Rose Recommendations - which blend is for me?

[binkin]

I really didn't think I loved rose perfumes, because of a few too many granny-rose-scent-induced suffocations in church, but... I LOVE some of the BPAL roses and now count it among my favorite notes. However, Black Rose just kind of killed my nose yesterday and made me nauseated, even though I love rose, amber, and musk normally -- it had an insecticide/chemical smell. Santa Muerte does that to me too. I was hoping if it's a rose culprit you all could help me to figure it out?

 

My favorites are The Rose (because it's glorious), Epitaph, The Temptation, and Yerevan. I like Lucy's Kiss but it's a bit too heavy, and Bess smells like grape Bazooka gum on me.

[Mrs.Black]

I have always loved rose and really adore The Lab's rose blends but this week I have tried Ouija and just thought it was wonderful and I wore Black Rose and Miskatonic University together and had a great time. What is the darkest rose that any of you have tried? I am tempted to just order Ouija but hate to think I might be missing something else along these lines.

Edit to reiterate: DARK ROSE?

 

 

Have you tried Whip? That's the 'darkest' rose scent I've found...

Also, Spellbound

[inkaddict]

I've been on a quest to find a bpal rose I can wear, and I've finally hit jackpot with Peacock Queen.

 

Other blends that I've tried are:

 

2,5,7: sharp and green, almost no rose at all

Rose Red: just like 2,5,7 -just worse. The best description would be "thorny".

Zombi: all dirt, no rose

Helena: soapy, no rose

Hymn: soapy&sharp

Silentium Amoris: not bad, but not much rose that my nose can detect

Bess: the roses worked, the grape spirit not so much

 

Apparently my skin either makes the rose disappear or turns it into a sharp green monster -especially if there's even the tiniest bit of greenery in the blend

Any suggestions for other rose scents that may work?

I'm waiting for Faith (hoping that the sugar will make the rose bahave) and london (no greenery for me to amp hopefully, and I love tea rose).

[faylie]

Give Rose cross a try, it's a very rich rose scent, no greenery in sight. Maybe Lucy's kiss too. That's not green at all, I don't remember picking up much of the spices either, but it was quite early on in my BPAL ventures I had it. Also try Moon Rose, it's a bit sweeter, it almost has a slightly fizzy tone to it, it's quite nice.

[LadyLuckless]

I definitely second faylie's Rose Cross suggestion! Persephone might be nice too, it's sweet red rose and juicy pomegranate. These two are some of my favorite roses ever!

[Mrs.Black]

I've been on a quest to find a bpal rose I can wear, and I've finally hit jackpot with Peacock Queen.

 

Other blends that I've tried are:

 

2,5,7: sharp and green, almost no rose at all

Rose Red: just like 2,5,7 -just worse. The best description would be "thorny".

Zombi: all dirt, no rose

Helena: soapy, no rose

Hymn: soapy&sharp

Silentium Amoris: not bad, but not much rose that my nose can detect

Bess: the roses worked, the grape spirit not so much

 

Apparently my skin either makes the rose disappear or turns it into a sharp green monster -especially if there's even the tiniest bit of greenery in the blend

Any suggestions for other rose scents that may work?

I'm waiting for Faith (hoping that the sugar will make the rose bahave) and london (no greenery for me to amp hopefully, and I love tea rose).

 

Actually, Faith is the violet twin; if you are looking for rose you need to get Hope.

 

I recommend you try London, which to me is a very pure and beautiful tea rose, and also The Rose, although I see slightly more potential for soapines or sharpness with that one.

 

ETA: Also, seconding Moon Rose, which is in my BPAL top five, although you have to like moonflower as it's very present with the rose.

Edited March 9, 2009 by Mrs.Black

[eoifemacbeth]

Try White Rose! The rose is very evenly balanced with the sweet (but not cloying) notes and there's not a snip of greenery anywhere. It's just gorgeous.

[meeow712]

Jezebel is also a lovely rose, and most rose does not work on me at all.

[inkaddict]

Thanks for all the recs

So many rose scents that I hadn't thought of, like Jezebel and White Rose.

Moon rose has been on my wish list for a while, but I was afraid of the evil greenery, and the same goes for The Rose. I'll give them a try.

 

Actually, Faith is the violet twin; if you are looking for rose you need to get Hope.

