Christmas Rose

[n3m3sis42]

Bruise-tinted hellebore blossoms pushing through snowdrifts.

In the bottle:
Seriously? Soap and 7-Up. I am not right in the head.

Wet:
Less soapy, more aquatic. I don't really like aquatics for the most part, and I don't understand why I keep ordering things with "snow" notes. Durrrrrrrr. Still, one of the new travelling Salons had aquatics and worked on me, so maybe this will be okay. It seems calmer and spicier than a lot of the aquatic blends I've tried, and I still smell something that makes me think of 7-Up.

Dry:
This is pretty aquatic on me. I'm so not-fond of aquatics that it's really all I can find to say about it. I'll let it age and see how I feel.

[filigree_shadow]

I think my only experience with hellebore is the BPAL scent Black Hellebore, which I like a lot. So I thought I'd probably like this one. I do, but I like Black Hellebore better.

 

This one's a bit more "green" than the type of scent I usually wear, and it has more of a traditional perfumey scent than I generally like. But it kind of reminds me of a scent my mother used to wear (and this is not a bad thing -- my mom always wore pretty perfumes) so it has the nostalgia angle going for it. The green part of it isn't in-your-face, it's rather gentle, and that's also a plus for me. Strangely, it seems to have something resembling an incense background. It's slightly hazy for some reason. Something about it reminds me of the incense they used at a Catholic church I went to a long time ago. I have no idea why, but I get a mental image of that church as clear as a bell when I sniff this scent.

 

I can say that I like it, but it's not the sort of scent that usually suits me.

[theseagrows]

i smell a snowy note like the one in talvikuu from a few years back, as well as a soft green floral with slight powdery? overtones. the snowy note is more prominent on my skin, but i wish the florals were stronger. it's a pretty scent, but i don't think i'd wear it much, as snowy notes are not my favorite.

[Phaedra]

Wet this is a sweet aquatic floral. When first on this smells the same. This is bright and crisp and very strongly floral. After several minutes a slight creamy undertone develops. This is very similar to Snow Moon and Snow Bunny but a little more floral and creamy, especially on the dry down. Nice but not one I need a full bottle of.

[MaidMirawyn]

My mom and grandmother both kept Christmas roses, so I knew what they were. Never sniffed one, though...now I wish I had!

 

In the imp, it's fresh, clean, and green. A bit of a bite. That may be the "cold" note, but I've never smelled any of the other snow fragrances. Either way, it's a bit surprising and not at all what I expected.

 

Wet, it's very similar, but the scent begins to develop a complexity. Now I can smell a touch of a floral tone, but it's not the typical floral.

 

As it dries, the sharpness recedes. It's still clean, crisp, and herbal.

 

Overall, it really is a surprising fragrance. Even though I wasn't fooled by the word "rose" in the name, I still didn't expect this! Definitely unusual, but I like it.

 

May have to buy a bottle before it goes away! (Mine is a decant.)

 

Edited to add: I can see that this might go medicinal or cleaning-product on some people. However, I haven't had a problem.

Edited December 20, 2007 by MaidMirawyn

[Jilara]

I don't think Christmas Rose has a scent, but if it did, it would want to smell like this!

 

Wet, it's very GREEN, with a hint of menthol and wintergreen. Very chilly, but sweet. Drying down, it has a ton of throw. I really like the wet stage.

 

It's different when it dries down. The green note backs off a bit, and a creamy vanilla note comes up. Vanilla? Yep, a hinting like it dropped by over at Clan Lick-It's for some holiday cheer, a hint of mint and vanilla. I don't get that wintergreen note any more. Dry, it's turned more complex and mellow, and warmed up a bit.

 

I really like this one. It may turn into a full bottle before the Yule scents come down.

[arabella]

First Impression: Floral - but not one I'm familiar with.

 

Dries down to: Stays much the same but the floral now feels a bit abused, not as fresh and slightly wilted.

