Fresh is promoting Cannabis Rose, their latest fragrance release, as the sensual, seductive partner to 2006’s male-targeted Cannabis Santal. When I first sampled Cannabis Santal, I thought of Linda Richman (Mike Myers) from the old “Coffee Talk” sketch on Saturday Night Live, who would have said, “Cannabis Santal is neither cannabis nor santal. Discuss.” Instead, that fragrance was a chocolate-patchouli cousin to Thierry Mugler's Angel, and it sold well with women as well as men.
Cannabis Rose gives a more typically feminine first impression: a winsome burst of fruity rose, similar to many fruity-rose notes on the market today. However, this citrusy floral introduction only lasts for a minute or two. The fragrance’s extended heart is a musky cluster of patchouli leaves. It’s still not a literal translation of marijuana, but it’s herbal enough to feel a bit rebellious. (The promised chocolate note isn’t evident, which is fine with me; without it, Cannabis Rose can move further away from Angel-imitation.) This scent is odder and trickier than its demurely arty packaging (delicate scrollwork, stylized rose blossoms) would suggest. A darker rose note emerges late in the drydown, marrying the patchouli and “oolong tea” in an earthy bouquet with poetically wilted petals.
This fragrance probably won’t appeal to casual browsers in Fresh’s modishly sterile boutiques, or to someone looking for a typical summery floral. However, anyone seeking a “dirty rose” should give it a try. I had expected Lady Vengeance from the niche line Juliette Has A Gun to meet that description, but I finally had to wash Lady Vengeance off my wrist when its berryish rose and soapy patchouli began to drown in a sticky vanilla syrup note. I’m much more likely to keep trying Cannabis Rose, which is rawer and drier, yet light enough to wear in warmer weather. It’s also just refined enough to avoid unwashed Deadhead territory.
The matching Cannabis Rose bath and shower gel is a softly foaming wash, with a simple rose-patchouli mix for its scent. The body cream has a rich, caressing texture without any greasiness or tackiness, and its fragrance is the rosiest blend in the line: its earthiness is fleeting, smoothed out by tea notes. Like other Fresh body products, the shower gel and the body cream are anything but inexpensive, but the high quality of the cream in particular (almost) justifies the high price tag.
Fresh Cannabis Rose was developed by perfumer Jerome Epinette; the notes include Bulgarian rose, pomegranate flower, bergamot, cannabis accord, sheer jasmine, dark chocolate, white musk, patchouli and oolong tea. It is available in 100 ml Eau de Parfum ($75), 300 ml Bath and Shower Gel ($28) and 200 g Body Cream ($65). For buying information, see the listing for Fresh under Perfume Houses.
I just bought the EDP and body creme for Cannabis Rose. I'm not a rose person at all, but this scent is rocking my world. I think it's the patchouli and tea notes in it that makes the rose sophisticated and innovative instead of another cloned “fruity-floral” or “grandma floral” or “OMG powdery drydown??”
This really is a hit for me, no matter how incredibly expensive. But I hope it stays around forever because I know i'll need a refill, especially on the creme, which if you put on your shoulders and collarbones can scent you enough for the day.
Highly recommended! This is the best new fragrance I've sniffed all season. What's crazy is what comes in second is With Love from Hillary Duff. (Crazy, right? But it's actually very interesting, but not always appropriate to wear because it skews so sugary young. I told you I had weird tastes.)
Hi! I've been working my way through some samples of these three products, and I'm very tempted to purchase the lotion and the fragrance. I *am* a rose person, and I thought I'd be disappointed that the rose isn't prominent in this fragrance. However, I like the way it just peeks through the patchouli leaves now and then.
I've heard other positive reactions to H Duff's first fragrance; you are not alone!
I just tried this yesterday, and, unfortunately, my impressions were not as favorable as yours. I enjoyed the opening, with all the rose and tea and dirt, but the drydown just killed it for me. I'm not usually someone who turns up her nose at patchouli, but this particular kind of patch was just too rough for me. My main impression at that point was, “Blech.” I gave my free sample away to a girlfriend who appreciated it more.
HOWEVER, I do agree with you that it's an interesting take on rose, even if it's not exactly up my alley.
Ah well! To each her own, definitely.
Have you ever tried L'Artisan Voleur de Roses? That's my favorite rose-patchouli combination: it's “moister” and just a bit sweeter.
I love these reviews – they're great for adding scents to my to-be-tried list; sometimes, I use them to keep stuff off the list. Patchouli I don't like, so I probably don't need to test this one. Thanks for the heads up.
Well, I must be honest: if you don't like patchouli at all, you definitely won't like this fragrance.
You do not have weird tastes. We all have individual noses and it's just plain wrong to be pretentious in one's tastes. I like YSL Baby Doll and Britney Spear's Curious and I'm proud of it. We are all on the same team of exploration on this site.
Joy and yahoo from the cheap seats,
Becca
Nothing weird about your tastes at all, my dear.
I'm also very much enjoying this fragrance – the lotion has a desliciously subtle moisture that never feels sticky. And I am on my second bottle of Duff's With Love! As I've said before, it's decidedly mature for a teen-targeted celebrity fragrance. It's wonderful.
