Sa Majeste la Rose

God I love this... It’s my favourite pure rose soliflore. A very solid pure and concentrated slightly honeyered rose with great throw and longevity. To me this is not really green it is just simply the essence of rose flower. I have several different rose absolutes at different concentrations and I add them to my skincare products for its treatment properties and occasionally make my own natural perfumes with it. This is not precisely like rose absolute but it has more in common with rose absolute than any other rose soliflore I have tried. If you’ve ever smelled rose absolute (which is solvent extracted) AND Rose Otto (attar of roses, derived from steam distillation), the door profile is different... Rose Otto is less true to the fresh rose flower - it’s rosey odor is slightly more muted and has a sort of nutty characteristic as well as a kind of damp plant matter note that is pleasant but it’s not a « fresh » green scent more like a few green. The rose absolute on the other hand is a sort of spicy and much more honeyed rosey scent. Sa majesté la rose is much more like rose absolute than. Rose otto - Lutens had managed to capture the extremely subtle spice and smooth creamy honeyed quality of the absolute. I’ve dabbed on pure rose absolute (which you’re not supposed to do but I was experimenting to see how long it would last). Even in its pure form the pure absolute had no lasting power or projection so that is one of the truly wonderful things about this perfume - it’s very close to pure rose concentrate but it has the projection and lasting power of an extremely well crafted perfume. The Guaic wood works perfectly in this fragrance - it subtly anchors the rose and lends additional depth and smoothness without stealing the show. In my opinion this deceptively simple concept - the rose soliflore - is one of the most difficult things to do very very well for perfumers. To my nose - this is the very best rose soliflore. It’s like a concentrated rose flower essence that’s true to the natural ingredients with a little artfulness and it performs like a powerhouse. It is closely followed, in my estimation, by Annick Goutal’s Rose Absolue. I’ve often seen this compared with Jo Malone Red Roses and it’s true that they are quite similar insofar as it’s straight rose with nothing distracting from the rose - as in the other notes are There to highlight various aspects of the Rose aroma and not to distract from it - but for me Red Roses doesn’t hold a candle to this perfume. You have to like the idea of a very straight rose scent though - if you’re looking for anything else this is not for you but if you want a potent loveley and true rose flower than you must try this. As a side note: I also often see this compared to La Fille de Berlin and to me the only thing he’d two fragrances have in common is that they feature some rose and were both created by Serge Lutens. Otherwise I don’t see how the two have much in common - to my nose La Fille de Berlin is so different - it does have a kind of jammy rose that has a kind of wine like quality with a grape kind of edge but the rose is - to my nose - at least equally met by potent amounts of pepper, some spices and heavy musks that smell masculine to my nose... I feel like La Fille de Berlin is different but comparable in its overall effect to Amouage Lyric... Rose plays an important role but it’s not the star of the show that it is in Sa Majesté...

Another creation of Christopher Sheldrake, Sa Majesté La Rose was released in 2000 as another tribute from Serge Lutens to roses, which he admires a lot. This time, the flower explored was the Moroccan rose that, as its name says, it is cultivated in Morocco (country worshipped by Serge and chosen by him as his residence). Its name means "Her Majesty the Rose" and the fragrance is one of the few inside the House that is marketed as feminine. However, it is another great example of shareable perfume (incidentally, I found it a little more masculine than La Fille de Berlin, at least on my skin). In the composition, Moroccan rose absolute, guaiac wood, cloves, white honey (one of the most valuable in the market because of its sweet content, its purity, and its color), musk, geranium, lychee, vanilla and a touch of Chamomile. When applied on the skin, I must admit that the result pleased me a lot! I still couldn't find a perfume of Roses as wonderful as what I felt in Montale Aoud Purple Roses, but I could wear this one easily. As the name says, the rose reigns alone and the rest is just a castle full of dreams, refinement, and hidden secrets about to become another cinema movie. There's not a lot of evolution and everything revolves around the Queen: the honey gives brightness and sweetness, while the lychee and the geranium give green nuances. The musk complements with a touch of sensuality, but the guaiac wood could be more present. With respect to the notes of cloves and chamomile...well, they must have been used only in the tea served by the monarch, since they are non-existent to my nose. Sa Majesté La Rose isn't one of those surprising fragrances of Serge Lutens but fulfills its role. Also does not have the same projection of the others, however, exudes satisfactorily. The lasting follows the standard quality of the House and the content deceives because it's not pink or red, but yellow. If you enjoy fragrances of roses, here's another name to your wish list.