 

Ooops! I checked, and luckily I have the right twin on order

[donnatron]

Blood Rose is pure, unadultered sexy rose. No greenery. Just lush, damp petals touched with dragon's blood and berry sweet wine. It's one of my favourites in the GC and it deserves all the love it gets.

 

Wicked is also a great red rose with no greenery. It has jasmine which can go... weird on people's skin but give it a whirl if you get the chance.

 

And while it's listed as "rose amber" and not just rose, The Miller's Daughter has a great amber/rose blend. Very sweet, dainty and feminine.

[Dianora]

I have a vase of full blown, gorgeous red roses from someone's garden sitting in my kitchen. It's three rooms away, and I can still smell them and they are heavenly. I want that! Is there anything you can think of that is like Blood Rose (one of my all time top five BPAL), but without the wine? I just want pure, unadulterated red rose.

 

Also, how strong is the jasmine in Wicked? I've been avoiding it because jasmine is my note of death, but I kind of want to give it a whirl.

[Molls]

I have a vase of full blown, gorgeous red roses from someone's garden sitting in my kitchen. It's three rooms away, and I can still smell them and they are heavenly. I want that! Is there anything you can think of that is like Blood Rose (one of my all time top five BPAL), but without the wine? I just want pure, unadulterated red rose.

Have you tried Rose Red? It smells just like a bouquet of red roses. It's an LE, but you should be able to find some on the forum sales pages. I haven't tried The Rose yet, but from the reviews, it seems like it might be close, as well...

Edited April 9, 2009 by Molls

[WidgetAlley]

Hullo, people who know waaaay more about BPAL than I do!

 

I have one of those skin chemistries that just ruins roses-- old-lady soap every time! Which is super too bad, because I love the smell of roses, and I grow them (and work with them some professionally as well.) I dream of smelling like roses, I really do. I'm fine with something that smells like something-AND-roses, I just want any roses at all!

 

But so far the only rose blends that have worked on me have been the ones in which you can't smell the rose, or in which a soapy component works. *sigh* So tell me, BPAL gods, is there a rose recommended out there for someone with my horrible skin chemistry?

 

Have already tried and did not work: Rakshasa, Blood Rose, Delight, Desire, Endymion, Whip (oh God, my two nemesis notes!), Jezebel, Rapture, Ephemera, Seraglio, Midnight, Nocturne, Zombi, Highwayman, Mata Hari, Catherine, Marie, Himerus, Kali, Nyx, I have also tried Rose Red, and it wasn't soap, it was too sharp and hothouse-flowery for me, it smelled chemical and refrigerated.

 

Tried and worked: The Haunted Palace, Psyche, The Temptation, Wanda, Namaste, Eve, and a few others.

[tativa]

There is the rose... which is more along the lines of rose red, cept rose red smelled like that on me too, where as The Rose is a lil more fresh and natural. I also like spellbound, though its not quite cold enough to wear anymore.

 

If your looking more for a something and rose... I can never recommend Pepper enough (i swear its a lil of everything) but it comes out smelling like a peppered vanilla rose on me in the dry down most of the time. Only try it if you like pink pepper tho.

 

Mictech- something long and aztec is also a really lovely rose. First blend with rose in it that worked on me and got me started on it. Its roses on a fall rainy day

 

Well anyways, mostly just popped in to suggest the Rose Have a good night, and good luck!

[thestrangeheart]

There's also Hope, which is a combination of Antique Lace and rose-- lovely, sweet sugared rose, maybe it would temper the old lady smell?

 

You might also want to check out Two, Five, and Seven, which is a warmer version of Rose Red. I think of it as kind of a summery rose, although there is the edge of green grass in there.

 

Persephone is another warm rose-- lovely, juicy note with the pomegranate. I find that the two mix together pretty nicely. La Bella Donna Mia Mente has some pomegranate and rose, but I actually like it a little better than Persephone-- it turns into a rosy scent that doesn't overwhelm with flowers.

[alterosen]

I'm always amazed at how subjective people's responses to the rose scents are - even if someone recommends many of the ones I like, invariably they'll also include one that I really don't.

Just goes to show you have to try them on yourself!

 

So for what it's worth, I find London to be a very natural smelling tea rose but it may be a strong candidate for soapdom because of its simplicity.

 

Have you tried any of the rose & resin blends?

I adore Parlement of Foules (LE). It's sweet rose & raspberries on me & probably my favorite rose blend. Rose Cross is another nice one; very warm & resiny. There's also Tabula Smagdarina & the Blasphemare Reliquary from Carnival Diabolique. The Grindhouse's Marguerite might be worth trying, too, if geranium isn't an evil note on you.

