Le Jardin Retrouvé Rose Trocardero (Yuri Gutsatz) 1991-2016 ~Perfume Review+La Vie en Rose Draw

Le Jardin Retrouve Yuri Gustsatz in his lab 1935

Over forty years ago, Yuri Gutsatz, one of the foremost perfumers of his time, grew disillusioned with the direction perfumery was taking; creative control was being taken away from perfumers, and the quality of raw materials was being sacrificed on the altar of marketing budgets.

 "Perfumers should not let themselves be permanently deprived of their creative initiative  … They should not be transformed into robots chained to a mountain of imitations! “

Art by Clara Feder

Fearing that perfumery was being lost as an art form, M. Gutsatz founded his own company in 1975; Le Jardin Retrouve, the very first niche perfume House.  His son, Michel Gutsatz and his artist/co-creative director wife Clara Feder, began to revitalize the perfumery in recent years, relaunching Michel's father’s original formulations, (with a few very slight changes to remain in compliance with IFRA regulations).  

Le Jardin Retrouvé  Samples photo by Ermano Picco

M. Gutsatz was kind enough to send me 5 samples of the inaugral line, and every single one of them is lovely; there isn’t a bad one in the bunch. But it will come as no surprise to anyone that the florals captured my attention immediately, and the rose stole my heart completely. Yuri Gutsatz clearly knew his way around those rose fields. Rose Trocadero was love at first spray.

photo "Queen of Hearts" by Mario Testino ©

 Rose Trocadero is all about the rose from start to finish, lovely roses, soft yet bright, like the rosy clouds of a perfect sunrise; vibrant but with a luminescence. It isn’t an old-fashioned powdery rose, nor is it a big flashy rose; it’s the ultimate feminine rose, tender and intimate in its beauty, almost suede-like in its plushness.

The Rose Garden  by Edvina Meta ©

French blackcurrant adds the perfect touch of fruitiness and a bit of crisp green; this greenness is enhanced by a hint of lavender…it isn’t sharp or mentholated, just enough to add some depth to the fragrance. Clove adds a bewitching spiciness to Rose Trocadero (I thought it was carnation until I read the list of notes). The clove is subtle and is there to support and enhance the rosy loveliness of Rose Trocadero, as is each ingredient in the composition. This blending of each separate note into one perfect whole is truly the art of perfumery.

Photo: Mario Testino

There has never been a doubt in my mind that perfume is Art.  Art is infinite in its many variations and there is plenty of room for variety in perfumery as well, but my own preference for any art is that it be beautiful.

Photo: Patrick Demarchelier 2003 for Dior magazine

I appreciate perfumes that are thought provoking, but pure, unadulterated beauty works just fine for me, and Rose Trocadero is just that…. simply, unapologetically beautiful. It provides me with a fragrant aura of loveliness that brings me comfort and joy all day long, and blesses the air around me with its beauty. What more could one possibly ask for?

Notes:  Absolute Bulgarian Rose, French Blackcurrant, Clove, Musk

DISCLOSURE  Michel Gutsatz generously sent me samples for review. I am so grateful that he did!

Tammy Schuster, Sr. Contributor with Contributions from Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen

Editor’s Note: Contributor Aaron Potterman reviewed the entire collection in two posts. You can read his reviews here and here. Also enjoy 20% off all perfumes through August with a special code JARDIN17  you can add at check-out.

Le Jardin Retrouvé Rose Trocardero  in the new flacon (photo from Le Jardin Retrouvé )

Thanks to the generosity of Le Jardin Retrouvé we are offering an avant premier 50ml flacon of Rose Trocardero in its new packaging, which will be available for sale in the fall ($120 USD and the most expensive of  the House's perfumes), to a registered reader anywhere in the world. Please register here.  Please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Tammy’s review of Rose Trocardero, where you live and if you have a favorite Le Jardin Retrouvé perfume. Draw closes August 8, 2017

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebon and @lejardinretrouve

We announce the winners on our site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

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33 comments

  • Laurentiu says:

    I think that nowadays is harder and harder to create a rose-centered fragrance that stands out, since rose is a note that has been played with so many times. I have tested many rose perfumes, but I do not remember testing one that has, beside rose, blackcurrant and clove so this one must be something different.

    I live in EU. Thanks for the draw!

  • kaitracid says:

    This is something I would love to smell on my wife because it’s not the old-fashioned or flashy rose. The contemporary, the better. Nice to read it’s paired with blackcurrant and lavender. Haven’t tried anything from the line. I live in the EU.

  • Carol Sasich says:

    I love Rose perfumes . They are my favorite , and nothing disappoints me more than the recent introductions of perfumes that smell like nothing real . So I was so excited to read about a beautiful new rose creation .
    Thank you for the generous draw . I would love to add a new rose fragrance to my collection .

