Reviews of Paestum Rose (2006)
by Eau d'Italie

Eau d'Italie Paestum Rose

Paestum was a city in the Roman Empire which was renowned for the roses which only bloomed twice a year. Bertrand Duchaufour is a perfumer who is in the midst of creating his own empire of renowned scents. Eau d'Italie is a line created by M. Duchaufour for the Positano, Italy hotel La Sireneuse and Paestum Rose was the second scent he created for Eau d'Italie in 2006. One of the things I look most forward to in a Duchaufour creation is the twist he will add to something I think I know well. Rose is certainly a note most colognoisseurs know well and M. Duchaufour finds a way to make it seem new to my nose in Paestum Rose. The top contains none of the rose, as a mix of pepper, cinnamon and currant start things off with a spicy tang. From here the rose comes in and it comes in on cat's feet slowly and quietly. All of a sudden the spices seemed to evaporate, like a morning fog, and the rose is left there. There is a hint of osmanthus to help add a little depth to the very transparent rose but this just flows lightly and lushly over my skin. Into the base, incense comes out followed by the unique feel of wenge and a light amber. If I told you a base was composed of incense, wenge, and amber you would probably be expecting the nasal equivalent of a downpour. What is amazing about Paestum Rose is all of the components of the base plus the rose are given space to breathe together and combine, to instead create the nasal equivalent of a spring shower that refreshes instead of drenches. Bertrand Duchaufour is one of the best and most consistent perfumers working today and Paestum Rose is an example of his talent in full flower.

Paestum Rose is a stunning application of rose. In my collection it complements Aqua di Parma perfectly. Where Aqua di Parma is bright, summery, and almost ethereal Paestum Rose is dark, mysterious, and dangerous.
It starts off with woodsy incense, where the rose is present but not dominant. The floral heart is beautifully balanced with fruity accords. That's what I get for hours on application and it is just so eloguent.
An absolute gem of a scent, thumbs up for a 5 star fragrance.

This is a great fragrance . . . as long as you are not expecting a rose scent you will probably really like this one. Paestum Rose is more of an incense wood fragrance with rose and black current added in. Very juicy and quite wearable but mostly incense and spices along with a bit of rose. The cinnamon, pink pepper, coriander and tea notes are very prominent in the opening coupled with a bit of rose. There is a berry scent along with rose that gives sort of a plummy almost edible note that adds depth to of it. The drydown retains hints of rose but the patchouli and other light woods are more noticeable. I like this fragrance quite a bit, but it is definitely not comparable to any of my favorite rose fragrances (Black Tie, No. 88, Black Aoud). It is a wonderful incense fragrance with a very complex blend of nice smelling woods and spice that compliments the rose.

I recently read an interview with Lorenzo Villoresi in which he is quoted as saying that he doesn't believe that there is an "Italian Style" of perfumery, a claim which struck me as rather ironic, because I could swear that there definitely *is* an Italian style of perfumery. So I dragged out all of the fragrances I had on hand that could be called "Italian": Laura Biagotti's Roma, Lorenzo Villoresi's Tient de Neige, and Paestum Rose by Eau d'Italie. Not a truly representative sampling of perfumes from Italy, to be sure, the dang if they weren't all fundamentally variations upon a single theme.

That theme would be resinous myrrh and frankincense. All three are sweetly spicy, touched by herbally notes, and based in resinous woodiness. Where Roma is strong and sweet, Teint de Neige is softly powdered, and Paestum Rose sits elegantly between the other two.

On my skin, Paestum Rose lasts by far the longest, and is fascinatingly beautiful. Soft cool rose petals unfurl within a deliciously spicy composition. It is complex and uncommon, despite similarities to these other two fragrances. The rose accord acts like a gentle breeze within the scent, keeping is from becoming an oriental. It is an exquisitely beautiful scent which in my opinion, transcends categorization, being neither a mere rose fragrance nor an oriental, but rather something between the two. Given my love of myrrh, frankincense and roses, I cannot get enough.

As I type this there are 12 reviews for this one – all positive.
I’m happy to join this unanimous opinion.

Paestum Rose is another great scent from this house. Absolutely delicious rose fragrance equally suitable for men and women. Definitely one of the best rose perfumes ever; this is really amazing.

After fresh and bright start it soon turns into a very resinous and dark spicy rose with warm (almost hot) woods. Very unique and mysterious scent. Has a certain kind of exotic feel to it.

To me the aroma of PR is a dramatic one in itself, but the great balance with not overly strong sillage makes it both versatile and playful, if you like. With amount of sprays you can control the effect.

Must try – not just for those who are crazy about roses.

Simply gorgeous.

A shockingly modern rose based fragance. Bright and deep, baroque, colorful and intense yet totally wereable and unisex. Dark fruit, roses, spices and incense. To me, unforgettable.

It's my favorite between the Eau d'Italie scents, but they are all nice.
Great quality, very good lasting power.
On my skin, the rose is more powerful than the incense and it draws tons of compliments.
On the skin of my female colleague, the incense has more power than the rose, but I like it too (she doesn't, she prefers it on my skin).
The bottle looks cheap, but I don't matter.
I'm happy to own this EDT.
It's a little similar to Passage d'Enfer by L'Artisan Parfumeur, but lasts longer.

I can't add much to the description of this gloriously beautiful scent. So I'll just say ditto and that I'm so glad I found it, may a bottle of it always be on my dresser.

Dark, deep, rose that shines in the night, love it!

