Fragrance note

Rose Perfumes

A rose perfume is a fragrance in which the rose plays the lead – usually in the heart, sometimes fresh and dewy, sometimes powdery or velvety and dark. Its scent comes from the interplay of many molecules, above all phenylethyl alcohol, citronellol and geraniol, refined by tiny traces of rose oxide.

More about Rose Perfumes

Rose of Dangerous Flamenco von Simone Andreoli, Flakon

Rose of Dangerous Flamenco, Simone Andreoli

€185,00

(€1.850,00/L)

Superose von Les Eaux Primordiales, 100 ml, Flakon

Superose, Les Eaux Primordiales

€245,00

(€2.450,00/L)

Thorns Become Roses, Nishane

€225,00

(€4.500,00/L)

Intense Amber von Montale, 100 ml, Flakon

Intense Amber, Montale Paris

€145,00

(€1.450,00/L)

Replica Bubble Bath von Maison Margiela, 100 ml, Flakon

Replica Bubble Bath, Maison Margiela

From €78,00

(€2.600,00/L)

No.1 Masculine von Clive Christian, 50 ml, Flakon

No.1 Masculine, Clive Christian Original Collection

€750,00

(€15.000,00/L)

Jump Up and Kiss Me Ecstatic von Clive Christian, 50 ml, Flakon

Jump Up and Kiss Me, Ecstatic, Clive Christian

€565,00

(€11.300,00/L)

1889 Moulin Rouge von Histoires de Parfums, 120 ml, Flakon

1889 Moulin Rouge, Collection Timeless Classics

From €135,00

(€2.250,00/L)

Nanshe, Nishane Abundance Collection

€225,00

(€4.500,00/L)

Vain & Naive, Nishane Imaginative Collection

€225,00

(€4.500,00/L)

Offene Damaszener Rosen in kräftigem Rosa vor einer kupfernen Destille im warmen Fensterlicht

Knowledge

Rose oil, rose absolute and phenylethyl alcohol

The most important perfume roses are the Damask rose (Rosa damascena) – from Bulgaria’s Rose Valley near Kazanlak, from Turkey or as Taif rose from Saudi Arabia – and the cabbage rose (Rosa centifolia) from Grasse or Morocco. The flowers are picked by hand between May and June, early in the morning, and processed the same day. One kilogram of rose oil takes around 3,500 to 4,000 kilograms of blossoms.

Distilled rose oil (rose otto) is rich in citronellol and geraniol; most of the phenylethyl alcohol (C₈H₁₀O) stays behind in the distillation water because it dissolves well in water. In rose absolute, which is obtained with solvents, it often makes up more than half and creates the soft, typically rosy floral character. Rose oxide is only a trace at under one per cent, yet it gives the rose its fresh, slightly green accent. Rose can be worn all year round: bright and green in spring, deep and warm with oud, saffron or patchouli in winter.

How the note behaves

Fresh & dewy

With lychee, citrus or green notes. Light and radiant for spring and summer.

Powdery & romantic

With iris, violet or musk. Soft, elegant and close to the skin.

Dark with oud

With oud, saffron or patchouli. Opulent and deep, for grand evenings.

Curious factGenuine rose oil forms fine white crystals at room temperature – warm the little bottle in your hand and they disappear again.

Knowledge to share

Myth or truth?

1 / 3

Statement 1

One kilogram of rose oil takes around three tonnes of petals.

TRUTH

True. The typical ratio is about 1:3,000 – depending on the method and the rose variety.

Statement 2

Most rose oil comes from France.

MYTH

Myth. Bulgaria, Turkey and Saudi Arabia together account for over 70 per cent of the rose oil market.

Statement 3

A trace compound below one per cent defines the quality of rose oil.

TRUTH

True. Beta-damascenone usually makes up less than one per cent, yet it is regarded as the marker of rose oil quality.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between rose oil and rose absolute?

Rose oil (rose otto) is steam-distilled and feels fresh and slightly spicy. Rose absolute is made by solvent extraction, contains far more phenylethyl alcohol and therefore feels fuller and closer to the fresh flower.

Are rose perfumes old-fashioned?

Not at all. With lychee, pepper, leather or oud, the rose feels modern, playful or mysterious – many fragrances in this edit are unisex.

When should I wear a rose fragrance?

Fresh, green roses by day and in spring; dark roses with oud or patchouli in the evening and in the colder months. It is best to test it on your own skin: with every bottle from 30 ml, we include a 2 ml sample of the same fragrance.

Rose Saltifolia von Maison Crivelli, Delina la Rosée von Parfums de Marly und Roses Musk von Montale zwischen Rosenblättern in Rosa und Bordeaux

4D Journal Rose in perfume: The queen of fragrance materials Read more

2 ml samplewith every bottle from 30 ml

Free shippingto Austria and Germany from €200

Boutique Bregenzevery fragrance to try