Parfums de Nicolaï - Rose Royale

Picture: Parfums de Nicolaï Rose Royale,
resting in the snow,
 reminding of the coming Spring
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Rose Royale is a celebration to spring, launched by Parfums de Nicolaï to Valentines Day 2017. This (pink IMO) rose soliflore is inspired of the rosegardens of Palais Royale in the center of Paris.

Rose Royale starts pink rosy with natural smelling fruity accents. The fruity notes are somehow almost dry in appreance and there is nothing too sweet or artifical about it. I especially recoginze the note of passionfruit but lighter and not as prominent as in for example Vero Profumo Rozy Edp or in the tribute to the passionfruit flower from Maître Parfumeur et Ganiter Fraîche Passiflore. In the topnotes also there is also a contrasting glimpse of the fresh, tangy nuance of blackcurrant as also the bergamot which provides the fragrance with a particular chic style. Coriander also brings a light green, refreshing spicy touch to Rose Royale, which togther with the bergamot, provides a slight retro vibe or perhaps it's more appropritate to call it timless.

Picture: Rose Royale
Photo: Parfums de Nicolaï (c)

Rose Royale is all about the rose flower itself, with no interference of stems and greenery. Its about the natural fresh smell of the velvet smooth pink rose petals. It's a bright but not at all shrill rose, it is happy and uplifting when waiting for spring in the last days of the winter. When Rose Royale dries further down, I can also recognize a more severe side of the fragrance, there are snapshots from a darker dept where traces of an accord familiar to the metallic, cold, bloody rose of Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin are hiding. This gives an intresting twist to this over all polite, refreshing, pink, rose. The roses of Rose Royale resting in a elegant, well balanced musky smooth, warm, woody base where also a very light immortelle sparkles..

Beeing an "easy to go" EDT aimed for spring, Rose Royale has a good longevity if liberally applied. I can smell traces on skin after more then 12 hours. It's a very wearble daytime fragrance both for work and casual. The sillage is somewhere between close and medium.

Rose Royale is something to tray for those who like a uncomplicated but still wellconstructed, rose soliflore as for example Annick Goutal Rose Pompon, Maison Francis Kurkdijan À la Rose and Téo Cabanel Early Roses.

Rating: 5

Notes: Blackcurrant buds, passionfruit, bergamot, coriander, rose, ambrette, immortelle, sandalwood, guaiac wood, musk

Téo Cabanel - Hegoa

Picture: Hegoa
Photo: PR Téo Cabanel

Hegoa is a light breezy, refreshing fragrance in the natural summerscent category from top quality niche house Téo Cabanel. Hegoa is created by inhouse perfurmer Jean-François Latty.

Hegoa starts teaish with soft, supporting citric notes. The tea is soft green and soon also a watery, dewy white rose joins the breezy blend and Hegoa is fleeting in a discrete and elegant cloud around the wearer. As wearer, it feels like taking a bath in a luxary rosewater with the bathtube full of the white rosepetals. The longer Hegoa dries down, the moore notes of greenery comes forward. The green notes are smooth and delicate, like budding leaves. A soft and discrete musk is emphasizing the top and middlenotes and an ambery glow and some very light woods constitutes the base. Hegoa is a true example of "less is more" carefully blended and balanced with high quality ingredients.The fragrance feels very natural, no sharp chemicals in sight (smell). It's a carefree, casual chic fragrance, refreshing and suitable to wear in daytime, year around even if the fragrance itself  signals sunny summerdays in a wild english styled garden. Sillage is very close and longevity almost for a day.

Even if not smelling the same, Hegoa would probably appeal to those who like light, fleeting rosefragrances such as Parfums de Nicolai Rose Pivoine and Annick Goutal Rose Splendide. Also those who likes Early Roses and Lace Garden from Téo Cabanel, will like Hegoa as  it shares their natural, elegant style but in a lighter and more transparant interpretation.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, citrus, mandarine, rose petals, green tea, violet, wood, musk, amber

PS:  Fragrance & Art also carries the Téo Cabanel line.

Téo Cabanel - Early Roses

Picture: Young woman in a rosegarden
Painting by Umberto Veruda (1868-1904)
Source: flickr.com

Early Roses is created by the inhouse perfumer of the venerable perfumehouse Téo Cabanel, Jean-Francois Latty some years ago. The Téo Cabanel house IMO create high quality, very wearable, natural smelling fragrances with timeless character, a house which should be tested by perfumelovers who likes the styles of the houses of Parfums de Nicolaî and Annick Goutal.

Early Roses starts with a perfectly balanced combination of pink dewy, heady roses and an smooth pink pepper which isn't sharp or dominating at all. There are also natural smelling, light woody notes with a smell which reminds me of some fresh cedarwood and most of all; juniperwood. The pink rose is dewy fresh without any tangy or souer nuances. This stage feels very natural and refreshing and also a bit rare as refreshing roseaccords often involves geranium which isn't the case here.

As Early Roses dries further down, a smooth, fluffy creaminess appears, also this accord is perfectly balanced, nor the musk or the touch of berries are overpowering or too sweet. It's like a clean, minimalist cream where high quality roses are melted down. The rosy creaminess is resting on a warming and golden glowing  amberbase with light woody nuances. The amber is also light, delicate and feels sort of natural, there is not the heavy ambroxstyle, which is present in many contemporary rosefragrances. There is also a pleasant, slight salty touch in the later stage of Early Roses, that creates a slight seaside impression, maybe a hint of ambergris.

Picture: Early Roses
Photo: PR Téo Cabanel

Fragrances which reminds me of Early Roses are for example Coquiliete Tudor for the rosy creaminess, where Tudor is not so well balanced and harsh and screachy in comperasion. A fragrance of high quality which comes to, my mind when wearing Early Roses in its later stages is Parfums de Nicolai Rose Oud which also has delicate ambery, woody, rosy basenotes.

Early Roses is a officefriendly fragrance for days when craving a delicate pink rose, regardless season. Sillage is medium and longevity for about a day.

Early Roses is a fragrance in the same transparent, elegant, flowery style as the latest release from the Téo Cabanel brand, the delicate white flower-tubereuse Lace Garden. Both fragrances could be equaled to olfactory Monet gardens.

Rating: 5

Notes: Jasmine, water, rose, pink pepper, musk, amber, wood