Cherokee Rose Single Note

[The Poison Queen]

Following the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Choctaw, Seminole, Muscogee, Chickasaw, and Cherokee tribes were driven from their homes, prompted in part by the Georgia Gold Rush. This forced westward emigration was rife with grief, suffering, and tremendous hardship, and resulted in the deaths of thousands upon thousands of Native Americans.

In their sorrow, the Cherokee called upon Unetlanvhi, the Great Spirit, to give strength, succor, and comfort to their people. Whenever a mother’s tear fell upon the ground, the Creator gave life to a five-petaled white rose. In the center of each blossom, the Great Spirit placed a gold coin, symbol of the white man’s greed. Each flowering stem sprouted seven leaflets, one for each Cherokee clan. The roses were strong, beautiful, and prolific, and spread quickly along the Trail of Tears, reaching far and wide to reclaim some of the Cherokee’s lost homeland. The thorns on the stem served to defend the rose, protecting it against those who would try to move it, and symbolized the Great Spirit’s safeguarding of the Cherokee people. As the clans saw the roses spread, they felt Unetlanvhi’s love and strength, and knew that they would survive and flourish in the new Cherokee Nation.

In the Bottle- Rosy with a hint of green, like a garden of roses. It's VERY pleasant, not cloying at all, light and airy. Pleasant and soft.

On my wrist- Much more rose now, still light and lovely like a rose garden but with a stronger throw than I expected, it's not the heady red rose of Peacock Queen, but pleasant and just lovely with just a tinge of rose stem to it. I am SO happy I got a few of these! This is a keeper for me!

I am SO pleased with this scent!

[puck_nc]

Origin: from Dragon*Con thanks to a wonderful fairy!

 

Initial Thoughts: Rose and I have had a...difficult relationship. Rakshasa's rose seemed to work well for me, but I later learned that it was possibly because patchouli mows down other notes in a wide swath on me. Other rose scents were hit or miss and then I ran across the Peacock Queen, which turned into horrid stinky cooked greens on my skin and seemed to doom me for any blend with a strong rose element. And then I found The Rose, which hovered on the edge of good and bad before finally settling down into good.

 

But I wanted to try Cherokee Rose for several reasons. (1) It's a floral single note. (2) I have Cherokee blood on my mom's side of the family. (3) My initial impression when Googling images was that it might not be an actual rose, only named as one, and might work on me.

 

Since D*C, I've seen mentions that said it was just like Peacock Queen and that it was nowhere near as strong as Peacock Queen. Only thing to do is try it and be ready to wash it off if things go downhill.

 

In the Bottle: Fresh rose, but with a very strong thread of citrus-y sweetness that I don't remember linking to rose before. It's a rich and layered scent, but not a heavy one.

 

Wet: The lemony streak is warring with the skanky-green-stem threat. It honestly doesn't strike me as what I think is a true rose scent with that citrus edge growing so strong.

 

Drydown: This is annoying. I get more of a rose scent gradually and so far the green-stem is adding freshness instead of ruining the scent, but the lemony edge is so strong that it's almost at artificial cleaning product levels. I'm trying to wait this stage out and hope. (Husband just came home from work - I had him sniff and his first words were "Lemon Pledge!")

 

Further Drydown: Well, the lemon is finally not as strong as it was. Unfortunately, that has left room for the green-stem to surge forward and even then there's still a strong artificiality to it on my skin. It's definitely not the strength of Peacock Queen, but it's stronger than I was hoping for.

 

Verdict: As always, I'm thrilled that I got to try a single note, but this one really doesn't like my skin. Maybe I could use it up in a scent locket eventually, but as scarce as a con-exclusive SN is likely to be, it seems fairer to let this one find a new home.

[VioletChaos]

Thanks again so much to Glambie, my Con fairy for getting this for me!

 

In the Bottle: A clean, fresh tea rose, with some green stem. the green stem reminds me of the "Dandelion sap" note from Strawberry Moon '09.

 

Wet On Skin: The green is hanging back and the rose is becoming a bit more spicy. At this stage it's reminding me of a perfume my grandmother wore when I was a kid. So far, this doesn't have the strong almost-chemical under note that Peacock Queen had on me. Here's hoping it stays that way...

 

Dry Down: I can see how someone might get citrus from this. I'm not, but there is a...tangy?...quality to this scent. At the same time, this certainly reads as a Single Note on me. Just as a fresh rose in a garden has depth and layers, so too does Cherokee Rose- but it's still just one thing, not a compilation of several.

 

In All: Medium throw, this is a clean fresh "Rose's rose". I could certainly see mixing this with other rose scents, such as Victorian Rose Milk, when I want to amp the rose note for the day. I'm really glad that I have my one bottle and at the same time, I don't personally feel like I would ever need more than the one. However, if you're a really big Rose fan, this might be one you'll want to hoard.

