Esxence 2019: Manos Gerakinis Rose Poétique Review + Euphoric Rose Draw

June 6, 2019June 6, 2019

Manos Gerakinis Rose Poetique (Photo: Despina Veneti)©

“Poetry is like ascending a fantasy ladder to cut a rose that’s real.” Greek poet Tassos Leivaditis (Translation: Despina Veneti)©

Manos Gerakinis and his perfumes were among the nicest discoveries at Esxence 2019 for many fragrance lovers (including our own Sr. Contributor, Danu Seith-Fyr). Although the brand was participating in such an important trade show for the very first time, it’s moving onto its sixth year of existence. Fellow Greek Manos is no stranger to the world of fragrance and luxury: in 2013 he left a successful 10-year career as a Luxury Department Manager in Harrods of London to serve his military duty in Greece, still unsure about what he wanted to do afterwards. The turning point came in 2014, when Manos (a life-long fragrance lover, fascinated by the way perfume is linked to memory and emotion) decided to have his own signature scent created, initially for personal use. That rich, intense oud/oriental (which eventually became Sillage Royal, the very first fragrance of his collection) was so much admired that gave him the confidence to pursue his dream of establishing his own perfume brand.

Manos Gerakinis in Esxence Milan 2019 (Courtesy of Manos Gerakinis)©

Talking with Manos one discovers a refreshingly candid, soft-spoken, genuinely kind man with a great sense of humour. As a creative director he submits his briefs to French-based perfume manufacturing companies, and (if needed) takes his time until he finds the scent he dreamt of; every fragrance that bears his name fully expresses his own tastes and sensibilities, with emphasis on powerful emotional reactions. In Manos Gerakinis’ first collection, “Sillage“, one can currently find three fragrances (Sillage Royal, Sillage Galant, Sillage Suave), all containing oud, but each one with a different approach to the ingredient. Always fond of movement and change, Manos loves creating limited editions; his current “parfum d’exception” is Quintessence (an extrait de parfum containing pure silver, bound to please lovers of exceptionally blended, refined oud/amber scents), while a luxurious floral extrait containing real gold, Jardin Secret, will be released later this year. Lastly, Manos Gerakinis’ collection “Parfums de Jour” is comprised of the eaux de parfum Pivoine (a delicate but complex peony scent), Immortelle (an original gourmand combining everlasting flower, spices, burned sugar and milk notes), and the sublime rose-centric fragrance Rose Poétique, which I chose to review here.

Manos Gerakinis Rose Poétique with a background of roses painted by Manos (Digital Collage: Despina Veneti)

Roses have been dear to Manos since childhood, when he started to paint them in his grandmother’s garden. For Rose Poétique he wanted an uplifting, jovial floriental built around the “queen of flowers”. After almost a year, Rose Poétique was born – a composition of admirable balance and beauty, as well as a fragrance that celebrates the origins of the brand’s owner.

“Blue Bird” fresco in Knossos, Crete, featuring wild roses, 2,000-1,500 BC, and Damask roses in contemporary Crete (From personal archive)

Manos Gerakinis Rose Poétique is based on three natural ingredients, whose significance for Greeks goes back thousands of years: rose, labdanum and saffron. Rose is said to have been cultivated for the first time on European soil in ancient Greece (an approximately 3,500-year-old Minoan fresco featuring wild roses still survives in the palace of Knossos in Crete). Roses were so beloved by ancient Greeks that several myths – one more beautiful than the other – exist about the flower’s origins (all of them attributing its existence to some divine inspiration/intervention). Their beauty, aroma, cosmetic and medicinal properties have been heralded by the likes of Sappho, Anacreon, Herodotus, Theophrastus, Epicurus… even in the Christian religion the rose remains a powerful symbol.

Clockwise: Cretan goat covered with labdanum resin, ladanisterion tool, and Cistus Creticus in bloom (Photos: essentialreflections.com)©

Labdanum (the dark, sticky resin gathered from the “rockrose” flowering shrub) has also been cherished for thousands of years for its therapeutic properties, later becoming a staple in Christian rituals. The celebrated variety Cistus Creticus produces one of the finest resins in the world, and if one is lucky enough, one can still witness in Cretan villages the gathering of the substance with the help of a traditional rake-like tool called “ladanisterion” (or even from the beards and hooves of mountain goats!).

Clockwise: 1,650-1,600 BC frescoes of women gathering crocus from Knossos and girl Thera, and crocus flowers in Kozani (From personal archive/Last photo: Reuters/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Greek saffron (known as “crocus”) is mainly produced in Kozani (in North-Western Greece), but the wild precursor of the domesticated plant is again traced back in Crete, some 3,500 years ago (several mural paintings depicting crocus gathering survive). The valuable dark-yellow stems of the purple flowers produce the precious spice of unique taste and aroma, known in Greece as “red gold”.

René Magritte’s “Le Tombeau des Lutteurs”, 1960 (Photo: ReneMagritte.org)©

Manos Gerakinis Rose Poétique opens with a glorious, intoxicating Damask rose, fleshy and full-bodied, yet unmistakably euphoric. This is indeed no melancholic, moody rose: saffron shines through the dense petals like penetrating sun beams, while the contemporary touches of sharp rhubarb and tangy raspberry offer their tart/sweet energy to the rose. The first signs of musk manifest to my nose right from the opening, keeping the fragrance fluffy just before the deep, balsamic labdanum enters the scene. The synergy between labdanum, saffron and patchouli tones down the fruitiness, bringing into surface exciting suede leather undertones. The drydown is one of soft amber, with the warmed labdanum melting into sweet vanilla, while the combination of airy musk and cozy cashmeran gives the composition an easy-going, ethereal sensuality.

More than a geographic bridge between East and West, Greece has always been a melting pot of various cultures, traditions, and mentalities. Manos Gerakinis Rose Poétique evokes that reality, as a stunning aromatic crossroad between Oriental and Occidental olfactory approaches. Light-hearted but soulful, Rose Poétique is a smoothly blended “westernized” oriental of supreme elegance, meant to celebrate optimism, joy for life, and all that brings people together.

Notes: Saffron, Rhubarb; Damask Rose, Patchouli, Labdanum, Raspberry; Vanilla, Cashmere Wood, Sandalwood, Musk.

Disclaimer: I’d like to thank Manos Gerakinis for my bottle of Rose Poétique. The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Manos Gerakinis, we have a draw for TWO 10ml travel sprays of Manos Gerakinis Rose Poétique for two registered readers, as well as ONE 10ml travel spray of any Manos Gerakinis fragrance (except Quintessence) for one more registered reader in the USA or EU. There are three winners. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Despina’s review and overview, which perfume you would choose from those offered, and where you live. Draw closes 6/10/2019

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed… or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.