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

It would be a tough challenge for anyone to make a fragrance worse than this. It smells dirty, repugnant, unfastidious, ungracious and it makes me sick. There's a total lack of sweetness, warmth and refinement that I find unbearable. I would have never expected such an unpolished and rude fragrance from L'Artisan. A total disappointment.

Perfect rose if you like rose scents but find them a bit too common and ´fake´. It´s a wet understated rose that smells very natural in a way. Like having a very fragrant fresh rose in crystal clear water with other greens. I find Diptyque L´ombre dans L´eau comes close but it´s a little more depressing than Voleur de Roses. Maybe Voleur is the naughty one that can come up and surprise you with a bright smile while the Ombre is just a little too ´emo´ to see the pretty and fun side of life.

Seems most people that don't like this were just hoping for more rose or don't like patchouli, but that's one of the reasons I like it so much. I love the rose and patchouli mix here... it's completely different than the rose/patchouli you'd find in Black Aoud, but very unique in its own right. I have a bunch of more rose centered scents, so I really appreciate this one for taking such a different approach. It's a dry, earthy rose with a gritty patchouli backdrop but it stays light in the style of L'Artisan.

90% patchouli. 5% roses. 5% other. That's what I smell. Sillage is minimal. Longevity is pretty good, though. It's over 12 hours later, and I'm still smelling patchouli. Lots of patchouli. If one doesn't like patchouli, this is probably one to skip.

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.

I smelled this blind. As in, someone handed me a card and I promptly said "that smells like Voleur de Roses". Turns out it was. (Not bragging because I had smelled it earlier that week). This smells like roses a little bit but it's a citrus rose that's green around the edges. Quite pleasant. But it wilts into a brown stem that smells of musks and wood. Love the flower but dislike the thorns.

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.

Rose thief is actually an apt name -- I can't detect a rose scent anywhere. Smells a bit like damp earth though -- if that's what you like. Try Costes or Rossy de Palma for better results re rose. Hugely disappointing.

Kaern

This review is under revision.

Dark clouds form overhead as the fluttering spring breeze suddenly turns cold, while cracks of thunder shake the ground and trespass on the tranquility of the day. As tears of helplessness from the sky soak the green earth, the wind picks up, and the primordial lust for savagery is unleashed on a prime target: a rose garden. Black winds howl, scathing the ground; ripping and tearing roots with glee; unphased by the violence as hips are torn, soil is churned, and buds are scattered. The ruthless wind agonizes and torments the hips; tossing them around effortlessly and piercing them on broken stems, while melancholy rain soaks the fertile soil and thunder cracks, striking the ground like the fist of an angry God. An eruption of soil; a cascading of shrapnel that was once life-inducing, crushes the stems and ignores the begging of the roots, which gasp for virility and for life, as they are woefully churned over. Dirt-stained roots comfort broken stems, who weep for the tattered and cleaved hips; laying as blood-stained corpses of a genocide, as raindrop after raindrop crushes the precious anthers and filaments, and rubs away the memories of a once-perfect life. Unsatisfied, the merciless thunder lashes out at a nearby plum tree, snapping off the fruits with ease; singing its skin, exposing raw flesh and sweet nectar to the to tattered remains of the roses. Drenching the hips, stems, and roots; the sweet plum finds home in the dirt, among the souls of its once-living brothers and sisters. Hour after hour, the assault rages and the battery is incessant; until, finally, anger ebbs away -- the storm leaves, and laying in the groves of death, is the beautifully grim Voleur de Roses.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The opening accord of dry, yeasty rose and patchouli is exquisite. Then, after I've worn it for five or ten minutes, the patchouli lurches out of balance and overwhelms the rest. It doesn't smell like a headshop - it smells like my brother-in-law's bong!

When the drydown arrives, two or three hours later, it's a lovely arrangement of woods, but what Voleur de Roses does in the middle is beyond my tolerance. I won't appear in public smelling like I've just smoked a whole pound of weed.

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.

LOVELY. The most unique scent i know to this date.
benb

This is very complex. A bit strong at first, but the dry down is wonderful....earthy and sensual - and surprisingly masculine. The rose is very understated yet strong enough to balance the patchuli. Quite nice.

The name, "thief of roses" describes the transformation very well from a soft and innocent pure rose opening (geranium rose?) that quickly dissolves into a transcendant intoxicating and quite mysterious scent. Patchouli leads the middle and bottom notes, rounded slightly by the rose and plum. Also detect a hint of musk? The rose is stolen away by the patchouli, but the patchouli is improved by the association with rose. The scent that remains is an earthy, medicinal mint patchouli that is light gentler than most patch fragrances. Very plifting and quite unique.

