty and innocuous: something too inert and preserved in the past to harm me, like an atavistic book of fairytales left on a shelf, or a crumbling war-chest decorated with dried flowers, or the memory of a stone cottage living room scented by potpourri from decades ago; yet also the dangerous and ever-dying present, of being plied with a sour-sweet too-warm summer wine in a greasy old tumbler, or of a chemical rainfall on a felled forest, or of a bloody nose coming my way. Development (+20 minutes): on me, AR fades quickly to a puckered but almost-stale and slightly headachey vetiver & rose. It's stuffy and 'brown', and tastes like Rescue Remedy mixed with Mr. Sheen and generic hydrosol for cooking. An embarrassing and fussy domestic fake-out, and it's a pity because the opening did pique. Am hoping it will pick up again after an hour, and take off another layer. Perhaps I'm testing this in the wrong season, to be fair, as most users seem to favour it only for the autumn & winter months.

Arcana Rosa is a rose dressed in darkness; despite blackberry being listed on the label, this is a fragrance with little to no connection to blackberry itself. What unfolds instead is a smoky, gothic rose wrapped in pronounced woods. It is, to my nose, the darkest offering in the La Botanica series, carrying a strong dark academia aura. While most fragrances in this line lean toward a composed, restrained elegance, Arcana Rosa takes that seriousness a step further. It feels as though you’ve wandered into a grand mansion’s garden, discovered a hidden door, and stepped into a secluded room filled with near-black wooden furniture and baroque detailing. The roses here are deep, almost blackened reds. As the fragrance develops, it warms slightly, yet its gothic character never dissipates. The darkness remains intact. Tag(s): Dark rose, gothic, dark academia, woody, warm base

I have not smelled the original formulation os Rose 31 but I do see the resemblance to the present formulation now. Interesting how the consensus around this perfume describes this as a woody rose because the opening of this perfumes reminds me a lot of Toy Boy by Moschino minus the watery pear. Apart from the sleek and clean, almost molecular woodiness on top, there's a pepperiness I'm getting that's giving this perfume a spicy and slightly ashy dimension. So I would agree to Retro_Futurista below that this smells like a thorny but most characteristically this smells like a dark rose left to wilt. I would say the rose is at the heart of this perfume and above her looms this bold woody, spicy, and a tad bit ashy cloud.

Almost my dream rose - the warm, rich, spicy, dark, velvety, organic kind, with wafts of real wood and something I even thought smelling blind was rose leaf, but that must have been the green peppering of juniper and vetiver. I've never tried Rose 31 so can't comment on that; my reference point would be Guerlain Santal Royal, but much more botanical and with no leather - but this is gorgeous, a pillowy lush bed of roses without a thorn to be found. Except for that agonisingly prickly price point and longevity which for me didn't go far past 4h. Opening burst is just something else though. Even though I'm a habitual rose-rejecter, this one really truly impressed me.

A rose swathed in saffron’s golden fire despite its absence in the listed notes. Rosy pink petals singed copper at the edges, deepened by spice. There’s an undeniable richness here, a rose that glows rather than blooms, its beauty drawn not from freshness but from heat, from the slow burn of resin and spice curling around each petal. It veers toward the opulent, balance held in check by this underlying dryness like dust settling on velvet. Still, it feels rather familiar, an echo of saffron-rose duets that have graced perfumery before. Lovely, but not much transformative.

I kind of like this. Rose with woody and juniper notes. This comes off as masculine - maybe the vetiver? There is a strong 'spicy forest note' in this. Smells like roses growing in a pine and cedar forest. It's a strong fragrance with a notable sillage. This really pushes out. It's very long-lasting. You will be thrilled with its performance. Intriguing. March 2017 LuckyScent Sampler Pack.

Just smelled this for the 1st time and it's nearly indistinguishable from Le Labo Rose 31. Makes sense that many here have remarked on the scent similarities. Both are rich, deep, dark, woody, spicy, and sophisticated. To me they're winter only fragrances, not bright and springy or summery.

Rose, wood and cedar. More for winter and fall, very unisex. Bold, dark, green, more for mature or bold people. Do not blind buy for sure. Natural scent. No sweet, no fruity, it is perfect in the botanical line of this brand. Here, it is in a dense cedar forest with dark red roses... 7/10

Another woodsy rose fragrance with a mild feminine lean. Not particular or interesting. However decent quality, harmonious perfumery. Interesting opening featuring what I thought was an effervescent ginger note that unfortunately faded away. Bottle the opening!

Dark woody rose. I like it but it goes quite heavy on me; if it was a bit lighter I think the notes would sing better. Decent but not outstanding performance.

- Tested this one today. Smells like vintage rose to me. Rose and woods. I like it.

Yes, it does give me Rose 31 vibes.

Very nice dark smokey spicey rose

I struggle with this scent. I don't enjoy the heavy, deep, vintage scents by L'artisan. I prefer the lighter and sweeter scents like Mandarina Corsica, Couleur Vanille, and Champ de Baies. I find this one is tolerable enough but not my vibe. It is a velvety, petal-like rose. It smells like dry greens and rose with a suede or leather base. Throughout, you definitely smell wood that's a bit sharp. It comes together as very dry, deep, and almost foresty. There's something in this that comes across almost like a musk. I'm also really not a Le Labo fan (too overpowering and strong for me with the exception of Thé Matcha) but I can see how the style of L'artisan could be similar to theirs. Definitely a scent that should be reserved for cooler months. I wouldn't wear this in an office or anywhere that strong fragrances would be discouraged as it is long-lasting with great projection. While I don't love this scent for myself, I sometimes can be in the mood for it. Try a sample first.

