Red Roses by Jo Malone

Red Roses, Mint, Violet Leaf, Lemon.

My initial wearing of Red Roses by Jo Malone left me indifferent. Subsequent wearings however have persuaded me to believe that my first try was simply a "bad day" for smelling anything. I don't know about any of you, but I have periods of time that my olfactory doesn't seem to have clarity. This is why I sample a fragrance numerous times these past few years. It allows me to be fair and as accurate as I can muster about what I'm giving an opinion on.

I think what threw me off  initially is the pairing of Rose with Spearmint and Violet Leaf. It's not exactly mainstream, but sampling it numerous times has allowed me to appreciate the concept. The Rose rendition was very good, even in the initial wearing, yet performs even better now that my nose seems to be back on track.

The opening of Red Roses displays a wet, juicy lemon that is immediately inundated by a moist rose and what I perceive as slightly bitter leaf. The citric note is a literal flash in the pan. Too bad it couldn't stick around longer, but the Rose is excellent and you soon forget about the citric introduction.

The term linear is tossed around frequently in our hobby. I'm as guilty as anyone for using it, but I will use it once more in describing the lack of transitions in Red Roses. It's not a detriment, as Red Roses is no worse for the wear and changes only its presence and volume as the wearings ensue. What dissipates on my skin, as time elapses, is the subtle bitter edge to the leaf and stem quality. It's still present throughout the life of the scent. It simply morphs very slowly and evolves into a ripe, green leaf that accents the Rose note. The Rose is now less succulent and displays a hint of dustiness. All is well with the now, mature Red Roses.

I suppose what I like most about this fragrance is the obvious. Red Roses is about the Rose note. More than the interesting accents that Violet Leaf and Mint lend to it, the enjoyable rendition of the featured note is what will win the wearer over. The periphery notes are nice. They embellish just enough not to intrude. They also provide a nice contrast as I haven't come across many Rose perfumes that utilize them to compliment the main note.

I cannot say I'm very familiar with Jo Malone releases. It's for no other reason than lack of time, money and even interest to sample the enormous amount of fragrances available these days. It truly a daunting task if one purposes it in themselves to try everything.

Sillage is modest, but there's still substance here. Longevity is approximately 4 hours before reapplication on my skin. Thumbs up from Aromi for Jo Malone's Red Roses. As always, a sample wear is recommended.