Photo Credit:  Alannah Hill

As we get new fragrances sent to us EIC Michelyn Camen will often get something a day before it graces my mailbox. When she really likes something she is excited to talk about it but I end up telling her to save it until I have a chance to sniff it. If she really likes something she will keep trying to tell me about it even though I’ve asked her not to. The most recent fragrance to cause this to happen was the sixth release from A Dozen Roses called Angel Face.

A Dozen Roses is one of the rare fragrance brands which are actively working on creating a brand identity. The A Dozen Roses approach is to use a signature note of rose absolute in all of their fragrances. I think this idea of having a recognizable olfactory signature is a good one because it grants a cohesive continuity to each successive release. Despite saying that when I tried Angel Face right after I received it I immediately understood why Michelyn was so excited as the opening of Angel Face is an amazing mixture of fruit. All too often fruity openings have a mushy overripe quality to them. In Angel Face it has a vitality to it that makes it seem alive with possibility. The rest of the development from fruity heart to sweetly woody base doesn’t disappoint either.

Garden of Roses Allanah Hill

The fruit in the top notes comes from black currant and green apple. The currant is made to feel tarter because the green apple takes it that way. That means instead of deep fruitiness you get a kind of energetic mingling of the two notes and it is very nice. The heart is a bouquet of peony, violet, jasmine, and lilac. Befitting a perfume named after a purple rose it is the purple flowers which take the lead as lilac and violet push forward before being joined by the peony and jasmine.

Allanah Hill

The peony adds a fresh sunny character to the heart and keeps the lilac from being too cloying. It isn’t until well into the development that the signature A Dozen Roses rose note arrives and I had been enjoying the early development so much I forgot to expect it the first time. It is joined by patchouli, tonka, and vetiver. This makes for a slightly sweet woody base.

Angel Face has above average longevity and above average sillage.

Photo: A Dozen Roses Fragrances Facebook Page

I think Angel Face is the best fragrance so far in the A Dozen Roses collection; it has a much more pronounced aesthetic of its own while still retaining the brand DNA with the presence of the rose note. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised and pleased at the opening. Sort of like Angel Face has its own kind of angel face.

Disclosure: This review was based on a press sample provided by A Dozen Roses.

Photo Credit: A Dozen Roses Fragrances Facebook Page

Thanks to A Dozen Roses we have a 100 ml/3.4 oz bottle of Angel Face (which is a pre-release) to give away. The draw is US only. To be eligible leave a comment naming the next rose you would like for A Dozen Roses to create a perfume for. The draw will end on June 23, 2013.

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

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

Editor’s Note: Allanah Hill is an Australian Fashion Designer. Angel Face will go on sale June 24 at Neiman-Marcus and on July 1 at Bergdorf Goodman.

Read Tama's review of Amber Queen here,

Read Mark's review of Electron Rose here

Read Michelyn's introduction to the founders Sandy Cataldo and Lynn Walsh Emmolo and the first three "roses": Iced White, Shakespeare in Love and Gold Rush here