For many years, rose has been given a bad name in the world of perfumery as an old-fashioned or outdated ingredient and something that is far too feminine for any gentleman to brave as an ingredient in their fragrance. Many dismiss rose as something they absolutely don’t like – whether it be too dusty, too powdery, too strong or too sweet, when in fact, it is simply a particular style in which the perfume has been constructed that many don’t like.

Take a browse through the ingredients of some of the most iconic fragrances on the market and you’ll often find rose nestled subtly into the ingredients without your knowledge. It’s because, despite how you may traditionally perceive rose fragrances, the ingredient is highly versatile and can take on so many different roles.

The History of Rose

According to fossil evidence, rose is around 35 million years old. Thought to have originated from China, the rose that we know today did not make its way to Europe until the late eighteenth century. Historically, they were used as an edible in the likes of Turkish delights and English creams and only later found their way, more commonly, into perfumes. There are countless myths that surround rose and its history and throughout regions and religions, the bloom has been dedicated to the gods and has been a symbol of love and beauty since records began. Most famously, the rose has been linked to Greek goddess Aphrodite, the goddess of Love. It is also thought that Venus pricked her foot whilst walking through a bed of roses – her red blood paved the way to the red roses we know today. Highly popular during the Roman era, roses were seen as a sign of status. Rose garlands were worn, and the flower was used in desserts, medicines and “love potions”. By the seventeenth century, roses were in such high demand, they were considered a legal tender for payment of goods.

Characteristics of Rose in Fragrances

There are many different types of rose, each with their own characteristic, however, traditionally, only two types are used in perfumery due to their distinct fragrant aroma – the Damascena (or Damask) rose and the Centifolia rose. Also referred to as the Rose de Mai (or May rose), the Centrifolia rose gets its name from its harvesting season falling in the month of May. The delicate nature of the rose means it must be handpicked, only in the morning and transported before the rose begins to decompose and lose its iconic smell. Rose is used in so many fragrances due to the versatile nature of the scent: It can present itself in so many different ways depending on what other ingredients it is surrounded by. It can be powdery, sweet, woody, musky, fruity, spicy, feminine and masculine. Rose is also known as one of the most romantic blooms nature has to offer and can be both subtle and somewhat powerful at the same time – making it the ultimate scent to add to a perfume. It is the essential oil or absolute found in rose that is extracted and used in perfumery. Nicknamed “liquid gold”, it is one of the most expensive fragrant oils on the market: It takes on average 3-5 tons of roses to create just 1 kilo of rose oil. At Creed, we source our rose from some of the world’s finest and most renowned producers.

Rose Perfumes from the House of Creed

Today, rose perfumes have undergone quite the transformation. Discover a more subtle way to wear rose with these fresh, seductive and even masculine scents from the House of Creed.

Aventus for Her

Designed by Olivier Creed to symbolise the powerful women of the past, present and future, this bold and seductive women’s perfume is the feminine counterpart to the men’s iconic Aventus. Olivier Creed draws upon sweet and fruity notes of apple, bergamot, peach and cassis for a vibrant opening, whilst rich notes of rose dance around a floral concoction of lilac, styrax and ylang ylang. Sensual and woody notes of sandalwood, musk and amber provide a lasting elegance to this fruity floral phenomenon.

If your idea of a scented rose comes from sidling up and sniffing a garden bloom or two, then think again. Among the thousands of varieties of roses, perfumers only really use two – the Centifolia (literally meaning ‘a hundred leaves’) and the Damascena (or Damask) rose. With their complex and long-lasting scents, both varieties are used in many of Creed’s fragrances.

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Wind Flowers

Floral and fresh, this fragrance opens with sweet jasmine, wrapped around the zesty scent of Tunisian orange blossom and softened by a fresh and a fruity peach note, a powerful heart of delicate jasmine flower, tuberose petals and a soft rose extract add depth and texture to this fragrance while a warm flurry of sandalwood is twisted around a haze of iris and musk. A vibrant note of orange blossom and creamy praline offsets this dusky floral scent; bringing to life this luminous fragrance for her.

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Viking

A not so traditional take on a rose fragrance, Viking offers a masculine masterpiece for the wearer. The rose, almost undetectable, provides the perfect balance between the cooling citrus’ and mentholated peppermint and the warming woods, lavender and spicy peppercorns. This modern yet timeless men’s fragrance completely reinvents the way we use rose in perfumery, drawing out the more woody and spicy notes for an effortlessly masculine touch.

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Love in White

Inspired by a floral bouquet found in the height of springtime, Olivier Creed sources only the world’s finest ingredients to make up this wonderfully romantic perfume for her. Bulgarian rose is blended with iris, daffodils and magnolia, on a bed of seductive vanilla, ambergris and sandalwood to provide a glorious feminine aroma that is subtly powdery but ever so light in nature.

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White Flowers

Elegance and grandeur are combined in this overtly feminine fragrance from the House of Creed. A nod to more traditional times, Olivier Creed captures the velvety floral nature of rose whilst keeping the scent beautifully uplifting. The rose gently invigorates the wearer, reminiscent of a fresh and dewy morning garden, White Flowers divinely balances rich and floral notes. This classic women’s Eau de Parfum is luminous and fresh for day wear; but its overtly seductive charm lends itself to a moonlit eve.

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Jardin d'Amalfi

A refreshing unisex fragrance inspired by the infamous Italian coastline, this Royales Exclusive fragrance opens with a zesty burst of mandarin and bergamot combined with sweet apple and delicately floral petitgrain, giving way to a more aromatic heart of cedar and rose. The addition of pink pepper and cinnamon draws out the spicier undertones found in rose, alluding to the warm air of the Amalfi coast. Vetiver and musk provide a lasting freshness and seductiveness that represents the romantic and elegant breath-taking landscape.

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