In one of my recent posts, I discuss Olfactif and the sample offerings that they provided for their inaugural launch. The one fragrance out of the three that I seem to be drawn to and keep testing is Velour de Roses by L’Artisan Perfumeur.
WHAT I SMELL: Voleur de Roses goes on bright. There’s a sweet, plum and slightly citrus bergamot opening with a minty herbal, almost hay like cedar background. After a short while Voleur de Roses starts to then move into a warm patchouli rose. However, this rose isn’t sweet or loud, instead its earthy and feels like a rose-bush that’s anchored in mulch. And in fact, I almost consider this to be more patchouli than rose as the warm patchouli note dominates the drydown. The fragrance really doesn’t morph much and it sits close to the skin without much projection. For being so “cedarish” it is very much a skin scent.
Voleur de Roses Notes: patchouli, rose, plum
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A cedar lined chest with old and waning rose sachets stored inside.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE VOLEUR DE ROSES: earthy, humble, simple
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VOLEUR DE ROSES: smellythoughts, Perfume Shrine, EauMG
BOTTOM LINE: I really like this fragrance. It’s distinctive and comforting. But I just don’t know if I could pull the plug on a purchase. I somehow have the feeling that the bottle would be neglected after time.
- Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
- Scent: Oriental Woody
- Nose: Michel Almairac
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: Approximately $140 for 100ml EdT
The Scented Hound 
April 21, 2013 at 7:55 am
Voleur de Roses is a great piece of perfume. There are not so many perfumes with rose that actually smells kind of dirty.
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April 21, 2013 at 2:09 pm
Recently I tried Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin and I thought that was quite dirty, but also rather melancholy at the same time. The spicy pepper made it kind of edgy.
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April 21, 2013 at 5:02 pm
I have yet to try LF de Berlin, but am curious. Melancholy usually doesn’t work for me though.
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April 21, 2013 at 4:51 pm
I agree, this is a very different rose… and perfect for us men 🙂
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April 21, 2013 at 8:26 am
Wow. I had high hopes for this but it was a scrubber on me. Awful. There was no rose to be found by me or my hubby (I made him sniff too to check). There was nothing citrusy. It was just very damp, moldy basement. It made me think of when a water main broke and flooded mom’s basement one summer. This was the smell a few days into the cleanup. So many people love this one too, I wish I could smell what you smell but my skin just turns this into something vile. When my husband recommends I take a shower I know it’s not working on me. It smells better on other people. The SA had it on and that’s why I tried it on skin. On her it was lovely.
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April 21, 2013 at 4:52 pm
Oh my! I can see how this seems a bit musty, but not a scrubber at all for me. Yes, I guess if I were you I wouldn’t want to smell like a moldy basement either. LOL.
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April 21, 2013 at 8:31 am
Interesting that you should review this today. I was told yesterday to try it. Sounds tres moi!! 4 out of 5 bones is good right?
Portia xx
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April 21, 2013 at 5:01 pm
Great minds think alike. Yes, my dear P, 4 is a good rating. This fragrance is different from the other roses out there. Not sweet, but subtle in it’s quietness.
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April 21, 2013 at 2:06 pm
I love your description “A cedar lined chest with old and waning rose sachets stored inside.” I haven’t smelled this, but you have described it vividly and aroused my curiosity!
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April 21, 2013 at 4:59 pm
I have no idea why that picture popped into my head, but it does character the fragrance pretty well. I have read where some people say this is “dirty”…I don’t think it’s dirty as much as it’s earthy. I hope you give it a try. I would love to see what you think of it.
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April 21, 2013 at 5:11 pm
Like Poodle’s experience, this did not work for me either. Musty with a capital M.
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April 21, 2013 at 5:14 pm
How strange… I guess there will be plenty of time to smell musty in our old age. No need to speed up the process with applying on! Sorry this didn’t work for you.
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April 23, 2013 at 8:20 pm
I was really tempted by your review until I read hajusuuri’s comment because, as we’ve seen recently, she and I have very similar tastes in perfumes… But when I get a chance I will still try it – just in case it’s more of a skin chemistry than the nose.
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April 23, 2013 at 8:57 pm
Funny that Poodle and Hajusuuri got such an overwhelming mustiness to this. I can see it, but I found that bit of mustiness to be comforting. If you end up trying it I would love to see how it sits on you.
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April 22, 2013 at 8:54 am
I haven’t tried it but as I’m not a fan of rose perfumes I guess I could skip this one. I’ll give it a try if it comes somewhere near me anyway.
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April 22, 2013 at 7:20 pm
If you’re not a fan of the rose note I would probably stay away. But this is a different in that the rose is not “rosy”.
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April 22, 2013 at 6:18 pm
Dear Hound
Perhaps The Dandy is alone in this, but I always feel there is something to be said of musty… of your lined drawers, of unborrowed library books and long abo pressed flowers.
Your review, a exemplar of economy has tempted me…
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
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April 22, 2013 at 7:26 pm
Oh my dear Mr. Dandy – the musty is lovely and does bring forth a sweet nostalgia without being offensive. BTW, I love to tempt 🙂
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April 22, 2013 at 7:39 pm
Though the scent is no masterpiece, apparently Stella McCartney’s brief for her Stella was around discovering old dried flowers from the previous summer, which I’ve always thought a rather lovely starting point for a scent.
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