Rose Rouge seemed delicious to me: a dessert of raspberry jam, ripe strawberries, and dark chocolate, wrapped in rose petals soaked in wine. Gradually, the petals fill with life, turn into a rose, and absorb and dissolve the strawberries, raspberry jam, and wine. Only bitter chocolate powder settles on the velvet of the petals. Sometimes I'm in the mood for it, sometimes I'm not. It's a sort of mood dependant perfume unlike Parfait De Rosess and Flower L'Elixir, both of which never fail me when I'm hankering for gourmand rose. Parfait de Roses most especially. It is the crowned jewel of rose in my collection ; a unique gourmand rose which nothing else compares to, including Rose Rouge. If not for my inescapable perfumery curiosity, I would not have dared to touch the bottle of Rose Rouge again. She didn't deserve a second chance after that. But… That said, Rose Rouge is very lovely in its own right. It isn't totally unique but I appreciate the quality and the ease of use with it. It gives me "grown-up-girly" vibes, much like Absolutely Blooming does, which could explain why I'm drawn to it in certain times. I will say, the more I wear it the more I like it. Longevity and projection are both pretty good. About average for the house.

However, I still have this small (7.5 ml) bottle, and it is about a third empty. I wear Rose Rouge in autumn: the cold pacifies it, the spicy gold of October makes it richer and deeper, and the bitter breath of November gives it grace.Also, she has a perfect Halloween character. I couldn't part with her! Update: This one really improves on the drydown. The cocoa notes are coming through for me, at long last, and I'm getting a vanillic creaminess that wasn't here before. It reminds me a bit of a Montale, only with all the incensey, oudlike notes removed and somewhat more demure musks. The only danger with this one is that I become slightly anosmic to it and might overspray. The cocoa-rose-liqueur effect is enchanting! In fact, I think I'm going to upgrade this one to a love. I'm glad I chose it for my monthly subscription purse spray; this seems like one I will get a lot of wear from this autumn and winter. I picture armloads of red roses surrounded by open boxes of Valentine's truffles. Not getting the drunken-Halloween-rose that Elena described so memorably, but there's still time, I guess. If such unruliness does develop, I think I might let this rose get me soused and make out with me--why not? I'm not going anywhere. For me, this is a sexy feminine, nighttime fragrance. Suitable for a date night or a night out when the evening is a bit cooler. I find Rose Rouge never feels heavy or cloying and have worn it on a mild summer night and it was never suffocating. Once upon a time, there was a Rose... For its Collection Extraordinaire, the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels has drawn its focus to an exceptional flower, the Rose... The bloom that is also known as the "Queen of Flowers" has been the centre of attention for centuries, and an endless source of inspiration for poets and writers, painters and perfumers. The Maison approached its new creation just like those botanists, crafting a Rose from scratch: the Van Cleef & Arpels Rose... "The idea behind this creation is about much more than crafting the scent of a Rose, it is about the uniqueness of a new Rose... Like a botanist, I sought to recreate a Rose with the imagination of the Maison. Its sensual floral heart is composed of Turkish Rose Essence and a unique Rose that perfectly expresses the botanical sensations of the Rose plant. In the base notes, an unexpected gourmand influence (Cocoa Absolute) mingles with the refined notes of a modern chypre composed of precious woods, Patchouli and Vetiver.

Rose Rouge by Van Cleef & Arpels is very temperature dependent and definitely for the perfume fan with a sweet tooth. So, this is a good scent, but in the sea of gourmandish roses today I would obviously rather chose something without any scratchy notes. Rose Rouge is charming and frightfulat the same time.She can suffocate in her sugary embrace, sealing her mouth with a chocolate-raspberry kiss to ensure the victim doesn't leave alive.And she knows how to caress the velvet petals, seduce with berry wine and ripe strawberries, and a chocolate-raspberry kiss can be a welcome reward... I blind-bought it on online sale from one of department stores without properly testing it, and it turned out to be not for me.

I got it in the mail today, I sprayed it and... it was instant LOVE, on its way to becoming one of my all-time favorites. For the record, I'm generally a lover of all rose-based fragrances, and I have a thing for the rose-rasperry combo. I especially enjoy chocolate, cacao and hazelnut spread notes, so this sounded right up my alley. When I saw it heavily discounted... it had to be mine! 😍 I love the "scary holiday" Halloween, the legends of Samhain, and the aesthetic of the Day of the Dead.I have repeatedly compiled fragrances suitable for these holidays and the weeks leading up to them: fragrances with which you can create the right mood and image.I know probably all the perfumes created with a Halloween aesthetic and a hint of gothic (even if they seem unsuccessful or unbearable to me). I was negatively disposed toward Rose Rouge before I tested it: I read that this one replaced Rouge Velours, which I recently tested and liked very much, and which in my opinion didn't need replacing. But having tested this one, I have to say it's even better, and although it's still a shame about Rose Velours, this is the one I would have kept in my collection if I had to choose only one as well.

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The idea behind this creation is about much more than crafting the scent of a rose it is about the uniqueness of a new rose... Like a botanist I sought to recreate a rose with the imagination of the Maison.” Rose Rouge is also very persistent. I cansmell her scent on my wrist until the evening, and even after a shower, there's still a sweet rose-strawberry trail that remindsme of Marie Laforet's caressing purr: It's a nice, evening type of perfume. If you like daring and potent perfumes, it might be for you. It's too much for me, unfortunately. I prefer light and subtle scents. This reminds me a little bit of Lancôme Rôses Berberanza, but it's not exactly the same, Rose Rouge is much softer and less opulent, like a light and fluffy, more versatile version of this scent profile. In this case the rich and loud version works better for me though.

Side note - Rose Rouge layered over Flower L'Elixir is DREAMY. RR accents the rose and makes the raspberry more tart in FL'E, and FL'E gives something more to the drydown of RR. I also appreciate the Collection Extraordinaire editions; they are all well made. I can't call any of them unsuccessful or even passable. Thetender chocolate vanilla in Orchidee Vanille and the melancholic tuberose in autumn leaves of Precious Oud have both taken root in my collection: I love them. And I havethe Halloween-evoking Rose Rouge, although I have a very difficult relationship with her.

The first time I tried Rose Rouge was during the cold season. I don't remember if it was late autumn, winter, or early spring. It was cold; not frosty, but dark and dank. Rose Rouge Van Cleef & Arpels is not one of them. They didn't try to make her gothic, Halloweeny, or festively frightening. But that's exactly how she turned out. If you are not familiar with Rose Rouge yet, her time is near.If you met Rose Rouge when she was not in the best condition and assertedherself too much, try to return to her now. She knows how to be charming.But for your own safety, do not forget that Rose Rouge can turn into a monster. The performance is pretty solid.I has fairly strong projection for 3-4 hours, but then settles quite close to the skin for the rest of the wear. Although it stays fairly soft it lasts all day, at least 10 hours on skin. I can smell it on clothing the nest day.