Rose d'Homme
by Les Parfums de Rosine

A rose with leather and an accord I find to almost be Rive Gauche-esque of barbershop/shaving cream drydown. Not bad.

Rosy leather? Leathery rose? It depends on when in its development I sniff Rose d’Homme. The composition swings slowly back and forth between a sweet, woody rose and spicy, powdery leather, without ever moving decisively in any particular direction. The development is not so much linear as circular.

While it’s by no means a dull scent, Rose d’Homme takes fewer risks than many other rose scents that are aimed at men. It does not approach the stark barbarism of Black Aoud, the languid sensuality of Amouage’s Lyric, or the aristocratic decadence of Czech & Speake No. 88. Rose d’Homme’s aims seem more modest than these, so that it’s at once easier to wear and more versatile – an everyday scent rather than a bold olfactory statement.

Hmmm. Very interesting reviews. The women love it, the men disregard it.

When I try to imagine the kind of man who would wear this I keep coming up with the description "self-possession". It is a quality that is different than confident or self- controlled. The self-possessed man never needs to assert himself but there is nothing weak or soft about him. You always have the nagging feeling that this man 'sees' things that others miss, that he has wisdom and purpose in his life. This man loves one woman only and she alone can take in his scent, amplified by 'Rose de Homme'.

One caveat. I have grown roses for about 10 years. I have grown varieties very new to very, very old. Each one has its own scent with its individual overtones and nuances. I love roses. I estimate that I have tried over 200 rose fragrances over the past three years. I have found four that I will own. This is one of them. My husband, unfortunately, has allergies to most fragrances. If this passes his sneeze test I will ask him to try it, the first fragrance in 16 years of marriage! I will wear it if he doesn't...

Okay, okay, the notes I go through are...uplifting (but not sharp) beginning, a well-rounded rose floats in, then a very gentle spice (clove, perhaps) then a soft sandalwoodvetiver accord. Nothing 'dirty' in this scent. Nothing from traditional men's fragrance repertoire. I haven't smelled anything like it. Thank you, Rosine for understanding roses.

Give to the Caesar what belong to him. I’d seen many neutral or negative post here, you could love or not rose based compositions, if you do, definitively you have to give a try to Rose d’ Homme .
Rather intoxicating and intense powdery rose, sandalwood and patchouli composition, I wear it in special occasions and overall at night, very high quality ingredients and extremely well made. I really enjoy wearing it although not every day. I you look for a rose based RDO deserves a try…no regrets.

Although this is essentially a very masculine patchouli / rose combo, this is a niche scent that disappoints far more than it actually satisfies. Instead of being a bold, dominant and long-lasting rose fragrance for men (quite a rare thing in modern perfumery), it simply dies down to almost nothing within half-an-hour.

‘Hey, but isn’t this an EDP?’ I hear you ask. Yes, well that’s what I thought too…

A mediocre scent indeed.

True to its name, this is very much about rose. Nice sharp citrus edge on opening to contrast the powdery warmth of rose and vanilla. But as soon as the top notes fade, rose and vanilla pretty much are all that remain. Vetiver and leather should, in theory, curtail the soapy, almost heady sweetness and give a nice dry frame . Unfortunately they don't, so Rose d'Homme lingers on comfortably without any counterpoint whatsoever.