I wish I had a dollar for every time a fragrance salesperson has offered me a sniff of a new rose-based perfume while saying, in an apologetic, slightly lowered voice, "I'm not usually a rose person, but I really like this one." He or she will go on to justify this unexpected liking for the fragrance by explaining, "It's a really modern/fresh/youthful take on rose, not what you would expect." Unfortunately, the scent in question often turns out to be exactly what I expected: a faint, synthetic-smelling rose note diluted and obscured with so much bright citrus and sheer musk that the result is, indeed, a fragrance for non-rose-lovers.
Andy Tauer makes no such apologies or justifications with Tauer Perfumes' Scent no. 10, Une Rose Vermeille. It is not a soliflore, but the fragrance's overall impression is definitely the "scarlet rose" of its name, enriched by the other elements rather than masked by them — it is, as the perfumer himself says, "a true homage to rose." The composition includes top notes of lemon, bergamot, and lavender; a heart of rose, violet, and raspberry; and a base of vanilla, sandalwood, tonka bean, and ambergris.
The opening of Une Rose Vermeille is a characteristically Taueresque twist of greenish, herbaceous notes; it reminds me of the initial phase of Rêverie au Jardin. It's the most outdoorsy element of the fragrance. After that, you'll find yourself in a hothouse inhabited by full-blooming flowers, specifically the aldehydic rose-and-violet blend of the fragrance's heart. (If you love Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose or Bond no. 9 Broadway Nite, two other fragrances that feature rose-violet duets, Une Rose Vermeille may fit nicely into your perfume "wardrobe.") This floral accord feels dressed up for a festive evening, and it takes Une Rose Vermeille closer to the "feminine" end of the spectrum than any other Tauer fragrance, with the exception of Le Maroc pour Elle.
Une Rose Vermeille's raspberry note is sweet and sparkling, but it never quite tips Une Rose Vermeille into the "fruity" end of floral; it just adds an extra burst of color to the composition. The vanilla in the basenotes is warm and creamy, but the ambergris keeps things just earthy enough, even a bit risqué — it's like finding a few prickly leaves and thorns beneath the velvety rose petals. Tauer refers to this Eau de Parfum as "a gourmand rose," but to me, it feels less edible than jewel-like, rich and radiant.
A note about the packaging for Une Rose Vermeille, which also looks jewel-like: according to the Tauer blog, this fragrance is sold in a 50 ml bottle that has been partially filled with translucent glass beads, thus reducing its volume to 30 ml. The beads will move and swirl around when the bottle is handled. I haven't seen a bottle in person yet — I'm sampling this fragrance from a spray vial — but this sounds like a novel and appealing effect.
Une Rose Vermeille is categeorized as one of Tauer Perfumes' "Homages," and that sounds right; it's a vivid and personal evocation of a red rose (rather than an attempted "update" or "re-invention" that ends up missing the point of the original flower). It has good staying power and, for the first hour or two, it gives off lush sillage.
Tauer Perfumes Une Rose Vermeille is available in 30 ml Eau de Parfum; for buying information see the listing for Tauer Perfumes under Perfume Houses.
Note: image is Maria Königin des Friedens, Wallfahrtsdom in Velbert-Neviges, via Wikimedia Commons.
Lovely review Jessica. However this just did not work for me.
It had a shrill, screechy way about it on my skin like Orange Star and Reverie au Jardin.
I even got a headache from one spritz!
And I’m a silage slut so good thing I didn’t spray all crazy like I normally do. 🙁
I was pretty disappointed .
Even so , I still have my one and only true Tauer love URC.
Now that is one perfect perfume for me.
Have a great weekend everyone.:)
Oh Tamara – I’m so sorry and you’ve been waiting so long for the arrival of this one! But now you can apply your savings to something else that you really really want, right? 😉
OperaFan- Waaaah! 🙁
I know huh? Sometimes the chase ends up so sad!
Well on to the next eh? As for really , really want yes your correct!
I just tried for the first time ever OJ Tolu AND Amouage Epic.
SWOON! Creamy, smooth, rich, decadent- These ladies are gorgeous and perfect for fall/winter. Ahhh I need to win the lotto.
Well, the OJ fragrances are less expensive than the Tauers, so you should at least be able to get that one. Amouage is a very pricey brand, though. I don’t know whether to wish that they were (1) less expensive so I could afford them, or (2) less gorgeous so I wouldn’t want to afford them.
Sorry to hear that, Tamara! It definitely has a strong personality, so if it doesn’t work for you, it probably *really* doesn’t work. And OperaFan is right, of course; you’ll find another new launch that really suits you!
