Reviews of Voleur de Roses (1993)
by L'Artisan Parfumeur

This is a mood fragrance. I wear it whenever I feel melancholy and want to wallow in my melancholic state. I can't really wear this fragrance anywhere other than at home. It is very well done, but don't wear this when you want to feel cheery and energetic. You'll just get sucked in by its pensive, melancholic aura.

This is a real Cheshire cat of a fragrance. One minute it's not there at all, the next it's large as life, grinning malaevolently at you.

This is like Ungaro III's wayward brother, the one who took to a life of crime. It makes a terrific counterpoint to the elegant Ungaro. Love them both and happy to have them in my collection.

This review is under revision.

Was really anxious to try this because of the many glowing references on the womens' threads. Was disappointed at first whiff and on first application because I wasn't getting the hit of roses I love (hadn't read the reviews yet}- just a hint of roses over fresh earth with something like rotting vegetation (which I also love!!) Roses bloomed more fully and then faded into a sort of melancholy woody spice. Very interesting - but not something I would want to live in. I really appreciate VdeR - but I don't like it that much for me.

Wow.. I think I would have to agree with almost all of the reviews here..positive and negative. I get the realism of the rose which I wish lasted longer, I get the damp earth which I love, I get the plumb note(which I think I could do without). I'm a HUGE fan of patchouli scents.. So naturally I would love this. I'm just having a HUGE problem with how long this one lasts. On me, this lasts for about an hour... and thats it! What the @#%$!! Why someone would create an incredibly beautiful fragrance that only lasts an hour.. and then have a nerve to put a $110 price point on it is beyond me.
Still.. I found myself sucked into its allure. It's intrigue and mystery. "liquid poetry".."vegetal collapse" (although a beautiful rendition thereof if such were intended)..I would definitely concur. Its just a shame that I find myself refreshing about every 45 mins to an hour.
Out of all the reviews so far, I think Zztop said it best; ""Voleur de wallet", more like it".

"Refreshing like rain after the heat,
soft yet tenacious and strong too...
Unusually evocative.."

Voleur De Roses, or "Thief of Roses", is a fragrance whose intention is to evoke the smell of earth and rainfall mixed with the fragrance of fresh roses. It does start off smelling pretty good - upon initial application, you can smell a rich, wet rose and earthy patchouli in equal doses. After a few minutes, the composition becomes more earthy, and slightly sweeter...perhaps its that plum note. As time goes on, you can smell the rose fade further and further into obscurity, and smell the patchouli take over...I think L'Artisan are referring to the patchouli note as the "Thief of Roses", because that note makes away with the rose note pretty fast. While you are robbed of your rose note smelling pleasure, the earthiness which was so enchanting just a few minutes ago is also slowly drifting away. About an hour later, what you are left with is a heavy dose of patchouli. 3 hours later, you can barely smell this on your skin. "Voleur de wallet", more like it.

To L'Artisans credit, they actually classify this as a "precious woods" fragrance, so their intention wasn't to create a full blown rose scent. If you are looking for a varied patchouli fragrance, this will please you. You wont be pleased with this if you are seeking a complex rose fragrance. For all others, try it and see how it works; it can go either way.

A left-wing compost of fermented rose, ripe plum/fruit, amber, and musty wood -I reserve this frag for kite flying conventions.

The Thief of Roses, I think, has stolen the fragrance from me... For the life of me this is by far the lightest fragrance for 'staying power' I have tried to date. I must have refreshed this seven time yesterday. I would ask someone if they liked the fragrance and they said, "what fragrance? I can't smell anything..." and you know, neither could I. The only time I could smell any part of it was right after I sprayed it on but really sprayed it on.
The combination of rose & plumb is marvelous but the olde thief soon comes & steals it away because that is the last time I smelled it. If you have dry skin, I suppose, you really have to use alot and it does seem a waste since almost 1/8 of the bottle is gone in one day - and I am not even a reptelian. Wonderful fragrance if I could smell it. A wasted 115.00 - I should have taken the Ambre PrÈcieux like I started to.
caboose