Rose Anonyme
Atelier Cologne (2012)

On me, this is a very sweet scent. The rose comes through early on, but fades long before the patchouli. I don't love that all I'm left with is patchouli for most of the wear time. I liked it enough to use up 7.5mL, but won't be re-purchasing.

So, initially when I sniffed this cologne from the bottle, I liked it. And after initial application some 7 hours back, I sorta liked it. Here I am now, nearly 8 hours post-application and I'm starting to wonder if this fragrance will ever wear off, or dissipate.

Rose Anonyme starts off with a stinging, almost harsh opening of bergamot and ginger, the kind of opening that nearly makes one sneeze. That's okay 'cause within seconds, a beautiful, full, dark Turkish rose note appears, quickly joined by something I can only describe as herbal, woodsy, or balsamic...the oud?

Perhaps it is the emergent and ever-present olibanum and oud that do it; however after a while, I found this cologne to be nearly choking...almost cloying. Another reviewer mentioned "patchouli" as the note giving Rose Anonyme its "green" fragrance; and green fragrance notes are those of which I am not fond. However, in my life, I've never smelled patchouli to be quite so balsamic or "green." Seems like no matter how hard I tried, after some time all I could smell was balsam...probably oud.

Several hours in, I began smelling like the old, original green "Clairoil Herbal Essence Shampoo." Silage with Rose Anonyme is high, longevity is beyond...cannot imagine the extrait, which apparently packs even more of a punch than the cologne.

As an aside, I absolutely adore Frederic Malle "Portrait of a Lady." One reviewer experienced Rose Anonyme as a fragrance one might appreciate if they favor Portrait of a Lady. Sadly, this was not my experience with Rose Anonyme.

I like the Turkish rose notes in this cologne a lot. I just wish the Turkish rose, incense, patchouli and papyrus developed more thoroughly on me than the woodsy, earthy oud.

While nice enough, I'm afraid I'm giving this one a huge pass.

The rose arrives from the start and is combines with bergamot, whiffs of ginger and hesperidic touches. It is quite a bright rose, a rose of good quality but also a very restrained rose.

The drydown is characterised by the addition of a soft and rather weak oud, and a smooth incense that is blended in smoothly without any dominant balsamic or medicinal features, but an underlying soapiness is noticeable.

The base adds a nice benzoin, that is given added depth by a smooth and not really dark patchouli. Again this is a restrained patchouli that lacks any harshness or edges.

I get moderate sillage, good projection and seven hours of longevity on my skin.

As a rose scent this spring scent is expressing too weak a rose note to convince - the rose is not only anonyme, but also faible. The rest is agreeable. 2.75/5.

It smells of soap, right from the start. It is a nice, spicy rose soap. It's delicate and smooth. The ginger is muted. The top notes flow into the heart notes with ease. Rose here, is delicate in the middle. It doesn't seem to have any different characteristics than at first application. Incense and oud are also muted, for me.

Still, the soapiness remains. Unfortunately, not much else changes for me. I get the slightest hint of patchouli. Even that, is muted. I like my rose & oud perfumes with more loudness, so my opinion, my take on this, is obviously the minority. If one wants a softer take on rose & oud, then this is for you.

Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme (2012) is one of the best Western rose and oud combos I have smelled, and not because it is authentic to the origin of the species, because it merely isn't just a rose oud made to a Western palette, but a total Westernization of the accord, as if the French-based Atelier Cologne did what any good cover band does and actually own the source material they're covering to make it their own. There really isn't any other rose perfume this complex or sophisticated in the same price segment as Rose Anonyme, and the only grievance I levy against it is the lack of sillage, even if longevity is more than sufficient. It is a hallmark of the house I suppose, to make "Cologne Absolue" fragrances that are little more than subdued eau de toilettes that favor longevity over radiance, and the same holds true for Rose Anonyme, but at very least what is presented comes across memorable and enjoyable for fans of the almighty rose. For starters, the general feeling is very close to Noir de Noir by Tom Ford (2007), and although Rose Anonyme will cost half as much, the same richness is brought to bear, just without the weapons-grade projection. Perfumer Jerome Epinette was on board for Rose Anonyme as with several other Atelier Cologne scents, assisting Sylvie Ganter and Christophe Cervasel with creation.

Rose Anonyme starts off with bergamot and ginger, but that lusciously dark Turkish rose is quick to follow up from the heart, setting the stage for the rest of the play that is this fragrance. Thick, dark, and semi-sweet rose come forth and envelop the wearer, flanked by olibanum and a soft medicinal oud. Think of Montale Black Aoud (2006) at one third strength, with more supporting players and a sweet ginger to smooth over the industrial edge the Montale has. People who haven't experienced a rose oud should definitely start here if budget isn't a concern, otherwise Jovan Intense Oud (2012) is the entry level of choice, because Rose Anonyme presents the best rose and oud balance with enough "cushion" afforded by the citrus and spice to make it accessible. The patchouli of the base adds a bit of rich green to the overall composition, helping the scent maintain its unisex appeal, while benzoin puts back the animalic touch lost by having a synthetic oud in place of a barnyard-worthy natural one. There is a "papyrus" note here, but I don't know what it really is, so likely we have a synthetic like Iso E Super doing the talking, but it helps add a bit of late-game vavoom that keeps Rose Anonyme from becoming a skin scent too early. Longevity is about eight hours with moderate sillage, and there is a limited extrait version for the folks who need more power from this scent. I usually take issue with the meekness of Atelier Cologne creations, but here I think the subtlety actually works in Rose Anonyme's favor since the composition is rather thick and rich compared to the house's usual vibe.

I admit being a bit partial to rose, so this Atelier Cologne selection among all others might just be my favorite, but for fans of brutally dry or green roses, this is not for you. People into things like the aforementioned Tom Ford or Portrait of a Lady by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle (2010) will appreciate what Rose Anonyme has to offer, and may even find it to be a steal since it conjures a similar vibe for half or one fourth the price of those ultra-luxe "Nouveau Riche" bruisers. The added twist of a very subtle oud mixed with the standard patchouli and benzoin offers the best all-around oriental rose oud via Western perfume experience money can buy, since there is zero pretense of this trying to pass itself off as genuine like the Aramis Perfume Calligraphy (2012) line, nor any kid gloves placed on the rose like John Varvatos Oud (2014). Rose fans owe themselves a trip to a department store to check this out, and if nothing else, Rose Anonyme will serve as a good casual rose when the less-compromising ones simply won't serve appropriately. There's no real good context in which to wear this, but I feel fall or spring provide the best climate for it to shine. Outside of that, I give Rose Anonyme a huge thumbs up as a being a rather opaque surprise from a house known for its airy, transparent composition style. Maybe not the best rose on the planet, but one of best merging of Middle East meets West on the market, and relatively affordable in the greater spectrum of high-quality rose offerings overall.

When I reach for a rose, there's two I always depend on: this, and Noir de Noir. But this is much more wearable day-to-day than the latter, which by contrast feels more dressy.

No, Rose Anonyme is far too balanced to come off as one extreme or another: it's a rose that's both juicy and dry; floral and resinous.

If you love rose as I do, this should be on your list if you haven't already tried it.