Very true Jess, in fact I already did! 😛
Thanks, both Jessica and Tamara. I’m on the fence about this, and both of your opinions further my internal perfume-buyer’s debate. I love Tauer, and I’m willing to try, but I suspect this one may not turn out to be my cup of tea. (Which is why I love his “U-pick-em” discovery sets– at that price, you don’t feel bad if you don’t quite jive with a chosen sample.
Olenska, Some AT scents work on me, some don’t (although I like them in the bottle)… but, yes, samples are best!
Olenska, yes the Tauer’s are so sketch on me. Good luck my dear!
Oh, Tamara…sorry to hear this didn’t work for you, after you’d been planning on it and plotting and saving for months for a bottle! Well, at least think of all the other lovely things you’ll be able to get with that money now!
Hey Joe, it’s alrught.
So many other perfumes out there with my name on them!
I can’t wait to get the bigger FB of URC though, I wonder if it looks as cool as the pictures.<3
I'll let you guys know of course!
I had been wondering how the visual effect was created; glass beads makes sense. Although, on that note, I’m always SO careful not to shake or jostle my juices (don’t ask), I think that the swirling beads (while pretty) would tip my OCD off the radar.
I really need to buy the sample set that he offers!
🙂
Hooray for sample sets!
I can’t think of anyone else who has done this with the beads. Miller et Bertaux adds one or two beads, and I’ve always enjoyed that detail when I see the line in stores. But this is different… very clever.
Olivier Durbano adds beads too, I have 3 (real?) amethysts swirling aorund in my bottle, I like that effect , more than any showy bottle designs
Hmm. I’m a beader and literally have a room overwhelmed with extremely tiny beads. I could probably just put a few strays in a scent.
If anyone really wants to do this, I suggest it would be much cheaper buying “seed beads” (the higher the No. the smaller the bead), at Emperyian beads website or Firemountain beads. Stay away from “galvanized” beads which have the colors applied (as opposed to mixed in as part of the glass compound), which would certainly be affected by the alcohol in the perfume. In fact, I would stay away from pinks and reds which have odd chemical compounds and as close to clear beads as possible.
Actually, this sounds to me like a way of filling a larger bottle with lesser perfume. If you like beads, buy some really gorgeous beads, some beading wire a clasp “crimps” and a copy of Bead and Button Magazine for instructions on how to make your own necklace. I think once upon a time they had an article on making scented beads.
Hi Dilana, Andy Tauer does seem to have conceived of the beads as a clever and beautiful way to fill 50 ml bottles with 30 ml of fragrance, rather than manufacturing two different bottle sizes. It’s definitely a way to package less fragrance, although not necessarily “lesser.” 😉
Lucky scent has a fall package with both of the Tauer newest fragrances, I know I definetely want to give it a try.
Yes, sample first, of course! And I’m glad that Luckyscent has a way for us to do that.
My Lucky Scent sample pack is on the way right now (along with my Avignon) and I am looking forward to it. The selection of samples this time sounds very intriguing (here come the lemmings!).
Ah, Avignon. Such a good autumn pick. That sample pack is a good one… Tauer, Vero, et al.!
Yes, I placed my Luckyscent order yesterday for the new Fall offerings. I especially can’t wait to try the new Tauers.
That’s a very tempting assortment of samples, and the price is quite reasonable for what you get.
As a long time fan of rose, I’m excited to try this. URC is an all time favorite of mine and I can’t wait to see what he’s done this time. I thought pairing it with raspberry was an interesting, but at the same time, appropriate direction since they are botanically related. Thanks for the review Jessica!
Rusticdove, Interesting, that they’re botanically related! I just thought of another rose-raspberry that I like: P de Nicolai Balkis (which also has coffee and pepper).
I can’t wait to try Balkis, a fellow perfumista buddy will be hooking me up with some. 🙂
The rose family is quite large and includes a number of common garden plants. Roses are related to not only raspberries, but also blackberries, strawberries, apples, pears, plums, apricots, peaches, cherries, and many other species too numerous to mention.
hi Jessica,
what a beautiful review, thanks a lot. and I also love the picture.
is vanilla prominent in the base? because then I do not need to bother to try, it gives me a headache for sure.
Hi, Ami — The vanilla is definitely in there, with the tonka, but I wouldn’t smell this fragrance on someone and say, “oh, a vanilla perfume.” It’s still secondary to the florals!
thanks Jessica 🙂
Ami,
I thought I felt strong vanilla in this perfume, mixed with berry towards the end.
You should definitely sample it though. It’s lovely.
Hm, it’s interesting: we’re definitely falling into two camps: those who felt it was a rich floral with some vanilla, and those who thought it was a strong vanilla-berry scent with some floral. Personally, I wear many sweet, vanilla-based florals, so this one didn’t seem overwhelmingly sweet to me (compared to something like, say, Brulure de Rose); I’m guessing it’s relative, based on our/your customary scent preferences!
