Best Rose Scents

Best Rose Scents

According to the Society of American Florists, more than 250 million roses are grown each year for Valentine’s Day alone, 43 percent of them red. That is because the rose is recognized around the world as a symbol of love and romance. This symbol is taken to new heights in 2023 by the act of sending someone 100 roses. It signifies that your love will last for over 100 years.

But what if you could give a bouquet of roses that would last a for 365 days of the year? A bouquet that stayed fresh and aromatic as the first day you received it? This is the approach many top perfumers take when composing today’s rose-themed scents. These talented artisans strive to blend notes that bring the beauty and elegance of the genus rosa to life in a fragrance.

Today’s rose fragrances are a far cry from those beloved by your grandmother. Modern rose notes are lighter, fresher and often have a velvety or even juicy facet. And perfumers have perfected techniques of pairing this flower with citrus and even vanilla.

Known for over 3,000 years, ancient civilizations used roses as a main ingredient in the manufacture of fragrances and cosmetic products. The flowers so fascinated the sultans of Persia, they would pad their mattresses with the petals. The floors of Babylonian palaces were covered in rose petals. And Roman fountains were lightly scented with rose oil.

Centifolia Rose

The thornless Centifolia or “May” rose offers the most delicate rose aroma of the 5,000 known rose varieties. The scent is extracted using solvents to produce its absolute essence.

Damask Rose

Damask or Damascena rose, cultivated in Bulgaria and Turkey is the only rose where there is an essence. After distillation, there is a very fine and delicate essence which is both velvety and rich.

It takes 5 tonnes of of rose petals to produce 1 kilo of rose absolute.

Here are our favourite rose-themed fragrances for her and him.

Bvlgari Rose Magnifying Essence

Bvlgari Allegra Magnifying Rose maximizes florality and boosts the emotion of romance to any of the Allegra eaux de parfum. This combination of high-quality Bulgarian and Turkish roses entices with a velvety, voluptuous intensity. The rose character is perfectly captured thanks to a unique fragmentation of essential oils and an unusual distillation. With a sparkle refined by subtle woody notes, Magnifying Rose delivers a luscious bouquet full of the optimism of love.

Here’s the best part. Layer it over any fragrance you own to give it a rosy facet. It works with any scent in your collection.

Ingredients: Bulgarian and Turkish rose, woods

Bvlgari Allegra Fiori d’Amore

Bvlgari Allegra Fiore d’Amore is a magnificent rose-themed floral scent that captures the thrill of receiving a giant bouquet of roses. “It is a red rose – fresh, velvety, fruity,” says perfumer Jacques Cavalier.

Ingredients: Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose, raspberry

Bvlgari Rose Goldea

This soft, romantic rose-themed floral scent for her was conceptualized by perfumer Alberto Morillas who conveys the softness of rose petals through scent. He uses a hint of tart pomegranate to add contrast to the aromas of rose and jasmine. This blends beautifully with musk and creamy sandalwood.

Made in Italy. Award-winning scent.

Scent Style: a feminine and romantic rose-themed floral scent for her

Key ingredients: pomegranate, Damascus rose absolute, jasmine glandiflorum, musk, creamy sandalwood, olibabanum

Atkinsons Rose in Wonderland

Atkinsons’ Rose In Wonderland is a modern rose-themed fragrance for her or him with hint of earthy vetiver.

Scent Style: a rose-themed fragrance for him or her

Key ingredients: rose dew, black currant buds, geranium, rose centifolia absolute, vetiver, crystal amber

The Modern Rose-Disruptor Fragrances

Perfumers are using rose in unexpected ways. Here are some standouts.

19-69 Miami Blue

Miami Blue is a fresh aquatic fragrance for him or her that layers notes of lemon, ginger, aquatic ingredients and cocaine accord. It’s dedicated to an era in Miami when champagne baths were all the rage and Miami Vice captured the imagination of a generation.

Scent Style: a fresh aquatic fragrance for him or her

Key ingredients: lemon, ginger, aldehyde, cocaine accord, rose oxide, calone, amber xtreme

Mine Perfume Lab Alleria

Alleria is a modern aquatic-floral scent for her or him with notes of sea water, lilac, jasmine and rose that are balanced by patchouli, musk, tonka bean and vanilla. It’s a fresh take on an aquatic recipe.

Scent Style: an aquatic-floral scent for her or him

Key ingredients: sea water, rose, jasmine, lilac, fenugreek, patchouli, musk, tonka bean, vanilla

Bvlgari Allegra and Atkinsons fragrances are available in Canada at Holt Renfrew. 19-69 fragrances are available at Holt Renfrew, Hudson’s Bay and Shoppers Drug Mart. Mine Perfume Lab is available at Hudson’s Bay.

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