“Blue songs are like tattoos
You know I’ve been to sea before
Crown and anchor me
Or let me sail away
Hey Blue, here is a song for you
Ink on a pin
Underneath the skin
An empty space to fill in
Well there’re so many sinking now
You’ve got to keep thinking
You can make it thru these waves
Acid, booze, and ass
Needles, guns, and grass
Lots of laughs lots of laughs
Everybody’s saying that hell’s the hippest way to go
Well I don’t think so
But I’m gonna take a look around it though
Blue I love you

Blue here is a shell for you
Inside you’ll hear a sigh
A foggy lullaby
There is your song from me”

– Joni Mitchell –

Swiss perfumer, Vero Kern does not make perfumes – she crafts olfactory characters. Her extraordinary perfume line, ‘Vero Profumo’, is built on these perfumed personas and consists of; Rubj – the dramatic, yet distant actress, Onda – the stoic matriarch, Kiki – the flirtatious Parisienne, and Mito – the stone nymph that comes alive at night. But what of Rozy, the latest addition to Vero’s wardrobe of olfactory personalities? Well Rozy, is the bad girl – a tattooed biker chick with a rebellious soul.

Taking inspiration from Italian actress Anna Magnani’s performance in the Tennesse Williams-adapted film ‘The Rose Tattoo’, Rozy is the most unconventional of rose perfumes that showcases a darker, and altogether more daring side of one of perfumery’s most beloved flowers. In both its Voile d’Extrait and Eau de Parfum concentrations, this latest addition to the remarkable Vero Profumo collection is, as expected, a striking, complex and bold character.

The Notes

Melon, Blackcurrant, Coriander Seed, Nutmeg, Tuberose, Rose, Honey, Sandalwood, Labdanum, Vanilla and Styrax

How Does it Smell?

Rozy Voile d’Extrait really does not smell the way that I expected to, and that’s no bad thing. In fact, its name is a tiny red herring that leads one to expect a full-blown rose garden to be unleashed with the first spritz, but the truth is that Rozy isn’t really about the rose, instead it’s a brooding oriental fragrance with a dark, animalic base that speaks of wild nights and dark tattoos.

In the top notes, Rozy Voile d’Extrait is bright and lively with pale, glistening fruit, powder and something entirely reminiscent of aldehydes. The rose itself, is rather subtle and exudes a ruby red auru in the heart that is earthy, slightly green and powdery in a richly textured way. In fact, the feel of the rose used here is evocative of a heavy piece of velvet fashioned in alternating shades of red and brown.

As it settles, the Voile d’Extrait unveils a rich, rubbery and resin-heavy base that is chock to the brim with funky, animalic honey. To my mind, or at least my nose, it is very much in the style of a vintage Guerlain fragrance – full of opulence and beauty but hiding a dark undercurrent that doesn’t want to behave. And why should it? Anything that smells this good should be allowed to do exactly what it wants.

The Notes

Passion Fruit, Peach, Hyacinth, Lilac, Tarragon, Rose, Honey and Powdery Notes

How Does it Smell?

In its Eau de Parfum concentration, Rozy is instantly much fruitier and opens up with a juicy and fleshy passion fruit note that really is quite delightful. Rose fragrances so rarely have a tropical edge, after all the flower is steeped in the tradition of prim and proper English country gardens, and to find such a sunny facet to the flower really is quite a treat. Of course, Vero Kern delivers the goods and the tropical dose of fruit brings our the peachy and slightly mentholated facets of the rose.

There is rose in the heart however, much like the Voile d’Extrait, Rozy Eau de Parfum isn’t an out and out rose composition, instead it is an oriental fragrance with strong, rosy tones. The rose here is fruitier and lighter, and supported by more wistful floral tones such as lilac and hyacinth. This blend of flowers and fruit creates a more optimistic personality. If the Voile d’Extrait is a tattooed beauty applying dark mascara and ruby red lipstick in her boudoir, the Eau de Parfum is our beloved Rozy, but younger and restricted to pink lipgloss rather than anything available in vampish shade of rouge.

The base is lighter too, but that’s not to say that it’s unsubstantial. That wonderfully tart and peachy fruit note carries right the way through and blends with a super-silky blend of sandalwood and honey that delivers all of the texture with little of the funk that can be found in the more mature and richer Voile d’Extrait. From start to finish, Rozy Eau de Parfum is great fun and it just shows that, even in this day and age where rose fragrances have been done to death, there still can be joyful surprises.

The Verdict

In both concentrations, Rozy is a wild, beautiful and compelling composition. As with all of Vero Kern’s creations, both perfumes surprise and are not built to please all. I enjoy both and find the dark, animalic underbelly of the Voile d’Extrait particularly interesting, but it is the wonderful peachy fruitiness of the Eau de Parfum that has me transfixed. These are fascinating fragrances that bring two complex new characters to the olfactive world of Vero Profumo.

Availability

Vero Profumo’s Rozy is currently available in Voile d’Extrait (50ml – £156) and Eau de Parfum (50ml – £138).

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Disclaimer
Samples via Vero Profumo and Bloom Perfumery. Image 1 via Vero Profumo and the incredibly talented Freddie of Smellythoughts. Images 2 and 3 via luckyscent.com.