Paestum Rose along with Sa Majeste by SL and Rossy de Palma are probably the nicest rose fragrance renditions you can find, but I've gone off rose as a main note nowadays for some reason --a bit headache inducing on occasions. I also actually think this fragrance would work better on a woman, but it is genuinely unisex. If you like rose, you can't go wrong -- but I'll pass.

After several wearings I was impressed with Paestum Rose. It passed my tests of being neither too sweet, too soapy nor too powdery, and gave a fresh interpretation to an archetypal note.

PR is a dry, woody, interpretation of rose; a gradual transition from a pepper and oud top through a geranium and cedar heart to a vetiver and patchouli base. Rose is primary without ever dominating the blend. This is a soliflore in name only.

Unlike most others, I do not get the resinous medicinal note of myrrh that I know and love. Never mind; PR is none the poorer for its absence or my anosmia on that account, and the dry, smoky touch engendered by cedar is enough to balance the sweetness of the rose.

Though truly unisex, it strikes me as quite reserved and masculine - a business-man's rose. It's the polar opposite of lush, voluptuary interpretations of the flower like Lutens' Sa Majeste.

Excellent longevity; moderate sillage.

Highly recommended, especially for men seeking wearable rose fragrances.

There is an abundance going on in Paestum Rose. In the opening I get loads of spice in the form of pepper, coriander, and cinnamon, and I get the incense, myrrh, and cedar. These are all strong, dry elements and the rustic result of their presence is near aridity. There is a rose note in the background at first, but as lonely and muted as it is, it manages to balance all the dryness into a beautiful accord – ahhh, the power of the rose. This scent is genius… The spices, florals (osmanthus and peony), tea, and blackcurrant buds join with the rose to create that incredible union that is the core of Paestum Rose. This wonderful spicy, floral, tea accord lasts forever – which, considering the beauty of this fragrance, is not long enough. In the drydown it gradually dissolves into an incense / wood / rose-less neutrality that is complementary to the top levels. This fragrance boasts incredible sillage and longevity. There are many beautiful rose fragrances, and Paestum Rose deserves a place among those at the very top. This fragrance is extra special to me because it is so darned wearable: no other rose fragrance comes anywhere near this one for wearability... it loves my skin. This is my rose HG.

I am very impressed with the Eau D’Italie line. I find them to be complex and refreshingly DIFFERENT from the usual new fragrances. They really have character, verve, and charm. Such is certainly the case for Paestum Rose. It has a rich opening that I would characterize as oriental: it is dark, mysterious and compelling. The myrrh lends a sensuous, languid note. I am convinced that the “exotic woods” are at least partly from oud – hence a further dreamy (or narcotic, as one has said) aspect. On my skin, the rose is a minor note: I find the myrrh, oud and other woods and spices to be dominant. The patchouli is evident but presented with restraint. It augments the other elements but does itself not hog the stage. Great dry-down. To my mind this is a masculine scent but I can see that it would be terrific on some women. It’s a sexy scent.

It should come as no surprise that Bertrand Duchaufour’s rose composition for Eau d’Italie includes plenty of dry cedar and incense. Indeed, both of these are more conspicuous when Paestum Rose goes on than the rose itself. When the rose does arrive in force it is a beautiful bloom – soft, rounded, and ever so slightly fruity. It rides in on an earthy patchouli and vetiver blend that contributes both warmth and depth to the plush woods and florals.

Over the course of an hour’s wear Paestum Rose settles into a rose and patchouli accord that’s not too far removed from Voleur de Roses and Bond No. 9’s West Side, though drier and woodier than either. As it ages on the skin Paestum Rose’s dry, somewhat powdery cedar overtakes the patchouli to usher in a soft musk and woods drydown that’s occasionally haunted by an echo of the rose. Beautifully done, if not earth shattering in its originality.

1st try- Soft, dry incense, lots of rose! Nice cool scent for summer nights? 2nd try- Wore to club, dry incensy green chypre w/ intense rose. wow. Make that Intense Rose w/ incensy chypre background. A real standout. Still smell on skin in am. Good for daytime or hot night, not a "warm" scent.

In a masculine looking bottle that protects it from the light.

Gloriously complex. A rose for the non-traditional rose fan. I don't care for sweet tea rose. This is the spiced rose made dense and intense with incense & myrhh. The vetiver gives a snappy lemon-like freshness that lingers. I feel I'm getting my money's worth with this one. One spray and I'm in a cloud of this fascinating scent for hours. Very uplifting.

An unusual rose scent, both fruity and woody, classified as an Oriental, but I see it more in line as a new type of fuity Chypre. Dominant notes are blackcurrent, rose, myrrh, and cedar. It is dense without being heavy, it is amazingly complex, with about 20 notes listed in the ingredients. The entire aroma smells like it has been stewing in a bottle for decades, melded together like one of the old, classic fruity chypres, Rochas Femme or Mitsouko. Although the notes are different from these two old beauties, there is still the floral/wood/fruit combination that is so fascinating about that genre.

Paestum Rose is a strong, narcotic rose scent. I should hate it since roses, or florals in general, are not my thing and this is strong enough to choke a crowd. Funnily, I don't. I think it's because the rose is so true and fresh. Not dried rose, not soap like so many other rose scents. Just a blooming rose bush, heavy with large, shocking pink flowers.
Underneath the rose there's incense and vetiver, a sharp note reminiscent of some CdG creations like CdG 2. The overall impression is to make the rose even heavier and darker.
This scent can easily be too much and it definitely wears me rather than the other way around, but on days when I feel strong and bold enough to carry it off I really appreciate this rose overdose.