Hello Niche Nerds,

I have written about Wild Roses by Aftelier Perfumes before at AustralianPerfumeJunkies but since then I have spent more time with this amazing rose fragrance and thought it deserved its own post. The tweens will be all about rose I think, 2010 to 2012 giving us a wonderful introduction with loads of oudh/rose mixtures like Dior’s Oud Ispahan, many Montales & by Killians, Juliette Has A Gnu’s Midnight Oud, Armani Privé Rose d’Arabie, Rose Nacree du Desert by Guerlain, Mohur by Neela Vermeire creations and the Amouages. Roses alone include Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Rosa Blanca, Early Roses by Tea Cabanel, Bed of Roses by Jar, Rose de Rose by Rance 1794, Ballets Rouges by Olympic Orchids and Delire de Roses by Caron and that is not even the tip of the rose iceberg.

Wild Roses by Aftelier Perfumes 2012

Photo Stolen PerfumePharmer

Floral: to capture in perfume the experience of walking around my garden and smelling each rose, as their perfumes blended in my nose.
Top: rose CO₂, heliotropin, bergamot, geraniol, m-methyl anthranilate, damascenone.
Heart: apricot, Turkish rose absolute, pimento berry, p-ethyl alcohol, rose petals attar.
Base: tarragon absolute, vanilla absolute, indole, aged patchouli.

I love the opening in Wild roses, when dabbed I found it rich, treacle-ish and warming; dark like deep red rose petals left to dry and extremely alcoholic and boozy. Imagine rose water and brandy but not mixed; next to each other on a freshly waxed wooden bureau. Sizzling rose water sherbet so thick you can become lost. My mind is offering me no perfume correlation to this magnificent rose. Spicy, boozy, fresh, dark, sweet, narcotic and magical: Mandy Aftel says this is to have become drunk on the scent of all roses. Yes, it certainly gives that feeling, floating on a sea of rose petals, buoyant, drifting, drowsing in the intoxication of scent.

Spritzing opens fuller, broader, less boozy and more candy sweet rose and a soft crackle of leaf and stem. Musty, dark roses still entrancing. This is what magic should smell like. Honestly, I have no idea what most of the mentioned notes and accords mean but if it means rose water pastries and darkness, earth and sweet corruption then they’ve hit the nail on the head. Extraordinary. The opening is so huge you are startled by the soft and elegant fragrance that ensues. Mandy Aftel has managed to bring the spice, tea, sugar, caramel, bitter lemon and tangy sweet citrus rind scents that are a cross section of the roses diverse moods and facets. at once controlled and offering recklessness, a wanton, boozy, overblown woman of a fragrance. An empress, fecund and warm and welcoming you with open arms.

Photo Stolen StevesDigicam

My skin lets me have 4-5 hours of Wild Roses before it disappears, sweetly spicy towards the end. I think it would be a fabulous scent even for non frag phobic workplaces, Wild Roses becomes soft and feels very selfish after an hour. Wearing it for my pleasure not anyone else’s. Only people in your very near orbit will know you smell incredible, very close.

Further reading PerfumePharmer and SmellyThoughts
Wold Roses is available from AftelierPerfumes, where they have a sensational Sample Program

Photo Stolen flickrhivemind

Have you tried Wild Roses yet? Have you jumped on the Rose bandwagon? which have you tried and how successful were they?

If you enjoyed this come on over to AustralianPerfumeJunkies and say howdy, we’d love to see you there too.
See you next week,
Portia xx

Kylie Minogue and Nich Cave

I admit that I have self plagiarised and cannibalised my own work to bring you this review.