Perfume Review: Les Parfums de Rosine Twill Rose

Twill Rose, the new fragrance by Les Parfums de Rosine, is said to have been inspired by “the silky softness of twill and the tie – the undisputed symbol of masculine elegance”. That rather strange inspiration aside, Twill Rose is yet another excellent –and entirely unisex! – “masculine” rose from the line, which, as far as I am concerned, has yet to put a foot wrong. The marvelously earthy beginning of the scent evokes an image of a wild rose breaking through the wet soil of an abandoned garden. It is not nearly as dark and patchouli-laden as L’Artisan’s “Graveyard Rose”, Voleur de Roses. The cold and earthy accord in Twill Rose makes me think simultaneously of the “boiled courgette” aspect of the orange blossom in S-Perfume Sloth and that slightly awkward, cool, almost-rotting characteristic of iris in Iris Silver Mist that I adore. As it progresses on my skin, Twill Rose grows warmer and sweeter. Our wild rose is ripening and unfolding its dark-red petals; it has a very slight candied feel that seems especially soft and lovely on the background of the dry woodiness and the cold earthiness of the scent. And as soon as the rose note reaches its apogee of sweetness and juiciness, it starts to dry and wilt. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, dark-red petals to the black soil…The smell of earth grows stronger, sharper, more poignant. The drydown, with its very attractive sandalwood-patchouli combo tells us about the impending winter, of loneliness and decay. And yet, brooding as it is, this is not a desolate scent. In the beautiful, melancholy gothicness of the drydown there is still a hint of the sweet rose, as a reminder that, just like spring and summer were not eternal, the misery and cold of fall and winter will not last forever either. On my skin, Twill Rose combines the austere elegance and incredible softness; its floral notes are sweet and velvety. On a man (the only one I had to try it on, mind you), the earthiness and woodiness are amplified and the rose seems darker and richer. Wearing it turns the very non-dramatic and not in the least gothic Mr. Colombina into… …a transformation this fan of Zeffirelli-Oldman's suave version of The Count finds very appealing. Twill Rose is available at First in Fragrance, €90.00 for 100ml. The first image is from perfumeriaquality.pl, the second, from allposters.com.