Rose de Chine by Tom Ford

It didn’t end up being my favorite. My husband gave it to me for my birthday, and I only wear it because he asks for it. I can’t tell him no because it would break his heart; he absolutely adores it, which is why he gave it to me. But honestly, I can’t stand that mix of rose and peony. I love perfumes with rose, but I just can’t handle this one. I own Rose Prick and I’m obsessed with it; there, the rose is perfectly blended. Here, it smells like overripe, wilting roses, not the fresh ones others describe. To me, it’s a dried rose that evokes sadness and loneliness. I do like it when only the base notes linger, but I won’t buy a perfume I don’t like from the start. I only wear it because my husband gave it to me; otherwise, I would have sold or gifted it away. Good for those who love it, but definitely not for me.

What luck to be the first to review this absolute treasure! If you read a review of TOM FORD, you know their fragrances are very particular: they spark love or hate depending on your nose. This is no exception. If you’ve tried ROSE PRICK by TF, you’ll get an idea of what ROSE DE CHINE is like. This scent launched alongside Rose de Russie and Rose D’Amalfi in a limited Valentine’s Day 2022 trilogy, kind of like the ‘children’ of ROSE PRICK. I haven’t found the other two yet, but I’ve read their notes; all three feature rose as the star with distinct personalities. In Rose de Chine, there’s an opulent, spicy, mysterious, and very ambered rose. It’s ideal for cold climates or nights when you want to turn heads. The note reigns throughout the entire evolution, staying dominant. The peony appears at the top, but the rose remains, overshadowing everything else. On my skin, it’s a very spicy rose; the pepper is noticeable from the opening through every facet, and that heat is always latent. It’s a perfume with a lot of personality, dark and opulent—not for every nose. I don’t recommend buying blind.