I’m told that many of Europe’s most beloved fairy tales were pretty naughty and risque before they were cleaned up for today’s prudish sensibilities. Perhaps thoughts of more daring versions of Grimm’s and Andersen’s stories were on Andy Tauer’s mind when he composed Une Rose Vermeille, because it somehow pulls off the trick of seeming innocent whilst giving free rein to a streak that can only be described as cheeky and mischievous.
The first step in its seduction ritual is a fizzing firework display of raspberry, so sparkling, it takes you by surprise each time you re-spray the scent. The gourmand sweetness is allowed to grow larger, before making room for the eponymous floral note: a deep, velvety, peppery rose that whispers intimacies in your ear and pulls you further into a realm of sugars. And just when you think your system couldn’t possibly cope with any more olfactory calories, the base of the fragrance reveals itself to be a delicate layer of the finest marzipan, spotlessly white and enriched with the complex contrasts of almonds.
This is Andy’s most resolutely feminine scent, designed for Snow White on an evening when she feels like letting her hair down. She borrows Little Red Riding Hood’s cape, paints her nails crismson and applies glossy scarlet lipstick to her coquettish pout. She puts on a ruby ring and slips her feet into pillar-box stilletos. And then she hits the town, racing through the streets in a blood-red Lamborghini, looking for someone willing to bite into her deliciously wicked apple and succumb to the delights of her playful poison.
[Andy Tauer will formally launch Une Rose Vermeille this weekend at Florence’s Pitti exhibition; review based on a sample of eau de parfum obtained in 2010; fragrance tested on skin; click here for a retrospective review of the Tauer Perfumes range, or here for a review of Eau D’Épices, which was released at the same time as Une Rose Vermeille.]
Persolaise
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Sounds very interesting Persolaise, although I somehow doubt I would be able to pull this one off! What do you think?
Well, you certainly need to give it a try, Michael. It has a faint woody background that might be more prominent on other people's skin and could, perhaps, make it more masculine… but I don't like making clean-cut sex distinctions when it comes to perfume. My opinion is that Rose Vermeille is quite feminine, but tons of people would say that about Gaultier's Fleur Du Male, which I wear very often.
it sounds delightful When will it be available in the U.S?
Taffynfontana, thanks very much for writing. I don't know the precise US release date, but Andy's just given the fragrance its official launch in Italy, so I suspect it's going to be available in most parts of the world before too long. I'd advise you to check out his site for details.