Atelier Materi ROSE ARDOISE: Fragrance Review

A daring interpretation of the rose where the flower reveals itself as urban and mineral. The perfumer Celine Perdriel highlights two exceptional varieties of the rose the Damascena rose from Turkey with its floral fruity and spicy notes and the Centiflolia rose from Grasse with its round warm and honeyed facets.

I love the deft simplicity of the packaging. It begins with a pink pepper/ citrusy opening. There are no citrus notes in the ingredients so maybe that is the schinus molle and nutmeg that reflects the clear, crystalline vibration of sage, then the rose expresses entirely before progressively melting into an overdose of ambroxan. You will get a spicy fresh, oceanic push when you first pump the scent. It will then lean into an earthy dry down where the Rose reveals itself at the heart of the scent. There it entwines with a leather accord which is how it plays so flirt-fully playing on ambiguities combining femininity and masculinity transparency and texture minerality and sensuality. 

If you're a fan off Rose scents then you'll love this. Rose is like the Katrina and the Waves of fragrance notes. It's uplifting, its catchy and its totally ok to like if you're a dude. Don't judge. 

The spiciness isn't overwhelming and that’s thanks to the pink pepper. That's a relaxed spice that doesn't dominate like a black pepper would. Hence this is a smart casual/ date night fragrance as opposed to a black tie scent. 

The Rose is also not a 'floral rose'. I find those to be too feminine but this plays cleverly with that and as a result, it doesn't need worry about gender. I got 7 hours on the skin, and I think it would be perfect for late Spring, early Autumn. It's a mature scent so perhaps late 20s onwards and maybe a decent him and hers gift.  

Overall: A singular composition that affirms its androgynous and contemporary character 

Atelier Materi ROSE ARDOISE is available in Harvey Nichols, Harrods & Liberty London priced £195 for 100ml. 

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