Oh, the last thing I needed was another lemming! But if you say this fits in with a wardrobe that includes Lipstick Rose (check!) and Broadway Nite (check!), I may have to try it. Dang it.
resistance is futile 😀
If you like both of those, Miss K, you really should try this one. Sorry! 😉
Miss Kitty would like my decant doll?
That sounded so dumb! Oh well- you know what I meant woman!
lol… I understood, so I bet she did, too. 🙂
Drop me a line, Miss Kitty. I was rash and impulsive and jumped in with both feet and bought it unsniffed as soon as I read about it. Since I already love URC and Incense Rose I figured I should have the trilogy. It is as powerful as any of his other compositions and since I knew this I was careful to only apply one spray which lasted all day and all night and I can still smell it on my nightgown. Somebody described the raspberry as the perfectly ripe fruit of your dreams that you would be mad if you woke up without tasting it (or something like that) and I have to agree.
The bottle made me giggle with delight. This is the first scent I have in the new bottle shape (I don’t have a cobalt one) and the colour graduation is gorgeous. I had no idea it had little beads in it but I adore it.
Great review, Jessica. It does fall in line with Lipstick Rose and Broadway Nite!
Thanks, Julia! and thanks for the report on the bead bottle!
Rose and violet! My favorite floral combo!
Thanks for a lovely review, I can’t wait to try this.
Patti
Patti, I was going to recommend this to you, if you didn’t see this review! Definitely get your hands on a sample!
I only have one FB of rose – Epic – but this smelled so good on me, the number might become 2! I thought that I would not like this as well as the other Tauer release, but in fact it works better on me. Love Andy, love his perfumes….
Funny thing–I get zero rose in Epic…it’s all spicy cinnamon, amber, frankincense and wood…it’s glorious….but not a bit of rose. Of course now I’ve got to go get a spritz to see if I can find any of your roses!
You’ve said that before and I still marvel at it. I get tons of deep red roses in Epic Woman, esp. in the topnotes. The other stuff doesn’t really start to emerge on me for at least a couple of hours. 🙂
Jessica, you created and tamed a lemming with a single paragraph. Reverie is my favorite Tauer, but I found Broadway Nite rather lurid and garish on me. I still want to try it eventually, but I can wait a little more patiently now.
Heh, I want that line in my obituary: “she created and tamed a lemming with a single paragraph.” 😉
Makes you sound like a superhero(ine), doesn’t it? Feel free to use it at will. 😉
Broadway Nite is a big ol’ glittery-eyeshadow and fake fingernails kind of thang, ain’t it? Pretty, but sort of… disco ball.
Broadway Nite is definitely designed for a night on the town, I agree, so its name seems fitting!
Wonderful review Jessica!
Andy never makes a boring scent, that’s for sure. Even if you don’t love it, it’s always interesting and different. Gotta love that about AT.
I learned trepidation though, with Orange Star and now I’m not so quick to throw myself on a bottle….It all sounds lovely…homage to a scarlet rose etc etc…. as I linger over the AT page at Luckyscent I find I need to keep chanting : don’t forget the lavender , don’t forget the lavender! … now that Epices….that one has me drooling.
That is true: if even they’re not your particular cup of tea, they’re interesting and well-done!
Wonderful. I have written off Tauer as too expensive, in terms of cost AND shipping (I live in Australia) but your review prompted me to have a proper look at the Tauer website. My eyes nearly dropped out of my head when I saw that the sample set (of five) comes with free worldwide shipping. How stunning! Has anyone else tried it?
Free shipping! Always nice.
Yes, I have bought two sample sets and they both arrived within a week . . . and I live in Ohio. The packaging is great and the samples are generously sized.
I wore the Une Rose Vermeille twice, just to try and get a handle on it – after the opening notes it is RASPBERRY, VANILLA and then rose.
Maybe its my body chemistry but on me it is sweet, thick and very gourmand. I don’t want you to think the rose isn’t there at all, it is just smothered with so much raspberry – not jammy, but like a combination of raspberry, sugar and vanilla that has been reduced to a syrup to go over the rose petals on the vanilla bean ice cream sundae.
Lovely, just not what this rose lover was hoping for!
Any ideas on what would make a good sampler set. Lonestar intrigues me, but I don’t like spicy perfumes.
Une Rose Chypre, L’ air du dessert Marocain, Carillon Pour Un Ange, Une Rose Vermeille, Reverie Au Jardin – read the online descriptions to get a better feel, but since you don’t like “spicy” this is the direction I would recommend.
Awesome review…you described exactly what I get from it, even the echo of Reverie au Jardin in the beginning. I just received a bottle of this this week, and I’ve fallen in love. I think this will be my favorite Tauer.
Melauriga, I’m glad!
Thanks for the review Jessica. I have a decant of this and I love it! I don’t find it overly femme.
