“Thomas, AKA The Candy Perfume Boy, predicts the perfume trends of this year with his ‘Top 5 Fragrance Trends of 2020’, a visionary guide that gives you everything you need to know about what’s going to be big this year; here’s how to be a step ahead of the trends.”
At the beginning of the year, I made the bold claim that roses are very much going to be a thing in 2020. But in truth, this isn’t a radical statement because rose will never go out of fashion. Think of the rose as being to perfumery what monochrome is to fashion – it’s always in style, and every year, we find new ways to wear it.
Rose is an incredibly versatile fragrance note – well, I say note, but there are many different types of rose. Often, the impression of a rose is created from scratch and, from a variety of perfumery ingredients, so let’s call it a genre instead; it can be used in many ways. Perfumers can emphasise the different facets, resulting in rose perfumes that are fruity, gourmand, fresh, chypre-esque, exotic and even masculine. There is a rose for every occasion and here are five scents to prove just that.
#1 The Modern Rose
Lancome’s Idole is a modern rose fragrance in several ways. Firstly, it’s a transparent and luminous take on the flower, presenting blush pink rosebuds bathed in dewy sunlight. Secondly, it was created by a trio of female perfumers and promotes female empowerment, which is refreshing in an industry that has been male-dominated for so long. Idole is a fragrance that smells beautiful – it’s a radiant and delicate rose that feels entirely modern and of the moment.
Love the sound of Idole? Read the full perfume review here.
#2 The Delicious Rose
Issey Miyake’s Rose & Rose is a rose that smells so good you feel that you could almost eat it (but don’t – it smells much better than it tastes). With a blend of Bulgarian rose essence and Damascena roses, accented by peach osmanthus flower, Rose & Rose is a fruity, jammy delight that feels like something you’d find on the shelves at Laduree rather than in a perfume. But unlike many gourmand fragrances, Rose & Rose uses a light breeze of ambroxan to make sure it never feels indigestible; this is a tasty, juicy, sticky rose at its very finest – and the best part? It’s zero calories!
Rose & Rose stole the top spot in our 2019 blind fragrance trial; this review explains why.
#3 The Juicy Rose
Raspberry and rose go together like an LBD and a bright red lip – they are the perfect combination, and in Goutal Paris’ Rose Pompon they create a heavenly pairing that is delightfully fruity. The raspberry brings out the juicy aspects of the rose, making it a vivid ruby red. A dash of violet and a helping of vanilla bring a cosmetic vibe, hinting at vintage lipsticks in a velvety whirlwind that is daring and vampish.
#4 The Hidden Rose
I like to think of Guerlain’s Musc Noble as a stealthy, surprise rose. From the name, you’d expect a rich and heady musk fragrance with exotic, animalistic tones. But instead, what comes out of the bottle is the ghostly aroma of a vintage rose hidden amongst a veil of musk and saffron. It’s almost as if they took a classic aldehydic floral, say Rive Gauche, and made it in the Middle East, fusing two worlds and creating a rose in disguise. Musc Nobile is beautiful and unexpected.
#5 The Couture Rose
Dior and couture go hand-in-hand, and the Miss Dior franchise of fragrances has always symbolised craftsmanship and elegance. For Miss Dior Rose N’Roses, a rose fragrance is created with fastidious attention to detail. The highest quality citrus notes (mandarin and bergamot) bring a sparkle, adding hints of sequins to the lace roses from Grasse and Damascus. The velvety texture of white musk sits underneath, enhancing the brilliance of the rose, completing it with that signature Dior flare.
Read more from the 2020 Perfume Trends series…
• Almond Scents We Loved Before It Was A Trend
• Retro Fragrances That Are Still ‘In’