"Voleur de PATCHOULI” is more like it according to my nose. Oh, the rose is there, but it plays a subordinate role to the patchouli. This is fine with me because unadulterated rose essence is not my favorite olfactory happening. Voleur de Roses is a sublime scent, and the patchouli note brings a moist earthiness to the well-behaved rose. And with this accord is also a plum-iness and mustiness that, too, are a large part of the charm and beauty of this enchanting fragrance. Yes, it is musty and damp and wonderful. Rather linear, the combination accord is earthy, ethereal, melancholy, and smooth. It is also a touch dark, but a lightweight in darkness when compared to some of the niche rose scents—C&S No. 88 and Black Aoud, for example. Voleur de Roses is a highly wearable scent—especially for those damp rainy days and nights or those times when one feels contemplative or philosophical. It is also incredibly romantic…and just plain incredible.

Love Love Love this fragrance. Very different from any rose type fragrance imaginable. I get very little rose at all, but I do get lots of earthy patchouli. A tad melancholy, so not one to use if you are feeling blue. Longevity is not great on me, but worth reapplying to acheive such a dramatic almost gothic fragrance.

I spent 4 weeks researching on perfume and its response in order to find my holy grail. Along the way, I found my second love: Voleur de Roses.
One of my French friend who work in a perfumeur house in Paris introduced me to L'Artisan. Then on one Sunday afternoon, I went to L'Artisan shop on Marylbone High Street to check out his recommendation which is Dzing, Piment Brulent, and Boi Farine. However, I didn't like it as what I am looking for is a honey trap: a sweet sensual sense with a deep dark twist.
Before I left, the sale assistant ask me to try Voleur de Roses as it is a best selling there which was created for men but women do prefer it as well.
I put it on my skin, oh my, I cannot stop smelling my hand for about 6 hours.
Voleur de Roses is very sweet of roses corrupted with a dark twist of pachouli. I consider it as fresh. Though fresh here has nothing to do with mint/green/ or citrusy. Some reviewer related it with the soil in the garden after the rain.
It is sweet but with melancholic atmosphere around it.
Personally I think it is suitable to put on a wet rainy grey day especially in London. Sweet, sensual yet grey and unique. Highly recommended.

Wow, I'm in love, VdR is a completely intoxicating scent! After trying it once, I was enveloped by a rich and overripe but not overpowering plummy jamminess softened by rose. It was so velvety, seductive, and unforgettable that I had to use it again the next day. After only a couple of hours, I found myself online ordering a bottle. While I agree that it's probably not an everyday scent, I also know I'll be finding (or making) opportunities to wear it whenever possible. It's addictive!

Roses - not that over-powderly toilet-cleanser rose you're used with, but a wet bouquet under heavy autumn-rain, surrounded by near rotten fruits laying in the damp soil..
Not your everyday-scent, but the perfect antidote after a week with heavy and spicy scents.

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".

This scent actually makes me salivate! Truly a fragrance that creates vivid imagery...for me; a stroll through a rose garden ~ just this time of year ~ when the breeze is chilled and the leaf encrusted earth is damp. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, smells like beauty. Smells like love. L'Artisan is brilliant!

I want to like this. It's complex, distinctive, potent, and clearly well-made. The scent is just repugnant, though.

I agree with many of the previous reviewers. Voleur de Roses isn't really about roses at all. It's more about the dirt and wilting leaves surrounding the roses. The plum adds more depth and dampness to the patchouli note and rounds out its earthiness with a ripe sweetness. It's a very simple scent yet at the same time I find it very beautiful and unique. It's perfect for a rainy day and gloomy weather.

Voleur de Rose
Lovely, sweet, earthy rose? Or lovely, sweet, plum, wine patchouli? You decide. Perfect marriage of rose and patchouli. This is the closest I can come to describing the unique aroma: I make wine. This smells like my celler when it is full of vats of bubbling, freshly-brewing, wild mulberry wine. If you seek a sweet patchouli, this is wonderful.

As always with L'Artisan, the fragrance smells very natural, without any chemical notes. The first thing that hits is the patchouli, reminiscent of wet autumn woods. Then sharp, tangy rose and liquorice. It lasts quite well on my skin, but eventually fades into a surprisingly sweet, powdery musk.

"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.

I can't believe someone can like this. Smells like stale musty pastry or mouldy tangerines. And where's the rose?

