Created in 2020 by Aurélien Guichard, for his French indie line Matière Première, Radical Rose was made from rose centifolia flowers from his own gardens in Grasse.

On me, it opens with the distinct smell of rose centifolia – clear and honey-faceted, joined by a bright, nose-tingling note of pink pepper. There’s no skimping on the rose here. If you’ve ever smelled a rose fragrance and wanted more rose….this is what more smells like. As it transitions to the heart, saffron appears, its spiciness warming the rose and adding complexity to the mix with its sweet, leathery aspects. Patchouli complements the saffron with its dry earth and resinous aroma, which registers as incense to my nose. Together, they make Radical Rose heady, rich, deep, and dark. At the base, labdanum, sweet, warm and leathery, moves it from spicy and earthy to warm and ambery.

The dry down is smooth, dark, sophisticated and elegant. Radical Rose smells natural and real. Rose is front and centre from top to bottom, with all the other notes there to highlight different aspects of the flower. It is the experience of standing in a field of lush rose centifolia flowers, warmed by the sun, anchored in the dirt, and bursting with their heady, deep scent.

Notes: Rose, pink pepper, saffron, patchouli and labdanum.