Armani Privé Rose d'Arabie
Giorgio Armani (2010)

After waiting many months and travelling many miles I made my way to Toronto's Eaton Center looking to encounter this scent first hand at Nordstrom's only to find that they presented this scent under a glass in which you were to remove and breath in. Uhm OK but my sniffer isn't quiet as refined as many of the posters on this site ( and I really do thank all of you who take the time and effort to write such elegant posts) and I want to experience what this is like, on my skin, not chase chase a Genie's smoke entrails. Finally I did purchase a sample and it was to me a sublime sparkling rose with a lot of presence and staying power.

Maybe the oud rose seems played out, but this sexy little beast is undeniably begging for attention. It growls and seduces you to lean in and inhale again...harder. The saffron is first up as a quick intro and then the mesmerizing dance between the sweet floral rose and the resonant wood and amber. Those elements do an olfactory Cirque du Soleil for hours, enchanting your audience all day. Bravo Armani Prive!

Rose fragrances always make my nose itch. This one is so soft it doesn't. It's not weak... Just soft like silk. The wood and amber help to get this feeling. Very good !

Initially there is a brief burst of saffron. The rose then comes to the fore, together with a tempered accord of patchouli, oud, and amber. The amber is the dominant note in this accord, and only the barest smidgen of oud and patchouli are discernible. The rose note is bright and vivacious, but then fades away in the mid phase as the ambery-woody elements take centrestage. Unfortunately from this point onwards Rose d'Arabie becomes a snoozefest.

Rose d'Arabie eventually comes across as underwhelming and disappointing because of its shortcomings. In a crowded genre, Rose d'Arabie is nowhere near other rose-patchouli and rose-oud compositions such as Black Aoud, Portrait of a Lady, and Thirty-Three. Among similar fragrances, Noir de Noir or even Montale's Intense Cafe is a more worthwhile alternative.

Sillage is initially good before becoming subdued around the mid phase, and duration is average.

2.5/5

This is the first of the Armani Prive line that I've worn, and it is a superb mix of rose, patchouli, oud, and vanilla. What a harmonious blend. The rose figures in strongly from opening through its lifespan, with the patchouli and oud as a harmonious heart, with vanilla in the base that comes out a little more gradually in the dry down.

Longevity is great and projection is really superb--it's not as much of a room-filler as Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille or Noir de Noir, but I found it quite strong, contrary to some of the criticisms that the EDPs in the Armani Prive don't last.

The comparisons to Tom Ford Cafe Rose and Noir de Noir are warranted, as both have the Rose/sweet combo. I regard Rose D'Arabie as slightly closer to Cafe Rose due to the prominence of the patchouli, but both are worthy comparisons in area of higher-end, higher-concentrated rose fragrances. Yet Rose D'Arabia is different from Cafe Rose still due to the former's implementation of oud in pairing with the patchouli as opposed to Cafe Rose's pairing of coffee with patchouli.

I'm not an authority on rose, but have definitely found it to be one of my favorite notes, and this fragrance does it as well as any but Noir de Noir.

9 out of 10

Made me feel physically sick. Don't know whether it was the oud note but something in it gave me a colossal headache. Smells like an expensive pot pourri / incense stick from back in the day. Very linear, sickly and cloying. I do not understand the appeal of this genre of fragrance - you couldn't pay me to walk around smelling like a berry air freshener / room spray. Repulsive.

A medicinal (in a good way) dark rose/oud combo with great performance. One of the best in a very crowded genre.

From the most lovely to the most carnal, like a sumptuous rose bouquet. Armani Privé Rose d'Arabie is a encounter between GIORGIO ARMANI luxurious universe and the precious oud wood.It is a tribute to enchanting arabia with a creation that represents the orient in all its original splendor.i feel in love with this lovely and gorgeous scent and definitely just a professional mature man/woman can cognize essence of this kind of scents so it is so comic when a amateur youngster attack to these.sensual, luxurious,irresistible,glamorous,sweet, exquisite,sophisticated and expensive.

It opens with a gorgeous sweet and almost sugary rose note that you feel feminine than masculine.rose combined with a big hint of oud and the lingering touch of sheer vanilla and patchouli.The result is a perfect balance between strength and voluptuousness, a statement of pride and uniqueness.musk is not at the list but i found it in the base notes as it helps to keep this balanced not too overpowering.one of those rose&oud scents romantic and sensual at the same time.the dry down is adorable for me and the bottle is stylish and definitely this expensive perfume is suitable for Special occasions.

