Wild Roses
Aftelier (2012)

Aftelier Perfumes Wild Roses is a mostly fresh, somewhat sweet take on the signature note, with what I detect to be a healthy dose of florals in addition to the main rose note, including the sweet heliotrope and bright gardenia. Also, apricot and vanilla add further sweetness in the dry down, even though, overall, it's not terribly sweet.

Inherently a bit feminine, it can nevertheless be regarded as somewhat unisex though I'd say it leans feminine overall, albeit a pleasant fresh option for men in the summer as well. It just might feel out of place in a formal setting.

Given the note breakdown, Wild Roses unsurprisingly isn't quite as robust as Vanilla Smoke or Amber Tapestry, but it's a decent performer.

With Aftelier's pricing, anything short of a "love" isn't worth purchasing, so Wild Roses is a hard pass for me, but it's pleasant enough that I would certainly wear it from time to time if I already owned it.

7 out of 10

A floral, vanilla disaster that culls the more pickled elements of rose and the lardy facets of palmarosa, perhaps some impurities leftover in the geraniol distillation. Cloyingly sweet, like the saliva one begins to taste as a wave of nausea hits. Equally turn-invoking.

Aftel is deft with the all-natural restriction, but this is a true lapse in her otherwise artistic skill.