La Fille De Berlin by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido, 2013

I admit I wasnt overly enthusiastic or eager to try La Fille de Berlin. Although I love roses, I havent had a lot of luck with Lutenss rose perfumes. Sa Majeste Rose contains a note that makes my stomach constrict in protest, and Rose de Nuit, despite its gorgeous opening, eventually turns sour on my skin. Well, La Fille de Berlin is very different from these. The composition opens with the unmistakable note of rose. It is not a pink rose; it is not a bright-red rose, either, but the soft petals of a dark-red, burgundy-colored blossom. It is not a fresh, dewy rose, and in fact, I don't find this perfume fresh at all. I really enjoy the scent the first couple of minutes. There is also another note, warm, slightly bright, and difficult to identify, which could be fruit, but I dont find it prominent, and at any rate, it is fleeing. Then, the rose still stays, but the fragrance takes a slightly different turn: this time, the rose is accompanied by some metallic notes. Actually, they are not truly metallicnot like the metallic notes in blood accords, for example, and I suspect this allusion comes from the type of musk that has been used. It feels slightly dirty, and frankly, unpleasant to my nose. This is when I begin to sense the violet aspect as well, but violets do not become dominant on my skin, either. They remain a quiet, constant, and somewhat creamy presence. After 30 minutes or so, the dry-down is very pleasant, soft, and slightly sweet. I think rose lovers will appreciate La Fille de Berlin if they dont mind whatever passes for metallic or animalistic notes here.