Three Best Modern Rose Perfume Fragrances for Women

First up, a confession. I am not a huge fan of rose in perfume - which on the surface looks like a pretty big problem for a perfume-lover, considering how frequently rose elements are used in perfume. I should quickly add that I don't hate rose per se, but too often perfume-makers use too much rose for my taste, and the resulting perfume ends up smelling like nothing more than cheap scented soap on my skin. Added to this, of course, is the problem of rose being such a classic scent that perfumes that feature a heavy rose element can run the risk of seeming old-fashioned.

So all in all, I'm always very wary of perfumes that are centered on the rose element, but I'm also always on a quest to find quality rose-focused perfumes with a modern sensibility that I actually like and like to wear. Here are a few. These are all also favorites of a friend of mine who loves rose perfumes, so they should work for most people (unless you really do hate rose scents, of course! <g>)

Teo Cabanel is a small but old perfume house that underwent a major rejuvenation when it was taken over by a new owner in the early 2000s. The focus shifted to classic-style perfumes made with quality (almost all) natural ingredients.

Oha, released in 2005, is a modern take on classic French rose scents. Notes include: Bulgarian rose, Moroccan rose, bergamot, tea aroma, Egyptian jasmine, Guatemala cardamom, vanilla, iris, tonka bean, exotic woods, and white musk. The rose is there strongly in the opening. The first time I tried it, it set off all my rose perfume alarm bells. I thought it was way too much rose, and way too "pink" a scent to appeal to me. But it's worth persevering with. After ten minutes or so, Oha starts to settle, and about half an hour after that it turns into a quieter, more thoughtful and much subtler scent. As the perfume continues to develop on the skin, the vanilla starts to contribute a little rich sweetness that gives an added dimension to the central rose note.

Ultimately, Oha is a sexy and elegant modern spin on a classic style of scent, and it's well worth checking out if you love rose scents - and also even if you don't.

Serge Lutens is a niche perfume house based in Paris that has created some of the most interesting and individual perfumes available today. You can read more about Serge Lutens in my hub about some of his spicy perfumes.

Sa Majeste la Rose includes notes of Moroccan rose, blue chamomile, geranium, lychee, clove, honey, vanilla and woods, but you can pretty much ignore that list. For me, Sa Majeste la Rose is the ultimate rose soliflore (ie. a perfume that is all about the scent of a single type of flower rather than a composition) and smells more like a real rose, one fresh-cut from the garden, than any other perfume I've encountered. It's pretty and fresh and, well, rosy in just the same way that a real rose is. The juice itself is a rather unfortunate shade of yellow - but hey, you don't see the color when it's on your skin.

If you're after a rose perfume that smells like a rose, rather than like a rose perfume, look no further than Serge Lutens Sa Majeste la Rose.

Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle is yet another niche perfume house, established in 2000 and based in Paris. Frederic Malle has a family background in perfume (his grandfather was a business associate and friend of Christian Dior.) The plain packaging of his perfumes is intended to allow the quality ingredients and the talent of his perfumers (or “noses”, as they are known) to stand on their own merits without the filter of showy packaging or a big name brand.

Frederic Malle’s official website describes Une Rose as "The intoxicating, earthy aroma of a garden rose pulled from the ground with its roots." “Earthy” is an excellent term to apply to this perfume. “Dark”, “rich” and “sexy” also spring to mind.

As with Oha, I don’t like the opening of Une Rose much, but for slightly different reasons. Une Rose opens on a sharp, almost harsh note, courtesy of rose absolute and geranium. It’s exactly the sort of thing that makes me walk away from rose perfumes, and if that’s all there was to Une Rose, well, you wouldn’t be reading this sentence right now. But of course Une Rose is more than that. It moves on from the opening notes into something richer and much more interesting as the wine dregs note and the truffle accord (patchouli accord, vetiver and castoreum absolute) take their turn in the spotlight.

Une Rose is a strong perfume – STRONG – and its staying power is equally impressive. It also has pretty amazing sillage, so it’s really not the perfume to wear to the office. People will smell it from across the room. It’s the perfect sexy perfume to dab on carefully before a night out, though, and that alone makes it worthy of serious consideration when you’re thinking about which floral perfume you should try next.