Description
Floral Curiosities is the new fragrance collection created by Ineke Parfums exclusively for Anthropologie
stores.
Four flowers with distinct personalities are represented in the collection. Each flower’s unique character is
expressed through the artistically rendered packaging which will make the Anthropologie customer eager
to showcase them on her vanity. Beautifully presented clear cylindrical glass bottles are enclosed in
boxes decorated by prose in hand-drawn calligraphy. Soft watercolor paintings wash over the packaging
and hint to the hues inside.
Briar Rose (Rosa rubiginosa) Fruity and Powdery
Dark accents inspired by twisted thorns characterize Briar Rose. Black raspberry, bitter almond, exotic
spices, black violet, patchouli and cacao absolute come together to form a unique fragrance. Briar Rose was launched in 2011. The nose behind this fragrance is Ineke Ruhland.
VladSP – :
As Valentines day approaches, I thought I would review a few of the rose scents that I wear. Ineke Briar rose is a Black Jade Rose. It comes in a little pink bottle but it is a dark rose. Some say Black Jade is the darkest of any rose known and it is a miniature rose. Miniatures are funny little roses because some grow them in gardens and some put them in pots and grow them indoors. Miniatures are hotly contested in rose shows because it is easier to cross breed them and come up with new varieties. Black Jade is an award winner. And one of the most beloved miniatures of all time.
Briar Rose is a fruity floral. Ineke is a star perfumer and I think her forte is in producing floral fragrances. She seems to be better than most and a master at recreating scents of flowers that are hard to recreate. With Briar Rose, I think she missed the mark a bit. Mind you this is a great fragrance and perfume. But when you name your scent Briar Rose then you expect the rose to be the star and here it competes with fruits. There is enough rose for it to be considered in these Valentines day reviews but I personally think of it in the blackberry category. And it runs with top tier berry scents such as Blackbird, Bleecker Street, Purple Lips etc… Still if you want rose with your berries this is your baby. The patchouli keeps it with one foot in the garden and out of the donut but it still has a lot of darker berries. I wear what I want and do not usually mind women’s fragrances but this is a fruity floral that is feminine.
For niche, I expect a fragrance to last 8 hours. And this one gives me 10. But I am not going to give it bonus points because it comes and goes. I have no idea how it would wear on others but sometimes I cannot even notice it and other times I can. I have no idea how sillage works and I have not asked for or received comments from others about it. Like a miniature rose, it kind of sits in its little container in a corner and you do not either even notice it or you do and then its beautiful.
For personal use, I usually do not like doing reviews on fragrances where I do not own the bottle and / or used at least half of it. And to be honest, I do not own a bottle of this fragrance. Ineke has these wonderful sample packs and travel bottles and I think they are a fabulous deal and I am on my third one. I will be buying a bottle of this fragrance at some point in time. When I get around to it, I’m sure that it will be a single purchase and I would not buy a backup bottle or replace an empty one. I must say, that if you think you might like her fragrances that you can go to her website, order a fabulous sample pack and then use the discount coupon in it to buy a bottle and get your money back. The only problem is that they are all so good you will eventually want them all. I do not think Briar Rose is her “masterpiece” and it has been pushed down the pecking order by some of her others but it is a very good scent and worth sampling. Again, this is bottle worthy in my opinion.
Value is ok. I generally think that Niche should live at $50 an ounce or under. Her floral curiosity line is $78 for 2.5 ounce bottles which is just over $31 an ounce and entirely reasonable if you are predisposed to a blind buy. I honestly think that Ineke Ruhlands specialty is in florals and that her curiosity line is her best work. Her ABC line costs more and can be hit or miss. But everything in her floral line is spot on. I probably am not going to give her bonus points for value because to be honest about the matter, I have fun buying her little sample and travel sets and the overall cost for me is probably $50 an ounce. I will be buying a bottle of Briar Rose but part of the reason is to complete the set. There are others in her floral curiousity line that are brilliant and for most, Id recommend buying the sampler and then using the coupon to buy the one you like the most. And for me, that was not Briar Rose. But I do like it. I will buy it. For me, samples plus bottles is going to end up $50 an ounce. With samples I would not recommend this as a blind buy unless you really like fruits and roses …. together.
