Help me decide please: I really want to blind buy my first ROSE fragrance.

I would not buy such expensive thing blind. If you never smelled Montale you may be really pissed off with Black Aoud... You can get Montale samples here http://www.europerfumes.com/7-vial-sampler-1/

From the other niche brands I like Voleur De Roses from L Artisan which is freshier than Montale and without oud, but with decent amount of patchouli on drydown (its maybe more patchouli than rose on drydown).

Rosissimo by Parfums des Rosine

Rose 31

Hi and welcome to basenotes!

Below are a few Rose based scents that are good to try out.

Egoiste by Channel - Rose and Sandalwood are the main players with a slight fruity accord and a dash of vanille in the basenotes.
Opus 1870 by Penhaligons - A peppery Rose and cedar, smells good.
Lyric Man by Amouage - A lush Rose that borders on the feminine, smells great in small doses.
Lumiere Noire Pour Homme - Rose and Patchouli with artemisia. My favourite as it smells really good.

A man to blind buy any rose fragrance is risky (of course, I have many rose fragrances, and many were blind!).

My favorites are Armani Prive Rose d'Arabie and Tom Ford Noir de Noir. I also enjoy Creed Windsor, Tom Ford Cafe Rose, by Kilian Rose Oud, Heeley Agarwoud, Andy Tauer Incense Rose, and Amouage Lyric Man.

Of the ones you narrowed it down to, I would most likely suggest Tom Ford Noir de Noir for a blind purchase, followed by Rose Anonyme. NdN seems the most masculine and universally accepted of all rose fragrances.
IMO, your best bet would be to go to The Perfumed Court or LuckyScent and get some samples of these and others that people recommend and decide for yourself which you like the best before you invest in one, and wonder if you may have liked a different one more...

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+1 - yes, forgot about this gem... Magnificent fragrance!

From the ones you list I find it hard to make a recommendation... It is not that most of them are "bad" at all (quite the contrary) but while Rose 31 is a rose scent for sure, the rose is really not the star, IMO... Black Aoud is a good one, but an acquired taste (probably not best for blind buy)... Noir de Noir has more than its share of supporters, but I definitely am not one and find it a difficult scent to like. If by "Artelier Rose" yolu mean Aftelier Roses, then it is a very good rose soliflore, but it is short-lived due to it being an all-natural composition and it is too simplistic for use by itself, IMO. I find it much better when paired with Aftelier's sublime Oud Luban, but that combo is going to cost you major dollars...

If I *had* to pick one of the ones on your list, it would be Black Aoud, but I say that without great confidence. A risky blind-buy for sure.

My recommendation is to look to other targets that are "safer" smelling and less costly blind buys (if you insist on blind buying, of course) like Floris No. 89 or Aramis JHL.

Then again, if you are looking for a big ticket splurge and you want to shoot for the absolute best, then there is always Portrait of a Lady by EdP Frederic Malle which would be my choice by miles. ;-)

Good luck.

I would also suggest you Rossissimo by Les Parfums de Rosine, probably the safest (blind buy) rose scent for men I've tried.

Have you had any experience with oud? Because 2 of the ones you've listed are heavily surrounded by oud and Rose 31 isn't really that much rose.

Personally I find Black Aoud stuffy. Noir de Noir kind of has a chocolate rose vibe, so honestly that might be my suggestion.

Another that I absolutely ADORE is Portrait of a Lady, but at that point it's kind of risky to blind buy.

A few other of my favorites include:

Rose Poivre - dirty peppery rose
Homage Attar - divine rose
West Side - wine and vanilla rose
Baie Rose 26 - forget Rose 31...


I'm not much help...listing those I see my taste falls on the most expensive side...

I'm not sure what you mean by can be worn by a man, certainly they all can be. Though I could see Noir de Noir falling more feminine due to the sweetness, Rose 31 is more neutral.

Ehhhh, judging by price and how I think you'd take to a fragrance by the short paragraph you wrote, I'd suggest Rose 31.


...I know I suggested NdN earlier, you'll have to be the judge.

Pure clear Rose - Lyric Men

Sharp manly Rose - Le Labo Rose 31 or Lumiere Noir

Another for Lumiere Noir - the last fragrance that truly wowed me and also my SOTD yesterday. A close second to that would be TF Noir de Noir.

