Fragrance Review #7 - Jo Malone Red Roses

Jo Malone Red Roses launched in 2001 and is inspired by seven of the world’s most luxurious roses. This full on, fresh rose scent is meant to evoke the smell of freshly cut roses. 

Notes: 

• Top: Lemon 
• Middle: Red Roses Accord
• Base: Honeycomb 

Jo Malone Red Roses is a very straightforward and linear, fresh authentic rose. It achieves exactly what it was created to achieve - it’s a pretty simple rose perfume. The lemon at the top is very subtle to my nose, all I get is the essence of what citrus notes brings to a fragrance; it adds a lightness and vibrance to Red Roses. When people typically think about rose perfumes, they think of heavier roses, that are powdery. The addition of lemon here veers this scent away from that prototype. As would be expected, rose is dominate throughout this whole scent. This is not an overly “green” rose, meaning that this is not a rose that is still on the bush, in which you detect hints of the leaves and stems. This fragrance focuses on the bulb of the flower. As previously mentioned, it’s not powdery, so throw away your misconceptions of rose fragrances smelling like powder bombs from the 1980s. The honeycomb at the base adds a touch of sweetness and is a bit animalic. I actually get a slight beeswax note, that really comes through after this fragrance has been sitting on my skin for several hours. I find honey notes to be really tricky to pull off - either your body chemistry is going to get on with it or not. There are times I don’t mind it, but other times it gets on my nerves a bit. Honey is one of those notes that can get a bit stinky. Just smell an empty cup of tea that’s been sweetened with honey. The smell that lingers is a bit odd. It’s very subtle, but I pick up on it and it’s not always my cup of tea, depending on my mood (no pun intended). However, I do think the honeycomb gives this otherwise simple and unassuming rose fragrance as little something “extra.” A lot of rose fragrances are anchored with musks, vanillas, ambers, patchouli or wood notes, so this is a nice and interesting twist. 

Season: Rose is a floral that can be pulled of all year round. This is a fresher rose, so I would deem this more of a “three season” scent. Because of that honeycomb note at the base, this could get a touch cloying in extremely high heat and humidity during the hottest times of the year, and I can also see heavy layers of clothing in the coldest winter months burying this scent. I get the best performance out of this fragrance spring, early summer and early autumn.

Sillage & Wear Time: For such a fresh, almost airy rose, Red Roses gets good milage. It has a medium projection from body. After just 3 sprays, I can smell this fragrance around me, in a subtle cloud. It still remains unoffensive and it isn’t heavy, so it won’t annoy most people, even if they can smell you. I rarely have to top this fragrance up throughout the day. A couple of sprays on my neck and a spritz on my top and I can smell this all day. Jo Malone fragrances can have spotty performance and this one is a pleasant surprise. 

Recommended For: If you are a massive fan of rose perfumes, then Jo Malone Red Roses is calling your name. If you are in the market for a simple, straightforward and non-fussy rose scent, that isn’t too green or woody, that isn’t too sweet and not powdery, this if worth checking out. I can see women of all ages enjoying this scent, as its neither “too young” or “too mature.” This is also a great option for an “everyday” scent that just makes you smell nice and isn’t complicated. For my preferences and what I look for in a rose perfume, this isn’t my favorite. I prefer more complex and complicated scents. I do prefer my rose scents to be “greener” in the spring and summer and darker, woodier, spicier, boozier, edgier and sexier in the colder months. Not powdery, but something with more musk, vanilla, wood and even a bit of patchouli, perhaps something more unisex. I have my eye on a few of Diptyque’s rose scents and a scent from Byredo that may suit my needs. My rose scent should be able to be paired with lots of black clothing and a leather biker jacket. 

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