Following my top 50 iris fragrances, I present a lush platter of rose fragrances. Below, you will find 40 of my favorite roses and recommendations. Followed by 10 rose fragrances that I don’t know well enough to speak on, that might be worth highlighting. A lot of these fragrances have been reviewed, which you can check out by clicking on their names. I tried ranking them in order from my favorite to lesser, but most of them are interchangeable. This list could easily be twice as long, so I left out some fragrances that contain rose, but that don’t wear like rose fragrances to me (for example Fragrance du Bois Sahraa, Andy Tauer L’Air du Desert Marocain or Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule). I invite you to add your favorite rose picks in the comments below the list!
01. Amouage Epic 56
The top spot for a rose fragrance goes to Epic 56. This entry also accounts for Epic Woman, which is much more affordable and Rose Aqor, which is warmer and even more expensive. The three are all made by Cecile Zarokian and they share a lot of their DNA, but Epic 56 would be my first recommendation. A greener, aromatic rose with an oily texture and impeccable performance.
02. Jazeel Ghala
One of my favorite discoveries in 2023. Ghala is a skankier oud-rose, but at the same time it has the most beautiful oily citrus. If you like the lemon-citronella edge to your rose, Ghala is a must try.
03. Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady
This used to be my favorite rose for several years. It’s still one of the best perfumes ever made, with a stunning vibrant and bright rose. It moves into patchouli quickly and my bottle has grown sweeter over the years.
04. Frederic Malle Une Rose/Rose Tonnerre
In the past year, Rose Tonnerre has started to win me over and it’s not trailing far behind Portrait Of A Lady anymore. A more substantial, oily rose.
05. Etat Libre D’Orange Experimentum Crucis
One of the most unique options on this list. An unnatural smelling bright rose with cumin. For a greener take that feels similar, Quintin Bisch’ other ELDO, Hermann A Mes Cotes, is an interesting release as well.
06. Guerlain Rose Centifolia Extrait 1
This was my favorite from the 2023 Guerlain Les Extraits Signature line. Offering up a lot of different facets of the rose, albeit it at a high price point.
07. Matiere Premiere Radical Rose [#AD]
One of the purest rose scents to me. I imagine this to be vivid red and it has a great balance of floral, earthy and sweet tones. Unfortunately, my bottle of this has also grown a tad sweeter than it used to be over the years.
08. Maison Tahite Coffee Bomb
This is an upgrade over Montale Intense Cafe, at a great price, which is why I left that one off the list. A slightly metallic feeling rose, mixed with roasted coffee. All elements here are better than in the Montale in my opinion and it’s less overdosed in vanilla.
09. Roja Parfums Taif Aoud Parfum
A brighter and more rosey take on the Amber Aoud and Musk Aoud style by Roja. Making this more versatile and warmer weather appropriate. I was suprised how much I liked this one.
10. Cartier Declaration D’Un Soir
A softer, greener rose, with a fresher opening. A subtle scent that is often presented as one of the best rose offerings for men (who may not be accustomed to the note) and I fully agree. An office staple in my collection.
11. Ostens Impression Rose Oil Isparta [#AD]
A lively, fun take on rose. There’s a sparkling, lemonade-like edge to this and the ingredients really shine as they do in most of the Ostens releases.
12. Xerjoff 40 Knots
This one may not register as a real rose scent to some at first. I can say after wearing it a lot, that I’ve come to see it more and more as a rose. A briny edge and oily texture with extraordinairy performance as bonus.
13. Guerlain Gourmand Coquin/Feve Gourmand
A very sweet rose, with the tiniest hint of booze and a lot of chocolate. This walks the fine line of being elegant and being opulent & quirky at the same time. I haven’t tried Feve Gourmand yet; according to Thierry Wasser the formula has not been changed.
14. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood
This one needs no introduction. I slightly prefer the scent of the EDP, but it is even louder than the Extrait. A rare occassion where I wish the performance was a bit less strong. The fruity, lychee rose with the oudy backdrop is iconic for good reason.
15. Kilian Rose Oud
Speaking of rose ouds. There will be several on the list and frankly, I’ve grown tired of some of them, because it’s a popular style with a lot of redundancy. For that ‘common’ variant, Kilian’s take is one of my favorites. For this reason I left Armani Rose D’Arabie off the list.
16. Roja Parfums Rose Parfum
An underrated and not often seen Roja these days. Taking cues from the greener, mossier roses of the past, in particular Guerlain’s Nahema, hence I left that out of this list.
17. Tom Ford Noir de Noir
A darker take on rose, with earthy tones and a non-gourmand chocolate. I have to wear this again, but I know it left a lasting impression on me when I first smelled it.
18. Electimuss Pomona Vitalis [#AD]
Which brings me to Pomona Vitalis, which I feel is occupying the same spot as Noir de Noir. A more minty opening and definitely more focus on the patchouli with the rose being subtle.
19. Maison Sybarite Bed Of Roses
A water-based fragrance with a super milky texture. This is the more common milky, iris, sandalwood style with a rose twist.
20. Lorenzo Villoresi Musk EDT
Despite the name, this always felt more like a sandalwood fragrance to me. There is a hint of musky babypowder, but also a soft, inoffensive rose.
21. Les Abstrais La Douleur Exquise
This reminds me of a rose-oud, with a contrasting brighter rose and stronger leathery edge. I love how resinous the drydown gets.