I love your avatar, Carlos! and I”m glad you’re smitten with this scent too.
Thank you Jessica for a spot-on review. I was lucky enough to sample this one months ago and I flipped out! I am a Tauer fan–not all of them, but most–but this one really rocks. It is large and lovely, and may become my next favorite Tauer….I feel a full bottle coming on…..
Jepster, “large and lovely” is an apt description! It’s my personal favorite from Tauer so far. Thanks!
Like some others here, this was mostly about the raspberry and vanilla on me, and not so much of a rose scent — kind of a berried-up Tocade. I wasn’t wowed by it, but I do like it better than Orange Star and Eau d’Epices. Still faithful to my L’Air and Incense Rose!
If anyone’s hunting for a non-sweet berry, I highly recommend Cartier 10ieme Heure — ridiculously expensive, but it really evokes berries in a forest or on some tundra rather than drowning in pastry cream.
I’ve never tried that Cartier! Then again, I don’t mind sweetness, as you can tell. 😉
I was lucky enough to test URV a few months ago, and would agree in large part with your review, Jessica, with a few exceptions:
I don’t get any lavender. (A good thing for me – lavender often gives me headaches). And I can pick out the violet, but only with difficulty. For me, URV was very floral-gourmand. I get a LOT of rose, but I also get a LOT of that orange-marmalade mandarin thingy Andy seems to use frequently, plus a LOT of jammy berries and a LOT of vanilla. There is some sandalwood in there, but I think URV is mostly about the raspberry-rose combo. I like it a great deal, but to be honest, I’m not sure I’d actually wear it often.
The only other thing I’ve smelled that was even remotely like URV was 100% Love – which I didn’t like at all, due to the chocolate/patchouli under the berry/rose. URV is much, much less… weird, but in that same rose-gourmand vein.
100% Love was too sweet, even for me…! I definitely prefer Balkis, if I’m looking for a rose-berry-chocolate fragrance.
Hold the chocolate for me, please… 🙂
I just got a sample discovery set a few days ago and this one will be the one I try tonight. In fact, just did a wee spritz. This has a really nice sillage! Up close it is a bit hard-edged right now but when I put my arm down to type – yum. First impression, though, is that I prefer Balkis. But I am wafting beautifully.
This has been a interesting sampling few days. I was flipping out about Orange Star but didn’t care for it much in reality. Noir Epices needs to be tested more fully. However, Carillon pour un Ange? Wow wow wow.
I think I am the only one who thinks Andy’s prices are quite reasonable for the quality you get. Plus it is less expensive to order directly from him in some respect – you save about $10 on a bottle of URV over Luckyscent, and the shipping isn’t that bad. It’s quick, you get a fun box form far away, and all the money goes to the source.
That’s great to know about ordering direct, Tama. I really like Balkis as well, so I’m curious what I’ll think of URV. Also agree with you on Carillon: Wow. Love it. But I also really like Orange Star.
Yeah, I just noticed that the other day when doing a review of Carillon pour un Ange – if you buy a bottle of that directly from Andy, it’s actually only two dollars more (the shipping is about $18, if I’ve read it right). $2 for the privilege of cool foreign mail and a handwritten note from Andy? So worth it.
And Orange Star did not wow me either, but then I didn’t expect it too – I love the spices in it, but the orange and orange blossom are just not my favorite notes.
Um, that would be “didn’t expect it TO.” Typo. Morning. More coffee is indicated.
Not to worry. I haven’t had my coffee yet, either. And I don’t often enjoy wearing citrus notes, either… with a very few exceptions, like Atelier Blood Orange on a hot day.
I’ve tested Carillon once, and am looking forward to spritzing it again. And no, I don’t think AT’s prices are so crazy, compared to so many other niche/indie brands. They’re actually pretty competitive.
Yeah, I sptritzed it one night and wore it the next day. Don’t usually do that.
I loved Carillon pour un Ange immediately after testing as well!
I tried Orange Star too but didn’t quite get what it was saying. I have to try it more times.
Hi, Na — Maybe we should do a review of Carillon, although it seems that so many people have already tried it. I’m not usually a lily of the valley fan, but I thought it was very unusual and complex and lovely.
Jessica, I would love to read your review on Carillon pour un Ange!
Just got my sample yesterday and tried it today. It is quite the nice fresh rose, but soft, none of that sour note I sometimes find. So far it is really good. I will wait to see how it develops. I hope I like it.
Jessica, thanks for this review.
I think it is the violet and raspberry notes you mentioned that are making this so intriguing for me. What an interesting combination. as soon as I read your words on the notes, I think I can actually smell them.
Glad you enjoyed the review… I’m a longtime lover of rose-and-violet and rose-and-berry combinations, so this fragrance is right up my alley!