Roses on Ice
By Kilian (2020)

I get a similarity to Millesime Imperial in the opening, but the cucumber note definitely takes over in this one. The rose and lime add a nice touch of sweetness and tanginess to the scent. It's a refreshing fragrance that would be perfect for summer days. However, the longevity and projection are not great, so be prepared to reapply throughout the day. Personally, I don't think it's worth the high price tag, especially when there are other fragrances on the market that provide a similar vibe.

Roses...and cucumbers. That's all I'm smelling. Definitely not one I'll be pursuing further. Disappointed, as I was hoping for a nice gin presence. I get zero lime, zero juniper, zero sandalwood, zero musk. Thumbs down for me.

Since this fragrance qualifies as an 'aquatic' I suspect there won't be a ton of love for this one. As someone who's not fond of florals, I struggle to find summertime scents that have any staying power - longevity is just not a reasonable ask from most citrusy summertime colognes, Eau de Patou being my favorite in that genre.

I am not getting a lot of gin from this one, but that might be due to the fact I've never been much of a drinker and NEVER choose gin when I do imbibe. The juniper berry isn't very prominent (I used the juniper bush in my front yard as a reference) and in the end, it's roses and cucumber with a hint of lime. I realize this review sounds as if I'm damning it with faint praise, but I honestly do like this combination. I have one other cucumber-centric fragrance (Rara Avis by Alkemia, a cucumber/lavender/ozone accord) and I love that one, as well. In short, this fragrance meets my expectations for a lovely, light warm-weather scent with a modern twist and decent performance.

Sampling the other offering from the new By Kilian liquors duo, Roses on Ice, which is based on a gin note, with fragrant notes of cucumber, rose juniper, and sandalwood per the Kilian website, and additional notes of lime, sandalwood, and musk per other sources. I don't get much gin or juniper, myself, but I get plenty of rose, cucumber, and musk, with perhaps a dash of sandalwood.

On my skin, it's mostly a fresh, somewhat floral, somewhat vegetable experience, slightly smoothed over by musk. It's not particularly boozy at all, and I don't get much juniper or gin. So unfortunately, Roses on Ice pales in comparison, in terms of literal juice color as well as scent profile, to Angels' Share, the other new Liquors entry By Kilian.

Like Angels' Share, Roses on Ice is priced at $195 for 50ml, a relatively low price for the house that I estimate has to do with the lack of ornate wooden coffret.

6 out of 10

Heavy on the cucumber, good splash of lime, and the rose is super soft and subtle. Great aquatic fragrance.