Brulure de Rose 13 (2003)
by Parfumerie Generale

Tooth achingly sweet. Less a scorched brûlée, where creamy sweet rose would have the bitter bite of the crisp burnt sugar to play against, more an infusion of rose, warmed gently in a pan with milk and mixed into a selection of confections. For me, the evolution of the scent, and it does evolve quickly and interestingly, was a study of the confections the rose is conveyed in, rather than the rose itself. Good quality white chocolate filled with raspberry pieces and lavishly flecked with vanilla and rose petals, candied roses imprisoned in sugar, roses buried under thick pannacotta or the brûlée that hasn't yet been burnt. And that's my gripe, the rose is constantly buried under it's confection, peeps out enticingly before being swept back under. Enticing can be wonderful ... but sometimes it flips over to frustration. Overall this is lovely , but not quite what it could have been if more contrast had been there to balance the sweetness, or to lighten the edible burden the rose is under that prevents the whole composition from truely shining. To me the most obvious scent here is raspberry, not rose. Once I let go of the idea that rose 'should' be at the heart of this I liked it a lot more.
It gets a thumbs up because I like the idea, and it certainly entertains through it's progression. One to try, just for the fun of it,

14th October, 2011. (Last Edited: 28th October, 2011.)

This beautifully crafted, sweet, soft rose-based floral oriental is almost too pretty for its own good. Almost, but not quite. The accord of mild rose and sweet vanilla established over Brulure de Rose’s first few minutes immediately brings to mind Maurice Roucel’s delightful Tocade, done for Rochas in the mid-1990s. Yet as much as the newer scent echoes its predecessor’s fundamental structure, Brulure de Rose distinguishes itself through a different interpretation of the shared theme.

Whereas Tocade remains bright and somewhat crystalline throughout its development, (thanks perhaps to some judiciously employed green notes,) Brulure de Rose grows darker, softer, and more voluptuous as it wears. I attribute this effect to perfumer Pierre Guillaume’s use of a very rich, almost smoky wood accord, reminiscent of those he’s employed in some of his gourmand woody orientals, including Coze and Aomassaï. The result is less obviously “pretty” than Tocade, less obviously feminine, and more ambiguous in mood. If Tocade can seem relentlessly cheerful, Brulure de Rose - despite its pastel pink color - suggests the capacity, if not the inclination, to brood. It’s also a lot more adaptable to use by adventuresome men, particularly as its drifts into its woody drydown.

28th June, 2011. (Last Edited: 12nd August, 2011.)

It works for me at first because I love rosewood and I get a full rosewood note right out of the bottle… one that’s pleasantly aromatic. The opening accord is unique… conflictive… almost chaotic with opposing notes and an abstract, aromatic ambiance. When the aromatics lessen, the rose comes through softly but clearly, and it’s a kind of rose I can like: discreet… not anywhere near cloying, and with that lightly metallic tinge that I often get in an accord when rosewood is present. There is something pleasantly sharp, maybe citrus, in the background. I know that this is supposed to present the rose in three of its phases from birth to infinity, but I don’t get the development. The rose stays soft and light and discreet for a long time and then turns bubble gum sweet – and there it stays: It’s probably what is referred to as “rose amber.” Toward the dry down I get a very slight smoky note… barely enough to notice. There are supposed to be cocoa and raspberry notes at this point but I don’t smell them.

What started out as a pleasant rose / rosewood fragrance has turned out to be pretty much of a disappointment. The proposed complexity of this fragrance just didn’t carry through to my nose.

11th December, 2009.

It's horrible. I was expecting roses and smoke, or perhaps roses and gunpowder, but what I got instead, is the nastiest bubblegum smell ever. It was so invasive and so close to what bubble gum smells like that that I could not even detect any rose in it. I sat on the bus a few minutes after I applied it, and I was so embarrassed because no one would sit anywhere near me. What's more, it took ages to wash off so I was stuck with it, and a horrible headache for hours.

25th June, 2009.

Not terribly impressed. The description was lovely--an attempt to capture the rose when it is closed as a bud, when it first opens, and when it is at full bloom.
I was disappointed that the rosewood doesn't come through for me. I love rosewood as an ingredient. Overall I get a rose accord with an indistinct lemon and raspberry aspect softened by a little vanilla or chocolate. I think it is better to buy a few different rose scents from Les Parfums de Rosine to get a tour of the variety in rose accords.

24th October, 2008.

I first wore this a month ago and wasn't 'sold' straight away. On first snifft it's a lot sweeter than the perfumes I normally wear. However, I couldn't stop squirting it on myself and smelling it. That must be a sign, so I've just gone and ordered myself a huge bottle. I've grown to adore this scent.
I have Irish colouring (v dark hair, v pale skin, green eyes). It may work differently with other skin types, so if you can get hold of a sample do try it first.
On me, to start it has a honeysuckle warmth, then it becomes truly edible! It dries down to autumnal woods. This perfume bonds to your skin sublimely.

9th May, 2008.