Overall, Im going to rate this out at 87. It gets a B+. Its quite good. And even then, I am being a little unfair because well … its a little too fruity for me and I think the rose should be the star. I have few complaints. It smells wonderful and is obviously high quality. It lasts. Its priced at an ok value when you factor in buying samples rather than going to a store and smelling and buying something for free and making your own mind up without having to pay to sample. Its a quality effort and for lovers of fruity roses this is wonderful. It almost bothers me that I cannot give it an A but I am writing my opinion of this fragrance and while I can praise its merits and still believe it worthy of purchase in the future … it is not my favorite rose or my favorite floral curiosity.
I started this review comparing Briar Rose to a Black Jade Rose. And I think thats fair. Some say, the Black Jade rose is the best rose ever grown. Its stunningly beautiful, has a double bloom, is dark, handsome, and treasured, is wonderfully fragrant, has won major awards, and might be the first and best rose grown by fans of the miniature. Miniature roses are just about the highest competitive roses grown for winning awards on the show circuit. They are just great. They are fun to grow, easy to grow, and versatile. And they smell great. Ineke Ruhland is a wondrous perfumer and the thing that I like about her is that she showcases, presents and brings forth flowers and scents from them that others do not see, smell, or notice. And Briar Rose fits that criteria. It fits her style of perfumery to a T. But somehow, even with hybrid tea form and quality, it seems to be a wallflower, and it sits in the corner and despite its beauty and classic form, is just a wee bit small.
blagoi1 – :
Briar Rose is a dark, and sultry scent, opening with a tart blackberry note that is quickly accompanied, and nearly overshadowed by a patchouli, rose and cacao accord which imbues this fragrance with a bittersweet, musky depth.
malva – :
Jammy rose scent — must be the blackberry but it does have a very jam quality to the rose scent. After the berry fades its a more powdery rose, like lipstick, a little richness from the chocolate and patchouli notes that add some warmth.
9121893714 – :
I blind bought this because I’m a big fan of Ineke and only a few have not worked for me. Well rose is not one of my fave notes but blackberry and raspberry and everything else definitely are. So I figured I’d gamble the odds. I lost.
This is a very pretty bright sparkling candied rose but the rose is for me overwhelming. Thankfully it’s not that rose that turns sour. It stays sweet and luscious but it also blooms and balloons on me and became a full on rose bonanza. After 2 spritz and 1 hour I had to scrub it off. My head was engulfed in ROSES!! Way too many of them! I was hoping the rose would recede and be a backdrop for the fruits and spice to take over. It didn’t happen. But not all was lost, it is really pretty on my moms skin. It’s a jammy rose grounded with a touch of spice.
DrevniyPoster – :
Candied raspberries and sweet sweet sweet rose wrapped in velvet of violets! Girls , take it together with chocolate on P.M.S. days and your closest ones will more likely to overcome those days in much easier way, than they usually do. You know what I mean.
It’s truly deep-sweet and refined and perfectly-scarbous for those grumpy days…I Am sure that lovers of vintage Tocade Rochas will appreciate Briar Rose as well. Charming.
Danehaitovlog – :
This is the dream rose of the Brothers Grimm. It’s as if it had been written into one of their dark fairytales. A lush dark forest, canopies of trees makes it difficult for the sunlight to reach the forest floor, but there is one particular spot in this dark forest where the glittering sunlight is able to peak through the trees. Here, a rose grows. The rose, grows right next to a poisonous berry bush and a tall apple tree, where every now and then a cool wind blows and a passerby gets the chance to smell a most unique fragrance: fresh roses stems and leaves, camphoric patchouli, bitter and sharp spice, luscious fruits, and a warm sweet smell lingering in the back.
Rose takes center stage, fresh and natural, spices in the beginning brief and interesting, luscious fruits fresh and picked ripe, bitter dark chocolate, camphoric patch.
It reminds me slightly of the dry down of Narcisco Rodriguez, but with tons of rose and fruits and a hint more of warmth, none of the chalkiness. It also reminds me of Stella Cleopatra but with tons of fresh roses, watery, luscious, green, and a very slight hint of sweetness from the vanille.