For a blind buy, go with Ungaro III, Zino, or Azzarro Acteur. If you don't like it, you're only out $20-30 or so. If you're spending more than the cost of a night out, you should really sample first. You can order samples from The Perfumed Court and Luckyscent.

That said, I think Le Labo Rose 31 is a pretty safe niche blind buy for you, given your likes. Imagine Terre d'Hermes, except instead of mineral, pepper and citrus notes, it instead has rich bulgarian rose and a toasty, non-B.O. cumin. The woody aspects of the two fragrances are very comparable.

Despite Black Aoud's strong reviews, I would definitely not recommend a blind buy of that. Montale's synthetic oud accord is pretty jarring, and not for everyone.

Another nice niche rose fragrance that hasn't been mentioned is Domenico Caraceni 1913 (though I think this might have been discontinued, because I've been wanting to pick up a bottle and can't find it anywhere online). I'll also second Lumiere Noire and Noir de Noir as good fragrances (but you might want to sample them first).

I see recommendations for By Kilian Rose Oud and Portrait of a Lady... while these are both FANTASTIC fragrances, I also suggest sampling first, since they are also fantastically expensive and a bit more feminine-leaning than many others listed.

Lumiere Noire!

From a girl's point of view, I would also support Rose 31, with Pehnaglions Opus 1870 close second. I actually got them for myself, but my husband shamelessly douses himself with both.

If you want to blind buy, I would recommend getting on a split - there is one for Rose 31, and the price is less than half of the retail. Sure, you won't get the fancy bottle, but I don't think it matters much. I got mine from a split below:

http://www.basenotes.net/threads/246...ign-up-now-%29

Good luck with your blind purchase!

Cheap: Azzaro Acteur

Expensive: Rose 31

Both perfectly suitable for a man.

+1....the only blindbuy i made is Homage and after all the search and all the perfumes i sniffed so far! this one has everything i look for: natural, but longlasting, smells like perfume, smells more on the masculine side(thats the only -), most beautiful opening there is,wearable in many occasions, for weddings too .....it has rose, and oud, and amber, and citrus oils and jasmine...enough sweet, enough strong, enough of rose, the rose is not heavy bulgarian one but taif rose hehe
mesmerizing,
and nothing can beat it

happy sniffing! i am sure you will like your samples too!!

Definitely sample Noir de Noir. It is a dirty, masculine rose fragrance with a somewhat chocolately dry down.

Also, sample Rose 31. It's more of a cumin fragrance than a rose.

Aventus -- sample it as well. I was going to blind buy it with all the praises that it received when it was initially released. But, I'm so glad I tried it first -- from two different samples/sources, and I never liked it.

Whatever you choose, sample them first, don't blind buy anything or you will end up with an expensive or cheap bottle of something you hate.

Cheap option: Ungaro III. Love this one, smells expensive. Good performance. Safe blind buy.

Costly option: Noir de Noir. Rose-based with a pleasant citrus twinge. Good to excellent performance. Sample before spending this much.

I have been searching for the "pure" rose perfume for decades. Until now, the closest I have come is Donna from Lorenzo Villoressi. Please check the reviews of this fragrance on basenotes and on fragrantica.

Montale Black Aoud is great...My pick...but Montale Louban is a dark brooding rose that also smells wonderful...It is worth getting a sample.

I ordered a sample of Azzaro Acteur recently, and it was completely horrible, unwearably sweet. LeLabo 31 is great but expensive. Montale Black Oud is good, but imo not worth it's price. I would suggest Zino Davidoff. I think there's minimum or no difference between original and reformulated, it's a well made reformulation. Other suggestion would be Ungaro III but it's original is much better than reformulated version and the original is quite hard to find.

What do you mean by "pure" rose?

Chanel Égoïste!!! Sweet, creamy and amazing rose/sandalwood combination!
Montale Black Aoud! Powerful rose, with a slightly medicinal aoud supporting it. Has a slightly soapy vibe to some, hmmm....
Azzaro Acteur... The Joker - I have not tested this, but people talk again and again, about the amazing rose note in this, which has prompted me to put on my to-test list.

