The popularity of rose fragrances has never diminished and it doesn’t look as if it will anytime soon. The intoxicating floral that surrounds you when you wear one of the many interpretations has made it a popular choice over the centuries for women of all ages. It seemed to go through a little bit of a crisis a few years ago, there were a lot of rose fragrances to choose from and it got a bit confusing, but the stalwarts held their nerve and came through unscathed. One of these was the ever-popular Evelyn Rose by Crabtree & Evelyn but, after a name change and two reformulations, how does it hold up twenty-four years later?
It's back, and unfortunately it's one of those terrible phrases that you hear come out of the mouths of beauty consultants all over the wold, "you can smell the quality". It seemed to have disappeared but recently it's made a return with a vengeance. Maybe it's bad training or perhaps it's a calculated approach to selling more perfumes than the neighbouring counter? Either way it's simply not true. Whether it costs £5 or £500, you cannot "smell quality". Fragrances are designed in different styles for different customers, so what is the "quality" that you actually perceive when your spray that little card in the perfume department?
The argument of cost versus quality is one that shows no sign of letting up. It goes alongside natural versus synthetic and niche versus mainstream. So, let me say right at the beginning that I don't care whether a perfume is perceived as "cheap", only that it smells good. I wear a fragrance, not a price tag, and we don't walk around with the perfume bottle dangling from a chain. With this in mind I'd like to show you two "inexpensive" choices that are great stocking fillers and are guaranteed to be used to the final drop. They are from the famous House of Worth, and are probably not in your collection at the moment.
Created in 1906 by Jacques Guerlain, Après l'Ondée is an all time classic. It has had a troubled history, and for a period it was heavily criticised, but it has managed to survive and is now the oldest "female" creation still in production by the company. Just to clarity, the fragrances older than this one are Cologne Imperiale 1853, Jicky 1889, Cologne du Coq 1894 (all unisex), Mouchoir de Monsieur 1904 (masculine) and then the jewel in the crown. Why do I love Après l'Ondée so much? Quite simply, it is a masterpiece of delicacy meeting mystery, freshness meeting earthiness, and expanse meeting warmth.
