ManRose by Etro

The bottle I received had nothing to do with the tester, not even the liquid color. They left it at El Corte Inglés in Valencia for me to analyze and swapped it for a completely different fragrance, which I luckily love. Very bad experience; I don’t even want to see it now, haha.

I’ve been looking to experiment with rose, an almost non-existent note in Western men’s perfumery, especially if you want a floral without leather or heavy wood. I was searching for a clean, fresh rose from Excellent Men through Aramis 900 to the dapper Amor pour Homme. Etro’s ManRose arrived just in time: clean, crystal-clear, distinct from other notes, and built with quality. It opens with bergamot and a spicy touch, then sails through herbal and woody seas while staying in the foreground. The contrast between the base and the opening is beautiful. It feels clean, elegant, and youthful without losing masculinity. It’s delicate, calm, and affectionate. The projection is discreet but allows you to appreciate nuances that would be lost if it were louder. A rose garden on a Saturday morning a hundred years ago. It leaves a certain trail of ‘smelling good’ when you move. The longevity is good but deceptive; sometimes you forget it’s there until a wonderful burst hits. Excellent perfume.

ManRose is very refined and elegant. The Turkish rose maintains its full development: fresh and green at the start with bergamot and sweet elemi, lovely, but it doesn’t last long. As it evolves, it becomes spicy, dry, and woody, reminiscent of scents like Cartier Declaration d’un soir or Frapin Nevermore. The dry-down is similar: seductive and masculine, with incense, musk, and a pale leather note, like a dried rose inside a book, though it still recalls those other fragrances. It shines well at the start but becomes boring and unoriginal in the mid and dry phases. Longevity is good, but the projection is shy. Rating: 6.5.

The exclusive Italian maison Etro offers us a new men’s EDP inspired by rose, similar to Perris Montecarlo, but here it’s Turkish rose instead of Taïf. Etro stays true to its niche garden line yet manages to create an oriental floral men’s perfume with this rose. If not for the penetrating Turkish rose, it would be very masculine due to its other notes; yesterday I smelled it that way, gardens and masculine. It evolves well, but for me, it feels decaf’d and doesn’t cross the price-quality barrier. This house never manages a trail like it should, although here they really went all out. It’s elegant and seductive, but it feels weak. Having to bring the arm close to smell it better is not a good sign. I’ll give the tester more chances because I don’t trust the lady at El Corte Inglés I know. It’s a beautiful fragrance, but I have doubts that haven’t cleared up. Something doesn’t quite add up for me.

Etro, the exclusive Italian maison, presents a new men’s EDP inspired by rose, reminiscent of Perris Montecarlo, but here it’s Turkish rose instead of Taïf. While Etro stays true to its garden niche line, they’ve managed to create an oriental floral men’s fragrance with this rose. If not for the penetrating Turkish rose, the other notes would make it very masculine; I smelled exactly that yesterday—gardens and masculine. It evolves well, but for me, it feels decaf’d and doesn’t justify the price-to-quality ratio. This house never quite delivers a trail that’s right, although here they really went all out. It’s elegant and seductive, but ultimately weak. Having to bring your arm close to smell it better isn’t a good sign. I’ll give the tester more chances since I don’t trust the lady at El Corte Inglés I know. It’s a beautiful fragrance, but I have doubts that haven’t been cleared. Something just doesn’t quite add up for me.