I blind bought Egoiste and love it. For Montale, try White Aoud. It's a little friendlier than the Black. Neither of these are super expensive.

What about Creed Windsor? Definitely not for blind buy though as it is very expensive.

-- Update --

My bad. I think this is no longer available?

Great! This way if you hate it, at least you didn't spend twice as much; although, I don't think you will hate it. Yes, some mentioned that cumin is pronounced - however, I don't think it's offensive in Rose 31, and I experienced some really heavy cumin hitters. Another very cheap, but wonderful option not mentioned before is Rive Gauche by YSL. I got it for my husband and enjoy it tremendously (on him).

I agree with Black Aoud - sample first; and White Aoud is quite feminine, so sample it first too. I love it personally, but it's girly. Rossissimo is another great suggestion that I agree with wholeheartedly, though it's not as rose heavy IMHO. Another great rose from the Rosine house is Ecume (very rosy), and Une Rose Au Bord de la Mer (aquatic). Have fun with your roses !

I have to play devil's advocate here and vote against Rose 31. There's something about Le Labo that just doesn't work for me, of the three I've tried (also including Patchouli 24 and Santal 33). Still a newbie here, don't know what the common note is that's such a turn-off. (Any thoughts on that folks?)

Anyway, why blind buy?

I agree in general that blind buying is bad, especially with the availability of cheap decants and samples. However, I would nominate Noir de Noir as an amazing rose scent that is just slightly feminine. I love it.

No, it was a somewhat reformulated second limited edition only for the US Creed website, but The Perfumed Court still has got it. On a different note, and more linear, Jo Malone Red Roses, although probably not as a blind buy.

based on what you like - Rose 31.

Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme is good too.

I strongly suggest you not blind buy anything, much less a rose fragrance. All you have to do is get some samples of the things you are interested in and then purchase the one you know you like. There's nothing worse than paying a lot of money for something and then not liking it. I guarantee you we all have different preferences. We simply don't all like the same things. And sometimes it's not even close. I have purchased colognes based on reports here and not only did I not like them, some of them I thought were horrible. Only YOU can decide whether you like a fragrance. Use reports on fragrances from others as a general guideline, but never fail to sample.

I also encourage you to get a sample of Aventus and to buy it if you like it. If you don't like it, all you have to do is send it back and get a refund. Just say it doesn't smell right and you think it's defective. There's nothing they can do, no more than if you had an allergic reaction to it.

Don't believe everything you read regarding batch variations. Besides, I haven't heard of a problem regarding batches of Aventus for quite a while now.

For roses, I enjoy
- Aramis 900
- Ungaro III (Vintage)
- Noir de Noir
- Egoiste.
- Montale Attar (Rose, Sandalwood and Oud)

Amouage Lyric Man
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Out of all the Rose fragrances you've mentioned, I only consider Rose 31 to be a rose centered fragrance since that's the only one I can really smell the rose. In the others, the rose is so "well-hidden" that I do not considered them rose centered fragrances

Regarding Noir de Noir, I do refer Westside by Bond No9 over it since they smell basically the same to my noise but the rose/Peony combo in Westside is much more pronounced

With that being said I think it is very tricky and dangerous for men to buy blind a Rose centered fragrance since the tolerant level of rose might be different greatly based on personal taste. One fragrance my be considered too rosy (a.k.a too feminine) for one and not rosy enough for other


Below are some short opinions on mine about the Rose fragrances I've smelled


Rose 31 by Le Labo - Rose on top of spices. Dry & powdery. Think Burberry Brit without the sweetness and a medium-size rose on top.

