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Post by Maya
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Hello APJ.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose; By any other name would smell as sweet.” — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
Lately I have been haunted by roses and I wanted to know more about them. I found that references to roses are everywhere in history and mythology and symbolism.They are an ancient flower. Fossils of roses have been found going back 35 million years. They thrived across the entire northern hemisphere with flowers that were originally all shades of pink, with a few white ones. Wild yellow roses were only discovered in Afghanistan and Southwest Asia in the 18th century. The Chinese cultivated them 5000 years ago and Egyptians planted rose gardens in their palaces at about the same time.
Photo Stolen Jeff Kramer Flickr
These beautiful flowers were found in ancient Egyptian tombs, in the form of mixed floral garlands believed to have been worn by mourners and then left in the tombs. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with the goddess of love, Aphrodite and Venus respectively, but it was the goddess nymph of flowers, Chloris, who created it. Chloris found the lifeless body of a nymph in the forest. She called the gods and goddesses to help her. Aphrodite gave the body beauty, Dionysus added nectar to give a sweet scent and Zephyr blew away the clouds so Apollo could shine and make the flower bloom. So the rose was born, the beautiful symbol of an immortal love that will never fade – even through time or death.
In India, Brahma, the creator of the world, and Vishnu, the protector of the world, argued over whether the lotus was more beautiful than the rose. Vishnu said the rose; Brahma said the lotus. Brahma, who had never seen a rose, admitted he was wrong when he saw one. He then created a bride for Vishnu and called her Lakshmi. She was created from 108 large and 1008 small rose petals. Ancient peoples made and used rosewater. It was the Persians who first extracted pure rose oil from varieties of the Damask rose. And in their poetry, the longing song of the nightingale is said to be caused by the beauty of the rose. Even today, rose symbolism is strong. The rose is the national flower of England, dating from the time of Henry VII and the War of the Roses and in 1986, it was named the floral emblem of the United States. This leads me to another rose:
Pink Quartz by Olivier Durbano 2010
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, pink grapefruit, olibanum, saffron, ginger
Heart: Palmarosa, damask rose, palisander rosewood
Base: Rose, amber, patchouli, myrhh, benzoin, white musk
Pink Quartz starts out as a very spicy rose. The citrusy notes listed as top notes are lost on my skin, overwhelmed by the ginger, a note I’m not usually fond of, but it works well here. The rose in this scent is ALWAYS first and foremost. It’s a big red rose that lasts and lasts! It never really fades but does eventually mellow to a more musky rose with less ginger and hints of patchouli and amber. It is one of those fragrances that the more I wear it, the more I like it.The spicy aspect to Pink Quartz makes it a warm scent, but not a winter scent. It is for all seasons with a pleasant medium silage that I doubt would offend anyone and it lasts for 7-8 hours.
Photo Stolen DeviantArt
Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Now Smell This
LuckyScent has $205/100ml EdP and samples
Olivier Durbano has €170/30ml Parfum
I love roses – the flower and the scent. How about you?
M
Australian Perfume Junkies 