[whataboutprom]

Wet this is ROSE SOAP! After it dries on my skin a bit, the overpowering soapiness fades, but this is still a clean, fresh rose. It smells vintage, like the memory of an antique tea rose perfume. I do think I will use this for layering, maybe with some resins to take away the cleanness a bit. I would love to wear this for a summer picnic or going out for champagne cocktails with my ladies. I don't normally think of soapy roses as very me, but I am going to keep this one.

[OctoberGwen]

I'm not generally a wearer of rose perfume, but I love this one a lot. Cherokee Rose is very fresh, light, and zingy - I understand why some might get citrus. To me, it smells like a blend of one of my mother's antique roses and some lemon balm that would have been growing nearby. There is nothing cloying or overpowering about it whatsoever. I don't get greenery per se, just a refreshing vibe.

 

It's absolutely lovely, and probably my favorite of Beth's roses to date.

 

Edited October 5, 2013 by OctoberGwen

[Gateau]

Boo hoo, tea rose never works on me, becomes soapy, and this is no exception. There is a nice fresh green stem scent in this at first, but it slowly converts over to soap as I wear it.

[neuilly]

I definitely get a lemon element to this. I suppose maybe it's just a very tangy green note? It's not a lot of rose to my nose. This bottle is going into the sales pile, alas.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i love this. but probably not for the reason anyone else will.

 

i love it because it reminds me of the most perfect artificial rose scented air freshener (Wizard brand, i think?) i used to buy, and the rose-scented (pink) 7-day candles i used to buy in abundance from Kroger. back when i used candles more for heat than anything else. a dozen 7-day candles can really warm up a room!

 

it's velvety and almost sweet and just this side of fake, and i love it, and frankly wish i'd gotten more than one bottle.

[zankoku_zen]

To me, this is definitely a lighter rose (more along the lines of a tea rose) note. It's starts out lemony/citrus on wet, and as it dries that drops off a little, the rose aspect develops and so does the 'green stem' part, which actually reminds me more to the 'green stem' fresh quality that some of the Rose Red blends do.

 

It sort of reminds me to some of the Yule 'christmas rose' blends[is it the First Soft Snow?] which aren't really a real rose but some time of narcissus, although sometimes it veers into the tea rose category.

 

Fresh, citrusy, rosey.

[angelicruin]

Definitely tea rose on my skin, though it starts out a little bit lemon before it dries. Surprisingly, I really like this one. It's very refreshing!

[Little Bird]

Cherokee Rose SN reminds me of some of the rose & lemon scented things from LUSH (Amandopondo bubble bath, mainly). I can see where this is going soapy on some people, but it doesn't really go soapy on my skin. It definitely doesn't remind me of laundry soap or anything harsh like that, though I can see where it has a bit of a clean edge to it. Mostly this is a sweet, classic, slightly dry smelling rose with hints of sweet, sunny, cheery lemon. I don't often like bpal's citrus/lemon scents, but I really like this blend.

 

Sweet, dry rose and sweet lemon.

[killersandliars]

My stellar, awesome cousin picked this up for me at Dragon*Con (while she got some for herself too!), and I honestly couldn't be happier with it. I only regret that I didn't get two. I too got this because of my Native American heritage, and that of my husband. But I also freaking love rose scents, because Beth can do no wrong when it comes to roses.

 

I get something pretty different than many of the other reviews though, because on me it is mostly a very wild rosey-type smell. I get a hint of greery and a hint of something else that's a bit herbaceous, but I certainly don't get any lemon. At first, while it's still wet, the rose is a tad bit soapy, but that settles down into the background a bit as the scent dries. On drydown, it is purely wild rose, like a primrose maybe. It isn't that full-bodied, velvet petaled pure rose of Peacock Queen. Cherokee Rose seems very pale color-wise by comparison. The only BPAL oil that I have that is somewhat similar to this, though really pretty different, is Moon Rose.

 

While it does smell mostly like roses, it is definitely not a typical rose smell. I don't really know what sets it apart, but it isn't just a rose single note. It's the palest kiss of rose with a dash of leaves and stems and *something else* that I can't quite put my finger on.

 

All in all, it is a complete winner.

[Leopard403]

Origin: Bought from a sales page here on the forum.

 

Wet, I get a high, bright scent that I usually associate with citrus, so I can understand how people are saying this smells lemony on top of the rose. The comparison to Lush's Amandopondo is very accurate. The rose scent itself is rather simple: Not deep and lush and red like Rose Red, and none of the creamy white undertones that make Pink Snowballs or Katrina van Tassel so nice. But that is okay, because this is like plucking a pink rose: It isn't supposed to be tremendously sophisticated, and it isn't supposed to be vanilla-y innocence either. My only complaint is that I have to slather, otherwise this fades super fast.

[milo]

This one is a morpher on me, to be sure. At first, it smells exactly like the pink wild roses that bloom around here in June, but with a touch of mint. Dry, still the sweet wild rose, very authentic. Twenty minutes in, just a teeny bit of sourness, and then goes powdery. I really liked the fresh wild rose phase. Wow, the fresh phase just came back! I like this, and will treasure my imp.

