Rose Red

[het4377]

The perfected winter rose, dew covered and freshly cut.

Rose Red 2010 is one of the most anticipated perfumes that I purchased decants of, since Rose Red '08 is one of my all time favorites, and I didn't have the sense to purchase a backup bottle when it was available *facepalm*. I really hope it lives up to my expectations so I can get a backup bottle and stop my silly worrying!

Wet on skin: Yup, there's that rose smell that I love so much! A little more Peacock Queen of a rose than Rose Red '08, but still very much a freshly cut rose.

Dry on skin: Again, I think this has slightly more of a formal peacock queen rose feel to it then the '08 version of Rose Red, but only slightly. Still, loving this so much!

After a while: This stayed strong on my for about 3 hours and then faded really fast, but for those three hours,

Final Verdict: My review in a single word? Fabulous! Rose Red is a top 10 for me, hands down. If I hadn't tested both the '08 and '10 version side by side, I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference so I'll be getting that second bottle with my next order methinks.

Rating: 5/5

If you like this, try: Peacock Queen, Roses, Diamonds and Pearls, Red Rose, The Rose, previous incarnations of Rose Red.

Using a slightly altered yeahbutnobut review formatting, because it is the epitome of awesome.

[coralprincess]

2010 - Rose is one of my favourite notes but I don't love this. It's definately a realistic rose but smells bitter to me. I much prefer Peacock Queen from the Rose Yules.

[blktauna]

as an aside Rose Red 07, 08 &10 seem consistent to me.

(I have a total of 19 bottles of this. I do not ever want to run out...)

[fairestrocza]

Rose isn't generally one of my favorite notes, but based on reviews from previous years, Rose Red sounded like the rose to try for non-rose lovers...

 

In the Bottle: realistic rose petals, and something odd (The Boy says 'swampwater')

 

Wet on Skin: gum and rosewater?! (The Boy says 'pepper spray and exhaust'). Not just any old gum, but the old, grey gum that I had to scrape off the bottoms of tables in the pre-indoor-clean-air-act days when I had a crappy waitress job. In other words, Not Good, not good at all.

 

While Drying: There is definitely something fresh-cut here, but it smells more like apple or some other fruit. The wintery aspect is a bit odd. The rose scent is better in the throw than it is close, but it reminds me of little girl perfume play sets.

 

After a Little While: The Boy agrees that the scent has improved drastically, but it is still not great. I'm definitely going to let this age a bit before I try it again. That initial stage is BAD on me.

 

Final Thoughts: This seems to contain the same rose note as Whip. That is probably fantastic news for some people, but my chemistry does not like it at all.

 

Rose Red 2010 earns a 2/5 on my skin. (Except that initial wet stage, which earns a negative number).

[thekittenkat]

In the bottle: Just as advertised.

 

Wet: Beautiful so far, a rich medium red rose, with dew on the petals, and has just been brought inside to a very cool, almost, cold room.

 

The dry-down: Just a hint of the green stem, but the rose scent is still very present. A fresh rose indeed, and a far cry from previous versions that always translated to green stems in ice water, what I call the generic florist shop smell. I may have to grab another bottle of this before the Yules go down. And I might try a layering experiment with The Rose, a favourite from the GC.

 

When I tried this at WC a while back, I was expecting the stems in water scent, and was pleasantly surprised to find a rose amongst the stems and water.

 

ETA: This is for the '10 version.

Edited January 15, 2011 by thekittenkat

[ajansuz]

2010 version:

 

In the bottle: Lush rose + leaves + a hint of dirt.

 

Wet: Exactly the same.

 

Dry down: The rose amps, and the dirt does a little bit, too. It smells kind of like oakmoss under the floral. Medium throw, good lasting power. I really love rose scents, and this is my favorite BPAL rose blend I've tried so far, no black musk to go baby powder or play-doh on me. I also like the hint of green under the floral. It keeps it from being just straight up single note. I'm very, very glad I ordered a bottle, and I can't wait to see how it ages. It's the most true to real rose I've found without being old fashioned tea rose.

[animalcule]

Smells exactly like my scent memory of being 6 years old and playing in my grandma's rose garden.

 

[RedRoseMaze]

In the bottle: A velvety red rose, fresher than in a flower shop.

Wet: It’s a bit too strong at first, it’s annoying for my nostrils; however, it gets better after 10-15 minutes.

Dry: It’s much better now. It’s a delicate floral scent, feminine, romantic, and almost a sacred rose.

