Van Cleef & Arpels Rose Rouge EDP Review
BY REBECCA DIEUDONNE
Rose Rouge is the newest fragrance from Van Cleef & Arpels released on September 3rd 2018.
17 DEC - 2018
A nod to the noblest of flowers, Julien Rasquinet based Rose Rouge off the fruity Turkish rose and their trademarked 'Rose Essential'.
I thought this was the first foray into perfumery by the jewellery house, but it turns out they have actually been producing fine fragrances since 1978!
Rose Rouge is housed in a beautiful flat glass bottle within a starched white box. There is a delicate leather and metal tag around the fragrance neck.
The Rose Rouge Spirit
Van Cleef & Arpels Rose Rouge, EDP, 75ml, NZD$230
A Unisex Fragrance
I was very surprised to learn that is was a unisex fragrance as it is very sweet to me (and I have a major sweet tooth!). The top notes of Rose Rouge are burgundy blackcurrant and pink peppercorn, with middling notes of Turkish rose and vetiver. The base is rounded out with musk, raw cacao and patchouli.
It reminds me a lot of Giorgio Armani Si and Lancôme fragrance La Vie est Belle. This turns out to be a good guess as after some further research, Si contains rose and patchouli, while La Vie est Belle has top notes of blackcurrant and base notes of patchouli.
Thoughts
I really wanted to like this fragrance after being wooed by the sophisticated and pared-back packaging, but it’s just too sweet for my liking. Blackcurrant gives off a sweet aroma and despite the cacao to balance this with its bitterness, Rose Rouge is very much a floral oriental fragrance that's uber feminine with deep sweet sensors.
For those that like this type of fragrance, you will be impressed by its longevity. You are introduced to a heady fruit and rose balance that dries to a softer musk and fruity finish.
Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraordinaire Rose Rouge is available on the 3rd September exclusively at Smith & Caughey's.
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