It looks as though 2022 is shaping up to be the year of the rose. And the first scent to kick off the trend is an eau de parfum version, put together by Fabrice Pellegrin, of 2012’s Diptyque Eau Rose. I reviewed the release in a recent episode of Love At First Scent, in which I also took the opportunity to sing the praises of Jean-Claude Ellena’s 2019 composition, Perris Rose De Mai. Here’s a link to the video: Diptyque Eau Rose edp and Perris Rose De Mai review.
I’m a fan of Pellegrin’s work, but I guess for this particular Diptyque assignment, he was asked to do little more than tick the box marked ‘pleasant’. Unsurprisingly, the brand is attempting to present the scent as a unique take on the flower, claiming that it features notes of chamomile and artichoke. Although I’m willing to accept the presence of the former, I’m afraid my nose does not detect the latter, unless I’m supposed to find it in the vegetal earthiness that’s in nearly all rose soliflores to some extent, including this one.
As I say in the video, at the same shop where I was given a sample of the Diptyque I also managed to find a heavily discounted bottle of Perris Rose De Mai, which was a tiny bit ironic, given that the scent shows up nearly all of the Diptyque’s shortcomings. Like the best of Ellena’s fragrances, it is weightless, naturalistic and translucent, without ever coming across as simplistic. The Diptyque, with its overworked lychee note, feels like it’s trying to convince you too hard that it isn’t trying too hard. The Perris, on the other hand, just gives you a wink… and you’re instantly in the middle of a Provençal field, soaking up the warmth of a lazy June afternoon.
Persolaise
[Samples obtained by me.]
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