 

Additional Comments: This reminds me of used flowers - like the funeral bouquet that is donated to a shut-in. I have no idea why but this scent depresses me. Definitely a "no".

 

Lasted: A few hours.

 

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

[luvmulder]

Ok, I don't normally review things, but my impressions of this seem so different from what's been mentioned that I had to post something.

 

Normally, I'm not a big fan of florals, so I wasn't expecting terribly much when I tested my decant.

 

I was VERY surprised, upon sniffing it wet, both in the imp and on the back of my hand, to get a very bright fresh scent that smelled anything but floral to me. I do get some of what other people are calling that effervescent feel, but on me this settles down more as a juicy fruity scent than a floral one. I can't even really place what fruit it comes across to me like, perhaps some sort of citrus?, but it doesn't feel floral and it's just boggling my mind.

 

I wasn't expecting to need more than a decant of this and now it's on my bottle list for Yules to get before they come down! Go figure!

[tartchef]

I approached Christmas Rose with a bit of trepidation, having very mixed success with any kind of florals...

 

Wet, it is beautiful, a sweet & juicy floral aquatic with none of the "mountain fresh" scent that kills most of these kind of blends for me. I'm getting wet snow, and something almost violet-y, crocus-y, or buttercup-esque. It's very similar to my beloved Crow Moon, minus the evergreen notes...

 

But then...

 

styrofoam and celery? oh this does not bode well at all...

 

Dude. Seriously. Once Christmas Rose dries down, it's a powdery soft scent with a distinct undercurrent of Cel-Ray. In a styro cup, no less.

 

I'm going to hang onto my decant & give it a whirl in the scent locket & see if that won't keep the celery at bay, but this is definitely off the big bottle list. Which is a damn shame, because I adore obscure botanicals. :sigh:

[Rheliwen]

Wow. I smell chilly, red plants here. Actually, all I can smell is Skadi (with less pine) laced with the mint-chocolate-y scent from Ice Queen. If you like wither one of those, pick this one up.

[Thursdae]

Christmas Rose is from the land of snow, slush, and ice notes, and their presence in a blend usually means that I can't get much out of whatever else might be there, too.

[yeahbutnobut]

Christmas Rose

 

In the imp: fizzy flower water! A tiny bit soapy, but promising.

Wet on skin: sweet soft flowers floating in soda.

Dry: this is very pretty! This is not rosy at all, of course, but smells like a delicate frosted fairy flower, glittering in the moonlight. It’s a sweet flower with a watery feel which is almost dewy but also frozen. There’s also a powdered sugar sweetness dusted over this flower. The scent is clean, a little soapy but in a good way, and definitely has an effervescence and a sparkling candied feel to it. this smells magical, whimsical, the scent of winter fairies. It also reminds me of Archangel Winter’s clean frosted floral scent, but whilst that had a blue feel, this scent is very pink to me, a pink tinted sugared flower.

After a while: eventually I get a hint of the hellebore scent from Black Hellebore and Crow Moon, though this is more like the latter. It’s not as ‘perfumey’ as Black Hellebore, though it does have a tinge of the earthy, dirty undertone I got from BH, as well as the bright, cool dewy scent from CM. this one is a lot sweeter and sugary than those scents, it’s gentler and more approachable, and the snowy touch is very pretty.

The scent becomes sharper, a little bit more earthy, and more perfumey over time as the soft sugared snow melts and I smell the darker notes of the flower. Now this smells more like Black Hellebore, right down to the almost vetiver-ish undertones that scent had.

Verdict: at first, this smells like an enchanted fairy drink brewed from enchanted blossoms, with a touch of pixie dust. One of the prettiest and most enchanting florals ever! it’s wonderfully effervescent and bright and it glitters with a dusting of sugar or snow. it is a little bit soapy but not in a bad way. The scent gets darker and dirtier though, losing the lovely ‘fairy flower’ scent and turning into an earthy scent, a lighter version of Black Hellebore but definitely with that tobacco/vetiver like undertone and a similar perfumey feel to BH…only this scent is a lot cooler. It’s nice, but I prefer Archangel Winter as my icy floral scent...and I wanted more in the way of a sugared flower scent.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Not sure.

