Rose Red

[bellis]

The perfected winter rose, dew covered and freshly cut.

Wow. This really is a fresh red rose, stem and all. It's lovely and vibrant, but it's not my favorite rose blend, and I know I'm not going to reach for it over Whip or 2,5&7. Edited February 23, 2006 by Shollin

[Ren]

I just got a new bottle, fresh from the Lab. YAY!

 

Anyway.

 

Rose Red was the first one I opened and smelled.

 

...I think I'm in love. I'm glad I found something I can love as much as my poor Glitter.

 

Rose Red, in the bottle, smells EXACTLY like a fresh-cut rose right from the Florist's fridge.

 

Wet, on my skin, the greenery gets amped up. The green overpowers the rose a bit, almost to where it's sharp.

 

Drydown, the rose comes to the front again, which is good.

 

And finally, dry, it's just a soft, fresh rose, still a little cold from the fridge. <3 Ooooh. It fades a little, but it's sooo good.

[moon_lemming]

I could take the easy way out and just repeat the description, because that's exactly what Rose Red is -- the scent of a fresh-cut rose. Rosey but with the refreshing smell of greenery underneath it.

 

I would never in a thousand years have thought that I would like a pure rose perfume. I put this on, just for kicks, and couldn't stop sniffing my hand all night. This is like my gateway rose scent; I can tell that I'm going to be trying out a lot of oils involving roses in the future.

[Bagfish]

This is absolutely amazing

 

It really does smell just like a big, wet rose out in the garden in late June.

 

I am not a floral perfume fan, but this isn't really perfume in the traditional sense of the word. Its not been mucked about with or mixed with other things that detract from its beauty.

 

I think I am in love - I put a dab on my hand and couldn't stop smiling as I was transported back to my parents garden by the gorgeous natural smell of roses.

 

I think Beth is a genius.

 

And I only have half an imp

 

Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid Bagfish to discover this a week after the LE finishes

 

Edited to add: Hurrah! I scored a full bottle of Rose Red on Ebay and I am VERY pleased. What I love most about it is how it lingers on my clothes from one day to the next. When I put something I have previously worn whilst wearing RR on, I can smell faint wafts of beautiful Rose Red. What a fabulous scent.

Edited February 15, 2006 by Bagfish

[astrid]

I don't know why I waited so long to try this one! Anyhoo, to me this smells more like rose and mint. I can see how this minty-ness could be considered as the "rose right out of the cold case" scent, but it's pretty minty to me. And I swear I almost get a hint of lotus or something. Maybe not lotus, but definitely something familiar I just can't say what though. And it reminds me of another BPAL scent, but it's not coming to me. Wait! Yes, it totally reminds me of Pandora!! Yup, that's it. Pandora. Crazy!

[squishycat]

Ooh, wow. My love for this one cannot be described.

 

This is a gorgeous, lush, greenish rose, a bouquet of red, red roses in full bloom, covered in cold dew. It's a great addition to my rose blend collection, as it's not as sweet as Two, Five & Seven or Persephone, and more appropriate for an evening out. It doesn't change much on my skin, which is fine, because it's perfect right out of the bottle. I think I'll wear it out to the theatre tonight.

[WidgetAlley]

This was the only one of the Yules I bought in full bottle form-- roses are often rather iffy on me, and I read so many "OMG usually roses suck but RR changed my mind!11" reviews, I had to have it, just on the offchance.

 

In the bottle: An overwhelmingly sharp note leaps out and smacks me right in the old olfactory senses. Ummmm... okay? I can smell a touch of something that might be rose behind it, and a little of the "greenness" everyone's talking about, and just possibly a bit of dirt, but mostly it smells like..... pomegranite juice? Seriously, though. It's almost identical... bitter and round. Maybe that's the nailpolish remover a few other reviews have mentioned? Whatever it is, it's definitely not something I want to smell like. Here's hoping it morphs once it's on, right?

 

[Reading Andrabell's review, I note she mentions that Persephone is very similar. Doesn't Persephone have pomegranite in it? Maybe my nose isn't completely insane.... ]

 

Wet: I only dabbed a teensy touch on my wrists, since I want to be able to get this off, and I just got out of the shower, so my skin's probably thirsty. FYI. Anyway, Rose Red is now softer, more fuzzy pomegranite juice and possibly vodka. Eurgh. It's not so bad from a distance of a few inches (rose petals? In acetone?), but up close it's still almost nauseating in its intensity.

 

Dry: This is getting more and more bearable as it dries, but it's still not really registering as anything but faint rose, acerbic greenery and a very strong, unpleasantly alcoholic note. It doesn't seem to have much throw, either, which, considering how my skin is treating this, is probably a good thing.

