The week before my birthday was truly the week from hell. It all started with my refrigerator dying (twice) and a gas leak from my cooktop which was sputtering already with only two functional burners.  The GE repairman confirmed the leak which my husband couldn’t smell for some reason. Then came the news that they no longer make cooktop units with these dimensions so replacing it will involve cutting and potentially cracking the granite countertops around the cut-out. The final straw came when I discovered fraud on my checking account. This was thankfully resolved by my bank which didn’t require closing the account but it cost me at least 5 hours that I didn’t have, not to mention the agravation and lost sleep.

I was feeling stressed and paranoid to put it mildly. I realize that these sound like small things when you consider that people are ill and dying all over the world due to no fault of their own. I knew on some level that this would pass; I wasn’t feeling suicidal but definitely anti-social and stressed out. Not a happy camper!

So lo and behold, right before my birthday a package arrived from my sister in California which I strongly suspected was a fragrance. Please let it be something I like just a little bit, I prayed to myself.

When I opened the wrapping and saw that it was Eau Rose by Diptyque I was beyond thrilled. This is a fragrance I have been fantasizing about ever since I caught a whiff of it in the Diptyque boutique on Bleaker Street in NYC.

I must admit that I love almost all of Diptyque’s fragrances. Diptyque was one of the first niche fragrances I discovered when I received a bottle of Tam Dao about 10 years ago as a birthday gift. It turned out to be a little too masculine for my liking and luckily I was able to exchange it for Philosykos which is a truly lovely summery scent.

I should also disclose that I don’t like many rose-centered perfumes I’ve come across. Even the ones described as “not your grandmother’s rose” smell exactly like that to me. The ideal rose fragrance for me would need to smell  young, sparkly and sensuous.

Diptyque Eau Rose is one of the rare examples of rose essence at its finest. According to the description on the Diptyque website, Eau Rose is meant to “celebrate the multiple aromas of the flower in its natural state, as it blossoms over time.” It certainly starts out on a fresh flower note, with citrus and black currant giving it a zesty brightness. The rose in the heart is a true rose accord that is oh so delicate and lovely, very airy and pretty. I’m imaging a pink rose over a red one. The drydown of subdued honey, soft musk and blond woods takes a while to reach and helps to keep it balanced.

Too many rose fragrances are overly rich and complicated; whereas Eau Rose manages to succeed in being straightforward and authentic. It’s a very light and compelling fragrance that delivers on its promise.

If you’re willing to allow yourself to get drunk on roses, this is worth it.

A 100 ml. bottle is around $98.