Rose Gambit

I never expected to like it this much — I'm not exactly a rose fan. And yet, it was my absolute favorite perfume for about a year and a half, and a very, very dear scent in my collection ever since. I adore it. For me and on my skin, it's an intensely sweet, almost confectionary rose — the rose petal jam of my childhood, or the roses we harvested to make it, or the Bulgarian rose oil my grandma kept in a little vial. And just as you get properly comforted by that sweet, floating rose, all of a sudden you get bitter, intoxicating hay, and the dry smell of herbal tea in a dusty cloth bag, and the tenderness of almond milk, and a tiny boozy note. Together, these remind me of how a steppe smells on a late summer night after an incredibly hot day. It's almost shameless, this herbal note, but it's ridiculously well-balanced. If I had to keep one single perfume from my collection, it could very well be this one. Effortlessly sensual, confident. Everyone compliments it. I feel invincible when I wear it. Pretty enough for the office, playful enough for a date night, comforting enough to wear at home. Highly recommend if you enjoy roses.

My personal favorite of the line. I'm a sucker for rose and a new twist on rose, which Rose Gamit is, it comes across as quite an interesting and new take on rose. I get a lot of hay and chamomile with the rose upon first spray. It is dusty country roads, hay fields being mown, my grandma's rose bushes (although the roses are done by the time a farmer has to mow hay) a little bit of pipe tobacco, some sweetness I assume is from the almond milk. But they are all perfectly blended so you aren't hit over the head with each note. Rose gambit is more of a sensation about how looking at the beauty of roses makes you feel more than being a rose fragrance in itself. It is a nostalgic fragrance. A perfume that calls for a simpler way of life. A call back to nature, to a rural existence. It reminds me of my childhood. Love it.

Disclaimer: I'm no expert on rose perfumes, this is my second and probably last rose perfume cause it covers all my "rose" needs. The rose is breathing and bursts with sparkling wine. It's not a fresh-morning "safe" rose either - it has liqueur with raspberry undertones; it's a rose warm with light smoke, not seductive. I also can smell the minerality there - the rose and the liqueur lay nearby chalk. I do love it. Wearing it, I feel like a kind of superhero - invulnerable and beautiful in shining vibranium armour. Lasts about 4 hours on hot skin and about 7 hours on clothes. Try it, especially if you think you don't like rose perfumes.

I like my roses with the twist, but the combination of rose and patchouli doesn't do it for me any more. So I started looking for a rose/hay combo. Rose Prive by L'Artisan was a bit too heavy and sweet (maybe the amber in there). Rose Gambit, however, exceeded my expectations! This is a rose with just enough sweetness that doesn't scream "rose oil" and doesn't have the "hissiness" of patchouli or heaviness of vanilla/amber in the drydown. It is a pure joy in the bottle. I smell the rose itself, the herbs, some spices and the milky softness that you want to last forever!

I won this at the fragrantica fall give away and its absolutely stunning🥰🥰🥰 Im not really a rose person in perfumes but with this one i am! To my nose a dewy, dark, smooth, creamy yet fresh and airy rose, with a touch of wood and tobacco in the drydown❤️ So lovely!