This one is for all you fragrance lovers! One of the joys of staying at home for the last few months has been the ability to test out new perfumes without running the risk of offending co-workers or random strangers on the metro with scents that don’t sit right. To take advantage of this, I’ve been working my way through all of the rose-based perfumes from Heretic Parfum, one of my absolute favorite fragrance brands. Rose can easily go old lady or soapy, so I was thrilled when I realized this innovative company had done so many different variations. Here’s my take on Heretic’s take on rose!

*Note, some of these scents are limited edition and sell out quickly. 

Coco Rose – It may be the dual association with fleshy tropical coconut and Coco Chanel that makes me think of something a little fun yet sophisticated with Coco Rose. The drydown brings out the roundness (not quite literal) of the coconut, while the rose lifts it away from piña colada territory and into something much more playful. Awesome staying power.

R/Oud – Heretic does two rose and oud combinations, R/Oud and Amber Rose. R/Oud hits you with amber right on top and veers towards darker incense. With notes of Moroccan rose (my favorite of the rose varieties), I was expecting to dive headfirst into R/Oud, but the woody tones slightly overpower the delicate spiciness of the rose. If you lean towards a headier fragrance with rose in the background, this might be the perfect scent for you.

Amber Rose – Unlike R/Oud, the woodsy tones are pared back and the freshness of the rose shines a little brighter. The natural pairing of vanilla and benzoin give a warm, bourbon undertone. It’s mouthwatering without going too far down the gourmand route. Amber Rose is the kind of fragrance that subtly invites an embrace without being overpowering.

Naked Rose – As expected, Naked Rose is for the true rose lover. As a soliflore, the scent is subtle yet straightforward. The clarity and beauty of the Turkish rose is that it isn’t encumbered by the spiciness of a Moroccan rose or the honeyed depths of the Bulgarian variety. It is sweet and pure, hinting at the antique and the new: the freshness of crushed rose petals mixed with perfumery traditions that go back thousands of years. It is singular in every sense of the word.

Dirty Rose – You’d be forgiven for thinking the ‘dirty’ in Dirty Rose would be reminiscent of the woodsy or earthy tones found in Flower Porn, or even something spicy and sensual. However, this one really threw me for a loop. The first whiff gives off sprightly hints of fresh lemon and bergamot. As the rose emerges, it’s a gentle embrace of Rose de Mai (which always strikes me as one of the rounder, sweeter rose varieties). You also get the mouthwatering juiciness of apricot, a surprising player derived from Heretic’s infrequent but ingenious use of isolates. It’s surprisingly clean, and I found myself initially wanting a hint of smoke to dirty it up a bit (a quick spritz of Smudge would do the tricky nicely). Even on its own, however, it’s a beautiful and totally wearable fragrance that firmly stands within Heretic’s ‘Dirty’ range.

What do you think – has Heretic convinced you to try a rose fragrance? Or were you already a rose lover? Let me know in the comments below if there’s another fragrance you’d like me to review!

Maggie