 

In the end, this fades down to a very, very faint, very juicy, slightly green rose scent, but it's simply not worth the bitter heartache it takes to get there. This is a perfect example of my crazy chemistry: it turns the solid classic of the Yule Blends into a complete SNAFU. *weeps*

 

Here is the story of Rose Red on my skin, told in pictures:

[RainyDayGrey]

I'm going to start off my review with a little reminicing, so bear with me. Right before my husband and I got married, we moved into this great apartment (with really low rent!) in an old converted house. It had this cute wrap around porch, and in front of the porch was this dinky little rose bush. As far as rose bushes go, it really wasn't much to look at, it was really small (not the miniature variety, but not the big beautiful roses like my aunt grows either) and didn't get that many flowers on it. The roses themselves weren't that spectacular to look at either, they were small, and didn't look that great in full bloom, but they smelled gorgeous. Seriously, if they didnt' smell so good, I'd have wondered why someone had even bothered to plant it there.

 

Rose Red really isn't like any BPAL rose blend I've tried so far (and being a rose lover, I've tried a fair few). In the bottle it's very green, but the rose scent is amazing. When I put it on, the green scent got very sharp and overwhelming, and the rose all but disapeared. There was a good ten or so minutes when I thought this one was going to be a lost cause, but then the greenery settled down and the rose came back. This is gorgeous, this is almost exactly what those dinky ugly roses in front of our old apartment smelled like. Very fresh and just a touch sweet, not harsh or sharp at all. Perfection, I'm in awe.

[jazlyn]

WOW Rose Red 2005 smells just like a fresh cut rose... or rather, about two dozen of them, long-stemmed and with leaves, in a semi-large and tall clear vase initially/settling in on my skin. It's like they're growing on my wrist! This rose is much more real (I could very well be smelling a bouquet of roses) than any other BPAL rose note or blend, which tend to dominate the scent and turn soapy. Rose Red is unique in that it doesn't turn quite as soapy, but still... this isn't for me. Ah, it's not as potent now... has softened quite a bit. Red rose petals instead of freshly cut roses.

[sideviewhotel]

2005 Rose Red

 

WOW. This is STRONG! This is just ROSE in the imp. Wowwowowowwosg;lkhas

 

Okay, on? This is still rose. But, the greenness is fading to the background and it's sweet sweet rose.

 

I'm not a big fan of florals, but I wanted to try Rose Red anyway. It's.. it's getting some sort of apple note??? Weird.

 

I like her, I do, but I don't really do florals, so Miss Rose Red is going to be swapped away to someone who can better appreciate her loveliness. I am glad I got to try her, even though we didn't get along.

[sofiaviolet]

I loved this so much that I bought a bottle. It's the truest, boldest, best rose I've ever smelled.

[Mountaingrrl00]

This smells like a rose that's bright red with a bluish tinge. There is a sharp note in the bottle that calms down on my skin, but the smell is still very fresh, almost edibly so. I think I smell a hint of raspberry, just a tiny bit of fruity tart-sweetness. I liked wearing it to work. It's light enough for that conservative environment, but I felt refreshed every time I smelled my wrist. I could almost feel the dewdrops tickling my nose.

[gwynhwyfar]

Since this comes from one of my favorite fairy tales, I had to get my hands on it. I'm glad that I did. While there are rose blends that I like for various reasons, this is a beautiful pure rose on me. All I get out of this is rose, rose, rose and more rose. It's like a rose-party happening on my skin, and everyone is invited.

 

I do like other rose blends more than I do this, but this is such a beautiful pure rose that I'll definitely keep it. And the bottle label is breathtaking -- a work of art in its own right.

[The Perfumed Ferret]

GREEN!!!!!

 

I cannot tell the difference between this, and going out to my garden and cutting a fresh rose.

 

OMG this is amazing! I placed an order for three bottles before my first sniff, and I am soooooooo happy I did.

 

In the bottle: Fresh dew coverd rose.

 

On: Earthy, strong new rose, and GREEN. I can't stop raving about this one!

 

Dry Down: The rose and the green mellow, but just a tiny bit, this baby has some throw!

 

 

I love you Beth!!!!!!

[Mary Mayhem]

Oh, my love.

 

This is a pure, fresh *FRESH* rose scent. There's nothing heavy about it. It's perfect. There's no powder, no insense, no lemon woe. It's perfect. It smells like a rose. A PERFECT FRESH GARDEN ROSE -chilled by morning dew! I'm in love. I'll be comparing Peacock Queen with it shortly, but this will be hard to top.

[Naamah_Darling]

I love the smell of roses, but am not always fond of rose perfumes which too often lose their delicacy on me and become either overpowering, or powdery, or both, so it is with some trepidation that I try this, said to be the ultimate rose scent, the scent that sends rose lovers into spasms of leaking ecstasy and converts non-believers into fanatics with a single sniff. That's a heck of a rep for any blend to live up to.

 

In the bottle this is green – a rose still on the bush, heavy with sap. It's crisp, the taste of a fresh rose between the teeth.