I completely agree. Hello, Becca!
See, the Duff fans are weighing in!
I used my lotion sample again today, and I enjoyed even more. Fresh knows its body products.
I have not, but I keep hearing about it. I love L'Artisans as a rule, so here's hopin'.
You're right. I love YSL Baby Doll even still; I drenched myself in that back in 8th Grade and it still makes me so happy. And you know what? I LOVE BABY SOFT! I just bought another one of those aerosol cans filled with it.
Aw, Love's Baby Soft. I have fond memories of that one.
I sprayed this one on my wrists today at Sephora. Wonderful scent, but perhaps a little too earthy for a day I skipped washing my hair.
Hi Eshellmoyer, Your comment made me chuckle. And yes, it *is* an earthy scent. I'll probably save my sample for days when I'm not likely to get *too* hot and sweaty on top of the patchouli!
I loved Cannabis Santal until my teenage son started appreciating fragrance and I gave him the rest of my bottle to save him from the cheesy stuff he was wearing. CR might be nice – I like the idea of a “dirty rose”. One of my favorites was Geranium Pepper which has been discontinued. Too bad – sometimes Fresh gets it right. I do like a tiny bit of patchouli and Fresh does have a decent one.
Hi Deepo, I used to like quite a few of the Fresh Index scents that no longer exist… and I've been very bored by all the recent fruity-sweet releases. Violette was pretty unmemorable, too, to my nose. Cannabis Rose is the first Fresh in a long time that I've wanted to try more than once.
Have to laugh at the name of this perfume. Good weed has a decidedly skunky smell. Whenever my husband and I are driving out in the country and come across a dead skunk we laugh and say “smells like pot.” Therefore, we're probably some of the few who don't think dead skunk smells all that bad. However, I doubt that Fresh has synthesized the smell of skunk — don't think many people would want to smell like Pepe le Pew.
Seriously, nobody wearing this would be mistaken for having recently partook. It's pretty tame.
I'm anosmic to actual cannabis in its smokable form — a convenient neighbor to have down the hall in a college dorm! — but I've asked around, and no, this perfume does not actually smell like pot!
I've gotten nothing but major compliments wearing cannabis rose. I love the earthiness of it..it's sensual and striking at the same time…and my boyfriend adores it, commenting that it smells like cedar to him..I don't get that at all, but he smells cedar for sure. To me, that indicates that CR has a clean angle to it, although to me it is quite earhty or “dirty” as others have commented. One thing I'd like to mention..I'm a pro singer and play in 6 different bands almost every night of the week..I play at the beach every Sunday here in NJ in LBI (Long Beach Island), and wear CR to my gig. After playing, jumping in the pool between sets as well as a few dips in the ocean, then showering afterwards and going to the beach the next day, I was approached by a lady who saw me perform the day before..she said she recognized my “scent” as I frolicked nearby hear in the ocean, the she recognized me as the singer she had met and spoke with the day before. IE., she could still smell the CR on me from the day before, after swimming in both the ocean and pool, and showering and sweating off all the perfume during my show. That's staying power! I was floored by that and had to share. To me, the scent had long faded away..which had been my only gripe about CR..that it didn't seem to last very long…guess not!
Hi Lainey, What a great story! Cannabis Rose sounds perfect for a summer weekend Down the Shore.
And it's true, sometimes we stop noticing our own perfume, but others can still pick up on it! Thanks. 
WOW!!! I just got to smell Cannabis Rose and I am very impressed. I tried the Cannabis Santal and it started out nice and then went straight to chocolate which did not work for me at all. CR smells so good on my skin I'm hooked the patchouli, rose, and tea thing just works for me. It doesn't come accross as feminine on my skin at all but then I'm a firm beliver in wearing what YOU like not what other people say you should wear. Thanks for a great review.
Hello Jett, I'm so glad Cannabis Rose worked for you! I still like it very much; it's my favorite scent in the current Fresh line-up.
You might also enjoy L'Artisan Parfumeur's Voleur de Roses and Byredo's Rose Noir, so put those on your to-try list for 2009.
Thanks!
It sounds like CR has really great sillage. Is the patchouli nice and prominent?
Hi Jett, Patchouli seemed to be the prominent note in the composition, for me!
I had a great experience with CR a couple of days ago — sprayed some on in a store, then wandered across the street for more shopping. Picture me at the till in the sporting goods store, a 49-year-old with grey hair and sensible shoes…suddenly, the 30-something guy who’s ringing up my hiking socks leans forward and says, “You smell DELICIOUS!” !!!! This kind of thing NEVER happens to me. Arranged possession of a bottle immediately!
Very nice! So glad it worked for you!
tried this again yesterday, and I remembered what it smelled like. On me, it’s almost exactly the same as the body shop’s hemp butter, which has a pretty substantial presence, and I did use to wear it with certain perfumes. I ended up spraying some leftover lemon sugar with this and was told it was very nice. that happens every once in awhile, and then i don’t know what people are responding to… Anyway, all that to say that i like the scent, but I’m not getting the other accords that are supposed to be in it, so I’ll just go grab a $20 hemp butter!