L'Artisan Parfumeur
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Orange blossom arrives with immediate peachy warmth, its creamy facets softened by the green spice of aniseed—an unexpected playfulness that immediately signals this won't be a solemn affair. The rosebud cuts through with tender-fresh clarity, its papery texture evident before the florals blur together.
The aniseed recedes as iris and violet assume command, their powdery, almost chalk-like minerality creating an elegant austerity that momentarily contrasts with the rose's continued presence. The composition achieves perfect balance here—neither sweetness nor florality dominates, instead creating a unified, almost creamy floral fog that feels surprisingly intimate against the skin.
Suede, almond, and honey emerge to create the fragrance's most compelling phase, transforming the earlier florals into something softly gourmand and almost skin-like. The powdery base persists, creating a gentle, slightly vintage sweetness that eventually dissipates into a faint almond-honey warmth that clings without projection—a fragrance that asks to be discovered rather than announced.
Drôle de Rose is a fragrance that treats the rose with cheerful irreverence, stripping away the genre's typical gravitas to reveal something closer to a garden daydream. Olivia Giacobetti's 1996 composition opens with the delicate sharpness of rosebud caught mid-unfurl, immediately softened by orange blossom's creamy warmth and a playful thread of aniseed that prevents the composition from tipping into predictable floral reverence. The iris and violet in the heart add a dusty, almost powdery texture—that distinctive Giacobetti signature of translucent florals—whilst the rose remains refined rather than perfume-counter lush, sitting somewhere between a pressed petal and a whispered confidence.
What distinguishes this from conventional rose fragrances is its creamy base, where suede, almond, and honey create a soft, almost edible foundation that reframes the florals as approachable rather than austere. The suede lends an unexpected texture—leather-soft without leather's edge—whilst honey and almond suggest something gently gourmand, like rose petals scattered across a dessert plate. The powdery accords (88%) emerge through the composition's entire arc, creating a nostalgic, slightly vintage sensibility that feels considered rather than dated.
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3.8/5 (362)