Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
In Arabic, one can wish someone a morning of roses, “sabah al ward.” Whenever I hear the words “Clair Matin,” I think of this beautiful expression. The idea behind the newest limited edition fragrance from Les Parfums de Rosine was indeed to capture the delicate scent of pink roses as they unfold in the morning. Yet, the question that remained for me as I wore Clair Matin was whether it truly evoked a rose scented dawn for me.
For lovers of rose dominated perfumes, Les Parfums de Rosine is a fragrance house with lots of interesting options to explore. If one is craving rose lemonade, Un Zeste de Rose will provide an exhilarating experience. Should one decide on a perfume that captures the feeling of red velvet, one cannot go wrong with Rose d’Amour, a luscious rose accented with tuberose and violet. Created by François Robert, who is responsible for most of Les Parfums de Rosine fragrances, Clair Matin is named after a climbing rose variety that grows in the garden of Marie-Hélène Rogeon, the creative director of Les Parfums de Rosine.
Clair Matin opens up on a vivid green note accented with tart blackcurrant buds. In contrast to my favorite green rose Un Zeste de Rose, Clair Matin is much softer and warmer even in the beginning. Its heart, while focusing on a sheer pink rose, is blended with other floral notes. Jasmine and violet lend it a pleasant warmth, which is reinforced in the drydown by the creamy woods and amber. The fruity notes are understated, and they mostly provide a pleasant nuance to the floral accord.
While Clair Matin starts out as a fresh, radiant rose, its drydown has a warm, sweet quality. Although this soft base accord serves as a great counterpoint to the sheer floral heart, I do not care for the lavish dose of white musks and clean woods. A powdery, plastic-like feeling begins to dominate Clair Matin as it loses its sparkle and rose petal lightness. Just like the romance of the morning tends to look trite in the bright sunshine of the day, so does Clair Matin as it dries down on the skin. Therefore, for now I am content with Un Zeste de Rose to ensure a truly wonderful “morning of roses.”
Les Parfums de Rosine Clair Matin Eau Fraîche includes notes of raspberry leaves, lemon, black currant, chamomile, violet, Turkish rose, peony, musk, apricot, sandalwood and ambergris. It is available from Barneys, Aedes and First in Fragrance in Germany.
Sample: my own acquisition
14 Comments
Austenfan: I love un Zeste, don’t own a bottle ( yet). I do have a full bottle of Ecume which is one the rose perfumes I own that I wear the most often. Great for summer! I have been thinking of getting the sample set of all the Rosines. It will be nice to explore the whole line. April 19, 2011 at 6:42am
sweetlife: Yay, Rosine! Well, not this one, but you can’t win them all.
My morning roses are Ecume de Rose, and Rose d’Ete. You make me want to try Rose d’Amour very much. Just picked up a sample of Secrets de Rose the other day and was quite surprised and pleased and the dark, plummy rose in it’s heart. Delicious, and somewhat of a departure in terms of the line, I think. April 19, 2011 at 11:39am
mals86: Awwww, mannnn. I was looking forward to this, but you say it’s plasticky? I haven’t tried my sample yet… must remedy. I have time today – I’ll go put it on the arm that isn’t testing Une Fleur de Cassie, and try to report back.
I was not moved by Zeste; I much preferred DSH Rose Vert, probably because I’m not a huge citrus fan, and RV adds grassy/mossy notes to its citrusy rose. My favorite Rosine is Rose d’Ete, which I truly love. April 19, 2011 at 9:50am
Musette: One more for Zeste. I also like d’Ete, and Folie. This one sounds like one I can miss with no problem.
Thanks for reviewing the Rosines. They don’t always get a lot of love!
xo April 19, 2011 at 10:34am
Suzanna: Ah, well, there goes that mini-lemming. Thanks! I’d been interested in this, but the drydown sounds like everything I do not like.
I bought Secrets de Rose after smelling it next to Rose Praline (too sweet) where the licorice and plum stood out. It reminds me a bit of a Feminite du Bois plum treatment and also a bit of Tauer’s Incense Rose. Lovely, dark rose and one of the best in the line.
Will buy Ecume soon, and the soap too. April 19, 2011 at 2:51pm
Uella: I have yet to find a Rosine I like. I remember Mea Culpa was a major best-seller in the 90s at the Aedes boutique long before they had Serge Lutens and Frederic Malle. They also discontinued Rosine Muguet before I had a chance to smell it. I only saw four tester bottles of the Rosines last time I was at Barney’s, today neither Aedes and Barney’s carry the whole line. Where did you find Clair Matin? April 19, 2011 at 4:47pm
Victoria: It is a fun line to explore! So many different roses and such different expressions. Ecume de Rose is another favorite. I also used to love Rose d'Argent, which was discontinued. April 19, 2011 at 2:38pm
Victoria: Oh, do let me know what you think. I was disappointed not to find it as effervescent and airy as the name suggested. A pink rose equivalent of Un Zeste, so to speak, is what I imagined at first. April 19, 2011 at 2:41pm
Victoria: I realized that I missed quite a few of recent Rosines. I am still catching up!
Folie is another favorite, a dark rose chypre. April 19, 2011 at 2:42pm
Victoria: Rose d'Amour is great if you like powdery, lush roses. It wears like soft cashmere.
I also tried Secrets de Rose recently, and I liked it very much. Rose Praline or Praline de Rose (don't remember precisely) was also fun–a chocolate coated rose. April 19, 2011 at 2:44pm
Victoria: I am tempted by Secrets de Rose too, for that same reason. I find these kind of spicy plummy notes so appealing. Plus, the fragrance wears so beautifully–sillage is great, tenacity is perfect and the character is very memorable. April 19, 2011 at 3:00pm
Victoria: I found it at Barneys, but I was in San Francisco then. Not sure if it made it to NYC, although I would imagine that it might.
I used to like Mea Culpa a lot for its interesting composition of white watery floral and rich honeyed rose notes. Rose d'Argent with a beautiful anise twist certainly evokes the delicate silver filigree. Yet, all of them are discontinued. Rose d'Ete is certainly lovely, and I might revisit it again this summer. April 19, 2011 at 6:16pm
mals86: Early testing reports indicate that Clair de Matin is short-lived, rather fruity, and rather sweet: in short, dull. In all fairness, it is certainly nicer than a lot of mainstream scents, but compared to the other Rosines I’ve tried, not impressive.
Darn it. April 19, 2011 at 7:26pm
Victoria: Thank you so much for letting me know your thoughts! I completely agree, I will take it over something like Chloe Rose Edition (Rosebud,) but for a niche rose scent, Clair Matin just does not cut it for me. Oh well… April 19, 2011 at 7:29pm