Rose Barbare (2005)
by Guerlain

One of the most beautiful rose scents I know. The aldehydes and the chypre base create a sparkling green, fresh, almost cool aura, while the mentioned honey accord stays in the background (at least on my skin). In its development, it gains a certain warmth, but never loses that refined, dewy touch. It's only moderately sweet and never gets cloying. Rose Barbare could be Rose de Nuit's bright and sunny counterpart.

Another one of the new Guerlains, from the "L'Art et la Matiere" line, where different perfumers create a scent based around a "raw material." Rose Barbare is ottoman rose, with honey-chypre notes. Now, I love rose notes in fragrances, but rose-dominated scents generally don't float my boat. Rose Barbare, however, is really lovely -- and despite not having that sharp/sour start that I often associate with the Guerlainade on my skin, it still smells like a "true" Guerlain to me. The roses in Rose Barbare are lush bushes of wild roses, probably growing in rocky soil or even sand. And somehow the dark green/woody, elegant chypre base seems natural, even though I can't say how that could work on sand. Rose Barbare stays very close to the skin, and lasts for several hours but not longer. Very nice, though I don't think I need to own it. Yet.

No dainty tea roses here. Rose Barbare is noble and lovely -- a deep floral, conjuring images or red/black blooms, against a backdrop of woods and (to my nose) leather. This fragrance reminds me of Empreinte by Courreges (or at least my memory of it) -- profound, dry, soft (though not powdery), round and warm. It manages to be both dignified and enticing.