This rose is both light and dark. Playful and Serious, Joyous and Melancholy, So unique, as the characters in the stories of Brothers Grimm.
Crezi2008 – :
I am completely rose obsessed and have have a preference for deep sultry roses, with patchouli, dark juicy fruit and violet and have tried different variations by the dozens, in in all sorts of price ranges on up to the $300 mark, and I swear I haven’t found a more satisfying combination for the “hippie wild child” style than Briar Rose. It is just as others have described, dark and fruity but with a balance of sweetness and tartness…darkness that remains light. There is something about it that leaves you craving the scent…almost like a rose crackhead. This is an earthy, casual, and carefree rose…..and for this particular type of bohemian, fruity, wild rose fragrance, Briar Rose really gets it right. Does it come in a gallon?
pioneer_90 – :
I decided to do a review on this perfume since I was able to order and actually smell this elixir myself. I will make it very clear though that this is not my type of fragrance, but it is probably one of the most unique and complex fragrances my nose has ever met.
This scent is a MUST for a mysterious “Earth Child”, one who enjoys all the treasures the planet provides. Briar Rose is anything but ordinary. It’s complex, dark and spicy. Dark chypre like depth combined with rose (rose rubiginosa), tart green apple, violets, ground spices, juicy black raspberry, sinful cocoa, and earthy patchouli.
One smell and I was transported…
Wandering into the dark forest dressed in a Venetian red gown you find your way into the castle beyond the silent lake. The sounds of the earth call to you. Those dark eyes look to the west as a roll of thunder echos in the distance. As the last rays of sun fade into the horizon the faint smell of rain wafts upon the breeze. Bare feet pad along the side of the abandoned castle as your toes dig into the soft dirt. The aroma of fresh earth invades your senses.
Finding the handle to the great wooden door you open it. A light push and the door silently opens into a long forgotten library. You look around cautiously….The tendrils of your hair are pushed forward as a breeze picks up from the storm which is inching closer and closer. Red silk surrounds you as you float your way into the castle. Tapestries, books, an endless trove of treasure lays before you as you trail your fingers across what seems to be a diary….
I can see why so many love this fragrance. Its spicy, romantic, mysterious.
I do have a full bottle available on ebay at the moment if anyone is interested.
Rolandas – :
I have to agree with Sherapop that Briar Rose definitely has a dark chypre like depth that I find totally unexpected in something classified as a fruity floral. On me, it has a definite resemblance to the berry-mossy parts of Parfum Del Rae’s Bois de Paradis but without the heavily wooded base. And yeah, I know that neither have moss listed in the notes but there’s something very similar to me in both fragrances.
I was expecting something along the lines of a berry flavored bath and bodyworks shampoo scent, because I’ve had some similar experiences with Ineke perfumes before, but far from it! Briar Rose, on my skin, is actually a very grown up smelling tart berry-rose chypre perfume with velvety violets and ground spices.
A lot of people seem to call this a “fresh” scent but it sure doesn’t seem that way to me, being rather too dark and thick and dirty to qualify for that term in my mind. I don’t get the cocoa at all, but maybe it’s hiding in the rooty richness of the patchouli.
I also agree with another commenter’s assessment of Bewitching…. I’m so under its spell that I think I might need a backup bottle!
Edit: I wanted to add that this is one incredibly long lived perfume on me, I can easily smell it 24 hours later! And great sillage for the first 8 or so hours. Much stronger on me than, say, Insolence edp.
whatvxruomm – :
Smells lovely at first, lots of promise, but then fades into nothing on my skin only minutes after. I have to really stretch my nose to get anything, I guess, berries. I detect something that smells like a diluted version of Evening Etched in Gold, but honestly to really get anything out of this scent I would have to use a whole bottle every other day! Too bad, it was nice for that moment….
3 hours later..
it has kicked back up and is showing a very fine powdery essence. Reminds me of a Caswell Massey talc I had as a child.
