New Niche Perfume Review: Divine Life Trinity Rose and Rosita – The Deepest Roses +A Blooming Sample Set Draw

Divine Life Roses Header CaFleureBon

Last year, Ragna Rostad-Ruffner of Divine Life Perfumes introduced me to one of my favorite rose scents, Dharma Rose. This year, at the Artisan Fragrance Salon, she gave me her two most recent rose scents, Trinity Rose and Rosita. With Dharma Rose, they make a lovely trio of compelling fragrances that sit squarely in the “dark rose” genre.  Dharma Rose was offered in both perfume oil and eau de cologne, but the EDC was dropped in favor of offering all three of these scents in eau de parfum.

Divine Life Roses 1 Trinity CaFleureBon

Rose Series 3 by Olivia de Fleuriot

Trinity Rose is a quietly enchanting scent, smoldering close to the skin. It is a slightly animalic fragrance, smelling of woods and possibly some incense as well as a more earthy component. It was chilly in the house on testing day, and I had to apply quite a bit to get the scent to really start to bloom, but once it did it was terrific. The rose in this perfume smells almost like roses that have been dried. One of my friends has a big bowl of dried roses on her coffee table that she adds flowers to as she gets them. I love to pick them up and smell their dusty beauty. I am doing the same thing to my arm, inhaling that same aroma. Trinity Rose has a smooth, warm base and calming drydown.

Notes: Turkish rose absolute, wild rose absolute, Turkish rose otto, jasmine, Virginia cedar, Tolu balsam, patchouli, Indian vetiver, labdanum, angelica, ambrette, frankincense, cedar moss, oakmoss

Divine Life Roses 2 Rosita CaFleureBon

Born to be Wild by Charmaine Olivia

Spicy roses are always welcome in my collection, and Rosita is a nice example. A touch of citrus balances the natural rose until the scent sinks into the skin with an undercurrent of spice.  This scent has a nice balance of earthy, creamy florals and pop of citrus and clove.  I think of this less as a rose scent than a spiced floral bouquet great for any season. The perfume was created as a tribute to a Carven scent worn by Ms. Rostad-Ruffner’s mother called Robe d’un Soir. As predominantly natural rose perfumes go, this is not the most unique offering I have smelled, but it is definitely a nice addition to the trio, and quite pretty.

Notes: Bulgarian rose absolute, ylang ylang, jasmine, bergamot, clary sage, galbanum, orris, gardenia, vetiver, oakmoss, labdanum, lemon, clove bud, cardamom (Note: the gardenia absolute used in this scent is from India, and most likely synthetic. Ms. Rostad-Ruffner is aware of this, and it is the only synthetic she has incorporated into a perfume)

Divine Life Roses 3 Sampler CaFleureBon

Ms. Rostad-Ruffner is a natural perfumer who also makes soaps and skin care products for her Divine Life brand. She provided my samples and is offering a sample set to a lucky US reader, along with a sample of Dharma Rose soap. Do you have a favorite rose bloom variety, or favorite rose perfume? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to tell us you are in the US. Draw ends April 26, 2013.

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

Tama Blough, Senior Editor

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36 comments

  • Victoria Casey says:

    I love heirloom & wild roses. They smell so much better then the hybrids & the rosehips are higher in Vitamin C. I live in the USA.

  • Wow…these sound amazing. I’m actually on a dark rose quest right now, so I find this very exciting. Right now, I’m not sure if my favorite is Rose de Nuit by Lutens or Rose en Noir by Miller Harris.

  • Marion Low says:

    Cool, more lovely roses. My all time best rose is one by Annette Neuffer. Opulentals Absolue de Rose is sublime. I don’t even know if she still makes it anymore. Count me in to discover a new one. Thanks for the chance.

  • Love rose perfumes – another user name I have is rosarita for that reason – and these sound lovely. Nahema is a classic favorite, and DSH Inner Sanctum is the best dark incense rose I’ve smelled.

  • These sound amazing! My favorite rose fragrances are Guerlain Rose Barbare and Kerosene’s Whips and Roses. Thanks for the draw! 🙂

  • helical gnome says:

    i feel bad to admit that since i am such a perfume newbie i dont really know a rose perfume i really like but i’d love to try these! i want to learn about rose scents of course but i am still working my way through spices and i am overwhelmed.
    thanks for the draw and i am in the us

  • My favorite rose fragrances are Coty’s “La Rose Jacqueminot”, Olympic Orchid’s “Ballets Rouge”, Bourbon French Perfume’s “Oriental Rose”, Aloes of Ish “Marium” and a rose perfume called “Ruby” that my mother put together in a perfume class at Sweet Anthem Perfumes in Seattle. I live in the USA.

