Welcome to Day 3 of ÇaFleureBon’s Tournament of Roses, our favorite rose perfumes for Valentine’s Day. Both Editors Sebastian Jara and Despina Veneti offer very different rose perfumes as their favorites.

Stock photo digitalized MC

 Montale Intense Cafe (Pierre Montale 2013): When Sebastian chose his perfect rose he kept in mind that many contemporary men think rose fragrances are thought of as feminine or too sweet. Never mind that men have been wearing Rose perfumes since antiquity. Even King Henry XIII, who chose the Tudor Rose as his symbol (and he had all those wives, most certainly not for his good looks but perhaps for his rose scent)! In fact Kings during the Middle Ages have historically wore rose perfumes and  their consorts orange water,

Try some coffee with your rose, milky lactonic notes as he reviews his favorite Montale fragrance (he  considers Montale Intense Cafe his favorite from the brand and that includes his much loved Black Oud.

–Sebastian Jara, Editor and  historical contributions by Michelyn Camen, E-I-C

Roses in silver bowl, Vogue – June 1952 (Photo: John Rawlings/Condé Nast Archive)©

Le Jardin Retrouvé Rose Trocadéro (Yuri Gutsatz, 1976 / adapted by Maxence Moutte for its 2016 re-release): This high-quality, natural-smelling, dewy rose bouquet of touching purity is an excellent daytime choice for all lovers of the “queen of flowers". Initially named Rose Thé (Tea Rose), this is a scent that evokes the ideal rose garden, as perceived through the precious subjectivity of blissful memories. By no means, however, should this noble composition be regarded as a merely nostalgic rose fragrance; the timelessness of top-quality Bulgarian rose absolute, combined with the exhilarating greenness of blackcurrant buds, woody undertones and hints of lavender, clove and musk, elevate Rose Trocadéro to a – physically and spiritually – comforting scent of quiet, but confident sophistication.

Shalini Amorem Rose (Maurice Roucel, 2018): For his third collaboration with Shalini, Monsieur Roucel composed a deeply touching fragrant ode to “the greatest love stories" – and to Damask rose. The latter's natural properties of deep aroma, opulence and warmth are further enriched by a sensual amber accord, spiced up by saffron flowers, and given a mysterious aura by the use of smoky Mahogany woods. Lush, multi-layered, and dramatic, Amorem Rose is simply one of the most intriguing, and affecting, rose perfumes to have emerged in the last decade. The exceptional quality of the ingredients and the masterful, seamless blending elevate the scent to a potential future classic.

YSL Paris (Sophia Grojsman, 1983): By now an undisputed classic, Paris is still one of the most complex, sumptuous rose-based perfumes ever created. Yves Saint Laurent's vision was to pay a tribute to Paris, the city which embraced him, and to its women whom he admired so much, by creating a nostalgic – yet joyful – new fragrance based on roses; in his own words, the “old-fashioned, plump, slowly disappearing varieties, like in the exotic gardens of Marrakesh”. His vision was realized by a young Sophia Grojsman, who composed one of the most exuberant, lush and radiant florals: the rose (May and Damask) is the vibrating star of a bouquet that includes violet, mimosa, ylang-ylang, geranium, iris and mayflower, all warmed up by sandalwood, amber and musk. Just like Paris and the Parisiennes, the scent is at the same time modern and romantic, bold and tender, sensual and sophisticated, dynamic and sentimental. The essence of joie de vivre in a bottle, and a fragrant poem dedicated to women in full bloom.

– Despina Veneti, Editor

For our Rose Perfumes for Valentine’s Day Draw:

Montale Intense Cafe by Sebastian

Thanks to Europerfumes the US distributor of Montale Paris we have a we have a 100 ml tester bottle of Montale Intense Cafe/$170 for a registered CafleureBon reader and Looking Feeling Smelling Great subscriber in the USA

Available at Bloomingdale’s

With Gratitude to Shalini for a 7.5 ml travel spray ($150) for a registered reader   in the EU, USA and Canada

Available @aedesvenustus and @indigoperfumery

Thank you to Michel Gutsatz for a 15 ml of Le Jardin Retrouvé Rose Trocadéro EU, USA and Canada

@lejardinretrouve

For our Roses for Valentine’s Day Tournament #3, please leave a comment on which Rose perfumes s for Valentine’s Day from today’s Tournament appeal to you, Montale Intense Cafe, Shalini Amorem,  Le Jardin Retrouvé Rose Trocadéro and which you would like to win that is being offered and where you live (country restrictions). You must be a registered reader to enter or your comment will not count. Check back daily for more of our favorite roses for Valentine’s Day in our Tournament. Draw closes February 2, 2019

From their own collections or requested for review, opinions their own

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Enter our Roses for Valentine’s Day Tournament #1 here

Enter our Roses for Valentine’s Day Tournament # 2 here

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.