The 15 Best Rose Fragrances
Getty Images; Design: Perri Tomkiewicz
The rose may be the most classic ingredient in all of perfumery. A symbol of love dating back to Greek and Roman mythology (with a first mention in artistic motifs in Asia around 3000 BC), the flower is as compelling as it is enduring. Cleopatra was said to fill a room with rose petals a foot deep when pursuing Mark Antony. Sophia Loren famously wore Emanuel Ungaro’s sensual rose creation, Diva. Even Rihanna’s rumored go-to scent (prior to her own Fenty perfume launch, of course), By Killian’s Love, Don’t Be Shy, contains rose.
Roses are the cornerstone of many of the best fragrances, featured in some 75 percent of scents marketed to women. But although they may be ubiquitous, they are far from one-note. A spring rose, for instance, grows in a particular type of earth, explains Carole Biancalana, the flower producer for Dior’s rose scents. “[This] will bring its notes of honey, lemons, spices,” she explains. “It is a rich rose with multiple facets, and that makes it unique.”
The facets of rose’s scent—and creative potential around it—is almost limitless. “There is so much positivity around the flower,” says master perfumer Honorine Blanc, the nose behind fragrances such as Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir and several AERIN scents, and one of four perfumers who gave us YSL Black Opium. “[Some] people would prefer something heavier, more contrasted. To me, the serenity, the joyfulness [of rose] is so important,” Blanc says, adding that the range of roses offers nuance. “You have thousands of roses.”
Aerin Lauder, the granddaughter of the legendary Estée Lauder and the mind and heart behind Aerin, which turns 10 this year, turns to roses for their femininity, as well as their unifying quality. “It’s the idea of romance,” the expert says. “Everyone loves roses when you get them as a gift, or you go to a beautiful rose garden. [The rose] is pretty, it’s feminine, it’s appealing, it’s not polarizing.” It’s also, Lauder suggests, a comforting scent. “The world is in such disarray, it is a time when people are yearning for something that feels familiar, safe, and appealing.”
Ultimately, rose can be anything you like it to be. “The scent of the rose is both the scent of love, that of great love, and it is also very enveloping like Mother’s arms,” Biancalana says, adding simply, “The rose is really the base of all great perfumes.” Below, our 15 favorite rose fragrances, including the latest standout releases.
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