The Last Rose of Summer

[heathercaley]

A quiet, solitary scent: white rose, frankincense, Arabian sandalwood, neroli, orris root, and patchouli.

 

Mmmm! Once applied, I get a blast of juicy sweet somewhat citrusy rose. It's not a powdery rose at all either!

Oh yeah I forgot, I amp rose like nothing else, and all I can really pick up is a beautiful non powdery, non headachey rose. It's not a bad thing really, because I happen to like rose. I just wish that I could amp the patchouli as well as the rose!!

[fairnymph]

Pale gold oil. Slightly sour white rose, loads of sweet frankincense, some sharp neroli and really rooty, powdery orris as well as dirty, rooty patchouli. Some dry wood that's probably the sandalwood, but overwhelmed here. Quite dark, sharp, and masculine.

 

Instantly much more powdery from the orris which amps crazily, and the white rose is stronger and more sour, almost sharply so, too. A little soapy as well, or that could be from the also stronger sharp neroli, which is making my face itch. The florals totally take over instantly on my skin, with almost none of the resinous notes showing through, although I AM now getting the warm, musky and almost creamy sandalwood - the one lovely note here.

 

Softening and coalescing overall. The white rose is less sour, more of a tang now than acidic - but it's a bit dried, or like wilted petals, and a little soapy and powdery - but only slightly so. I don't tend to do well with white rose. The neroli has faded dramatically and rapidly and left only some slightly citrusy soap behind. Meanwhile the sandalwood has amped further and continues to be gorgeous - it has lost the dry edge it had in the imp completely, and is all smooth and sexy now. Orris however continues to be a big powdery bully, though it's less rooty now, more violety and not too bad. I detect a bit of frankincense now, but no patchouli at all.

 

The patchouli has decided to return from the ether, and it's super rooty, blech. Also, the rose has blossomed - it smells much nicer, like other roses do on me, more 'rosy' - or more tea-rosy, perhaps. Still tangy, but nicer. It reminds me now of the rose in Katrina van Tassel. The orris powder has faded a bit as has the sandalwood, though it's still strong and beautiful. And the frankincense is still hanging around too much for my liking - its smoky woody resin is just sweet in the wrong way for me, and like cheap incense combined with the other notes of this blend.

 

The final drydown is surprisingly nice - this morphs quite a bit on me - and very well blended. It's soft, slightly tangy rose with slightly powdery violets, smooth musky sandalwood, darkly rooty patchouli and sweet incensey frankincense, though the latter two fade a bit after time, along with the neroli (no longer distinct), they add darkness and a fair bit of soap that I just don't like. Still, much more wearable than I ever anticipated. Decent throw and great longevity.

 

[DraloreShimare]

In the vial - Lots and lots of resin.

 

On the skin – Crisp, dry resin. A bit woody, which I didn't expect. There's a slight undercurrent of sweetness after the initial application.

 

Dry – A bit musky, very dry smelling, but with more of a soft rose under the crispness. This one stays on my skin a while. This is a more masculine scent on me.

Edited June 21, 2010 by Dralore

[undream]

ok. i cannot even begin to pretend to know what notes i'm getting here, but this oil is so beautiful. i was really anticipating trying this one, because i adore rose, and while i never actually got any obvious rose, i am loving this. in the bottle it seemed to me to be that all-encompassing general bpal smell? which is amazing in itself, right? but once on the skin it bloomed into this lovely, almost humid bouquet, morphing on drydown into an absolutely gorgeous dusty floral. le sigh!

 

i really wish i could do this oil justice with a more articulate & accurate description, but suffice it to say that i believe the last rose of summer and i might be together for a long long time. <3

[Vega]

In imp: Earthy with a brighter note. Patchouli and rose, maybe frankincense? It's a lot like Parlement of Foules.

 

On skin: Earthy and resinous, but not dirty; smooth, full and light, not too heavy, dry or overpowering. The base is mostly patchouli, but maybe the resins and sandalwood are playing in here too. This earthy depth is overlaid with a sweetness that must be the rose and neroli. The patchouli and rose, while dominant, are well-behaved, and I think the other notes are also contributing to the scent, though I can't distinguish them. Over time the patchouli recedes a bit and it brightens up, while something else that's sweet and bright peeks through -- maybe it's neroli? Overall it's grounded and quietly lovely, gently morphing between earthy patchouli/resin and fragrant rose. Very similar to Parlement of Foules, albeit more earthy and complex.

Colour impression is a lush pink swirling in white and framed by a light brown. (Just like Rocky Road ice cream! )

 

Verdict: An elegant blend of grounded resin and light, graceful florals, neither too earthy nor too high. The Last Rose of Summer is a sleeper hit... I keep forgetting it, mark it for swapping, but when I come back and test it, I keep rediscovering how lovely it is. While I don't see myself wearing it often, it's definitely for keeps!

[Magycmyste]

In the bottle: Sharp rose with the barest hint of something sweet. Like an orange-sweet, not sugar sweet.

 

Wet on skin: Rose and sandalwood. This is rather deep and dark. Fitting for the last rose of summer, I guess.

 

Dried down: Drying down, I'm still getting a rose-infused sandalwood. Very pretty. There is a hint of something sweet, like honey, but only a hint.

 

Throw: I'm not really getting any throw on me. I have to sniff my wrists to smell it.

 

Verdict: **** This is nice, and really pretty. But I'm not sure how often I'm going to wear it, as I have a tendency toward lighter scents.

[LizziesLuck]

I've been looking for a patchouli rose combo that I love for ages now it seems! I don't really have high hopes this will be it, orris and I don't get along, but I am going to try.

 

 

Wet: Blarg. I don't know what that is, but it's not good. Really astringent, with a side of bitter. I don't recognize any of the notes in it. Ick.

 

 

Dry: OK, it dries down nicely into something recognizable, and probably quite lovely, if you either like or don't amp the shit out of orris. Unfortunately, I do. So I can smell the lovely rose, patchouli, frankincense - but then the orris does it's big old powdery thing and stomps all over them. Not for me!