Blooming Rose

Blooming Rose is a rose fragrance built for people who find traditional roses too heavy or too old-fashioned. Mandarin, pear blossom and rhubarb leaves open it, and rhubarb is the note that sets the direction: green, sour and stalky, it puts a tart edge on the citrus that keeps the whole opening crisp rather than sweet. Pear blossom adds a soft white floral transparency alongside it. It is a well-judged start and the most interesting part of the composition. The heart is where the rose finally appears, alongside tuberose and water lily. Tuberose adds a creamy fullness, water lily brings a watery, faintly aquatic freshness, and the rose sits between them, pink and dewy rather than deep or jammy. Anyone hoping for a rich Damascus rose will be disappointed; this is a rose in the modern transparent style. The base is musk, vanilla and white woods, a clean and soft finish that adds warmth without weight and leaves the fragrance close to the skin. Performance runs to three or four hours from the 30 mL spray. Spring is the obvious season, and it holds up in early summer and autumn too. A pleasant, undemanding daily rose at a price that makes it hard to criticise.