Rosae Mundi

First of all, I think it's bad manners to say that reviews here are not to be trusted. You may not agree with a review or all the reviews but that does not mean they are not to be trusted. Someone else may agree with the same reviews. It's a review- a point of view. I don't know if Rosae Mundi is the Rose of the world but it definitely smells like the Rose of the earth or rather Rose and the Earth for that is what I smell in equal parts. Roses and earth-dirt, plants, animals, basically all that lives and breathes. The roses are the first to be noticed, huge blooms of perfumed roses that are a little powdery, a little tartly green and a little sweet. Rosae Mundi moves out from behind the white picket fences into the real world and gets gritty. Dry, dusty and the smell of the earth after the rain has passed and under the tropical sun, steam practically rises from the cooled ground. That smell. Not just one smell but a smell that is complex and made up of the scent of many others, the watered soil, the plants-their roots, leaves and flowers, the soaring trees above, maybe even the worms and caterpillars. The roses are still blooming but the earth and its living things take the centre stage in this later part of Rosae Mundi. The scent stays this way until you scrub it off with a good amount of soap and arm power.

It is hard to find a wearable masculine rose fragrance. They either tend to be too feminine (and old fashioned) or quite often to be found in a very potent Middle Eastern style that is not for everyday use. Or the rose is diluted or drowned in something else, so it is not really about the rose. Lumière Noire is nice, but the rose is a bit underwhelming for me. This one hits the right tone between the dominant rose and the more masculine, earthy (and woody) green patchouli. I can see that for many reviewers the idea of rose in perfume is going to be always associated with old fashioned, granny style perfumery (I also have Hammam Bouquet and it is indeed a museum piece). My partner is also averse to rose for the same reason, so I guess it is a bit of an acquired taste and we agree to disagree over this one.

For the longest time I was debating with myself if Diptyque's Eau Capitale was a better rose than Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle, and what is my favourite from those two scents, but then this came in my hand and blew those two out of the water completely. So yes, Rosae Mundi is the best rose scent I have ever came across and perfect for someone who is not a fan of rose-dominant fragrances. I always want rose to be mixed with something else or be somewhere in the background as a backbone, not in the front to remind me of lokum (turkish delight) or old lady purse. This is perfect, the blend of patchouly, cedar and vetiver gives a manly backbone to this rose and I am in love.

How wrong I was in my opinion that Rose 31 by Le Labo and Lumiere Noire Pour Homme by Maison Francis Kurkdjian are best roses on the market. Rosae Mundi is more than heaven for roses lovers, more than I could even imagine, beauty in the purest state. A little sweet, a little powdery, extremely resinous and deeeeeeeeeep. Nothing old fashioned, very modern in my opinion. The roses for our century. Just love!!!!!

To me, this perfume is one of the most intoxicatingly beautiful scents I've ever smelled so far. It's a modern, deep, a little spicy and woody rose. I was blown away from the moment I put it on my skin. Sooo seductive! It's an unisex perfume so this would be great on a man, but it would be purely amazing on a woman! The only downsize to this is that it's pricey. But well worth it.