  • Timea says:

    I really love the scent of the real, natural rose. In Tammy’s review, Rose Trocardero sounds exactly how I imagine the perfect rose perfume. It, sounds like a fairy tale in a wonderful, large rose garden. I would be so glad if I would be that lucky to win this fabulous fragrance. Thank you very much for the chance. I live in Europe.

  • Roxana says:

    Rose Trocadero seems nice: almost suede-like with green and lavender nuances, and some fruitiness. I hope only that it is not too sweet. All in all, sounds good.
    If I ever were to buy some of the Le Jardin Retrouve fragrances, I would choose Cuir de Russie and Tubereuse, two notes I love.
    I live in the E.U.
    Thank you.

  • Gigigirl says:

    Rose Trocadero sounds divine from Tammy’s review. I admire the defence of perfume in these cotton candy days. Never too many roses for me! The addition of black currant and clove sound like lovely touches. I’m in Canada.

  • Vahagn says:

    I’m agree that Rose Trocadero sounds divine from Tammy’s review.
    I like rose in perfumery.
    I tested some of Le Jardin Retrouve perfumes, but more Cuir de Russie.
    from Armenia

  • Rae Lynn says:

    Rose is my all time favorite note in perfumery. Tammy’s review makes me want to experience Rose Trocadero. All the notes described sound like a perfect match for rose, especially the blackcurrant. I live in the US.

  • Rustee46 says:

    Rose and suede combinations are so ‘now’, so I am happy to see something different–a fresh rose fragrance supported and enhanced by a touch of clove. Just like when baking, a pinch of clove adds an element of depth and I think would be a lovely combination, especially over the sensuality of musk. I have seen this house advertise recently but have not yet tried. Their “The Lys” is also on my radar. I live in the US.

  • ntabassum92 says:

    I also am floral crazy, and rose reigns supreme! I like how she explains that this fragrance is just beautiful. Some fragrances are like that, just sublime beauty in liquid form. I am in the US. I haven’t tried a Le Jardin Retrouve perfume, I will have to!

  • HanneA says:

    Beautiful review. I actually prefer a rose with those piquant green threads. Rose fragrances are always on my list, and I have rarely found one that I dislike. I enjoy trying all the different manifestations of the flower. I don’t know what a “suede” note would smell like in a fragrance so, it would be lovely to seek that out in this composition. I love the fact that this perfume house is going straight back to bedrock and it’s origins. There is something wonderfully timeless about that and I am sure that translates thru their fragrances. Thank you for offering the chance to win this perfume. 🙂 I live in the US. I enjoy Le Jardin’s Cuir de Russie very much.

  • Maya says:

    I am still looking for my “perfect” rose. I think that Yuri Gutsatz might just have done that. His quote is so true always! I completely agree with Tammy. I want art to be beautiful. Beauty is what we need more of. I have not tried any Le Jardin Retrouvé. I live in the USA.

  • NiceVULady says:

    I’ve never tried any of this line so I don’t have a favorite. I like the idea of a spiciness added to the rose. This rose fragrance seems wonderful from the review. Thanks for the draw. I live in the USA

  • roxhas1cat says:

    Love at first spray, that just doesn’t happen often. I love blackcurrant blended with rose. I read recently that the big names don’t have as much creative freedom. Thank goodness the fragrance artists are starting their own lines or I would still have 3 lonely bottles on my dresser (that’s what I had 4 years ago before I got out of the department stores). Thank you fragrance artists and thanks for your generosity with these drawings. I live in the US.

  • Hasib says:

    Haven’t tried too many Rose fragrances
    This one sounds interesting. Hope I can get
    To smell this one. Thanks for the giveaway
    From California

  • amber.indigo says:

    I typically shy away from florals-with the exception of rose fragrances. This review really highlights how creating a perfume is a work of art & how I wholeheartedly agree! I have not tried any fragrance from this line, but this one sounds like a good one to start with. From United States.

  • Hikmat Sher Afridi says:

    Lovely review! I have a variety of Rose based perfumes & attars. After reading the Tammy’s review of Rose Trocardero, I am craved to have it. The statements in BOLD of the article are fascinating. Never tried any of Le Jardin Retrouve fragrances but Sandalwood Sacre and Cuir de Russie will buy this year Insha Allah.
    Thanks to the generosity of Le Jardin Retrouve and CafleureBon for the opportunity. Pakistan

  • aurora_ru says:

    I had heard about this perfume house, but didn’t know that it was one of the first independent niche houses. Love the words of Yuri about “robots chained to a mountain of imitations”!!! The marketing matrix tricks are getting worse with every year. So good to have those brave artists who never give up on love.
    This summer i visited several rose gardens and i can say that every rose has unique smell. And there is no one “the best” rose scent, every single flower is unique in its own way. And i don’t think we have too many rose-inspired fragrances, there is always a place for another masterpiece, perfectionned in tiniest details. What i liked about Tammy’s review, that was her pleasure to discover this rose which is lovely and tender, as simple as that. Thank you so much for this draw, i live in the EU.

