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…
British car manufacturer Lotus has launched their first fragrance, Lotus for men.