VdR is a wet, earthy, floral. I do smell the rose, though not a purely sweet rose, more like the whole rose bush after a rain. There is also a plummy, round sweetness to the scent that complements the earthiness, making it richer, fuller, more plump, almost edible in some way. It's dark, but dark in the sense that a garden is dark after a rain (even if the sun is shining again), not dark as in ominous like Delon's Iquitos or Montale's Black Aoud. VdR stays close to the skin. Longevity could be better, but for this house, is pretty decent. I can get a good 3-4 hours before it's too weak to smell without putting my nose to the scent.

Think this is probably one of the most beautiful fragrances I've ever smelled right out of the bottle. Too hot and humid here in New Orleans to wear it now but will certainally be enjoying it this fall.

Like a damp greenhouse full of pregnant tomato plants.

I had high expectations for this but was sorely dissapointed. I don't like patchouli much and this smells mostly of that to me. I'm struggling to find the rose in here. It seems to sit on me like a dead weight.

I have wanted to try VdR for quite awhile and finally got the chance to try it recently. It was love at first whiff and I instantly bought 100ml on the spot. It is interesting because it falls outside of the usual woody, musk like, incensy choices I lean to. But I knew this scent with its damp floral, slightly dark intensity was just what my wardrobe needed to round it out. It has great longevity on me.

As a rose gardener I knew I had to find out about the Rose Thief. And like a masked, mysterious lover, Voleur de Roses is impelling and irresistible. It is, as described, a fragrance that captures the smell of damp earth, rose petals, dried and fresh rose leaves and petals, and huge rose blossoms. The fragrance has a dark, almost dangerous note that smells like sweet patchouli and dirt. I'm sure this note is the source of the delightful fragrance name. As this dries down, the rose disappears, and the fragrance becomes a dark and woody patchouli blend that's sexy and unique.

Smells like sex between a vampire and somebody's grandmother. In a crypt. Totally intoxicating.

It took some time until I learned to love this fragrance. The top notes are dominated by a strong, almost cloying Patchouli note. But after a few minutes it develops to something wonderful. Deep, earthy, fruit accords and woods are masterly composed to an awesome, relaxing scent. I don't get much rose here. It's more woody / fruity than floral.

Like others have said, wet roses and patchouli predominate, dovetail beautifully, though I can't really make out anything else (but my sense of smell isn't as refined as a lot of people here). That said, the rose note smells different than other rose notes in other parfumes (e.g.Iquitos)... voleur is more wet and more "real smelling(!?!)"

I love this perfume, though my one complaint is that it doesn't last long enough. It's a scent you want to catch coming off your skin all day, and alas, after just a few hours you find yourself hunting for a final whiff before it fades away.

It is a bit melancholy, but in the way that reading Proust in a coffee shop with a good cup of tea is a bit melancholy.

It's the first kiss after an arguement, and the last kiss in the rain before the final goodbye. Utterly lovely.

Yet another L'Artisan that took me a while to love, but now it's all dedication. A classic pairing of rose and patchouli with an earthy edge. Wet rose garden on a hot summer day after the hedges have been trimmed.

This is one fragrance that has won me over in a big way. My initial impression of it wasn't that great. I smelled patchouli burnished with a rosey glow which was nice enough but hardly anything mesmerizing. Yet I kept trying the scent and found that the smell of the earthy patchouli was really very comforting. It really was begining to remind me trips to the nursery and cultivating roses. Wearing it one sultry weekend, really helped me find the "boozy" quality of the plums and sweetness of the roses that can be found here. Now I truly love the way this smells. I guess this is really all about perception because without knowing a single thing about this fragrance my SO says I smell "like tea" when I wear it. And he is right! It is another perfectly valid interpretation. I think if you dislike patchouli, this scent won't go about changing your mind but if all the "buzz" has caught your interest you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.

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

This is one of my all time favourites and therefore I'll fail to express its glory in words. Rain, roses, things on the turn: this is like a Renaissance still life where everything is beautiful until you spot the decay on the peach and the fly crawling across the grapes. It's like a crimson strawberry that is close to turning bad and at its most delicious just before it does.

So yes, there is a suggestion of vegetal collapse in this scent, but it's deftly handles and poetic.

They managed to bottle melancholy. This is not a happy smell, it is indeed a rich wet rose smell that seems out of place anywhere where it's not cold and raining. I think if Seattle could have an official fragrance this would be an excellent choice.

So fine in so many ways, so impressively different and beautifully sultry yet of the earth and real. Voleur de Rose strikes me as one of those medieval scents, something drawn from an herbalist's special potion and made from the deepest red rose petals gathered beneath a full moon, spiced with a mythical beast's breath of patchouli and sweetened so delicately with exquitely ripe pulp of black plums (assuming they had plums back then - ?!) Every note in this fragrance lives up to its reputation; the patch isn't stinky, the rose not florid or musty, the plum not sour or sticky. Voleur de Rose is a special, special fragrance and worth every single penny it costs. I'm slightly in awe of its incredibly sensuous aura.

