A Minuet of Roses: Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne
This week’s fragrance review is a bit earlier, so that you still have some time to go out and get something nice for Valentines’ Day. Nothing is more romantic than roses, and for this special occasion, I’ve teamed up with the gorgeous Sara of Colormeloud to bring you… A Minuet of Roses!
There are fresh roses for the powder room, happy youthful roses for the spring… and there are sexy roses for the boudoir… Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud belongs to the latter. The fragrance is the quintessential womanly scent for me… preparing for a romantic date in the private seclusion of my own room, getting dressed thoughtfully to charm and luxuriate in his gaze and attention. They say dress according to the way you want to be treated… and when you dress yourself in Jo Malone’s Velvet Rose & Oud, you demand to be treated like the lady you are.
The combination of rose and oud is not a novel thing, it has been done many times before. In fact, when I first took a whiff of Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud, I was reminded of Giorgio Armani Prive’s Rose d’Arabie, a fragrance that I had considered many times but always ended up walking away. The notes in both are very similar and fairly straightforward – rose and oud predominate. But where the two differed, is in the accompaniments. Jo Malone added just a hint of clove for some spiciness and to bring out the oud, and a sprinkling of praline to accentuate the natural floral sweetness of the rose. The overall effect is a very well balanced blend of velvety rose and woody oud. It is sensual without a doubt, but in moderation for an overall modern effect.
What better way to round off a romantic date than to retreat into the warm private embrace of your own space, lush carpet underfoot, damask silken sheets, chocolate pralines and a good bottle of wine awaiting at the side. And with a good 6-8 hours’ wear, Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud will see you all the way through your romantic evening.
Now if you’re not a fan of oud, and are seeking a fresh-cut bouquet of red roses, please head on over to Sara’s post on Jo Malone’s Red Roses Cologne!
Hello Sara, if you liked Oud Ispahan from Dior, you’d enjoy Guerlain’s Rose Nacree du Desert. I love rose scents too and I like them with oud as a base to give the perfume some depth. Jo Malone’s Velvet Rose and Oud isn’t available in KL either. How disappointing. it was one of the first few rose+oud combinations I wanted to try. Anyway, do try the one from Guerlain. It was developed for the Middle Eastern market so you’ll have to make a purchase online. Compared to Oud Ispahan, I found that Rose Nacree du Desert is more complex and luxurious. Lasts the whole day. Wonderful sillage.
Sounds lovely Steph! Thanks for the recommendation! I just wished Guerlain carried a greater range of fragrances here in Singapore… for some reason they only have the light citrus / floral scents here.
Sad TW doesnt get the JM Cologne Intense line, there seem to be quite a few gems in there! Loved the review!!
Likewise in Sg! The SA told me that’s because the cologne intense lose their scent very quickly in hot humid climates that’s why they don’t import them here… but there are plenty of other perfumes on sale here so that just sounds like nonsense to me.
Hey Linda, I have tried a sample of this and liked it! Funny that you mentioned Armani Prive Rose d’Arabie. I got a little sample just last week. Must bust it out now!
Sexy sensual roses! Mine were the clean spring ones. I loved to read through your description of getting ready and dressing in this fragrance. I haven’t sampled it yet but now I have to do. I know there is something about Rose Arabia which keeps calling but it fails to convince. My favorite rose & oud is Oud Ispahan from Dior, have you tried it out?