With only a few weeks before the Valentine Day, I shall start writing about the flower that is full of symbols, many of which are pertinent to the day celebrating love. "A floral symbol sacred to Venus and signifying love, the quality and nature of which was characterized by the color of the rose. A symbol of purity, a white rose represented innoncent love, while a pink rose represented first love, and a red rose true love," says the Dictionary of Art. At the same time, rose conceals many secrets under its silky petals. 'Mystery glows in the rose bed, the secret is hidden in the rose,' sang the Persian poet and perfumer, Farid ud-din Attar, in the twelfth century. Is love ever an easy to understand concept anyway?
Therefore, I shall try to cover as many different aspects of rose as possible, from its innocent side to its seductive, femme fatale persona.
Please come back on Monday to read my review of the newest fragrance by Les Parfums de Rosine Rose d'Amour.
I am so looking forward to reading this! Thank you, V, for honoring my favorite! xoxo
Posted by: mireille | January 20, 2006 at 11:32
I am looking forward to it too! Today my hubby gave me a dozen pink roses just because. :-)
Posted by: linda | January 20, 2006 at 11:41
Oh this will be wonderful - I love roses, and can never figure out folks who claim they flat out don't like roses at all - it is a philosophical difference perhaps, but I always feel like they just haven't found the right rose yet.
Posted by: Katie | January 20, 2006 at 11:46
M, my pleasure! It is my favourite too after all.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 20, 2006 at 12:15
L, how wonderful! Enjoy your lovely roses. :)
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 20, 2006 at 12:21
Katie, I think that you are right. I think that people associate some type of rose fragrances with old-fashioned themes, although there are many different roses out there, from crisp to lush and powdery.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 20, 2006 at 12:23
Ah, the rose, the lovely iconic stuff that dreams are made of -- and candies, syrup, perfume, skin care, hair rinses, herbal cures, ritual offerings, incense -- what have I forgotten? The world can never have enough roses. Write on, Victoria, tell us stuff we don't know to increase our desire for those delicate petals that offer up the soul of the plant.
Posted by: Anya | January 20, 2006 at 12:23
Rose jam is wonderful, especially on thin sugar bisquits. Yes, roses are truly among the most beautiful flowers, and with so many purposes as well.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 20, 2006 at 12:55
Ah, you know how I feel about roses in fragrance. I don't like fragrances that compete with the real thing — I like it when roses get bent to some greater purpose than verisimilitude. Looking forward to your take.
In tangentially related news, recently, to Will's surprise, after years of telling him that I loathe roses and find them the most banal flower to receive, I came home with a dozen red ones to brighten our dull winter rooms. When you haven't been given roses in years, you start to realize how nice they are, after all. :)
Posted by: Tania | January 20, 2006 at 13:53
Roses are my favorite flower to receive, dear T. notwithstanding (banal? classic, I say!) and for ages they were my favorite to wear, also. I have been wearing a lot of my Rose d'Argent lately, it is very comforting. I went on such a rose binge that I abandoned it for a while but I am confident that you will re-ignite my passion.
Posted by: Campaspe | January 20, 2006 at 14:19
You know I'll be reading every review with bated breath!This is without a doubt,my favorite note!
Posted by: Christina H. | January 20, 2006 at 14:42
T, red roses do brighten up any day! My personal take on a banal flower that a man can give is carnation.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 20, 2006 at 16:00
F, I have not been paying much attention to my Rose d'Argent, and then one day I looked at my bottle and realized that only 20% of it remains. Of course, I still have enough to last me for a while, but for a moment I was puzzled as to what happened to my bottle. Then I remembered that I gave most of it away, sharing it with others.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 20, 2006 at 16:06
Um, can you review a couple of rose frags that don't smell so much like roses? Please? The only one I like so far is 100% love, but it's 100% weird, so I'm not sure it counts.
Posted by: marchlion | January 20, 2006 at 16:13
Christina, thank you. I hope that I will cover some of your favourites.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 20, 2006 at 16:15
March, a few on my planned list are definitely not photorealistic rose renditions, therefore stay tuned. :) I also like roses that cross the line into abstraction.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 20, 2006 at 16:16
I'll quote Rilke's epitaph: "Rose, oh pure contradiction, the joy of being No-one's sleep under so many lids."
Posted by: Liz | January 20, 2006 at 19:41
Greetings, my love! My how I have missed you. :):)
Have you ever tasted rose petal ice cream? There was a place in Venice called Robin Rose Ice Cream. Robin Rose was the owner (obviously), and she made a delicious rose petal ice cream. Unfortunately the business closed and that was that.
In any event, I cannot wait to read your review of Rose d'Amour. I have a sample of Rose de Feu, but was fairly disappointed. I hope this one lives up to the Rosine standard.
Hugs and much love to you, V!
Posted by: mreenymo | January 20, 2006 at 23:00
Liz, I love it! The original German version is full of play on words and hidden meanings.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 22, 2006 at 15:03
R, I miss you too! Glad that you are out of jury duty for the time being. I have tasted rose petal ice cream. Now, I am craving it again. Rose de Feu was disappointing, but I suspect that you might not like Rose d'Amour much either.
Posted by: BoisdeJasmin | January 22, 2006 at 15:05