Not a fresh rose, definitely not a clean rose, not a rose confiture even not so elegant also. That's what I believe. It's a warm rose, too much warm, to be a rose. Traditionally roses are related to youth and freshness whereas this has a dirty musk touch inside with a soapy note which seems to redeem it. But it can't. I love roses and I'm at ease while wearing fragrances with such a component but I'm not so, while wearing 'Sa Majesté'. It makes me feel as if I walked in the street wearing nothing but my frag! So... I can't see it as an innocent rose. I totally disagree (SORRY) also when it is compared to grannies perfumes when the expression "grannies perfumes" stands for old fashioned, harmless, inoffensive, puritan and innocent Eau de Toilette (you can choose between lavender or vervain): no, no, no! Grannies fragrances were much more than this, they were alternative, bold and outrageous especially compared to those of their modern nieces. The latest are overwhelmed (and me among them!) by more or less similar frags, whose ingredients are often disposed in a different order BUT quite always they are almost the same: wether resembling...or...or...or- why-not...or....!?! ..and when a frag is really 'new' it is left aside being not really understood. BUT if it must be compared to grannies frag...according to my personal definition of grannies frags ...yes! it's true - as well as old frags - this is not at all an innocent rose. I adore roses and perfumes on this subject but my bottle containing S.M.l.R. (a frag I like, after all) is almost full! Nothing to say about its persistence, which is remarkably good. Remarkably embarrassing... p.s. If it were a literary work it would be O. Wilde's tale "The Nightingale and the rose".

If you want to feel the purest of roses - this is the perfume for you. The opening is bright and strong, like the roses bouquet tied together and the aroma of unopened blooms is mixed with that of the leaves. Moments later - red roses come out in all their unapologetic and bold beauty. The scent is rich, with great depth and purity like no other. There is no powder or sweetness diluted by other flowers. There are just roses and nothing else. At some point, the honey peeks through, adding a bright and sharp edge to the roses petals. It makes the scent slightly candied and alcoholic, but only a bit. The honey is a backdrop, a tool to open up the beauty of the roses' singularity even further. It does not compete or blend with it, it merely highlights the beauty which is already there. The scent is enveloping, luxurious and unmistakable. You are in the presence and in the hold of Her Majesty the Rose. The perfume sounds different in different temperatures and personally I prefer it in crisper and cooler air, as then the rose is the most realistic and enveloping without being suffocating or overwhelming. You will be noticed when wearing this perfume, the sillage is brilliant and projection near perfect. It stays on for hours and best worn on the open skin of hands and chest. Sa Majeste La Rose is the one that is unapologetically honest, proud and incredibly beautiful. After her - no other rose will ever feel as good.

I am wearing Serge Lutens Sa Majeste La Rose today. When i first sprayed this scent, I was instantly reminded of my rosewater. But that is not it. I thought it was then my Bio-fresh rose cream mixed with Land of Roses rose perfume oil. The tart, green, powdery of my cream matches the fresh opening of SMLR. Meanwhile, the sweet, musky, woodsy rose of the perfume oil has the same vein as the middle notes of SMLR. It starts off as a bunch of pure, white roses cut off with the stem and leaves in-tact. Very fresh, green yet subtlely romantic. At this stage, the projection is going well and strong; people could smell SMLR from two metres away. The middle notes treat SMLR so well, it turns into a sweeter, light pink rose. The lychee is cheerful, while the green notes in the opening disappear. The honey note becomes more prominent mellowed by guaiac wood. The dry down is where the rose is tenderized with animalic musk and a blend of soft, oriental woods. This charming symphony lasts for seven to eight hours on my skin. Sa Majeste La Rose is a masterpiece of an old fashioned rose bush. It does not conform to the modern but rather embraces the past. When I smell this scent I am reminded of a fine spring day sitting on fresh white linen whilst sipping floral green tea, and catching up with dear friends. <3

