The trend towards transparent perfumes has been one I’ve not been completely onboard with. The other trend which has arisen over the past couple of years is something I am enjoying; floral gourmands. In some ways these kinds of fragrances are the natural evolution of the popular fruity floral perfumes. It isn’t a huge step to replace the fruit with foodie counterpoints. One of the early successes is the combination of rose and chocolate. Van Cleef & Arpels Rose Rouge is another addition to this kind of floral gourmand.
Rose Rouge is part of the ongoing Collection Extraordinaire. I have found this to be a reliably solid group of perfumes. The idea is generally to highlight an ingredient whose name is usually found on the bottle. Rose Rouge is no different. Although “red rose” seems uninspiring. What makes it more than its name is a nice high-low effect for the rose from perfumer Julien Rasquinet.
Julien Rasquinet
Rose Rouge opens on top notes of an herbal baie rose and the sticky green of blackcurrant buds. M. Rasquinet unfurls a rose essence as the first evocation of the title note. This is followed by the hints of the chocolate as a dry cocoa. Right here is where most modern floral gourmands would end. At this point this is a lighter rose and chocolate. It all changes as a more full-bodied Turkish rises along with patchouli and a deepening of the chocolate takes place. M. Rasquinet moves Rose Rouge from an ephemeral surface effect towards something with more substance. The Turkish rose carries a jam-like quality which the chocolate, carrying a bitter edge, meshes ideally with. The patchouli supplies an earthy depth. Vetiver comes along in the base to recapitulate the green top accord while a set of woods form the foundation.
Rose Rouge has 12-14 hour longevity and average sillage.
The first hour of Rose Rouge is so reminiscent of the typical transparent floral gourmands currently on trend. Once rose Rouge moves from that high to the low of the fuller chocolate and rose it really improves. It is this dichotomy which I enjoyed the most on the days I wore Rose Rouge.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample supplied by Van Cleef & Arpels.
–Mark Behnke
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