Rose de Russie + Géranium Pour Monsieur via the exquisite craftsmanship of Jean-Claude Ellena. Wonderful! Smells 100 times better on skin than on card.
This has had some fanfare...I mean Malle fans going crazy about Ellena releasing a new Editions de Parfum. The Ellena retrospective at Pitti this year, Malle himself doing a IG Live Q&A about this release, seems like it's been everywhere recently. So unusual how different people perceive fragrances, I get much less geranium or a geraniol rose than the votes here suggest other people do. It's not quite jammy sweet either, but combined with Ellena's signature fruity vibes gives a strawberry/red berry smell which is light and playful. Now couple that (or Juxtapose it?) with the Isobutyl Quinoline which BTW you can smell right from the opening, giving this a dry, leather like accord. It's actually well handled as you'd expect from Malle with a master perfumer at the helm but what is this obsession with fruity/fresh tops and leather bases? FM Promise is exactly the same concept and maybe it's just me but I'm not feeling it. I mean it's okay, I'm not trashing it and the concept of leather and roses is a good one, but I just had a feeling Ellena wouldn't do a Morillas Gucci Guilty Absoulte PH. By that I mean come with some uncharacteristically 'balls out' heavy rose & Intoxicating leather smasher like a Portrait of a Lady or Carnal Flower, instead opting to produce something much more inkeeping with his style. That's what he's done here, a cheerful rose perfume with a hint of leather that feels modern and evokes red, transparent cellophane in my mind. There could be those that think this is great and I can't argue taste, but I found it a little disappointing considering the hype.
If you’re on a hunt for a rose fragrance, as i am, nevermind. I could not get any rose until say 8-9 hours after 1st spray. That said, yes, longevity is that great. And after what were very surprising first hours of the most bright, green, sharp and fresh bath of leather accord, the rose came to play, very subtle, after long hours, as the rest of the notes faded away. Truth is, it was not what I expected at all, not the rose perfume I believe I need to add to my short collection. But somehow, i cannot stop thinking about this one and I loved wearing it. also, I always find it hard to find a more hot days adjacent fragrance that i really like to wear. This is one is probably the best one Ive ever worn for summer. I’m in love. still not sure if I’d go for a bottle or if it will have a place on my wishlist. lets see how many times I’ll dream about it in the next weeks. What? Are you need that kind of obsessive?