Needle In A Haystack: Rose Barbare by Guerlain
June 14th, 2007
This week’s Needle In A Haystack is quite a solemn event – not only did I pick one of my absolute favorite perfumes of all time but it also happened to be one of the Femme Fatale scents (copyright: Marina at Perfume-Smellin’ Things who created this category). In her pick of the day, she talks about serendipity, and it looks like it’s spilled over to Aromascope as my scent is also a dark, extraordinary rose. In addition, we both share the love for each other’s catch which is becoming rather rare these days as Marina’s been drifting farther and farther away into the Land of Lovely Flowers. So I’m truly enjoying both writing this review and my fragrance.
I should also add I’m enjoying Rose Barbare as my pick for yet another reason: its author is my lovely Francis (ah, I’m all a-twitter!) Rose Barbare was created in 2005 as part of the L’Art et la Matiere collection (a project that coincided with the opening of the Guarlain flagship store in Paris, employing outside perfumers to create an ode of sorts to a particular note). Rose Barbare wasn’t my immediate favorite as my first impression was of this concise nature: “sour rose”. Indeed, Rose Barbare might not be as easy to love at first sniff as it is a chypre fragrance, believe it or not. A modern day chypre, no doubt, that’s somewhat reserved but still not particularly politically (olfactory?) correct. The chypre here is achieved by rose drenched in honey and patchouli or perhaps even a little oakmoss (I cannot find the list of notes). It’s hardly barbaric but it is a rose with thorns and proud of it – dark but not brooding, relatively vicious but not crude. It’s a very successful chypre, considering true chypre would hardly fly these days. It’s approachable but only if you’re willing to approach it. If you see the other side of the rose, if you look beyond its conventional pastel, powdery, honeyed appearance, you’ll love Rose Barbare. To me, it’s like the heart of a rose – its true nature, its intimate secrets of living with thorns, open wide for everyone to see.
Rose Barbare can be purchased at the Guerlain flagship store in Paris as well as at Bergdorf Goodman in New York.
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22 Comments
1. tmp00 | June 14th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
Well I guess I am just going to camp out in Bergdorfs the next time I am in NYC
2. Octavian | June 15th, 2007 at 1:49 am
To check if there is some oakmoss inside, check on the packaging (the back) where the list of alergens is written. here you may have (or not) oakmoss or tree moss extract.
3. dinazad | June 15th, 2007 at 2:50 am
Honest? You get all that? Oooh, I’m envious! On me, Rose Barbare (like most of the Art et Matiere scents) is generic and rather boring. Perfectly pleasant but not very exciting rose, something I’d buy if it were on sale at a discount perfumer’s, but definitely not for the Guerlain price. Sad, really…..
4. Judith | June 15th, 2007 at 6:24 am
You know, I do like this, but I have never felt the love. It just doesn’t seem particularly dark or vicious on me. You make it sound so good that I must try again, but I am afraid that I, like Dinazad, am fated not to get this. Sorry, Francis.:(
5. Elle | June 15th, 2007 at 6:26 am
Great review! This was the first scent that made me sit up and take notice of Kurkdjian. Absolutely adore it.
6. Marina | June 15th, 2007 at 7:04 am
Well, there you go! One scent I did not guess yesterday
And the last Guerlain standing, for me, so to say. As a side note, I should finally give a good long test to my Mayotte sample. Maybe it is not all over for me and Guerlain. 
7. newproducts | June 15th, 2007 at 7:41 am
I really liked this when I sniffed it from the bottle, but I didn’t get to test it on my skin because I was overloaded with scents. I need to give it a good test drive when I have the chance. You make it sound wonderful!
8. merlot | June 15th, 2007 at 10:18 am
I really like this one and I rarely say that about a rose scent.
9. voyageuse imaginaire | June 15th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I love Rose Barbare, I enjoy it specially in the winter but it does feel a little too generic for an exclusive Guerlain at $200 a bottle, it ‘s a lovely sour candy fruity floral rose.
10. carmencanada | June 15th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
I definitely need to give this another try. When it came out it was given a so-so review by Luca Turin in his defunct blog, and while I don’t follow his recommendations blindly, it turned me off. Maybe the whole l’Art et la Matière line needs to be revisited, now that the buzz has worn off.
11. Ina | June 15th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Tom, Central Park is right nearby, perfect location for camping.
12. Ina | June 15th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Octavian, thank you! Unfortunately, I don’t own a bottle, just a decant but good to know.
13. Ina | June 15th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Dina, oh, what a bummer! It’s not very Guerlain-like per se but still amazing on my skin.
14. Ina | June 15th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Judith, give it another try?
15. Ina | June 15th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Elle, I remember you loving it from first sniff. I’m so glad I love it now, too.
16. Ina | June 15th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Marina, I’ll work on this long and hard, if need be. On making sure your love for Guerlain doesn’t fade, that is. Just wait. BG counter… you know what I mean.
17. Ina | June 15th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Minsun, I can see this working for you really well.
18. Ina | June 15th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Merlot, so glad you do!
19. Ina | June 15th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Voyageuse (what a cool name!), I like your description. Alas, I have to agree with you on the price – it’s a bit too steep.
20. Ina | June 15th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Carmen, the whole line didn’t wow me at first either. Now I love every single one of them.
21. Aromascope » 31 Yea&hellip | July 11th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
[...] Rose Barbare by Guerlain [...]
22. The Shaving Cream Conundr&hellip | May 26th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
[...] few other reviews of Rose Barbare: Now Smell This, Bois de Jasmin, Aromascope, Perfume-Smellin’ Things, and Perfume Shrine. See? Nobody says “shaving [...]