Rose Essentielle
Bulgari (2005)

I encountered this fragrance at London Heathrow Airport's duty free section. It was a sweet, feminine, airy floral fragrance that was enough to catch my full attention. I literally traced down this scent wafting through the perfumes just to obtain the name of it. When I arrived home, it was the first thing I was determined to acquire for my collection. It is sadly discontinued, but I cherish it. Watery, translucent, sweet, and beautifully done rose that is not heavy or heady. Perfect for spring. Among the rose fragrances I love and adore, this isn't harsh or imposing. It is innocently there, feminine, and pretty.

This is a lovely scent; however, I find it more fruity than rose-y. The rose is so sweetened (danieq wrote, "candied"--that sounds right) that it doesn't smell very true to life, and after a few hours, all that remains are faint notes of what I can only take to be blackberry. I think this fragrance would work marvelously for many people; it really is romantic, sweet, and fresh. However, it isn't "mine."

A Sweet Candied Rose/Violette coboMy initial reaction to this in the store was quite excited. I guess I wasn't expecting anything fantastic being a niche girl. However, this took my breath away. It is a light and sweet candied rose and candied violette to my nose which stays pretty true to its opening notes all the way through its life. I find my skin eats most scent rather quickly, however, this stays on clothing beautifully for hours and hours and it stays TRUE. Fans of candied fragrances will love this. It is not super sweet like cotton candy, more of a refined candied scent, like old fashioned candies made of actual fruits and blossoms. And it can be found quite inexpensively!Pros: Intoxicating, but lightCons: Flies off my skin"

A lot of fragrances don't last long on me, especially EdT's, but I've never had one with less longevity than this one. It started out as a sweet, basic, watery rose. Pretty, but nothing special. Then it was gone, in literally less than a minute. I couldn't even smell a base. There are a lot of really nice rose scents out there with a lot more staying power than this one. If you do want this one, I'd recommend seeking out the EdP at the very least. There are similar and longer-lasting scents in both the higher and lower price ranges. It does layer well with some rose soliflores, but even a "reasonable" mainstream price is too much to pay for something you have to all but bathe in before it's noticeable.

What a glorious rose! I definitely did not expect to find a rose scent of this calibre from such a well-known, mainstream brand. Rose Essentielle is pure loveliness.

Being absolutely perfect for Spring and Summer wear, this is a sweet and slightly powdery take on a pretty, pink rose note. Classy, feminine and smooth, each and every note in this composition works in unison.

With most rose scents, the rose note tends to become too sharp and somewhat tart-like throughout the fragrance's development. In the case of Rose Essentielle, this is not an issue. This fragrance is easy to wear and effortlessly pretty. It's lightness and subtle berry sweetness only adds to its widespread appeal.

Initially this fragrance goes on rather strong, with a rich, jammy rose, highlighted by the berry notes and the violet. After a few hours the scent settles into a delicate, powdery rose, which is thankfully not the soapy kind.

Lady-like, refined and romantic, this fragrance encouraged me to get in touch with my feminine side. The lasting strength is very good, especially for that of such a soft, light fragrance. I can see Rose Essentielle being worn well in every season, both casually and formally. It has just the right amount of realistic roses and complexity to make this fragrance absolutely outstanding.

Love this scent. It is perfect to layer on other Bvlgari fragrances, my favorite being Blv EDP II. I have the edt and it does not last a very long time which is the only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars. It's great to spray on after another scent is fading, to give it a boost. Also perfect on its own if you want a quiet, close to the skin scent.