The Search for My New Signature Scent Continues

For those of you just tuning in to this mini series on The Daily Connoisseur I am going on the search for my new signature scent. In this post I am continuing with my mini reviews and sharing my notes with you along the way. As always I love to hear your opinions and insight…

I have had an issue with rose withdrawals on my previous search so many of the fragrances in this post deal with roses as the primary note. I also have been extensively exploring the world of Jo Malone with miniature samples that are magnificent for testing.

So… here we go!


Jo Malone: Red Roses Cologne
When I was a little girl for Mother’s Day I would go into our garden and make a ‘perfume’ for my mother out of red rose petals. I would pick the petals, steep them in water for a week (!) take the petals out and decant the sacred elixir into a Tupperware flask. My poor mother, not having the heart to tell me she would try it out later, always dutifully wore the perfume on her special day (what a champ!) Even as a little girl I knew the ‘perfume’ I made wasn’t up to par. I wanted to capture the essence of the red rose and bottle its perfection.

So when I recently tried Jo Malone’s Red Roses I smiled with nostalgia and thought, “Ah, that is the scent I was trying to capture so many years ago!” Jo Malone’s Red Roses is a powerful and evocative scent- but is only for those who seriously love roses. This cologne does not have the hint of red roses- this perfume is a red rose. A big, luscious, heady red rose that was probably picked in your garden. The sort of rose that you pause everything you’re doing to take in its aroma. Red Roses claims to have other notes such as violet, lemon and spearmint, but those are completely lost on me. And I don’t mind. This may sound bizarre but one of the best ways I can describe it is as a ‘stinking rose’ (and I mean that in the most pleasant of ways). Try it out and you will see what I mean. It probably isn't everyone's cup of tea but is definitely a contender for my signature scent.


Jo Malone French Lime Blossom
Fresh, green, floral and heady, French Lime Blossom is perfect for Spring. Inspired by a stroll down the Champs Élysées. This is a lively, vibrant fragrance- clean smelling. Delightful. More blossom, less lime. Bergamot and Tarragon are the other prevalent notes. I am recalled of Paris. I think of fresh linens in a very posh Parisian hotel- perhaps George V. Very chic and unexpected. Not quite my signature scent material but charming all the same…



Jo Malone Grapefruit Cologne
I am surprised at how much I like this fragrance. When someone asks what my signature scent is I would never have imagined responding with “Grapefruit”- not that I’ve picked it- but it is a serious contender. What a marvelous little cologne this is! The citrusy grapefruit note is highly prevalent but has a burning incency quality to it as well with vetiver, rosemary and spices. It is an invigorating cologne, one with bursts of energy and heart. What a pleasant surprise. Perfect for daytime (doesn’t quite cut the mustard for night) but who knew? This is a contender as well…




Chloé Rose Edition
Delightful on so many levels. Chloé’s Rose Edition (Also called Chloé Rosebud) is a sensuous and fluid perfume- even more likeable than Stella on first sniff. Along with my beloved rose note, other notes in this sweet, feminine scent include pink peony, lychee, freesia, cedarwood, amber and honey. It is described as being “chic, comfortable and addictive”- three very apt adjectives in my opinion.

I will admit I was so enthusiastic about it that when I first sampled Chloé Rose Edition I declared my search to be over! But the sales lady informed me that this is a limited edition and therefore might not come back. So I thought I better not get carried away with myself and continue my search. Rather unfair, however, to put out such an ‘addictive’ fragrance and only offer it for a limited time, non?


Love, Chloé
I thought since I loved Chloé Rose Edition so much I better try out Chloé Love as that one is not limited edition but will be staying around for a while. Again, I was so pleased. Chloé Love is a beautiful, powdery scent. Like a powder puff on a glamorous art deco vanity, its subtlety washes over you. Understated and pretty- perfect for everyday wear. Very lady like. Notes include orange blossom, pink pepper, iris, lilac, hyacinth, powdery musk, talc and rice powder. The musk, talc and rice powder notes in particular intrigue me. I normally associate powdery scents with grandmothers but this one is surprisingly sexy. And again, (even without my beloved rose note) this is another contender for my signature scent. We are on a roll here…


Bvlgari Rose Essentielle
I have heard a lot about Bvlgari’s Rose Essentielle and after trying Chloé’s Rose Edition thought I might not find a rose fragrance that I liked as much (I’ve tried Dolce & Gabbana’s Rose The One and it didn’t quite go with my skin chemistry). But I tried it just the same (Becky who reads The Daily Connoisseur also recommended it in the comment section of the last perfume post)… and I am so glad that I did.

Rose Essentielle starts off as a spicy, exotic rose and then melts into a beautiful incense rose (due to the patchouli note perhaps?) This is a fragrance that transports you. I am immediately taken to a salon in Morocco- sipping tea in the hot afternoon while the scent of exotic roses wafts in with the warm summer breeze.

It is a beautiful, feminine, smoky, intoxicating, luxurious rose. Not overpowering, perfect for day. Notes: rose prelude, blackberry, feuille de violette, living mimosa, jasminum sambac, patchouli, bois de gaiac. Suffice to say this is a major contender (perhaps front runner) for my signature scent.


I would love to hear your thoughts…

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