Guest review by mikeperez23 of Miami
I have always been naturally attracted to the scent of a rose (in nature and in fragrances). Due to smelling so many different rose scents, I discovered how different rose scents can be. I guess you could say, ‘A rose in not just a rose.’
Sa Majeste la Rose by Serge Lutens is one of the few rose fragrances that manages to achieve an olfactory sensation of wetness (or dew resting on rose petals) when I smell it. What does ‘wet’ smell like, you may be asking? Well, that’s a hard question to answer.
The first spray recreates quite realistically the smell of a refrigerated walk-in cooler in a florist shop. Metal door (rivulets of water dripping down its side), cold concrete floor, and water filled buckets filled with roses. In contrast, there is NO garden of roses as strong as the top notes of SMLR. This sharp, almost tangy top note is neither demure nor dainty – it’s rather heavy. This Moroccan rose absolute top notes is slightly fruity and as it rests on my skin the scent takes on a much more natural on-the-vine rose scent. I love this part of the scent – because it reminds me of smelling a fresh rose, by sticking my entire nose inside the petals of a rose and inhaling.
I have never been a gardener, but I naturally always appreciated the scent of a rose garden, or a vase full of fresh, cut roses. Tons of products that are ‘rose scented’ are marketed to primarily women here in the U.S. It’s no coincidence then, that smelling a product scented with rose conjures up not only memories of flowers I’ve smelled, but something altogether feminine. It was with this preconceived notion of what rose should smell like (and who should wear it) that I began to really appreciate SMLR.
I must admit, there is the smallest hint of powder in the base notes, but not enough to bother me (a powdery scent hater). I smell more honey in the base notes, rather than the top notes (rare for a SL scent) and it’s a gentle touch of honey that doesn’t disrupt the rose notes at all.
The longevity of SMLR is fantastic. At the end of the night, I can still smell small whiffs of it on my skin, from a morning application.
It is said that SMLR is one of Serge Lutens personal favorite scents (along with Ambre Sultan and Clair de Musc) from the export line. This does not surprise me at all.
Year: 2000
Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake
Notes: Moroccan rose absolute, gaiac wood, clove, white honey, musk
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Thanks to Mike for yet another wonderful review.
I have always been naturally attracted to the scent of a rose (in nature and in fragrances). Due to smelling so many different rose scents, I discovered how different rose scents can be. I guess you could say, ‘A rose in not just a rose.’
Sa Majeste la Rose by Serge Lutens is one of the few rose fragrances that manages to achieve an olfactory sensation of wetness (or dew resting on rose petals) when I smell it. What does ‘wet’ smell like, you may be asking? Well, that’s a hard question to answer.
The first spray recreates quite realistically the smell of a refrigerated walk-in cooler in a florist shop. Metal door (rivulets of water dripping down its side), cold concrete floor, and water filled buckets filled with roses. In contrast, there is NO garden of roses as strong as the top notes of SMLR. This sharp, almost tangy top note is neither demure nor dainty – it’s rather heavy. This Moroccan rose absolute top notes is slightly fruity and as it rests on my skin the scent takes on a much more natural on-the-vine rose scent. I love this part of the scent – because it reminds me of smelling a fresh rose, by sticking my entire nose inside the petals of a rose and inhaling.
I have never been a gardener, but I naturally always appreciated the scent of a rose garden, or a vase full of fresh, cut roses. Tons of products that are ‘rose scented’ are marketed to primarily women here in the U.S. It’s no coincidence then, that smelling a product scented with rose conjures up not only memories of flowers I’ve smelled, but something altogether feminine. It was with this preconceived notion of what rose should smell like (and who should wear it) that I began to really appreciate SMLR.
I must admit, there is the smallest hint of powder in the base notes, but not enough to bother me (a powdery scent hater). I smell more honey in the base notes, rather than the top notes (rare for a SL scent) and it’s a gentle touch of honey that doesn’t disrupt the rose notes at all.
The longevity of SMLR is fantastic. At the end of the night, I can still smell small whiffs of it on my skin, from a morning application.
It is said that SMLR is one of Serge Lutens personal favorite scents (along with Ambre Sultan and Clair de Musc) from the export line. This does not surprise me at all.
Year: 2000
Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake
Notes: Moroccan rose absolute, gaiac wood, clove, white honey, musk
---
Thanks to Mike for yet another wonderful review.
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