 

This year's Lupercalia also had many scents with roses in them, especially Eustephanos, Symmahkia & Pothon Meter.

 

Happy hunting!

Edited May 14, 2009 by alterosen

[Jadys]

My favorite Rose scent is Persephone but I also have a place in my heart for Helena, to me it smells exactly like the red climbing roses that my mother has in the backyard.

[sofaking6]

Definitely try The Blasphemare Reliquary. It's a gorgeous dark incense with just a touch of rose. Check the reviews & you'll notice a lot of "OMG this rose isn't soapy" comments.

[Jadys]

Definitely try The Blasphemare Reliquary. It's a gorgeous dark incense with just a touch of rose. Check the reviews & you'll notice a lot of "OMG this rose isn't soapy" comments.

 

 

Damn it, now I'm going to have to search for an imp!

[kakiphony]

This is a strange and very out of character request for help from an avowedly non-floral lover, but this week I've been toying with the idea of trying some rose scents. I've been using a small bottle of rosewater with glycerin as my toner and I actually like the smell and (so far) it's not making me sneeze. This makes me wonder if I shouldn't give bpal roses a try. I've avoided them thus far because most florals make me sneeze, and rose struck me as a bit of an old lady scent. But I'm re-evaluating that opinion.

 

I'm especially intrigued by rose blends without other florals and that look like they might be grounded in nice woods/resins or spices: the new Snooty Rose, Autumn (the retail only slaon blend), Harlot (rose w/ cinnamon), Jezebel, Seraglio, Whip, Rakshasa, Baghdad, London (?)... My initial thought is that I should stick to somewhat simple scents (none of those complex 13 note blends with mutliple flowers, etc).

 

The scents I tend to wear the most right now are Vixen, a cinnamon heavy snake oil Chaos theory, and Devilish by Arcana. I like woods, most patchouli, spices, vanilla, leather, and some smoke notes. To date, orange blossom has been the only floral I've really loved.

 

Any suggestions for roses for a girl who tends to dislike most floral blends?

Edited July 9, 2009 by kakiphony

[Apple]

This is a strange and very out of character request for help from an avowedly non-floral lover, but this week I've been toying with the idea of trying some rose scents. I've been using a small bottle of rosewater with glycerin as my toner and I actually like the smell and (so far) it's not making me sneeze. This makes me wonder if I shouldn't give bpal roses a try. I've avoided them thus far because most florals make me sneeze, and rose struck me as a bit of an old lady scent. But I'm re-evaluating that opinion.

 

I'm especially intrigued by rose blends without other florals and that look like they might be grounded in nice woods/resins or spices: the new Snooty Rose, Autumn (the retail only slaon blend), Harlot (rose w/ cinnamon), Jezebel, Seraglio, Whip, Rakshasa, Baghdad, London (?)... My initial thought is that I should stick to somewhat simple scents (none of those complex 13 note blends with mutliple flowers, etc).

 

The scents I tend to wear the most right now are Vixen, a cinnamon heavy snake oil Chaos theory, and Devilish by Arcana. I like woods, most patchouli, spices, vanilla, leather, and some smoke notes. To date, orange blossom has been the only floral I've really loved.

 

Any suggestions for roses for a girl who tends to dislike most floral blends?

I didn't find Baghdad very rose-y (and I tend to amp rose)... it sounds like Harlot might be a winner for you, and I would concur with Whip and Rakshasa. Since you like red musk, Spellbound might be right up your alley, too:

Spellbound

(Ars Amatoria) - An irresistibly sexual, utterly rapturous blend of three roses, radiant amber, and sensual red musk.

Maybe also try:

Black Rose

(Rappaccini's Garden) - Heavy, dark and floral: a blend of roses, with a touch of amber and musk.

 

The Blasphemare Reliquary

(Carnaval Diabolique) - Ethiopian myrrh, Damascus rose, boswellia, galbanum, and copal.

 

Lilith

(Excolo) - Red wine, myrrh, black musk, and attar of rose.

 

The Rose

(Marchen) - The promise of a rose: red rose petals, fresh sap, and the sharp green scent of stem and leaf.

 

Rose Cross

(Sin & Salvation) - Purest rose with sacred frankincense.

