Rose is probably the most iconic, complex, and widely used note in all of perfumery. There is not just one rose: there are hundreds of varieties, each with a unique olfactory profile. And extracting rose oil is one of the most costly and delicate processes in the entire industry.
The main roses in perfumery
- Rosa damascena: cultivated in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria and in Turkey. Floral, honeyed, slightly spicy. It is the most used rose in high-end perfumery. To obtain one kilogram of essential oil, between 3,000 and 5,000 kg of petals are needed—all handpicked before dawn.
- Rosa centifolia (Grasse rose): cultivated around Grasse, in southern France. More fruity and green than damascena, with notes of honey and wax. It is the rose of southern France, the star of the great classics of French perfumery.
- Moroccan rose absolute: darker, more intense, with slightly earthy notes. Widely used in oriental fragrances.
Why rose is so complex
Rose oil contains more than 300 identified components—and probably many more that we have not yet been able to isolate. This means that no synthetic molecule has been able to faithfully reproduce natural rose. Perfumers work with a combination of natural oil and synthetic molecules (such as citronellol, geraniol, or phenylethyl alcohol) to achieve the closest possible effect.
Rose in the great classics
The list would be endless. The great florals in the history of perfumery have rose as their protagonist: 20th-century classics, niche rose scents paired with oud or spices, and great floral orientals from every era. Rose alone can make an entire fragrance.
Modern rose vs classic rose
The rose of the 1980s was opulent, intense, almost aggressive. Modern rose tends to be cleaner, more watery, sometimes almost imperceptible. Niche perfumers have revived rose in all its complexity, combining it with oud, spices, or leather to create compositions of impressive depth.