This is a proper green rose. It is a stunner, and if you love rose scents as much as I do, I can confidently guarantee that you will enjoy this perfume. It is sharp. It is thorny. I can smell the honey (and dare I say, the money?). However, it is ultimately rose, rose, rose. And I am totally here for it! It is in the same vein of L'Ombre Dans L'eau, but this smells fancier and more realistic. It's also quite herbal with a bit of spice. I wear it sparingly because it requires the right kind of audience. It's also extremely expensive and I have heard that Serge Lutens is temporarily halting shipping to the United States, so I've got to make this last. It's appropriate for year-round wear. People will smell you, but it isn't overpowering. Some people might tell you that you "smell like an old woman" or that this perfume is grandmotherly. That is because those types of people associate rose with more antiquated fragrances. I also like to think that those kinds of people lack tact and sophistication, but I'm biased ;). In conclusion, Sa Majeste la Rose is the ultimate queen of fresh rose perfumes. If you are a lover of this type of flowery friend, then you cannot go wrong with this one.

Oh God, I really love Serge Lutens rose. It is indeed what its name implies. Rose is the "diva", the "grande dame", whose entrance in the scene is the whole play. This in not a playful, fresh and cute rose. This is a dramatic, excessive, dominating and expansive rose. This is not rose petals in the light air, this is a deep forest full of roses that some of them are born and and some of them die again and again. The forest has bees full of honey and varied woods and the roses grow among them and give their heavy aroma. Excellent sillage and staying power and a beautiful dry down with a destintive musky vibe that prevents the roses to be rotten at the end. Serge Lutens rose is not for school girls or grand mothers, this is a rose for very self-confident women, who want and will make a statement with their presence. This is a very sedductive rose but not with the traditional meaning of common open sexiness. This rose is imposed upon others and attracts by the power of his reign and self-esteem. This rose doesn't expect of you to like it, it dictates to you to like it.

CharlieRosie's review pretty much sums it up - this perfume really captures the rose essence well. I usually avoid rose perfumes for it's so easy to make one, yet hard to master one. Many modern rose incarnations have a heavy dose of white musk, powder, or sweet note, and the edible, slightly green, chewy waxy texture of rose petals is fundamentally lost in them. In Sa Majeste La Rose this texture is preserved and reinforced by the gentle presence of honey. The cloves add a bit of menthol to freshen the composition up. And of course the pure, unadulterated rose petals smell just like a bouquet of red roses. So so good. This might be one of the most user-friendly Lutens in that every ingredient works in harmony. The only challenging part I can see is the purity of rose as the one and only star of the show. Projection and longevity are both moderate. I got my hands on some old 50mls after noticing they transfer this perfume to the bell jar line. Bell jars are cute but I'd rather pay less for the humble rectangular bottles with equally good juice inside.

My fixation on rose has recently been ignited again (bless me, it hasn't been since high school), and I've been on a streak testing rose perfumes these past few weeks. However, one thing I've noticed is that most roses are either jammy, dewy, spicy, or dense and velvety, none of which can fully win me over. This one, however, is damn close to it. This is a real rose. Simple at first sniff but there are layers to it. Fresh green opening, spicy like the thorny stem itself, dewy but not in a way that feels flat. There's a velvet texture to it, a slight jam from the honey note, basically every well-known interpretations of rose bottled into one perfume. I can see why some says it smells like apples or lychees, there is definitely a resemblance. However it is not juicy at all; as someone who doesn't like juicy accords myself, the honey and musk really tame it down. We'll see if La Fille de Berlin can change my mind, but as of right now this is my favourite rose from the house and possibly on the market, ever.