If you like this, try: Black Hellebore, Crow Moon, Archangel Winter, Snow White

[MeiLin]

Aw, it goes to soap on me. The husband goes so far as to say "rotten soap." Had to wash it off. sigh.

[Nyneveh]

In the Imp: Tangy, sweet, slightly aquatic floral, exceedingly well blended.

 

Wet on skin: A sweet but not cloying floral. Not noxious or overwhelming as some florals are on me (see: jasmine). Almost fruity, slightly spicy.

 

Drydown: This is where Christmas Rose wins my heart for good. As times goes on, CR becomes more and more incense-y on my skin. Normally, incense notes smell like angry ashtray on me, but this is perfect, sexy and mysterious. Exactly what I was trying for with Cathedral and whatnot.

 

I love all the phases, but the drydown is a real knockout for me. What a pleasant surprise!

[QueenFae]

Enchanting!! A very unique floral, I am almost at a loss for words to describe this. It 's a gorgeous hellebore bloom, which is a strong, noble, ballsy floral. There is a certain "edge" or bite to this blend that immediately makes me think of winter. That famous lab frozen/snow note runs through the undertone. It conjours images of ice encrusted roses, frozen at the peak of perfection. Doesn't have a lot of lasting power, but lovely enough to re-apply.

 

Very pretty, I will certainly be keeping my bottle.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed in imp: Sweet and piney.

[tinyvulture]

it took me a long time to get my hands on a decant and now, in the scorching august heat, i’m instantly nostalgic for a white christmas. that’s how lovely and evocative this scent is.

 

first off, there’s no rose in this. i never heard of hellebore before, but i’d describe its scent as a cross between herbal and evergreen. there’s also a touch of chilly slush, and something floral and fruity (like juicy red berries). finally, there seems to be an intensely sweet and powdery note -- amber, maybe? – that amps up the sweetness of the other notes really beautifully.

 

i don’t know how much justice my description does, but i adore this blend and hope it makes a return in ’08.

[mgrazulis]

In the bottle there is a gentle green floral and a tell-tale hint of wintergreen. Once wet, the notes are much the same but with a slushy moss. As it dries, I get the impression of a white flower, the herbally green recedes and a creaminess emerges. The air is still cold, wet and slushy. It's lovely!!!

[aquazoo]

Starts kinda like mulled cider. The snow is there, not a cold snow, but that warm feeling when you're inside looking out.

 

[topazphoenix]

I don't get slush or snow with this one, but rather some kind of Christmas-y potporri.

[Venneh]

Got this as a frottle in a recent swap (thanks again, naughteblonde!), interested to try it out.

 

In the bottle, this is really green and sharp, and I think I might be getting eucalyptus? It doesn't really smell that appealing. Going to just barely dab it on the back of my hand from the cap. On my skin, it's this really nasty scent, similar to what I got in the bottle. Need to get even that little bit off of me, NOW. Swaps/sales, sadly.

Edited November 27, 2009 by Venneh

[Schmoozy]

 

Christmas spices, hellebore and the unmistakeable scent of snow. This is green, however there is a certain darkness to this scent that is hard to describe. I think it may have something to do with the bruised-tint of the hellebore. Almost a sap or residue that leaks out if a petal or stem has been snapped.

[grrrlennyl]

Christmas Rose

 

On: Slightly soapy roses. Powdery.

1 hour in: Soapy, powdery roses, with a lot of fir.

7 hours in: Powdery, soapy rose.

Overall: This doesn't develop very nicely on me.

[ajodasso]

Sweet, light, chilly, and refreshing: this is Black Hellebore's shy little sister.

 

Anything containing hellebore works beautifully on me, and this is no exception!

[Casablanca]

A cool, fizzy floral – although what might have been fizzy in 2007 is just a flat, lazy champagne hit in 2016.

 

Low throw and medium wear length.