Czech & Speake Dark Rose

I have a soft spot for rich rose fragrances, and I liked my sample of the original Dark Rose, so you’d expect me to like the new version if they did a good job with the reformulation.  Happily, they did a great job and it’s worth checking out by anyone who loves deep, rich, woodsy rose scents.  I have a sample of the new version and like it very much.  I’d love to be able to spray this to test staying power a little better; I’m not sure if staying power is as good as the original (the new one faded after 3.5 to 4 hours), but I’ll test the new one again and put more on next time.  I suspect it’d be fine when sprayed or applied more liberally than I did for my first test.

I have just a couple drops left of the original in a sample vial, though I fear it may have changed with time.  Nonetheless, when I compare the two the new one seems very much in keeping with the old.  They are not identical, but those who loved the old should still love the new.  Dark Rose has a middle eastern vibe from the oud and saffron combined with the rose, similar to some of the gentler Montale rose/oud scents rather than the more aggressive Montales.  Those who find the oud in most Montales a bit much for them might enjoy trying Dark Rose, though the saffron and oud are still very much there so you do need to like those notes to fall for it.

Czech and Speake has been giving out a really lovely free sample set to promote the re-release of several fragrances, including Dark Rose; it was a generous offering that many people are currently enjoying.  Here’s where you can get more information on Dark Rose:

http://www.czechandspeake.com/products.asp?catid=106&deptid=1

I have no affilition, of course.  I’m just a fellow rose-lover offering some info for readers of this blog. I had mentioned in a previous post that Dark Rose had been re-released:

http://sonomascent.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/news-update-czech-speake-dark-rose-returns/