I bought Sa Majeste la Rose as a blind buy, simply based on reviews I'd read. I recieved my bottle today and I couldn't wait to try it. I sprayed some on me and got a quick whiff of fresh roses. However, on my wrist I could smell something earthy and woody with a handful of dead rose petals thrown in. I was appalled - is this what I wasted almost a hundred euros on?! But I was patient and let it settle. After half an hour all that mess was softened with a dry bulk of honey. Better, but not what I was hoping for. Gradually roses got stronger. Now its been more than an hour since I sprayed SMLR on me and I can smell a beautiful bouquet of roses dipped in liquid honey. Definitely worth the money! --------- EDIT! I've had SMLR for a month now and I'm so, SO in love! This is my new signature. I don't know if it's the fragrance, my chemistry, or my nose that has chanced, but I no longer get the decaying earthy rose. Just a Real bouquet of roses, with a honey touched sweet note as a bonus. <3

Such a crisp rose, like the bite of an apple. I was gifted this beautiful bottle and I treasure it dearly for this reason. But rose isn't my flower. It doesn't sing to me in the way it does for others, which consistently makes me feel like I'm one of the kids on a playground not invited into the game. Regardless, this is a rose I can get behind. It's so straight edged and fresh, sharp and not a bit powdery or diluted. I've tried a couple of rose perfumes at this point, and what distinguishes them is the image they're trying to paint of the romantic flower. Sa Majeste is a sharp lady in a cold climate. One who is over the musky civet, the aldehydic, and the powdery perfumes of a yesteryear. This is a forward thinking rose, stripped down to it's bare essentials. Green and herby like it was plucked just before being rubbed against the skin. Wonderful composition. Any note beside the rose is merely there to elevate it. Fabulous fragrance. 8/10

Personally I really love this although I am not into rose scent. I find some are a) very strong and very synthetic or b) weak and smells nothing like roses. This one smells very authentic and you are carrying a big bouquet of freshly picked roses and you are saturated with all the rosey goodness. For somebody not into rose scent (I love rose flowers), I am very impressed.A little bit heady but tolerable and disappears in a few minutes, then turns slightly vegetal and earthy on me. That is when my family will say something about it. Comments ranges from ..."smells dank"... or a "little sour and kinda oldish" to..."smells like funeral wreath". To be fair any heady flowers (gardenia, tuberose, indolic jasmine etc...) smell like death to my family. Thank God I only have a small decant because at the rate I am wearing it(I only wear it if I am alone and you only 1-3 spritz for the day), this will last me years.

How could anyone not love this??? It's one of the best roses ever! It resembles a bit Montale Highness Rose, in it's purity. Personally I don't smell a lot else other than bright red roses, in full bloom, with a few ones not quite open yet. A bit of greenery gives it freshness, and blond wood comes in the drydown. It's dry, without any sweetness. A little cold, keeps the distance from many others that have tried to capture the timeless elegance or roses. It's almost like Serge Loutens tried to capture the thorns of roses in this scent too, not just the flowers, woods, and leaves. And then, in the drydown, it gets warmer, a bit spicy, a bit sweet, just gorgeous. Extremely noble and aristocratic, it's very "blue blood". Silage and lasting power are very good on me. This is pure love! I got this from nophaso, and I cannot give enough thanks to this wonderful fragrantican.

I love this. My signature scent is La Fille de Berlin, so I was excited to try this one to compare. After about a week of swapping between the two and sometimes wearing one scent on each wrist, I think I need to own both perfumes. Both are atypical rose perfumes--not saccharine, not powdery, but a true rose/rosewater smell. With the bigger honey focus (which also brings in some herbs like chamomile and mown hay) Sa Majeste La Rose feels rounder and juicier than La Fille, which instead has a bit of a patchouli soap dryness. I don't get any powder with either perfume. This, like so many of Lutens' fragrances, feels less like a perfume than a bottled up experience--no harsh alcohol or aldehydes, no false steps with manmade scents, no drugstore perfume overtones. Just fresh and pure, better-than-nature rose.

