In the language of love, offering a dozen red roses has an unmistakeable message, but did you know that your choice of colour can have many nuances? Yellow signifies friendship and joy; pink, admiration of feminine attributes; a single thorn-less red rose represents love at first sight; and white means innocence or purity.
A bunch of last-minute roses grabbed from the garage on your way home from work might not quite cut it though, given the ubiquity of roses on Valentine’s Day. I always find their lack of scent a disappointment – somehow crimson roses are so associated with perfume it seems wrong, as if they’ve been neutered!
If you want to splash out on something a little more luxuriant and personalised for your loved one, Jo Malone have launched a series of rose-themed perfumes for Valentine’s Day. The gorgeously heavy-based little 50ml bottles are elegantly capped with silver stoppers, and each plays on the rose in its many moods.
‘Rose Blush’ for example, launched in 2022, plays on the translucent delicacy of rose petal jam, in this case freshened with a subtle touch of green basil, the fruity scent of lychee and a soft white musk dry down. This perfume will have much appeal to those who appreciate freshness and subtlety; it’s youthful in feel, like rain drops on delicate pink petals.
‘Red Roses’ is a waxy, honeyed red rose, freshened with lemon, violet and mint. This will remind you of the true scent of a classic tea rose – elegant with a touch of citrus, but in this case the authentic scent of honey also reminds me a little of almond blossom – a happy association. Its message is a little bolder than Rose Blush, perhaps more passionate, whilst never veering into Gothic romance.
‘Rose Water and Vanilla’ offers a light yet sensual rose-themed scent with a touch of succulent Turkish Delight and a little sprinkling of sugar, deepened with a hint of patchouli. Of the trio, this perfume will appeal to those who prefer a gourmand perfume, or a scent that would suit party occasions. It’s pretty and, while quite rich, it retains a light touch perfect for early spring.
There is an abundance of rose-themed perfumes out there, given that it’s probably the most popular note in perfumery, but really the moods seem to fall mostly into four camps – delicate roses, classic roses, gourmand roses, and those I’d term ‘Gothic’ roses.
Gothic rose isn’t represented in the trio above, so I’ll make mention of Jo Malone’s ‘Velvet Rose and Oud’. It’s a style inspired by the classic Arabian combo of rose and oud – two notes which play together beautifully. I tend to think that oud creates a sense of elegance and mystery with its dry, smoky aspects. Paired with rose it conjures the image of a dark velvety rose. It’s not for those who seek delicacy but although it makes more of a statement, sweeter notes smooth this out and the oud itself is more a background note, creating a wonderfully easy-to-wear rose/oud.
With each perfume a rose-themed riff on the language of flowers, Jo Malone offer a bouquet of beautifully perfumed odes to love this Valentine’s Day.
Jo Malone perfumes can be found in most perfume departments and on their website jomalone.co.uk.