Lyric Man by Amouage - Very rosy. The rose note in this one reminds me of the similar rose note in Rose 4 Reines of L'occitane. The dry down has a slight shampoo-y note that feel a bit cheap. Overall, one of the most well-done rose but I'm not willing to pay $200ish for a bottle

Ta'if Rose by Montale - Red, lush rose wrapped around by wood and dust. Very dramatic and very hard to wear

Deep Rose by Montale - Rose and peony. Slightly boozy with a woody undertone

Sa Majeste la Rose by Serge Lutens - Animalic rose, open with lush, sweet red rose then quickly become annoyingly animalic on my skin, fabric and paper

Elisabethan Rose by Penhaligon's - Old fashion tea rose

Tea Rose by The Perfumer's Workshop - Elisabethan Rose but more synthetic smelling

Diabolo Rose by Les Parfums de Rosine - Tea rose with refreshing mint added. Interesting

Westside by Bond No 9 - Again Rose and Peony. Very boozy and festive feeling (smell nothing like Deep Rose although my description makes them sound similar )

Noir de Noir by Tom Ford - Westside by Bond No 9, the very slight differences being NdN feels a little darker and not as festive a.k.a without the wow factor that makes Westside so special

No 88 by Czech & Speake - No rose! Smells old and dated

Acteur by Azzaro - Similar to No 88 in style but with more rosy sweetness

Lumiere Noire PH by MFK - No rose. Animalic and dirty

Rossy de Palma Eau de Protection by Etat Libre d`Orange - More well-done and less sweet CK Euphoria for Women

Rose Poivree by The Different Company - More patchouli than rose or pepper. I do not feel any animalicity in this one

Rose Ikebana by Hermes - Rosy and a bit fruity. Smells like millions of fruity-rosy women fragrances out there, maybe with a tiny bit more depth. Nothing special and do not worth the price tag.

Voleur de Rose by L'artisan - Like the name stated, the rose is stolen and no where to be found. Very nice and well-done but putting rose in the name is quite misleading since this one is more about patchouli

Elixir by Penhaligon's - I smell rose at the beginning of this fragrance but it quickly dies down. Do not consider this a rose fragrance

Aoud Flowers by Montale - They say it has rose but I can only smell aoud

I don't think anything here is a safe blind buy. I blind bought Rose 31 based on all the positive comments about it. I didn't like it at all and ended up swapping it. I just don't like the cumin note - it definitely brings to mind BO if you don't know the scent of cumin well. I can see past that, but I just don't like it. I also blind bought Ungaro III and got a recent formulation that is pretty generically bad. I never wear this one.

Lyric Man is a big rose, but I wouldn't wear it. I wear a lot of feminines, but this one is too feminine for me. The Montales are nice, but I think they are cheap and synthetic smelling, they are extremely potent, and last for ages.

The one I would suggest you seriously check out is Egoiste. It's fantastic.

But sample anything you are considering before committing to a purchase. Nothing is a safe blind buy unless the person making the recommendation knows your taste very well - even then, you never know what's going to rub you the wrong way in a fragrance that on paper sounds like you'd love it.

Another vote for Egoiste. One of the best roses and one of the best fragrances, period. I think Lumiere Noire and Rose 31 could work too but feel these are somewhat riskier (both on price and scent).

Hey if you're going sample stuff, then definitely Noir de Noir, and I'd also add Amoauge Tribute Attar - smoky rich masculine rose - just fantastic!

How do you wear your rose fragrance? Lush & dewy? Dry and dusty? Spicy and peppery? Sweetened or tart and jammy? There are just so many interpretations of the rose that an extensive sampling will only make the actual job of picking one harder, not easier. Get one of BN favorites. If you end up not liking it as much at least you have the option of reselling it at the BN marketplace.

BN favorite 'masculine/unisex' roses imo (irrespective if there's any actual rose in them): $-$$$

Frederic Malle Portrait of A Lady $$$
Tom Ford Noir de Noir $$$
Le Labo Rose 31 $$
Amouage Lyric Man $$$
MFK's Lumiere Noire Pour Homme $$
L'Artisan's Voleur de Rose $
Montale Black Oud $
By Kilian Rose Oud $$
Diptyque L'Ombre dans L'Eau $
Chanel Egoiste $

I like rose 31 but if it doesn't work for you...from one ole codger to another you might want to try:
-aramis 900, as mentioned (1973)
-zino davidoff, as mentioned (1986)
-iquitos (1987)
-eau d'italie - paestum rose (2006)

VC&A PH if you want to go cheap
Lyric man by Amouage to splurge!