The ultimate rose for me. My mom used to buy me a bottle for my birthday every year when I was a teen so it's super nostalgic for me. A ripe pink rose, before she begins to fade, when she is at her best. The other notes are here to blend in and sublimate the rose. I had the flat bottle and I've smell it again at the Serge Lutens store a few months ago and I was moved by how good it is. I stopped wearing it when they decided to sell it in those round bottle without spray that you can find in their store or online only which is a shame. Edit : I smell it the other day at the Serge Lutens store, and what a weird pick for the grunge teenager I was. But it's still incredible and I will probably buy it again when I finished Rose Tonnerre. I still can't really say it's geen, vegetal yes, but not green to me.

Sa Majeste la Rose is like a real life roses in a bottle to me. After I sprayed on, I can immediately smell the fresh, green, nature, garden rose scent you can smell in a nice cool morning. Real and simple, but as elegant as what a real rose smells to me. After the fresh start, I get some florist’s rose scent. It’s still elegant, but with a tiny bit added sweetness and smells more refined. Then SMLR dries down to some velvet/powdery/warm/rich sweet rose scent. I was worried it might have a slight tendence to be some reminiscent of Paris Printempt, but it just stayed in the its own simple but elegant way like that. It's really a safe and nicely elegant scent that any rose lover shouldn't miss out. Worth trying.

This is an unexpected love affair. Really didn't think I would enjoy my sample of this as much as I do as my choice or rose is normally dark and velvety - even a bit 'skanky'. This is the complete opposite - a beautiful fresh, green and clean true rose fragrance. One of the best true rose fragrances I've encountered. I thought the honey might make it too sweet but I really don't pick up much sweetness at all - I do get the lemon hit which I think helps. It's very traditional & ladylike - not what you'd call a boudoir fragrance but neither is it prim & proper. Not for little girls - most definitely for grown ups. Sillage is great also - lasts over 12 hrs on my skin. Will most definitely be purchasing a FB.

Opulent, verdant, and slightly tart, this fragrance is an symphony of herbal nuances entwined with the rich fragrance of honey. As a soliflore, it captures the essence of the rose with a precision, and adorned with a subtle spice that adds complexity. There's a refreshing dewiness that lingers, evoking the sensation of morning mist clinging to silky petals. The initial spritz is a sharp burst, reminds me of walking into a garden and sniffing every rose bush that is there. Even after 8 hours it still vivid on my skin. What truly sets this fragrance apart is its impeccable balance. It refrains from falling into excessive sweetness, sourness, or greenness. It is simply a pristine essence of the red rose.

A lovely Moroccan rose soliflore style scent the central rose note is given a delicate Oriental twist with light woody spicy elements. The perfume is the rose throughout but initially one can detect slight whiffs of clove and honey, then notes of guaiac wood and green notes and finally settling into a synthetic musk base. Delicate and never overpowering, the feminine leaning scent has moderate sillage and excellent longevity. More an exercise in lovely perfume construction than showy projection, this one deserves to be tried by rose lovers and those into delicate Orientals for which this house is unparalleled. Enjoy!

I don't get the negative comments on this. I have smelled many rose fragrances and this is my favorite by far. After sampling all of Serge Lutens' feminine leaning scents I purchased a Bell Jar for my wife from the Palais Royale in Paris and I have no regrets whatsoever. Every nose is different but to me this is a very bright and authentic rose. It is a rose that you smell while it is still on the vine. It is also very long lasting for such a fresh scent. Random Side Note - The only other S.L. she considered was Un Lys Scent: 10/10 Longevity: ~8 hrs Sillage: Moderate Value: C Versatility: A-