 

Two, Five, & Seven

(Mad Tea Party) - A huge bouquet of squished rose petals: Bulgarian rose, Somalian rose, Turkish rose, Damascus rose, red and white rose, tea rose, wine rose, shrub roses, rose, rose, rose…

…and just an itty bitty bit of green grass.

 

Wanton

(Ars Amatoria) - Palmarosa, red sandalwood, attar of rose, patchouli.

 

Zombi

(Ars Moriendi) - Dried roses, rose leaf, Spanish moss, oakmoss and deep brown earth.

Of those, I'd opt for The Rose and Two, Five, & Seven for a natural, pure, fresh rose, and The Blasphemare Reliquary is a wonderful incense/resin blend (I've not tried Rose Cross, but I suspect it would be, too).

 

 

 

[Molls]

This is a strange and very out of character request for help from an avowedly non-floral lover, but this week I've been toying with the idea of trying some rose scents. I've been using a small bottle of rosewater with glycerin as my toner and I actually like the smell and (so far) it's not making me sneeze. This makes me wonder if I shouldn't give bpal roses a try. I've avoided them thus far because most florals make me sneeze, and rose struck me as a bit of an old lady scent. But I'm re-evaluating that opinion.

 

I'm especially intrigued by rose blends without other florals and that look like they might be grounded in nice woods/resins or spices: the new Snooty Rose, Autumn (the retail only slaon blend), Harlot (rose w/ cinnamon), Jezebel, Seraglio, Whip, Rakshasa, Baghdad, London (?)... My initial thought is that I should stick to somewhat simple scents (none of those complex 13 note blends with mutliple flowers, etc).

 

The scents I tend to wear the most right now are Vixen, a cinnamon heavy snake oil Chaos theory, and Devilish by Arcana. I like woods, most patchouli, spices, vanilla, leather, and some smoke notes. To date, orange blossom has been the only floral I've really loved.

 

Any suggestions for roses for a girl who tends to dislike most floral blends?

To be honest, I used to feel the same way! I never thought I would like a rose scent, but I now have a whole collection of them...

Spellbound is my favorite of them all - it took a week or so to grow on me, at first I thought it was too much. But I began to crave it, and would carry it around just to smell, lol

Of the others on your list, you might like Harlot and Whip... and if you like the orange blossom, definitely try Jezebel.

[kakiphony]

Sounds like Harlot and Whip should maybe be my first two. I'll start hunting for partial imps for cheap when I'm shopping for my witchee this weekend. Thanks for the input ladies!

[Bluestocking]

This is a strange and very out of character request for help from an avowedly non-floral lover, but this week I've been toying with the idea of trying some rose scents. I've been using a small bottle of rosewater with glycerin as my toner and I actually like the smell and (so far) it's not making me sneeze. This makes me wonder if I shouldn't give bpal roses a try. I've avoided them thus far because most florals make me sneeze, and rose struck me as a bit of an old lady scent. But I'm re-evaluating that opinion.

 

I'm especially intrigued by rose blends without other florals and that look like they might be grounded in nice woods/resins or spices: the new Snooty Rose, Autumn (the retail only slaon blend), Harlot (rose w/ cinnamon), Jezebel, Seraglio, Whip, Rakshasa, Baghdad, London (?)... My initial thought is that I should stick to somewhat simple scents (none of those complex 13 note blends with mutliple flowers, etc).

 

The scents I tend to wear the most right now are Vixen, a cinnamon heavy snake oil Chaos theory, and Devilish by Arcana. I like woods, most patchouli, spices, vanilla, leather, and some smoke notes. To date, orange blossom has been the only floral I've really loved.

 

Any suggestions for roses for a girl who tends to dislike most floral blends?

 

I'll third the recommendation for Jezebel, since you say that orange blossom is the only floral you've really loved, because at least for me, orange blossom is very prominent in that blend. There's sandalwood, too, for a touch of spice. Seraglio might be too much rose and almond and not enough orange for you, but Rakshasa is all patchouli and pink rose to my nose, so that might be a good choice, too.

 

[Jupita]

I'm looking for a nice rose scent too...

Something fresh, tart but not sweet at all...

Like a rose garden after the rain, under the sun...

 

And something more heavy, lush, like a bouquet of roses, in a closed room, with velvet drapes and precious woods...

 

So far I've tryed Two, Five and Seve, which was a total miss....

Ouija, that was nice, but not what I was looking for...

 

Any suggestions?