Verdict: For those who might be turned off by its initial strong throw, my advice would be to let it dry completely before judging it. It becomes subtle and almost sweet over time.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

2010 version

Imp: Whoa, STRONG rose.

Wet: This really is a pure rose scent. Like a fresh flower, amped x100.

Dry: Candied rose. It's so strong that I can smell it in my throat.

 

Rose is one of the flowers I either love or hate. I can't decide how I feel about Rose Red, because it's SO intense and almost like a single note rose. I definitely can't wear this unless it's layered with something grounding like resins or woods, and even then I would just need a drop. Beth really captured a fresh rose though.

[Vega]

Reviewing the 2010 version.

 

Sniffed: Wet greenery/broken stems, so sharp and bitter that it's becoming off-putting!

 

On skin: Ugh, Rose Red is absolutely disgusting when wet! I get slapped in the nose by leaves/greenery and dirt soaked in water and turning bitter with the onset of decay. I know "disgusting" is a very strong word, but see: I'm usually quite tolerant even of scents that turn my stomach, yet all I want to do is wash this one off and put maximum distance between me and the decant. But I'll tough it out this once. Yes, a gentle red rose begins to emerge after drydown, and it eventually does become a more balanced fresh rose with stems and leaves. But oh, my nose was ruined by the wet stage, and I can still smell the dirty presence of dirt/wet leaves sullying the rose. This is the same note that made Ulalume unwearable too.

 

Verdict: I can't tolerate the dirt/wet leaves note, so Rose Red was an utter failure and disappointment. Seems like it and Peacock Queen have swapped roles, because the latter does smell more like the rose I was expecting, and is much, much better! Meh, I guess I have to stick with the "perfumy" roses and forget the fresh/realistic ones.

Edited May 24, 2011 by Vega

[EmmiKristiina]

A great fresh rose scent, really special, but way too strong for me, makes me sneeze So sadly I wont be keeping this.

[snapesgirl34]

This is for the 2010 version.

 

In the bottle – Rose. Just pure Rose.

 

Wet – Just Rose, but real rose, not that weird commercial stuff. It smells like I walked into a flower shop. It also has some aquatic notes to it.

 

Dry – The same as before but, slightly less aquatic, still smells amazing, the perfect rose scent.

 

Overall – I love this, oh my goodness. I usually don’t care for the scent of rose, but this is more of a sensuous rose red rose than an old lady rose perfume. It's beautiful and sexy.

[titania]

This is the best rose perfume I've ever tried. It's a sweet, fragrant rose, like putting your nose right into the flower. There's almost a juiciness to it that's hard to describe. Maybe that's the dew? It's delicious too, like the best turkish delight ever. Not the sugary part, just the rose flavour inside. It's sweet, but there's a sharpness (the thorns? ) that keeps it in line. The lasting power could be better on me, but it's not too bad. I like that it doesn't change much on my skin. Overall, it's a serious win. I'm very happy to own a bottle of it.

[coldandsleepy]

(2007 version)

 

Huh. I was expecting this to be a very straightforward rose scent... and it is. This is about half red red rose, lovely and fresh and perfect.

 

What I was not expecting was the blast of mint in here, and what is even more of a surprise: I *like* it. Mint is usually a death note of horror on me, but in this it is so fresh and green and never gets out of control. It's an herbal mint and not a bubblegum mint or candy mint. It smells so GREEN that this smells gloriously like springtime to me... not winterish in the least.

 

Quite beautiful. I like it!

Edited November 20, 2011 by coldandsleepy

[pHyper]

2011 Rose Red

 

This is definitely a fresh cut rose. It is green and it is rosy. The green is overpowering the rose on me. It calms down after about an hour, but it still isn't me.

[Altaira]

2011 version.

 

In decant: Fresh "florist" roses. Clearly the scent of a bouquet of flowers, not wild or garden flowers. There is almost a dusty note.

 

On skin: The dusty note fades and a juiciness comes forward.

 

Longer wear: I like this when wet, but it fades very fast; after about 90 minutes I can hardly tell it's there. Nice, but doesn't rise to the top of the many rose scents I already have.

[lavenderfrost]

Decanted imp from the 2011 version.

 

In The Imp: Rose, rose, rose. Pretty much the same as, well...The Rose.

 

Immediate Application: Slightly minty rose. Very slightly.

 

Um.

 

*BURIES NOSE IN CROOK OF ELBOW*

 

The mint isn't overpowering - just enough to work with the rose scent to prolong the FRESH-CUT ROSE STRAIGHT FROM THE FLORIST stage. There may be eucalyptus in there? Not sure. Either way, whatever else is added keeps it nice and chilly.

