The Black Rose
Trussardi (2017)

The Black Rose appeared in perfume shops in 2017 and is refreshing in every way. For the past two months, I have been intensively sniffing through all perfume novelties and a bunch of (pointlessly) sweetened lemonades made me wonder…who turned the lights out in the perfume industry? The newest Trussardi showed me that things aren't so black (no pun intended). It gave me hope because…even the smallest of lights can shine through the darkest of the dark.

Perfume composition The Black Rose is made out of Taif rose, an especially appealing type of Damascus rose (Rosa Damascena trigintipetala) Some say its origin is the Balkans and that the Turks took it with them during the 16th century to the Middle East. But if you ask growers on the fields of Shiraz or Kashan, they will tell you that its origin is mysterious India.

Every year in April, Taif becomes pink. Over 2000 growers located in this heavenly sanctuary in Saudi Arabia, east of Mecca, get up at the crack of dawn before the sunrays grew too strong to damage essential oils and start picking Taif rose and bringing it to the nearby distilleries. The petals are placed in large copper bowls, water is being added and the process of retrieving rose oil and rose water can begin. The most quality oil is so expensive and the scent too strong and intoxicating that sometimes the price for one liter is tens of thousands of dollars. Those precious oils are sent to world market where perfume houses that put high-quality ingredients in their perfumes, like Chanel, Guerlain and in this case Trussardi, buy them and make alchemist potions that intoxicate our senses and spark our imagination.

The Black Rose is an unusual rose. The first thing that comes to mind when I smell this perfume is an exotic liqueur from Arabian nights that one drinks from the gold cups encrusted with rubies. Classical chypre base of patchouli and musk is enriched with amber and resin, connecting the East and the West through scent. The heady of Orient mixed with salty Mediterranean air. Fall is an ideal time for this perfume; it's the time when the fullness of its ripe and juicy scent is in harmony with chilly air, yellow leaves and last days of sunshine. It is (rightly so) classified as unisex and hedonists of both sexes will know how to enjoy it. Men who loved Davidoff Zino will find a new favorite in this Trussardi, while the ladies whose trademark was Guerlain La Petit Robe Noire can add this rose to their perfume closet.