Rose by Cardin

I asked a while ago if there were any difference with the vintage compared to the reformulation. Vintage prices are really steep. Since I didn't want to take the risk of blind buying a vintage, I purchased the reformulation for a ridiculously cheap price. I figured if I didn't like it, I could use it as a room spray. Though I only purchased a one ounce I think this will last me some time as it is strong - I mean really strong! I could smell it as soon as I opened the package! And it smells great! All I can say is if the reformulation is any indication, the scent of the vintage must be amazing. This really is such a pretty rose chypre that has a nice woodsy feel. The rose is so natural. Smells like a true spicy garden rose. This fragrance somewhat reminds me of a very rosy Coriandre, or a more complex Tea Rose. A big red peppery rose, with green leaves, stems, and rosewood. A light spiciness, a hint of sweetness, a teeny bit of soapiness from the aldehydes, and a little incense from the vetiver and earthiness from patchouli rounds it all out. Great silage too. I tested a spray on the back of my hand this morning and was surrounded by roses. I think it will have great longevity too. I tried washing it off my hand and can still smell it. Oh well, it looks like I'll be wearing this for today! I just have to remember to go easy on the trigger or I'll gag everyone around me. It really is that strong. As far as being old-fashioned, I agree with mapache. So what!? Wear what you like! But I don't think it's dated. Or maybe, I just happen to like that. Anyway, for the price, who cares? I love it!

Rose Cardin was a blind buy in an attempt to find an affordable chypre I adore. This did not disappoint. In many ways, this has many similarities to Soir De Lune by Sisley. The most glaring being the beautiful Rose/Patchouli/Oakmoss focus in both. Also, both have incredibly unique and beautiful bottles yet Sisley favors Art Nouveau while Cardin favors retro-futuristic lines and googie architecture here. What sets Rose Cardin apart from other woody/floral Chypres is her unique opening. First spray is an electric mirror- like the past looking ahead at the future. It is a sparkly, fantastical fruit jam that doesn’t known whether it wants to be mature or juvenile. And I love that. Quickly (and very happily) she dries down to that deep, timeless Chypre experience that never feels dated; and wears like a shockingly effortless perfume. This would be an excellent beginner Chypre with enough to love for more seasoned wearers of this perfume genre (especially since a 1oz bottle is cheaper than a coffee). It doesn’t matter that the sillage is not as explosive as other chypres. It lasts many hours on the skin and it is just TOO affordable to pass up something this beautiful. For a perfume that looks and smells like Jessica Rabbit’s boudoir if she had relocated to Orbit City, I give this a 10/10.

The woody rose chypre: it's a certain vibe. Shuffling and shimmying, at once it is dusty-moss in a shadowy thicket, then it's a neon-petal roses dappled with banana oil and lathered in Pre de Provence soap. This particular one, Rose by Cardin, delineates from the classic Jean Couturier Coriandre, turning up the levels on the aldehydes and rose and underlined with a patchouli and musks. It's pretty ferocious to start, for which I approve, but may prove overwhelming to some. However, it evens into a blissful bubble that sends me adrift to "never never." Francoise Caron knows her way around a chypre. She knows how to add a few thorns to something pretty and keep it enticing. Rose Cardin is no exception: what may seem a 90s budget scent is actually a juggernaut of its kind, almost emblematic in nature, worn like an amulet. The sillage is a gift—take care not to over-apply! It's vigorous. I can't speak to newer formulations as I picked up my 90s version for a song and it sings all day long. If you want to possess what I own, seek bottles that are encased in a deep purple box, and enjoy!

Although this one is very much the strong, woody-mossy rose chypre with late '80s feelings, it's also more delicately floral than I'd remembered. Lily of the valley is nice here. I have a newer bottle. I thought I'd compare it to Roses 'n Patchouli by Reminiscence, and then for some reason I also thought I should add some Ciara 80%. My bottle of Ciara has a cheap smell at the base which is sad, but the incense adds so much lace to Roses n Patchouli. Rose by Cardin has no need of anything extra imo. In fact, I've completely overdone it, of course. As for the comparison between Roses n Patchouli and Rose by Cardin, they share a delicious, penetrating wine rose and natural-feeling woodiness. Of course Roses n Patchouli is heavier on the patchouli. Rose by Cardin has a lot of aldehydes, but somehow they smell so similar to the musk combination in Roses n Patchouli. For me the biggest distinction between the two is how pretty the florals are in Rose by Cardin. And I would say the overall quality is slightly better in Roses n Patchouli.

I have to bottle shown — blind bought based on notes as there was not a tester available. This does not smell like the notes listed. I get a floral but not obviously rose, something very sweet, and a sharp musk drydown. This does not feel like a chypre to my nose. I am not getting any patchouli or any spices or smoke. This has a very creamy texture to my nose until the far drydown. It’s not bad, just not what I was expecting. A reviewer below said this is magenta in a bottle and I would agree with that. It almost has a fatty feel to it, which I’m assuming is the aldehydes. It does not smell aldehydic in the traditional sense, Like No 5 or White Diamonds and etc. I’ll probably keep my bottle when I want to wear something out of my usual range but I’ll still keep looking for that spicy rose chypre.