  • I am in the US, and have recently been enjoying Atelier’s Rose Anonyme, Thanks for the draw.

  • I like to wear Rose Etoile de Hollande when
    I am in the mood for a rose scent. I am a huge fan
    of soaps, and would love to try Dharma Rose.
    I am in the US
    Thanks for the draw!

  • Ooh Tama, these sound great, I really like dark spicy scents and I’m trying to use mostly natural perfume these days. I’m going to order one of her sample sets. I am rather new to the rose note. Up until the end of last year I avoided rose centric perfumes, I had incorrectly associated them with older lady fragrances. Then in Sephora one day I sniffed Atelier’s Rose Anonyme and I was hooked!

  • My favorite rose is a climber that is essentially thornless. Her name is Zephirine Drouhin and she is a bright magenta color. And, this rose is very aromatic, giving off a classic rose scent. At the moment, my favorite rose perfume is Mohur. I am greatly interested in rose oriented fragrances and would love to win a sample set. I am in the U.S.

  • I dont know the names of the rose bushes we planted for each of our three children but they are my favourite roses. They bloom in these colours: an ordinary red, an apricot and a white. Right now I am in love with Frederic Malle’s Portrait of a Lady but dont think I can really afford that. I generally love all the rose perfumes I have sampled – Aftelier’s Wild Roses, Atelier Cologne’s Rose Anonyme, L’Artisan’s Voleur de Rose. But the only rose I love and have a little of is Neela Vermeire’s Mohur. I do live in the US.

  • wefadetogray says:

    My favorite rose perfume is Andy Tauer’s Une Rose Chypree. I have a very weird relationship with rose scents. I do not like realistic or fresh perfume roses at all but I love body oils, face sprays, and soaps that smell like real roses. I love cooking with roses and rose oil but for perfumes I like rarefied, thorny, aloof roses. I live in the US
    Thanks for the draw.

  • My favorite roses are velvetty red roses. I would love to try these fragrances. I do not have any rose fragrances. I live in the USA. Thanks for the draw.

  • Tomate Farcie says:

    My favorite rose scent is Lyric Woman, since I can’t afford it, I would love to try these!

  • ugh, sorry for duplicate comment. I’m in the US.

    Roes are one of my favorites, so it’s hard to choose a favorite rose perfume. I’ll just say Tauer Incense Rose for now.

  • My favorite rose perfumes are Lyric Woman, Eau Suave, Lipstick Rose, and Le Labo Rose 31. I live in the US and would love to win this draw.

  • I was lucky enough to smell Trinity Rose at the SF Fragrance Salon.It was my favorite of her rose offerings. I also like her rose mist refresher spray. It is great on a warm day. I have about 20 favorite rose scents, as it is one of my favorite notes. Lyric Woman, Rose 31, Rossy de Palma, Agent Provocateur, and La Fille de Berlin have been getting a lot of use.

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    my favorite rose fragrance is still Ungaro L’Homme or which is also known as Ungaro I..really beautiful dry rose feeling..i am in the U.S..i have nahema extract too but nahema seems too plasticky to me

  • I love all things rose, so I won’t be able to narrow it down to a single favorite. However, the Iranian rose otto that I have is sublime. Ragna’s trio sound Divine and I would love to spend time with them! Thank you for the draw.

  • rosiegreen says:

    My favorite rose variety is Mr Lincoln, a classic tea rose with a deep,dark red color and an amazing scent. I love rose scents in perfume and today my favorites are Czech & Speake Dark Rose and Caron Parfum Sacre, who knows what my favorites will be tomorrow.

  • I love turkish rose!!! (So much that I am trying to visit Turkey sometime soon to check out their perfumes). I think that is technically of the Damascus variety.

    This is one that will have to be shared with my perfume loving (but internet unsavvy) sister who lives in the US though. Since there are three of them I suppose we can each find one to suit us! I’m thinking Trinity might suit me more and Rosalita her 😛

  • Sarah Lathrop says:

    My favorite garden rose is Rosa centifolia “cristata” or the crested moss rose. It is a classic pink color with many petals, wonderful fragrance and unusual fringy green sepals.
    The rose fragrance I’ve been sampling is Etat Libre d’Orange Rossy de Palma.
    I live in the U.S. and would love to try these rose scents! Thank you for the chance.

  • I find rose scents very comforting and have been using face products with rose scents. Current favorites are the Duchess Marsden line and By Terry. It is so relaxing to use these rose scented products at night. These natural roses sound lovely. I live in the US.