I’m going to spritz some more on after a shower and see where it goes into the evening…
SindErerOnedo – :
briar rose is BEWITCHING. i’ve fallen deeply under its spell… i’m smelling tangy, tart green apple, red wine soaked roses and blackberries simmered over … what is that? patchouli? stop just stop. OMGGGG… this scent is making me drunk, intoxicated. what kind of witchcraft is this Ineke? ! i may never recover (and i don’t think i want to!!) … this is like nothing i have ever smelt on my skin, who am i? who has this made me become? luscious, mysterious, someone different than who i was… does that makes sense??? this scent had literally changed me. *tears*
zibyrat – :
I really want to try this… But I have to ask: No roses in a scent called Briar ROSE?
saff – :
am really wanting to try this – anyone know where i can get a sample??
barin82 – :
Absolutely divine! How lucky am I to own this?! WOW!
It falls somewhere in between Tauer Rose Vermeille and YR Rose Absolue. It smells divine, fresh but sweet, juicy and sparkling, almost glittery. I do not get any spices or patchouli at the time of review (had it on for 2 hours so far) but I do get blackberry smell, like freshly squashed blackberry juice has been mixed with a fizzy lemonade. Perfect for a cold wet wintry day. Bliss!
Edit : wore this scent for 8 hours and still smelled nice at the end of the day so longevity was pretty good one me. Still, no spices or patchouli on me, even after 8 hours. Such a gorgeous scent!
nlftnji – :
Delicious!!! So thankful to have won this beautiful perfume, even the box is cute and the bottle is very unique I especially like the cloth label! On me it starts off quite tart and sour,surely it must be the green apple as it makes my mouth pucker. Then it quietly takes backseat to the most amazing black raspberry rose with blended cloves and patchouli. It is feminine and soft yet tangy, almost like a punch beverage rather than something edible. The ingredients are obviously high quality and I cannot stop smelling my wrist because the smell lingers in my nose and keeps me craving more. It is noticeable but no sillage bomb and in this hot weather it lasts almost 4 hours, gradually become closer to the skin. Thank you Fragrantica and Ineke!
angel_smerti – :
Briar Rose is oh so pretty. I admit that to start with it smelled a bit medicinal, but as it wore it became one of prettiest, most interesting rose perfumes I’ve ever smelled. Briar Rose is a bit of a confection. It’s a bit jammy and reminds me of the bright, magenta rose confiture I bought back from the South of France; or like freshly picked rose petals that have just been candied as decoration for a cake. I can’t get over the combination of freshness and sweetness. It’s a light, somewhat transparent perfume, yet it’s not like rose water. It has surprising depth and is multi-faceted. It’s candied, but it’s so not so powdery like Turkish Delight. When I try, I can definitely smell a hint of almond, berries, and an extremely subtle powdery violet.
I’m amazed at how this perfumer is able to take a flower like the rose, which has been done at least one million times before, and turn it into something that’s never been done. My respect for this perfumer is growing, first with Angel’s Trumpet, and now with this stunner. I’ve been so sick of rose perfumes, but I went back to the store to buy this one on the same day I tested it. I bought the last bottle! Would have been very upsetting if there were none left.
joshferiks – :
I can’t believe that I scored this beauty for $29.99 in antthro’s sale room in the back. I wish I could buy all my frags at such deep discounts.
It’s so beautiful and fresh yet contains a dark and mysterious element, the unfolding of which I truly enjoy. I imagine it’s the violet, cacao, and patchouli.
EDIT: the drydown was a big fail. Not a keeper for me…I’d rather take my $29.99 and put it towards a rose frag that actually likes me.
zernomoll – :
I can barely contain my enthusiasm for this new perfume by Ineke. BRIAR ROSE is a scrumptious blackberry floral (featuring rose, “rosa rubiginosa”–not listed here among the notes) so juicy and at the same time so dark and luscious that I cannot believe it! Would that all fruity floral fragrances exhibited this chypre-like depth! The sillage is big and the longevity excellent, but the best part of all is that this splendid creation smells completely natural with no BHT nastiness or rotting fruits whatsoever.
Deep, dark, delicious and fruity but not excessively sweet, BRIAR ROSE is a pleasure to wear from start to finish. On my wishlist!