A wonderfully aromatic rose fragrance with just enough patchouli to add smokiness and a little fruitiness to make it that much more interesting. VdR is the fragrance that sent me down the path in search of rose scents, and it remains my favorite. Expensive, but worth every penny.

A unique fragrance that I only wear in special occasions. An earthy blend of rose and patchouli. Truly transports me into its mysterious, gothic and surreal garden.

Voleur de Roses is one of the most beautiful and unique rose based fragrance I have come across. The blend of patchouli and rose makes this incredibly beautiful and also very earthy at the same time. There is also a ripe plum accord that makes this so rich and intoxicating. It’s perfect, mysterious, and so very unique.

Totally nauseating. There is an animal mustyness, like wet dogs or fox urine, that just makes me gag. Too, too strong and unbalanced, the top note is just awful but get better on the drydown when it begins to smell like a faded diva's dressing room on a summer's day with dust motes everywhere - not a good thing but evocative. I may be the only voice of dissent here but I cannot imagine how anyone could like this. This, for me, is the biggest let down for a while. I suspect that skin chemistry might have a lot to do with this fragrance but I warn anyone who wants to buy this to save their money and buy Acqua di Parma instead: Bulgar rose for the discerning gentleman.

Very special, unique, I love it..

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

This is the scene I imagine while wearing VDR:
It's raining, and the soil is damp. You walk through a garden of roses while eating a sweet plum. It is very natural smelling, and I reccomend it.

One of the best fragrances i've ever encountered. From top to bottom, the stuff leaves you breatheless. A very daring rose scent for a man to wear, but it's by no means at all feminine. You'll be trapped in a garden full of roses instantly, with a wet soil touch. It literally brings you to a world of its own!

It's fall and you are slowly traipsing through your gardens, the day overcast with mist in the air. The last of the plums from the overhanging tree are ready to fall to the ground. The old rose bushes, their woody roots exposed and aromatic, have yielded the final petals of the season. The petals, in turn, have fallen to the freshly overturned, slightly damp soil. You close your eyes and take a deep breath, and are enchanted by the fragrant milieu.

Picture yourself as a young child walking through a grassy field. Raindrops falling gently as the fresh moist earth squishes under your bare feet. You pull some roses carefully from the thorny bush to give to your mother. Placing the roses gently in the front pocket of your overalls you look to the orchards. Reaching up you pick a ripe plum hanging from a branch heavy under the weight of fruit and rain. Sitting down on the moist earth you bite into the plum dribbling juice down your chin onto the fresh picked roses.
Welcome to the world of Voleur de Roses!

I have been wearing this scent now almost continuously for 24 hours and can't stop sniffing it, having done a couple of reapplications since I first put it on. The earthy sweetness of the top notes is striking and seductive, but doesn't prepare you for how good it gets as the scent develops and the soft patchouli notes waft off your skin. Rose, plum, and patchouli are obviously a fragrance marriage made in heaven. Tigrushka is absolutely spot on with her description, and as the range of reviews here attest to, this is a scent for both men and women.

Dried roses, too ripe plum and soil. The effect is one of faded romance, which I find to be quite a romantic accord to find a fragrance. The rose here is quite different than what you will find elsewhere and very masculine. I love this fragrance.

Love at first sniff and it gets even better! Voleur de Roses (I just love the name) smells like roses, plums and wet earth, it takes me to a leisurely bare-foot walk in a charmingly unkempt garden with rose bushes and fruit trees, on a warm, rainy summer day. This is stuff that dreams are made of.

SUPERB fragrance. Deep, rich, and very seductive. The rose elements are absolutely perfect with the plum and patcouli. I find it a meditative and cathartic fragrance perfect for just about any time, but seemingly more well-suited by evening solitude or romantic interludes. I think it's probably the best L'Artisan scent.

'Thief of Roses' - what a great name! The rose is definitely there, but is not overwhelming and the fruit and patchouli notes are equally strong. The perfect rose scent for a guy. The only fragrance that is remotely similar is Diptyque's new Opone but this is sweeter and more rosey.

Very earthy with a deeply underlying Bulgarian rose accord. The plum gives it a certain depth. I could wear this anytime, anywhere without feeling the least bit unmanly. Very different.

'Voleur de Roses' is listed as a male or female fragrance...I love it. Very good quality. It doesn't smell feminine or perfumy at all. It releases wonderful, masculine woody notes throughout the day,(IF you like those...).