 

30-45 Minutes Later: Still rosy, still cold where The Rose warms up a bit.

 

Verdict: It's very nice, but between this and the aforementioned other oil, I've got lots of straight-up-rose already, and while I love rose, I also want to experiment more. Will keep the imp, pass on a bottle.

[OctoberGwen]

2011 version

 

Ugh, here is a rose that I don't like at all: it's way too green and sharp on me. Almost nausea-inducing. This must be the 'dewy' quality; I'm discovering that most wet scents don't work on me in any way. I had to scrub this off.

 

Thank goodness for Peacock Queen!

Edited January 30, 2012 by OctoberGwen

[Chanter]

I'm a true rose fan, so I was definitely going to try this when decant circles went up.

 

In the imp: Mmm, rose as advertized, as well as something sharper - that must be the dew-covered aspect, or maybe it's a representation of winter. Nice, if a little unexpected, anyhow.

 

Wet on skin: Much the same as in the imp; this one doesn't morph much at all on me. That sharp note is still there, mingling with the rose itself, and it's really starting to grow on me the more I sniff it.

 

On drydown: This mellows a bit, but really doesn't alter much scent-wise. I like it! Hanging onto this one for sure.

[Incendiare]

2011: I've always appreciated Rose Red. It's not your typical rose, as this also contains the stems and leaves. It smells exactly like roses that you can find in the refrigerator at a flower boutique. On me, it smells the exact same. I've toyed with the idea of getting a bottle of this in the past because it smells so ridiculously realistic, but at the same time, do I really want to smell like a rose, stems and all? I mean, rose and I get along very well, but still, it just doesn't seem like a perfume that I would actually like to wear or at least reach for on a regular basis. Still, I think everyone should give this a whiff just for its realistic qualities alone.

[Incendiare]

2011: I've always appreciated Rose Red. It's not your typical rose, as this also contains the stems and leaves. It smells exactly like roses that you can find in the refrigerator at a flower boutique. On me, it smells the exact same. I've toyed with the idea of getting a bottle of this in the past because it smells so ridiculously realistic, but at the same time, do I really want to smell like a rose, stems and all? I mean, rose and I get along very well, but still, it just doesn't seem like a perfume that I would actually like to wear or at least reach for on a regular basis. Still, I think everyone should give this a whiff just for its realistic qualities alone.

[thekittenkat]

This is for the 2011 version.

 

In the bottle: A rose dipped in mint-scented water. This doesn't bode well, alas.

 

Wet: Minty-fresh plastic rose.

 

The dry-down: Now, mostly mint, with a hint of a tea rose, and the aquatic note returning. This is very strange. In previous versions of Red Rose, I never experienced a mint note before, just cold water with rose stems (except for the lovely 2010).

[milo]

2011 Version: Perfect fresh red rose, along with the greenery. This smells like the inside of a florists cooler, in a good way. If I were a rose lover, I'd be all over this. I do enjoy rose on occasion, and this certainly fits the bill.

[venusinfurs]

Ordered a bottle of this simply based on my love for Persephone's rose note on my skin. I usually hate florals, but for some reason BPAL's rose note is sweet and beautiful and not old lady at all on me.

 

In the bottle: A green, wet rose. It's rose, but sharp and a bit cold. There is something bitter and a little earthy lingering also.

 

Wet on my skin: Still as it smells in the bottle, but the bitterness is amped a bit. I'm kind of disappointed because I'm not sure I like that bitter edge.

 

Dry on skin: Ahhh, no more bitterness! Just beautiful, sweet fresh rose! It still has a "cold" feel to it, but I love it. It doesn't smell like perfume at all, but like fresh cut roses.

 

This doesn't last as long as I thought it would. Persephone always seems to stick around on me, but this kind of faded after lunchtime.

[breeoxd]

This is for the 2011 version.

I'm a recent BPAL convert and my sniffer is not too sophisticated, but I feel like I really must make a comment here. I purchased this for two reasons- 1) I have an affinity for show white and rose red fairy tales and 2) I've long searched for a rose scent that doesn't make me smell like my 80 year old grandmother. Lots of rose scents musty and stale on me, so I was rather hesitant to buy this unsmelled, but I got my packages and WHOA! This is rose PERFECTION! I wasn't expecting much, but this is glorious! Sweet, clean, and fresh. Never powdery and headachy, and not sugary foody sweet. This is truely the first rose scent I've had that reminded me of burying my face into my freshly bloomed rose bushes after a rainstorm. If they make rose red next year I am surely getting a back up. Or 3.