  • ElenaChiss says:

    Rose is among my favourite notes in a perfume and I always become enthusiastic when I get the chance to try something new. This one sounds interesting because of the clove, blackcurrant and lavander notes that mix together with the rose. I live in EU. Thanks!

  • Jawad Afridi says:

    Thanks for the review! Rose is known as the king of flowers and one of the most beautiful and praised flowers. Rose is my favorite note in perfumes and my best rose perfume is Cartier Declaration d’Un Soir. This perfume house is new to me and never heard before of Le Jardin Retrouve perfume house. Thanks for the chance & would love to win Rose Trocadero as the notes are simple & numbered.
    I live in Pakistan

  • Tom Schroeder says:

    Please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Tammy’s review of Rose Trocardero, where you live and if you have a favorite Le Jardin Retrouvé perfume.

    I ordered all seven samples when I learned about Le Jardin Retrouvé earlier this year, and read with rapt attention everything on their website about this history of Yuri Gutsatz and his founding of the first niche perfume house. Just a captivating story. I fully agree with Tammy that all the fragrances are enjoyable. I love the leather in Cuir de Russie, the uplifting juicy citrus scents Eau des Delices, Verveine d’Ete, and Citron Boboli, the earthy incense of Sandalwood Sucre, and the flowers of Tuberuse Trianon and Rose Trocadero. After Tammy’s review, above, I went back and focused on Rose Trocadero, comparing it with other rose fragrances, and have to agree that it is stunningly pure rose fragrance. Having had 13 different fragrant roses where I lived in the past, it reminds me of a stroll through my small rose garden on a beautiful spring morning. Of all the fragrances, this one has the best performance on my skin. Such a delightful scent. If I smelled this on a woman, I would be strongly tempted to stop and give her a compliment. Thank you for the wonderful review. I live in San Jose, California.

  • MariaA says:

    I love all their scents and Rose Trocadero is as Tammy says simply beautiful!!!
    Thank you for the draw,I’m in the UK!!

  • JozefJak says:

    I love the notes of this scent and the photo by Mario Testino, it’s almost like a painting. I’m fascinated by rose interpretation especially in man’s scents like in Amouage Lyric and many others. I haven’t tried any perfumes from this house yet. I’m from Poland.

  • DavidK says:

    I just checked out the Jardin Retrouvé website and I live 2 metro stops away from their boutique! I’m definitely going to have to visit this month. Having lived in Paris now for about 3 months I’ve fallen in love with all things floral and especially rose!

    Niche brands that remain true to their identity without sacrificing wearability are what I respond to most. Tammy’s article certainly makes to want to see what this house is all about!

    I live in France and thanks for the draw!

  • BlessedTA says:

    Great review. I enjoyed reading about the notes and looking at the graphics.

    I’m in Canada.

    I don’t have a favorite Le Jardin Retrouvé perfume . I have not smelled any of their perfumes.

  • psebi101 says:

    I like roses and this sounds like something a bit different than the usual; and I like that it’s paired with blackcurrant and cloves. I am not familiar at all with the house, but I’d like to get to know their fragrances.
    Thank you, I live in Europe.

  • doveskylark says:

    I like that this review talks about perfume as art, and the implications of what that means. I also like the discussion of what perfume should be–and I think the bottom line is that it should bring comfort and joy all day long. Certainly a good rose perfume can bring that.
    I haven’t tried anything from this house, but I loved the website’s description of Cuir de Russia and the mention of Najinsky.
    I live in the USA.

  • Greg Sh says:

    Wow this sounds like an absolutely divine rise fragrance. I haven’t smelled anything from this house, but this review really makes me want to!!! I’m in Canada and thanks!

  • Michel Gutsatz says:

    I want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments on the perfumes my father Yuri created!
    He wanted the perfumer to have the freedom to create fragrances that brought moments of beauty and emotion to those that wear them…
    We will be very happy to welcome DavidK in our Paris store when it reopens after August 21 – but we are ready to open it for private visits anytime.

    And huge thanks to Tammy for this emotional review and to Michelyn

  • Gina says:

    I do not like fruit with my roses; so, I wonder about this one. But, I love love love all things rose.

    I own two vintages by this house made by his father! I have the Jasmin but my fave is Chevrefeuille.

  • Christi says:

    Lovely review! As a rose lover, I enjoyed her joy in describing Rose Trocadéro! I actually have a sample I haven’t tried yet! Now I will! Michel is very generous as always and thank you for the giveaway. I’m in the US. Good luck everyone!

  • SuzanneS says:

    I love the beautiful images of the review . It expresses Retrouves Rose exquisitely. Thank you for your consideration with the drawing. It be a dream to have a full bottle.