In this phase of my olfactory crossing i'm crazy for Iquitos and Lyric Man. I furthermore love many others as the great JHL, Portrait of a lady, Zino, Habit Rouge (rosewood more properly but i detect the rosey accents in the modern version and in the last EDP-not the one wrapped with the red leather but the following new release more close to the original formula) and some dark roses as Noir de Noir, Black Aoud, Lumiere Noir, Ungaro III, N.88 (more geranium than rose), V&A Pour Homme etc etc

I've also been on a quest for the rose frag that's just right for me, after realizing how much I enjoy rose as a note. I agree with others who point out that Le Labo Rose 31 isn't that much of a rose scent. It's not bad, but mostly smells like expensive soap when I wear it. I enjoy the first half of Amouage Lyric Man, but later it gets a bit powdery and soapy as well. Montale Black Aoud is a lot of fun, but the truth about this one is it's actually quite tame after the opening blast. I almost want a bit more opulence from it after the first hour.

I have a sample of Killian's Rose Oud (almost forgot about it!) that I need to try.

Meantime, though, the one I've liked the most is Eau d'Italie's Paestum Rose. Duchaufour's transparent, radiant style is very appealing to me (I've fallen hard for Timbuktu). Paestum for me is shimmering, with the rose a bit on the sweet, candy-like side, with the spices and woods quietly in the background providing lift. I'm surprised more folks haven't already mentioned it on this thread. Worth a try.

I didn't have a chance to wear it, but on the smelling strip Histoires de Parfums Rosam was really nice.

Don't blind buy.

As far as rose my favorites are..

Portrait of a Lady
Rose 31
Noir De Noir
Egoiste
Rose Anonyme

My favorite rose fragrance, regardless of whether it is masculine- or feminine-leaning, believe it or not, is Paul Smith ROSE.

Nobody has mentioned Bond's New York Oud. More about rose than oud for me with a nice plum note if I remember correctly. Strong and long lasting. A favorite. Black Aoud too for a nuclear fragrance. Rose 31 just does nothing for me. I only like one Le Labo fragrance and since it is not rose based I will not mention it.

Personally, I think rose is not only the most beautiful floral, but perhaps the most beautiful note ever in fragrances.
A rose scent that is well done.

I will sample more of the fragrances mentioned here in this thread.

I can also add Guerlain's Les Déserts d'Orient - Rose Nacrée du Desert. Expensive, but worth it.

Aventus... rose??? Well, I looked up the note pyramid and sure enough it listed rose. There is no rose that I can smell there...and I certainly wouldn't recommend it for someone looking for a scent that smells like rose...you are stretching the point a bit It is all pineapple and smoke NOT rose.

L'Eau de Rose by Ramon Monegal is all Rose. It is a bit feminine, but it is truly one of the best pure Rose scents I have smelled. Not overpowering, but very much like walking into a flower shop around Valentines Day, and smelling all the roses in full bloom.

I have a variety of Rose fragrances, but my all time favorie from a masculine point of view is Portrait of a Lady, by miles.

We all were new to fragrances at one time...Just beware of following the sheep...There are a lot of folks who praise their favorite fragrance/house at every opportunity. Some are quite expensive to try blind, and others have much cheaper equivalents. Don't get sucked into something just b/c it is talked about a lot. I would recommend theperfumedcourt-dot-com or another sample company. You can get a small vial of a fragrance for a few bucks, and know if you really want to spend $160 on a whole bottle or split before you do. Have fun testing many different fragrances, there are sooo many out there.

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We all were new to fragrances at one time...Just beware of following the sheep...There are a lot of folks who praise their favorite fragrance/house at every opportunity. Some are quite expensive to try blind, and others have much cheaper equivalents. Don't get sucked into something just b/c it is talked about a lot. I would recommend theperfumedcourt-dot-com or another sample company. You can get a small vial of a fragrance for a few bucks, and know if you really want to spend $160 on a whole bottle or split before you do. Have fun testing many different fragrances, there are sooo many out there.

If you have a Barney's near you they carry the EdP Frederic Malle line (and consequently PoaL). If not, then there are always samples sold on eBay...

also samples at Surrender to Chance, Perfumed Court, Lucky Scent, etc.

Actually, LuckyScent does not carry EdP Frédéric Malle, unfortunately...