As experimental American novelist and poet Gertrude Stein so aptly expressed it, “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose” (Sacred Emily, Geography and Plays) and as well as works of literature, this sometimes blowsy, sometimes cultivated flower has inspired many perfumes, in many transcendent permutations – here is Glass’s selection for Valentine’s Day
Acqua di Parma Rosa Nobile Special Edition
Acqua di Parma Rosa Nobile Special Edition
For this Valentine’s Day, the Italian luxury perfume and lifestyle brand offer a limited release of Acqua di Parma Rosa Nobile Special Edition – a bottle made of extra pure glass by skilled Italian craftsman and its surface embossed and engraved with 24 kt gold. This special bottle is one to treasure forever as, not only is it precious, it is refillable too.
Acqua di Parma Rosa Nobile is a lush, enveloping and generous fragrance– at its centre being the Italian Centifolia rose
which is surrounded by mandarin of Sicily, bergamot of Calabria, and Pepper and accents of peony, violet, and lily of the valley (all of the highest quality), as a gift it is a keeper.
by Caroline Simpson
Acqua di Parma Rosa Nobile (Natural Spray 100 ml, EDP) £124.00 is available here and at Selfridges, London.
La Perla In Rosa
La Perla In Rosa
Created by celebrated perfumers Veronique Nyberg and Alienor Massenet for the luxury Italian lingerie company La Perla, the eponymous La Perla In Rosa is as supremely sensual and feminine a fragrance as could befit this particular brand. The voluptuous rose of In Rosa is livened up with pinch of pepper and then warmed with some violet, vanilla and patchouli. A perfect tactile and hedonic Valentine’s gift for your inamorato.
by Caroline Simpson
La Perla In Rosa (50ml EDP) is available at Harrods priced at £45
Atkinsons Rose in Wonderland
Atkinsons Rose in Wonderland
From the traditional British perfume house Atkinsons’ Contemporary Collection, Rose in Wonderland is a multi-faceted fragrance that is deceptively pretty at first then reveals a sharp hit of blackcurrant, vetiver and geraniun, drying down to white musk and crystal amber suggestions. This fragrance is a complex fusion of the bloom itself, its stem and roots extending into the earth from which it emerges. An ideal Valentine’s gift to woo a complex Alice.
by Caroline Simpson
Atkinsons Rose in Wonderland (EDP Natural Spray, 100ml) £115.00 is available from Harrods or online
Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme Cologne Absolue
Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme Cologne Absolue
Part of Atelier Cologne’s Collection Matières, the key element of Rose Anonyme is a dark and sensuous Turkish Rose, complemented by incense and velvet oud accord. This heady combination is lifted with topnotes of bergamot and ginger to create a memorable, seductive fragrance that lingers on the skin and in the mind. Roses and anonymity are two enduring elements of Valentine’s Day; Rose Anonyme would make a witty and welcome gift from a secret admirer.
by Rachel McCormack
Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme Cologne Absolue is priced at £150 for 200ml and is available at Liberty, London or online
Rose Pompon Annick Goutal Eau de Toilette
Annick Goutal Rose Pompon Eau de Toilette
When we want to revel in unabashed femininity, Annick Goutal is our perfume house of choice. Their latest release, Rose Pompon, is a delicious burst of rose, peony, blackcurant, raspberry and pink pepper. This is a sweet floral, but there is nothing cloying or saccharine about it. Fresh, light and joyous, this is a scent that encourages you to take the day off and enjoy a walk in the park.
Keep Rose Pompon in the charmingly illustrated box until you’ve enjoyed every last atom of this gorgeous fragrance, then display the beautiful bottle – laquered in graduated shades of pink and accented with narrow black cord rather than ribbon – on your dressing table. An ideal choice for Valentine’s Day.
by Rachel McCormack
Annick Goutal Rose Pompon Eau de Toilette is priced from 79€ for 50 ml