 

On, it becomes an incredibly true rose scent. There is a hint of something round and fruity in the throw, a berry perhaps, but it is very faint. There is also a whiff of something that's probably fern or oakmoss – an earthy base note like potting soil. Yes, this smells similar to Zombi, but the earthy scent is not overpowering – it's just a hint – and Zombi's rose was very heavy and large – this is a crisper, smaller rose. Wet, it's very rich – so heady it's almost boozy.

 

Dry, the earthy smell has receded, leaving only this clean, clear rose smell that really can't be described. It doesn't last long on me, but that's all right.

 

When I was a teenager, I had a cheap bottle of rose-scented oil I bought for, like, four dollars at a candle store. It turned out to be one of the truest pink/red rose scents I've ever smelled, and I kept it for years because I couldn't find anything else quite as faithful. This smells similar, only a hundred times better.

 

Unparalleled, romantic, delightful, delicate.

[spanishviolet]

When my Yule order first arrived way back when two months ago, this was the first scent I twisted open & tried. I sat there trying to think positive thoughts about greenery and fresh-cut roses, and my boyfriend said, "You smell like Citronella." I said No I don't! but I did. That was all I could smell until it faded. Heartbroken, I put Rose Red in the back of my bottle box to wait until the day I was finally not-lazy enough to make a sale post. That day still hasn't arrived (I'm really lazy), and tonight I decided to give Rose Red one more try. And now -

 

I get it, I get it! *does happy dance* No longer does Rose Red elude me. I sniff it and smell fresh, garden rose, with the warmth of my skin giving it the warmth of a rose sniffed on a beautiful sunny afternoon. So pretty! It's very different from Peacock Queen, whose fullbodiedness I adored on first sniff, and so an excellent addition to my growing stable of rose blends. I feel like a rose fairy ...

 

I feel sort of mean now thinking of how glad I am I didn't yield to any of those "desperately seeking Rose Red!" posts. They'll have to look elsewhere - my Rose Red has aged perfectly over a couple of months ... At last my hoarding tendencies have a happy result!

[LittleGreyKitten]

I'm such a dork. I bought this, and thought I didn't like it, I felt it was too sharp.

 

Dagnabbit! I got an imp in a bottle and now I love it. It doesn't go sour like most roses, and like a friend said when she sniffed it, it smells like CREEPY roses. Which is neat. It does. Big red roses, damp with some green-ness in there, and something that makes it darker. Mmm!

 

Snark. Off to skulk around eBay. I'm thinking it may have aged some, and that helped it or something. I dunno, but it's definitely good now.

 

4.5 out of 5.

Edited February 18, 2006 by LittleGreyKitten

[bicyclette]

Yet another reluctant florals-wearer preaching the gospel here! I have been converted! I love real roses and HATE artificial rose scents, but this one is pure fresh rose, as others stated, straight from the florist's refrigerator case. I'm holding it close to my face and stroking the petals across my cheek. The rose is really bold when wet, then the green makes an appearance. Someone upthread mentioned citronella, and there was a brief moment there where the greenery took a distinctly citronella turn, but that passed really quickly and now, dry, the lovely fresh rose is back to stay.

 

I got this in a swap, deciding to take a chance after reading the reviews, and this is exactly how I thought it'd smell. Just lovely. Give it a go if you get the chance, even if you think you hate rose perfume with the fire of a thousand suns. This one is different.

 

*goes off to hunt for more rosy scents to try*

[VenusFlyTrap]

This smells exactly like a bunch of deep red roses but not including all the florist fern and all. Only the roses themselves.

 

Lovely, lush and gorgeous!

 

I'm so glad that Beth brought it back for 05!

[azhure]

I really wanted this to work on me

 

In the bottle: A fresh crisp rose, complete with greenery.

 

On the skin: The greenery takes over on me unfortunately, and I can smell very little of the actual rose.

 

Drying down: Greenery still! I get a little whiff of rose, but nothing like what I wanted.

 

To the swap pile!

[karlajean]

It would seem that I am in the minority with this one. I've found that some of the Lab's scents do funky things on my skin, and this would be another one of them. I was looking forward to having a pure rose scent, but on me, this one doesn't do it. It smells like rose, alright.... rose stems. No petals in there at all. This one's going in the to-sell pile.

[Nekomata]

I got a decant, hoping I would like this enough to track down a bottle at some point. But, sadly, I just don't like this fragrance. It has the lovely rose scent that I like, but there's this green scent to it, the sharp scent of cut stem, and it totally overpowered the rose for me.

[jolarocknrolla]

this is pure, unadulturated strong rose on me. pure lush rose, nothing else. no green, JUST a strong feminine rose. It has a ton of throw and amazing lasting power, though towards the end of it's drydown it goes just slightly soapy on me. not a favorite of my husband's but i love it

[harmonyfb]

This was the perfect dupe of a fresh, dewy rose. Wow. I can't believe that they were able to bottle this. It's not really the kind of scent I like to wear, but it smells fabulous on my teenager.