WHAT I SMELL: Une Rose Chypree opens with bergamot and lemon with a quick move to orange, then back to a “Lemon Pledge” smell. It’s rather cool, like a spring breeze going through an orange grove. After a couple of minutes, it warms and the fragrance begins to harmonize. What I mean by that is that the notes, rather than acting in a singular fashion, start blending together. After around 5 minutes, I begin to get hints of rose, but it’s so muted that it feels like it could be a combination of any floral. After around 10 minutes or so, the rose begins to bloom, and it’s mixed with a deep and almost caramel base. It actually feels a bit gourmand at this point, almost like it would be perfect to add as a mix to sweeten a cup of coffee. But as soon as I have those thoughts, it then turns slightly lighter and the fragrance becomes a bit dryer with a layer of oak moss and powder. It’s at this point that the fragrance reminds me a bit of Amouage’s Fate Woman, which is a good thing since I love Fate Woman so much. After a short while, Une Rose Chypree moves out of the Fate Woman stage and the fragrance moves from the light to a deeper and richer stage. I find the fragrance glorious at this point. It feels vintage and extremely well blended. This is a rose that doesn’t say rose as much as it says warm floral. Wait….here, I thought the progression of the fragrance was complete, instead it gets a little spicier but in the end, the spice is tamed by the vanilla for a nice creamy (but yet dusty with the oakmoss) finish.
From the Tauer Perfumes website:
Head Notes: Soft bay and hot cinnamon complemented by bergamot, lemon peel and clementine.
Heart Notes: A rich rose chord with Bulgarian rose oil and rose absolute, and Bourbon geranium.
Body Notes: Dark and resinous labdanum, oak moss, patchouli, vetiver and vanilla.
No, my mother was not Lady Bird Johnson…but you get the point.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: My mother all glammed out in 1965 to include the white gloves.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE UNE ROSE CHYPREE: substantial, beautiful, proper
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT UNE ROSE CHYPREE: Smellythoughts, Kafkasesque, Nathan Branch
BOTTOM LINE: I think of this as a rose for those who don’t want their rose scents to scream “ROSE.” It’s muted, contained, proper and pretty without being girly. This is my kind of Valentine rose!
- Bone Rating: 4.5 out of 5 possible bones
- Scent: Chypre Floral
- Nose: Andy Tauer
- Classification: Feminine, but fine for a man.
- Expense: $140 for 30ml EdP
