Rose The One
Dolce & Gabbana (2009)

Twelve long-stemmed roses
Wrapped on the florist's counter
Would have smelled as nice

As one rose bouquet
Wrapped on the Macy's counter
And kept for twelve years

Faint rose studies two
Nature's brief and perfume's dew
Painted now anew

Roses' fountains capped
In perfume's glass amber trapped
Anniversary

Rose gold memory
Squarist's copper's beauty's bow
Tints now faded so

Letters slurred in space
Drooping from their proper place
Slower never less

In a single press
When she wore it all the then
Standing there again

Kind reminder there
Florist's shop's address's where
Waiting patiently.

*****

I think I appreciate the artistry of this perfume here and now, more than I did back then. Rather than a watercolor realism, capturing the light, moist faintness of real roses, the rose scent in this one rides on a subdued multifloral musk that feels just aqueous enough to lend some naturalness to the rose, but keeps enough perfume character to feel glamorous in a modern way. The composition lets the rose take center stage while the full cast is out there, creating a kind of realistic rose faintness in the middle of a modern perfume performance.

If you're looking for a substantial rose, this is not it. But among faint, yet distinct roses, this one has a slim beauty I find pleasing on many levels.

I am very disappointed with this scent. It is marketed as a rose (of course!), but the rose is not much in evidence until a good half hour in. Before that, all I could smell was fruity-floral sweetness - which I absolutely hate. Fruity smells in perfume make me feel literally ill, so I tried to scrub it off and failed. It is certainly a tenacious scent, and if you like fruity florals you will probably love this one. I give it thumbs down because the fruity sweetness is so overpowering. I wouldn't advise wearing this in a closed space, as it could affect those around you, and not in a good way. Looking at the ingredients, I think it must be the litchi (or lychee) which produces this massive sweetness. There is certainly some rose in there somewhere, but it is lost among the sugary, jammy fruit effect. Glad I just had a small sample. The only good thing here is the drydown, after about 3-4 hours, a relatively quiet rose and musk effect. And the longevity is very good, for those who like it.

There is citrus in the opening - grapefruit mainly - with a fruity berry and they both mix quite pleasantly. Then white florals kick in - muguet mainly - and the titular rose arrives too; it is not a very convincing or natural rose, but it's all right. In the base the standard synthetic woodsy-musky concoction is quite boring, and a rather average vanilla does not alter this, although this scent is never overly sweet or cloying.

This a day-to-day scent suitable for warmer spring days, with moderate sillage, decent projection and six hours of longevity on my skin. 2/5

Oh my goodness this is my favorite scent of all time!

It smells of sweet roses mixed with pink grapefruit. I spray it in the air and walk under it to just get a subtle scent that lasts all day.

Sometimes I put on coconut lotion and spray this on. I have gotten many compliments.

It is very strong and I only put it on full strength at night time.

It is a very romantic smell.

I actually prefer this to the original and find the smell comforting. In my opinion, Rose the One is another expertly crafted and high quality perfume from Dolce & Gabbana. The rose is there, but it is attractively understated and creatively flanked by the tartness of the fruits (probably the grapefruit mostly). This is all softened and sweetened by the other flowers and the musk and vanilla.

Along with the new D&G Pour Femme and the original ladies' D&G from twenty years ago, this scent to me demonstrates an absolute synthesis and perfection of form which can only be obtained by a perfumer who has dedicated much time and thought into creating something of great beauty and feminine dignity.

Watery sweet fruity floral at first spray. Does not open very originally. Rose comes through. Very watery, and although I could see myself wearing this (at least if it stays like this), after having tried Les Parfums de Rosine's take on the rose, I feel I have grown out of synthetic florals like this. It develops beautifully; some citrus and another soft white flower and juicy fruit stay in the background. Very modern, a little cold - nice for a wedding or a spring occasion where you want to smell lovely and not overpowering. This is just not for me; I suspect this will appeal to people new to perfume, or department store fruity floral perfume lovers. The heart develops into purely soft white flowers, but nothing jarring - all very average. Bleh. As some reviewers said, "Where is the rose?".

Verdict: To Ebay this one goes!