[AuroraLlew]

Sharp haughty rose. Surprisingly this does not go to powder on me like rose often does. OctoberGwen (And this decant is from her :-) mentioned lemon balm upthread and I definitely get the same kind of sharp, almost soapy feeling from this as I do from the lemon balm I grew this year.

 

As this dries down It is smoothing out a bit and I am seeing where some are getting more specific lemon. it is quite pretty after it has been on my skin for a while.

 

Edit to add: This reminds me of the rose in TAL: Nocturne

Edited October 18, 2012 by AuroraLlew

[midnight_aeval]

I'm not a fan of rose scents. There, I said it! Most that know me know I'm not a fan of 99% of florals. I adore the smell of a fresh picked rose, but I haven't yet found *that* scent in a blend. The closest that comes close is a one-off bottle from a long-gone etailer, and possibly the Red and White Rose duo from BPTP, but those are mixed with other notes I love which makes the rose all that more bearable.

 

Having said all that, I'm always skeptical when I venture out to try a blend with rose in it. 9/10 times it goes to a soapy mess with my skin chemistry. I'm happy to say that Cherokee Rose does not go soapy for me at all! In fact, it's almost like rose scented sweet tarts? There's a citrusy tartness to this rose SN.

 

Overall, it's a non-traditional rose scent, but probably not something I'd wear often. I'm more of a dark, spicy, sweet girl

[mymymai]

ITB: It's a bright rose scent. I get more of a lighter colored rose rather than the darker rose note of scents like Rose Red.

 

Wet: Although I didn't smell it in the bottle, here is a lemon zest tone to the rose scent. They seem to complete for most dominant note, so it's a bit discordant.

 

Dry: Once dry, the rose note is a bit powdery, although there is a still a subtle tone of lemon zest. It certainly is a bit of a different rose scent.

[porcelina]

this is a bottle that i bought, sniffed, went "bleh! not for me!" and forgot about for a year and a half. i am happy to report that the aged cherokee rose is actually a surprisingly pretty rose scent on my skin. it has a fresh green quality with a bright citrus edge that is pretty nice, actually, and reminds me a little of lush's rose jam (one of my all-time favorite scents, despite rose and i not usually getting along). it goes a little soapy after it dries and i can't really see myself wearing this, but it's actually a pretty and pleasant scent for someone who enjoys rose perfumes.

[d0gbones]

And another bottle I bought off porcelina

 

This really is the loveliest rose note. In the bottle it smells pretty green but that's not as noticeable on skin. It doesn't seem to last all that long on me, but I can smell it the next day on scarves and my coat. Really love this one.

[freyasfae]

There's definitely a tangy, fizziness to this when first applied that I found particularly off-putting. After, it settled down, it became a more familiar rose, and like killersandliars said, it has a wild rose quality to it that seems fitting.

[Emily Iscariot]

Okay tbh as a massive Walking Dead fan I wanted to love, love, love this one, but it's less rose and a teeny bit of green and more lemon/Pine Sol on my skin. It's not an instant hate, but in the months since I've gotten I haven't reached for it all that much either. To the swap pile I suppose.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Rose sometimes does this thing where it smells lemony to me, and this is doing that. I actually quite enjoy it, as I find rose and lemon to be a delightful combo. This rose smells pink, and sweet, fresh and true. So far it isn't cloying, like rose occasionally be. Very fresh.

 

 

 

Dry: Lovely sweet, fresh pink rose, with that citrusy edge still hanging around. It's quite lovely, but I think I have decided that I like roses best with other notes as well.

[Dracosilverwolf]

In Bottle: Sweet, dusty pink rose. It's a lovely light floral note, no green to my nose, but it's so gentle and sad.

 

Out of Bottle: Same as in the bottle! It takes on a slightly soapy, powdery edge, but I enjoy that so no problem for me.

 

Dry: Really pleasant light rose scent. This feels like I could wear this all over me every day and it wouldn't become too overwhelming. Still a little powdery/soapy, but it basically smells like a clean lovely rose scent. There's a hint of something woody underneath too, very faint and barely there but it rounds out the rose well. I think this might have been the sad note I smelled before. Reminds me of dried roses hanging on the wall in the sunlight somewhere, the room warm but dusty and the roses forgotten. A fond memory from long ago.

[lizabelle]

When I bought this (from the lab's Etsy) and read "white rose," I was expecting a crisp, soft rose, maybe a little powdery. I could not have been more wrong! This rose is alive and assertive. There's a definite lemoniness to it that reminds me of geraniums--in fact this seems to me like what you would get if you interbred geraniums with red roses. There is a floral powderiness that develops over time but it remains big, fruity, and kind of spicy. This is exactly the kind of rose I love, and I will treasure my bottle.

[Teamama]

A must-have for BPAL Rose Fiends.

 

Fresh, light, lemony wild rose. Perfect for layering. I got one bottle from the forum, & another from the Lab's Etsy. Not a lot of throw, but so good!