Rose dominant with a woody back bone from start to finish. Gets a bit spicier after the first couple of hours, but pretty linear for the most part. I get average to below average performance. Mild projection and 5-6 hour longevity. This often gets compared to Le Labos Rose 31. They are similar in that they're woody rose fragrances, but to my nose Rose 31 is cleaner, more dry and spicier. Some detect very little rose at all. Arcana Rosa is a lush, full, rose dominant fragrance with woods in the back ground.

Smell very woody and smoky, like incense with very mild rose notes. Kind of smells like when you walk into an esoteric shop to buy your candles and tarot cards. As such it is aptly named. Unfortunately not for me as the smell makes me nauseous, a bit too strong on the smokiness for me. I wanted more floral.

A familiar woody rose vetiver scent, not unlike Rose 31 but with less iso e super. I like this but it’s not the kind of scent I gravitate toward. Perfectly unisex, for colder months. A little thick and too heavy for me to wear comfortably.

Dark, woody rose. Definitely unisex. Nice, but not nice enough for the price. I already have YSL Elle, which to me is a dark spicy rose, so don't feel I need this in my collection. Beautiful bottle though!

This is the perfect example of laziness in a perfumer. Case in point, Daphne Bugey who has signed Rose 31(2006), Much Ado About the Duke(2016), and now Arcana Rosa(2016), all three of which play around the idea of a spciy rose with a woody base and smell extremely similar. I hate when perfumers recycle the same idea to be released under different brands.

Yes, there definitely is a distinct dusty cumin in there and something heavy, and dark woody essence.

L'Artisan Parfumeur has recently extended their range to include the Natura Fabularis collection, an exclusive, (and dare I say astronomically expensive) ode to nature. It was rather befitting that Arcana Rosa was the first fragrance I tried from this range, especially seeing that I have been on a rose-kick as of late. Arcana Rosa is a full-bodied rose fragrance with a strong emphasis on rich, potent blood-red roses. It's of the dark, sensual variety with added notes of labdanum, sandalwood, and cedarwood. Despite its richness, it's not nearly as potent as Voleur de Roses also by L'Artisan Parfumeur. I find Arcana Rosa much easier to wear and more palatable, although I do own and enjoy the unforgiving Voleur de Roses. Arcana Rosa is the perfect blend of feminine roses and spicy incense. It has a smoothness to it that I find rather soothing on the skin. Admittedly Arcana Rosa is not a unique fragrance, with many reviewers having already pointed out the similarities to Le Labo's Rose 31. Rose and incense are however two notes that go hand in hand, so it's not surprising that many perfumers have recreated this blend more than once. This fragrance has a very exotic, Middle Eastern feel with all its smoke and spice. Arcana Rosa strikes me as a scent best suited to Winter and Autumn wear. I would most likely pair it with a stylish black trench coat, black leather boots, and matte red lipstick. Arcana Rosa by L'Artisan Parfumeur is a scent that has to be worn to be appreciated, so do test this fragrance on the skin first before forming any firm opinions.

At first, it smells incredibly similar to By Terry Rose Infernale, which I loved, but that only lasts for about 3 minutes at most. After that, everything I liked about it disappears, and it turns into a very generic floral scent. I wore it twice, and both times I found myself getting annoyed with it pretty quickly. It’s not that I’m completely averse to basic scent profiles, but this felt like the quintessential, sweet floral-fruity, perfumery store scent with something resembling a patchouli base (?). It’s completely indistinct and forgettable. The berry note only shows up in the first ten minutes and actually comes across more like licorice, by the way. I’ve now tried a couple of decants from this house (got them from their website for a great deal), but I have yet to find one I like. So far, they’ve all been incredibly disappointing.

Beautiful. Wish it was cheaper and lasted longer. Just tested about 13 rose perfumes over the last 2 weeks. For me, this ranked somewhere in the middle. Unique-ish, the rose accord is soft and not metallic- I’m burnt out of the rose oxide used in so many high lauded perfumes. This was pleasant for the whole ride, but I felt was a bit lacking in depth and projection. Would def pick up a bottle if I found it discounted though.

Just does not work with my body chemistry and not a safe blind buy. First spritz is a fecal rose- with what smells like cumin and acrid smoke overpowering just a hint of rose somewhere in the background. The dry down leans even more into that note which I can only describe as burning garbage, except with a veneer of powder layered on top. Like I said- just does not work with my chemistry.

This rose is dark, silent and evocative. Something from the contemplative Middle Age. I see an ancien black rose, actually a rose bush’s roots. Very well executed.

Made by the same perfumer as Le Labo Rose 31. And smells exactly the same. Actually smells like Rose 31 did when it first came out.

I wanted to love this but it came off as super cumin heavy on me, once I noticed it I couldn’t even smell the rose.

I’ve been waiting on a sample from Lucky Scent and they tell me that they think this is discontinued.

https://youtu.be/NZ86SUedsgY?si=_A8HW1RDNxDodI5t

Nice, smells very similar to Le Labo Rose 31.

Identical to Le Labo Rose 31. Period.