Café Rose by Tom Ford

I bought a decant of the DARK PLEASURE clone by Alexandria, but there isn’t a hint of coffee at any point.

I give it a ‘I love it’ for the rose scent, which is spectacular, but the lack of originality disappoints me; it smells like something I already know by heart. I was expecting a powerful, dark perfume with intense roses and bitter coffee, but instead found a fresh, sweet floral. After 15 minutes, the rose softens and an amber, incense-like patchouli base emerges, though it remains a common olfactory profile on the market. As others mention, I didn’t detect any coffee; maybe it’s just a caramel latte note blending with the sweetness of the amber. Performance is average: the rose projects strongly at first, then becomes intimate and discreet. Longevity is slightly above average, but mostly stays close to the skin. In short, while I love it for those spectacular roses, I wouldn’t buy it because dozens of cheaper perfumes do the same thing, sometimes better. Do I love it? Yes, but honestly, I wouldn’t purchase it. I can fill that space with other more affordable—and even better—fragrances. Scent: 9.5 Longevity: 9 Sillage: 6 Value for money: 4 Versatility: 8 Overall: 7

I love rose perfumes, especially the dark ones. In Café Rose, the coffee is completely missing; I’ve never smelled it, not at the start, not when drying down, and not at the end. There are only roses, but not a clean rose; rather, a varied bouquet where the roses are scattered, more like a green floral. What I notice most is the pepper at the beginning, with that tickle in the nose, followed by patchouli and a very faint incense. It’s a shame there’s no coffee; I would have loved to try that blend. I feel it’s unisex, perhaps leaning more feminine. It doesn’t last long on my skin, about 4 or 5 hours, and the sillage is poor. It just didn’t impress me enough to justify the price.

Brutal fragrance. One of the most exquisite and elegant from Tom Ford. For me, it far surpassed Tobacco Vanille, which everyone praised so highly. It’s a sweet, ambered rose scent where the coffee stays very hidden. If you can, buy it. It works for any season, especially when you want to make a statement.

Café Rose is floral and fresh. I tested it and before knowing the notes, I thought I smelled some fruit, though now that I see the list, there isn’t any. After the opening, the flowers, especially the rose (according to Fragrantica, several types), take over the scent. Sandalwood, incense, and patchouli appear timidly; they’re supporting actors because the star is the rose. What I couldn’t ever distinguish was the coffee, unless its presence is closer to an untoasted bean, which I have less of a memory for. I think it works well for both men and women; although the floral reminds me of 80s women’s perfumes, I see no problem with a man wearing it. You can tell the ingredients are high quality, and it’s very versatile for any season since its floral nature makes it light. It lasted 10 hours with average projection. Worth trying and getting to know.