Hey Hey POSSE!! Portia from AustralianPerfumeJunkies. I have had a lovely Dear Rose sampler here since last year and the name Bloody Rose drew my attention immediately. My mate Nick from Libertine Parfumerie grabbed the brand last year and it has been doing very well here in Australia. As you know I’ve been moving and stuff so the world is kind of topsy turvey around here and so I am only now getting to do a review of Bloody Rose right now for you all.
Bloody Rose by Fabrice Pellegrin for Dear Rose 2014
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Ylang-ylang, orange blossom, incense, patchouli
These bottles are lovely. Simple, heavy and yet so obviously a piece of clever design work. I could imagine a one bottle on the vanity kinda person being attracted to the Dear Rose line in a shop because of the bottle.
Bloody Rose has blockbuster written all over it. If it was brought out by Yves Saint Laurent or Gucci we would be applauding them for taking a simple tried and true style, the radiant white floral, and giving it an edge. Now perfumistas don’t go thinking that Bloody Rose is a freaky Serge Lutens or a thick rich and nuanced independent offering, it’s not. What it is is a completely wearable, unchallenging fragrance that also has some beautiful bittersweet depths, imagine if you took the original Ellie Saab (which I personally adore) and added some texture that created a very beautiful interplay of light & shadow.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
A lovely sweet white flower opening that has scrummy hints of bubble gum, white flowers with a little green to help it pop. Persolaise does a great interview with the women on Basenotes and Chantal says of Bloody Rose, “ “Oh, Bloody Rose! Bloody Rose has no rose in it. It’s a hypnotic white flower. It’s the naughty girl. When she arrives, you don’t see her. She has a drydown of patchouli. She leaves a trace. Be careful with Bloody Rose. She’s kind of a bitch. But the perfumer didn’t understand. The vision of the perfumer was not the vision we had. Ours was extremely chic and elegant. His vision was obvious: big breasts, big everything. One day I said, ‘Stop! Go over it all again. Yours is too vulgar, too ordinary. She’s not dangerous.'” What a splendid visual I get from this, I can just imagine Chantal Roos saying that to Fabrice Pellegrin and then Fabrice getting exactly what they wanted.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
The dry down is a clean patchouli and the incense is playing a lovely supporting role but the whole lovely life of Bloody Rose on my skin is about white flowers. Sensual, alluring and very very wearable. I think this would be a superb choice for a bridal fragrance.
Edited from the Dear Rose site about the two women in charge, mother & daughter:
Chantal Roos … in 1976 beginning at Yves Saint-Laurent: Opium, Kouros, Paris, Jazz.
1992: to Japan … Issey Miyake… L’eau d’Issey.
1993: Jean-Paul Gaultier: JPG’s classic, Le Mâle
In 2000, the presidency of YSL beauté.
Chantal: “all the joys are there … intact … like on the first day … thanks to her”
Alexandra Roos… the life of a musician… singing … French chansons, four contemporary albums
Alexandra: “My mother inspires me … reassures me … gives me freedom”
Photo Stolen Dear Rose
Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Now Smell This
First In Fragrance has €125/100ml
Have you spent any time yet with Dear Rose?
Portia xx
Speaking of roses, (or lack of roses), there’s a lovely shop in Paris called Au Nom de la Rose. All of the lovely fragrances in that shop bring me back to summertime in Paris… Anyway, I enjoyed reading this post and I’m very intrigued by Bloody Rose.
Hey Victoria,
Did you buy some of their fragrances at Au Nom de la Rose? Is there a standout?
Portia x
so i have been in the bathroom, staring in the mirror repeating “BLOODY ROSE, BLOODY ROSE, BLOODY ROSE!” the only reflection i saw was my own… and my brother banging on the door demanding to know when i will be vacating the premises. the name is a total disconnect for me, although i love it… Bloody rose sounds like black, leathery, in-your-face rose. it also does not conjure up any urban legends like your tap water turning to rose hydrosol or anyone with a bloodied rose.
still… now i’m piqued!
Hey einsof,
It’s interesting that they called it Bloody Rose without a rose note. There is a hint of spicy cool incense and a little bit of fruit that in the right light and with a headwind could be seen as a rose, but for me it’s orange blossom and ylang all the way.
Portia xx
So no rose in this fragrance? I love BWF’s but don’t get along with rose perfumes at all. This may be worth a try then. Thanks Portia!
Oh Kandice, It is a BWF but done with such sophistication and still with a sense of fun. Not groundbreaking per se but a fabulous riff on a melody. Really nice.
Portia xx
ha! didn’t even know this existed! And I love the idea of a simple rose. Rosine does those very well, imo but there is always room for another!!! I wanna try this! <3
A simple rose with zero rose Musette. It’s a fun idea.
Portia xx
Oh my goodness, I don’t get lemmings much any more, but this sounds amazing!
Hi Tammy,
It’s pretty damn good. Great to see you.
Do you like orange blossom?
Portia xx
Portia, I don’t . Unless it’s well blended in with everything else, it goes quite screechy on me.
I do have a fair amount of fragrances that list ob as a note, but none where she has the starring role, so to speak.
BUM! I think this may turn and bite you then Tara. How is Ellie Saab on you? I think that would be a fair litmus test.
Portia xx
Howdy, Portia! How intriguing: A rose-named scent with no rose at all. Must try this. Also, thanks for the info on the Roos team; I had heard the mother’s name but didn’t know her fragrant background.
Hi there Ann,
Great to see you.
Chantal is frag royalty, what a CV! These are lovely fragrances and I think you’ll like them.
Portia xx
Portia dear, now you’ve made me want some. I hope I can find some in Toronto, Canada. It smells delicious in my mind.
Hi there BevFred,
It really is stunning. I have worn a good 3ml of my sample already. I think it’s love.
Portia xx