FRAGRANCE | Rose Olivier EDT by Bastide Aix en Provence: Where roses aren't necessarily red

Rose Olivier by Bastide Aix en Provence was a finalist at the 2018 Art and Olfaction Awards under the Independent Category. Somehow, it figured in my search for frags that I wanted my sister to get me from Straya. Obviously, it's not an Aussie brand (French, actually) but seeing that it isn't available on Luckyscent, I chose it. And Ambre Maquis from the same house (common, one bottle isn't enough).

The presentation's fine: lift-top, hard cardboard box with a cutout that holds the bottle in place. The bottle, while very basic, seems thick and sturdy, though. As always, I appreciate it when a brand puts some thought and effort into its packaging. 

As for the scent, I immediately get a fresh and sweet rose. Within seconds, it's joined by a mildly sharp citrus that just as quickly, melts into the composition. The result is a fruity-sweet rose brightened up with a few squeezes of orange. It doesn't go jammy, its freshness intact while a green accord runs in parallel. Although the sweetness isn't much to begin with, it's effectively capped by an ensuing bitterness just the same. 

The rose, while clearly the star, isn't overbearing. It's light and fresh while also radiating a certain warmth. Pairing it with a green undercurrent somewhat follows a similar path as Balenciaga's Florabotanica and Maison Francis Kurkdjian's L'Homme À la Rose but diverts at the right moment to establish its own identity. Unlike those two, the rose in Rose Olivier is much more prominent despite all the trappings accompanying it. 

After 30 minutes or so, a dry and dusty woodiness creeps up although it doesn't particularly last. The citrus occasionally pops up until everything sort of diffuses on my skin. The rose sheds most of its acquired greenness and becomes a tad sweeter but remains averse to going into jammy territory. Meanwhile, a very mild musk emerges, providing the scent some added warmth. It later hints at a sweat-like saltiness reminiscent of Florabotanica but doesn't really commit to it. For an EDT, its performance is quite impressive. With moderate projection that holds up for a few hours before weakening inchmeal, it lasted the whole day on me. Even later that night, when I thought it was no more, it sprung back to life while I was doing some cleaning.

All in all, Rose Olivier is a fantastic, rose-centric frag that's fresh and light enough as a year-rounder. By no means is it groundbreaking but it does smell contemporary and could (possibly) appeal to the younger crowd. It leans feminine by default although its green counter-accord may provide some guys that gentle nudge to be brave enough into wearing it. It sure worked on me, by the way. This isn't the cheapest of EDTs (USD 130 for a 100ml bottle) but how it performs may make you look past its price anyhow. Well worth a try.