The saffron at the opening of Rose d'Arabie gives a sharp spice edge to a full scented damask rose that is so sweet I wonder if there isn't berry added. The rose is made mystical with the deep metallic vibe of oud while the amber in the base tilts the entire tone to a masculine warm comfy scent. The total of the notes makes a great fragrance, especially if sprayed in light coverage. Those notes: saffron, rose, oud/patchouli, amber make up this spiced rose oud fragrance. Of the rose oud fragrances I've tried I believe this one to be the most masculine of the group because of the golden amber base, while the saffron rose oud combination give it a spicey Arabic tone.

Oud Silk Mood by MFK is similar but is a more high toned rose with no saffron and papyrus instead of patchouli to augment the oud. Ex Idolo 33 varies from Rose d'Arabie by the absence of saffron and the warmth of heliotrope added to the rose. Rose d'Arbie is one of several from Armani that I consider to be very worthy artistic examples modern perfumery. Along with Bois d'Encens, Myrrhe Imperial, Oud Royal Rose d'Arabie is a great fragrance. I would rate all of them in the 7-8 out of 10. Very good things to smell and all quite unusual.

This is a simple scent, in that it features only a few prominent notes: saffron, oud, and rose. The saffron gives a dusky quality, the oud is bright but not weird, and the rose is also bright and fresh. The scent is well-balanced and wears well. It has excellent longevity, many hours in duration. I don't find the patchouli or amber to be pronounced, certainly no problem with them (they are not among my favorite notes). A good scent.

Rose d'Arabie opens with a rubbery Oud and slightly jammy rose duo supported by underlying saffron spice. As the composition moves to its early heart the rose grows in strength as the Oud slowly recedes, gradually replaced by relatively sanitized patchouli and a vague synthetic burnt woody accord. During the late dry-down the rose finally dissipates to a whisper as the burnt woods smooth out, tamed by soft powdery violet and vanilla through the finish. Projection is excellent and longevity outstanding at well over 12 hours on skin.

Rose d'Arabie is yet another rose, Oud and patchouli composition. It seems like these are popping up everywhere nowadays and perfumers are looking for new ways to distinguish their compositions from the pack. Unfortunately in this case, the key distinguishing factor lies in the crucial mid-section, with the "tool" used to accomplish the objective being norlimbanol. It must be extremely difficult to control how the norlimbanol derived synthetic smelling burnt woody accord interacts with other ingredients used in compositions because in nearly every instance where the stuff is detected it overpowers everything else in its path. In all fairness to Rose d'Arabie, the faux burnt woods do not come on quite as strongly as they do in many other guilty culprits, but once they arrive it is "game over" as far as I'm concerned. If one can get past the mid phase, the late dry-down is quite pleasant as violet meshes with slightly sweet vanilla to create a gentle powdery, slightly sweet finish with the remnants of the rose now adding subtle support. The bottom line is the $285 per 100ml bottle Rose d'Arabie is not just your average rose, Oud and patchouli composition, but the synthetic woods in the heart ruin what would otherwise be a winning concoction, barely earning it a "good" rating of 3 stars out of 5. With the hefty competition in the rose, Oud and patchouli space like Ex Idolo's Thirty-Three it is hard to recommend this relatively expensive offering by Armani.

„Magic Carpet Ride.....”
I am astounded at the beauty of this fragrance! I received a small sample of this wonderful scent, and didn't bother to try it for a long time. I don't own any Armani scents, so wasn't anxious to try this, as wasn't familiar with the Prive collection. I was blown away with this fragrance! Rich...that isn't even the word..more like deep, and haunting. A magic carpet ride..intriguing, and long lasting. Longevity is incredible, as very few fragrances will last on my skin, but, this is like a wonderful song, it has it's high notes, and mellow notes, but plays loud, and clear! What a rose! A leading lady, supported by Oud, Patchouli, and vanilla. All the notes are there, the opening is teasing..like a cologne. Interesting, but beckoning you to wait. Then, the beginning of the song starts..a slow melody of violet, saffron, with a twinge of rose. Then, a burst of notes! It evens out to something really special..The rose seems to float in between the gorgeous patchouli and Oud. I have never had a fragrance that drifts..it is soft one moment, then strong the next moment, and this is after wearing it for 8 hours and more! I'm in love...this is my Magic Carpet Ride Fragrance!