Hi Posse! PHEW! That’s Xmas done & dusted around here. I really need to get talking about something unrelated in any way. There has been a manufacturers carded sample floating around my desk for a while. It came with a First In Fragrance order. The problem is every time I feel like roses I go to my favourite bottles and give myself a hefty spritz or six. Which would be fine, except I really wanted to spend some time with a new Patricia de Nicolai fragrance. Particularly after spending a fabulous class with her and a bunch of perfume buddies at the Osmotheque in Versailles, France earlier in the year. I finally got around to giving myself a spritz yesterday evening. Today I would like to share my rewear of Rose Royale with you.
Rose Royale by Parfum de Nicolai 2017
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Blackcurrant bud, Passion fruit, Bergamot
Heart: Turkish rose, Coriander, Ambrette seed
Base: Gaiac wood, Immortelle, Sandalwood, Musk
A fruity tea rose opens prettily with a super bright blackcurrant zing. We are treated to some herbaceous greenery too, it’s sharp and torn leaf-ish. After the shortest while we are fully back at rose, but now it’s turning a very dark purple red like a Mr Lincoln. Elegant and severe Rose Royale has a heart of pure rose buffed to glossy by the bit players.
I’m not picking out notes because it’s not that kind of fragrance. More an integrated whole. Dry down does continue rosy but adds some depths and extra smoothness.
If you don’t have a clean cut rose soliflore in your wardrobe and want one that’s quite a bit more refined and sophisticated than Perfumers Tea Rose then Rose Royale would be a good choice. It is within the same category but more lovely. There is the chance though that your sillage may be mistaken for the other by some of the people who’ve worn Perfumers Tea Rose decades ago.
Quite fragrant without being overbearing, softly diffusive. Because a rose soliflore hasn’t been in fashion for a few years, or even really around the high end stores, I think the new breed of buyer might find it startling and new. A lone rose renaissance.
Surrender To Chance has a good selection of Parfums de Nicolai to sample.
What kind of rose fragrances get you going? Does Rose Royale sound like one that might?
Portia xx
Portia also writes for Australian Perfume Junkies
I’m not really a rose person, unless it doesn’t really smell like rose — I love Mohur or Rive Gauche, though! I will tell my rose-loving friend about this one — it sounds right up her alley.
Hiya HCZERWIEC,
Mohur and Rive Gauche are two pretty sensational roses. Stellar choices.
Portia xx
I have a lot of faves among rose scents but the combo that makes me want to try a fragrance is that of rose and blackcurrant. Think In Love Again or better yet, Blouse.
I liked Rose Royale but it seemed quite simple on me.
Yes, Rose Royale is simple. Great word for it. A fruity rose that shines clear without too many bells & whistles.
Is Blouse the YSL? I’ve not smelled it I think. Thanks for the heads up Diana.
Portia xx
It almost sounded as an insult! The silliest thing, before I knew what it was in the decant, I loved it. I thought: Wow, it’s such a fresh rose, petals with raindrops, et cetera, et cetera. When I learnt the name, nothing has changed but my perception: I just felt disappointed that the Rose Royale I had imagined doesn’t exist (or it does nd I just don’t know it yet).
Yes, Blouse is YSL. I’m curious as to what you’ll think of it 😉
The insult part is me calling it simple, of course. It’s 2 AM, I really should stop typing and go to bed.
HA! You’re hilarious Diana,
Sleep well Princess.
Portia x
I can’t wear Perfumer’s Tea Rose, but my fresh rose soliflore is Dior La Colle Noire. When I want something deeper or more sophisticated I go for a Tauer, Malle or Lutens.
Good choice TaraC,
I think I have a 40ml of that somewhere around here, or maybe even more. I loved it when I smelled it and bought it but never opened the bottle. I’m going hunting…….
Portia xx
I know it’s not a sliflore, but I do love Ballets Rouges by Olympic Orchids. Its very very rosy to me. Will have to try this one too. thanks for the review!
Oh Diana,
Ballets Rouges is in my favourite five roses. What a sensational rose, all dark, dank and swampy with rose singing decant high above. Perfection.
Portia xx
I have a sample of Rose Royale from my shopping expedition to Nicolai in Paris last summer. It really is lovely. I don’t have a full bottle of a rose soliflore but if I decided I needed one this might be at the top of my list. (I do have my mom’s ancient bottle of PW Tea Rose but I can’t wear it, I keep it around to sniff the sprayer from time to time for the memory.)
What a perfect memory sniffing that cap must be MMKinPA.
YAY! Glad someone else has sniffed and liked Rose Royale.
Portia xx
I think Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has a gift with rose perfumes. Inner Sanctum is dark rose and incense and fabulous because I like my roses on the dark side, but her American Beauty is my favorite rose soliflore.
I used to spritz our incandescent light bulbs with PW Tea Rose, as they warmed up the whole house smelled pretty 🙂
OMG Rosarita! That’s a fabulous idea. I’m going to try it
Portia xx
Happy Post-Christmas, babydoll. I love ‘done and dusted’. It’s so dark here that I’ve kept the (very minimal) lighting on the Parson’s table (as well as cards from beloved friends), just to keep the Black Dog at bay. t’aint workin’, alas.
but I’ll survive (one hopes) 😉
As much as I love roses, I rarely wear them in fragrance – but when I do, I wear Amouage Lyric. It is so beautiful that it’s almost distracting!
Happy (pending) New Year!
xoxoxo
Sorry to read the black dog is visiting Musette. You’re not alone. We love and cherish you. AND I have bloody good taste so you must be OK.
Lyric is lovely, if you’re going to wear roses it’s a freaking good choice.
Hugs,
Portia xx
Right now my rose crush is 1000 Flowers Rose Cassis Paradis. But I have to say that you make Rose Royale sound yummy!
Hey Brigitte,
1000 Flowers is a really good brand. I like all their work but haven’t yet tried the rose one……. HMMMM. Once I get through a few hundred of these samples I’ll order some more.
Portia xx
I’ve only ever had 1 spritz of POAL, my friend had a sample. I really liked it.
It’s REALLY good Matty.
Love it.
Portia xx
I’m still a POAL fan. Probably passe or too too, but I love it.
No Way Shiva-woman! Portrait of a Lady is heavenly.
Portia xx
Perfumer’s Workshop Tea Rose gets me going.
Yeah, me too. I love it wafting from the person in front of me at the shops.
Portia xx