There is a fragrance house with both a long history and a unique focus called Les Parfums de Rosine. It once made a range of perfumes like most other houses, comprised of scents in different styles. The present owner had another idea and decided to follow the promise of the house's name and concentrate on perfumes centered around the Queen of flowers, the rose. Roses are one of the pillars of perfumery, without which fragrances as we know them would simply not exist, and they are in almost every perfume including those designated as masculine; even in tiny amounts, the essence of the rose is indispensable to the art of composing perfumes. Rose soliflores that emphasize the qualities of the rose are legion, and fragrances built around a foundation of roses that supports other ingredients are too numerous to count. So why did this company decide to specialize in what would seem to be an already overcrowded field?
Well, the answer lies in both the versatility of the rose blossom and the creativity of talented perfumers. Not only are the Rosine perfumes very good, they are each different enough so that they don't smell like anything that's already on the market, or each other for that matter. A case in point is the delightful Rose Kashmirie, a pillow-soft rendition of charming rose and peony flowers blended with bergamot, saffron, myrrh, vanilla, benzoin and other delicious ingredients. The roses are top shelf Bulgarian and Damask and the spice blend is subtle and delicately balanced.
This is a rose for wearing in winter or in the boudoir, a cuddly perfume with a little bit of mischief in its heart. It is very feminine and would be the perfect rose scent for getting up close and personal with someone special. It is slightly powdery in character but not overly so, and does not have the off-putting and cloying sweetness that so many powdery scents possess, but it has none of the green sharpness that some rose perfumes can have. There are no edges to this, it's all curves. It invites others to come closer for a sniff without advertising itself too strongly. Rose Kashmirie's Oriental warmth and easy-to-love character should entrance any fan of rose perfumes.
Les Parfums de Rosine are available directly from their Web site or from select online boutiques such as Luscious Cargo and Beautyhabit. If you live in the Portland area, The Perfume House carries some of the fragrances in the Rosine line, and they can usually special order items for their customers. Prices start at about $110 for 1.7 oz. (50 ml) of Eau de Parfum.
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