Rose

Interesting story — the store was closing in New York, and my husband helped with the takedown. As a surprise, he brought me a bottle. I usually dislike rose notes in perfumes — maybe because I’ve come across ones that felt outdated or had that “grandma” scent. But this fragrance really surprised me. It features a dry, clean, and elegant rose. It’s very linear, discreet, minimalist, and pleasant. Perfect for those days when your nose feels tired and you want to wear a scent just for yourself — or for whoever you choose to let close.

Rag & Bone Rose is one of the more interesting entries in the line that I've tried so far, mainly a combination of rose in the top and cedar in the base, with very faint touches of pepper, iris, and musk. My experience of it is by far dominated by the various rose accords and the cedarwood in the dry down, making for a soft, woody expression of rose that I find very agreeable as far as gender, season, and occasion, though I doubt I'd wear it anywhere serious (wedding, date, formal business event) simply because it's a little too fleeting on my skin. At the risk of criticism, I liken Rag & Bone's take on Rose to Le Labo Rose 31, and I prefer Rag & Bone's to the very popular Le Labo creation, as it just wears easier on my skin, the cedar being preferable to the relatively earthy/smoky vibe of Rose 31, at least to my nose. Frankly, the whole fragrance is pretty faint, especially consider it's a niche-priced EDP (at $140 for 50ml), so apart from liking the scent, this isn't one I could contemplate buying at its full retail pricing. 7 out of 10

Top: rose tea, rose essence, pink pepper Middle: hedione, orris, rose centifolia Base: white musk, ambrox, cedar wood This is quite pleasant

I’m not the flowery type, so this is a no go for me. That being said, it’s true to its name. Smelled authentically rose to me, so if you like that kind of scent, you’d probably love this. Too pricey when there are others just as good for much, much less.

a dried rose covered in dust. maybe there were some cedar balls stored next to it, a decade ago. hardly smells like anything at all -- why bother?