Frederic Malle • Lipstick Rose • Fragrances

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CobraRose on 4/4/2013 11:15:00 PM more reviews by CobraRose

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

The aldehydes are a bit brisk at first, but the heart of the fragrance does indeed smell like my mother's old lipsticks. But my favorite part of LR is the base notes--a delicious vanilla musk which doesn't turn metallic on me as that accord so often does. I wouldn't wear this--I have no desire to dab lipstick on my pulse points--but it achieves that effect very well.

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ShellyMum on 10/2/2012 4:59:00 AM more reviews by ShellyMum

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Kinky, Fine   Eyes: Green    

To me Lipstick Rose smells like a cross between Paris by YSL and Bvlgari Pour Femme. It is a sweet, powdery, violet, iris and rose fragrance with great sillage and longevity. It is very expensive but quite a lovely feminine scent, in my opinion.

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eatona on 7/10/2012 12:45:00 AM more reviews by eatona

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

A friend gave me a sample of this, and I wanted it because it smelled exactly like Johnson's baby powder, a favorite of my husband's (let's not ask why). Now that I've seen some of the other reviews, it could be Coty face powder, too. Or Borotalco powder, the Italian green bottle stuff. Which is to say, all nice and powdery, but not terribly sophisticated. Would have guessed it was CB I Hate Perfumes Baby Powder (if he makes one), if I smelled it with no knowledge of the name. And really strong--I will use the sample occasionally when I'm too lazy to deal with the mess of the powder, but other than that, seriously? I think of perfume as an amazing, decadent way to smell better than the single notes nature provides through essential oils. I wouldn't spend lots on a bottle that smells like a $2 bottle of powder, nor would I use up my opportunity to put on something to change my mood, establish my style, etc., with something this common.

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mel0603 on 5/13/2012 6:45:00 PM more reviews by mel0603

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is a terrible fragrance. I find it hard to believe that it has received such high acclaim. It absolutely smells like an old lady's makeup bag. Who wants to smell like that?!

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*TOP REVIEWER* yum_yum on 4/5/2012 11:48:00 AM more reviews by yum_yum

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

It's jammy, it's juicy, it's delicious! Where do I start? A rose, violet blast with excellent sillage and incredible lasting power. A glorious raspberry note with a puff of confectioner's sugar. To compare: it's neither as 1980s-swanky-plush as YSL Paris EdP nor as decorous as L'Artisan Drole de Rose. It's somewhere in between. But it's a great, zippy in between: candied, slightly aldehydic, plenty of vanilla-froufrou magic. Rich, gay and original. In personality, it's as fearless as Nahema, and way more sure of itself than the lady-like Ombre Rose by Jean Charles Brosseau. The Brosseau has more powder, less jam and is far more collected and introspective. If I were to compare it to a predecessor, it'd probably be Ombre Rose, but the Malle has heft and is significantly more voluptuous and vibrant, with much less self-reflection. This is not a self-conscious rose!

It might be the jammy quality. A slightly ripe, tart fruit note alongside the rose, helps keep primness at bay. There's something really messy, playful and seductive about throwing a fruit note in there but retaining that grown-up-sexy feel. It'll never quite be the scent of a noir heroine...unless she keeps her ebony cigarette holder and gun in a satin handbag lined with fuchsia silk, and sports kinky bows on her the backs of her black patent heels.

I don't get the smell of vintage cosmetics -- Love, Chloe captures this more accurately. But I do get a sweet, powdery trail that smells of the dressing rooms of Degas' Pink Dancers and the warm, sexy smell of In Bed: The Kiss by Toulouse Lautrec.

For me, scents inevitably have a soundtrack, and Lipstick Rose is no exception. There's a great, quirky jazz number called The Frim-Fram Sauce which received a great, quirky treatment by Ella and Louis. Sexual innuendo, nonsense words -- it has it all. I can't think of a better musical score for a peppy, flirtatious and womanly rose -- or maybe I can. I don't know if Billie Holiday ever covered this or whether she was too dark of spirit to go there. I wonder if someone off-the-wall could sing it. Lipstick Rose is Josephine Baker with her spit-curls, false lashes and jazz-baby funk, dancing the Charleston at the Folie Bergere. And it's Debbie Harry, skipping in the ocean, singing Call Me or slinking around under disco lights to Heart of Glass, all bare shoulders, pouty red-glossed lips and bed-head blonde bob.

Vivacious! Probably my favourite rose-violet scent along with Paris. It's the scent of a retro bombshell.

And maybe even...Do you remember the poster Red got for Andy, the one of Rita Hayworth? And Rita hid Andy's secret. The Lipstick Rose sexiness in her smile -- now, that's what I'm talking about!

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queenofthenile on 3/18/2012 8:10:00 AM more reviews by queenofthenile

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

A few other reviewers have mentioned that Lipstick Rose is very similar to L'Artisan's Drole de Rose. I already own (and love) Drole de Rose, and LR sounded like another fragrance I would enjoy. But seeing as it's significantly more expensive than L'Artisan's, I wanted to make sure it was unique. Sadly, it's the same powdery rose I thought it would be. Very lovely, and lasts longer than the L'Artisan perfume, but it's price tag of £85 for 50ml is just too steep. I'll stick to my Drole de Rose...I can get a 100ml bottle for £78! Besides, there are plenty of other Frederic Malle fragrances (Le Parfum De Therese is a favourite) that are just begging to be added to my collection!

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*TOP REVIEWER* AntFarm on 1/4/2012 5:13:00 PM more reviews by AntFarm

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Extremely well composed, sweet jammy rose. On my skin it is nearly all rose and no "lipstick" though. I was hoping for more powdery notes and less rosy-sweet ones. I can definitely see why it is much-loved, but it's just not for me. Sillage and longevity are marvelous.

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fenlady on 10/12/2011 4:43:00 PM more reviews by fenlady

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

A very exact reconstruction of the scent of an old-fashioned lipstick. The violet and rose are quite sweet, and there's something green and fruity in there too, perhaps the grapefruit. As others have said, it's built along the lines of YSL's Paris (one of my all-time favourites, for which I own three backups!) and yet to me it falls short of that full-bodied glamour which Paris possesses in abundance.
As soon as I spritzed on this sample, I was taken back to my late teen years, parading my newly-lipsticked, bright pink mouth and full party makeup on the way to a London club.
Happy memories, yes, but inextricably linked with that of my boyfriend at the time, who turned out to be very far from "the one"! In fact, he ended up in jail! Not a memory I really want to bring to mind these days, so I'll pass.
Pretty, though, all the same.

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Eryn2 on 8/22/2011 8:16:00 PM more reviews by Eryn2

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

The beginning of this is quite ferocious: A gorgeous blast of rose and violet powder, but it's shocking to me because I'm more of a subdued fragrance kind of gal. There's some raspberry jam in there too, which really comes out after the first twenty minutes or so. I really love the initial rush of fragrance, the witty evocation of vintage cosmetics. Any girl who sat fixated at her grandmother or mother's vanity will appreciate this aspect. The rest of the journey with the scent is much more wearable for me, however, when the rose and violet meet the freshness of grapefruit, sweetness of raspberry and a hint of vetiver. Divine.

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*TOP REVIEWER* GlitzyGlam on 2/4/2011 5:42:00 PM more reviews by GlitzyGlam

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

For the life of me I can not understand why this has such a high rating. It does smell exactly like lipstick, and not a nice one. Like the cheap waxy smell of the ones I bought at the drugstore when I was 12. I would never pay good money to smell like that.

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ekma2008 on 5/5/2010 2:10:00 PM more reviews by ekma2008

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Definetely an interesting perfume. Not just a rose but a very powdery rose with violets. I instantely smiled when sprayed it on for the first time because it does smell like a lipstick. A cheerful rose lipstick. Thats just not how I want to smell.

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*TOP REVIEWER* condesadepitimini on 3/4/2010 8:56:00 AM more reviews by condesadepitimini

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Fine   Eyes: Green    

The opening is identical to YSL Paris: roses and violets. Loud.
(but I love Paris, i consider it a timeless masterpiece).
Then Lipstick Rose has a plastic/fake note that is very likely to give me a migraine (plastic, synthetic candy smell) but happily this fades quickly!
Then you have all the powderyness (violets & iris) you find in Kenzo Flower. LR is a tad more fresh & greener than Kenzo Flower in the drydown.
Lipstick Rose has a lovely name, and it's a nice perfume, funny, and I see it on a "poupée" (=doll) or on a Burlèsque diva: Smells like loose powders of the past.
Appropriate to wear for day on in an office, has good sillage and lasting power.
I said yes to "Buy Again" just because this is a quality fragrance, but I am not sure I will ever buy it.
Indeed, I find it not really original, too much of a clone of Paris and Kenzo Flower .
____________________

notes as per Osmoz:

top notes Fruity notes
heart note Rose, Violet
base notes Vetiver, Musk, Vanilla

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watsonsmummy on 12/1/2009 12:32:00 PM more reviews by watsonsmummy

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I'm in the drydown phase as I write. My wrists are a creamy, almost incensy vanilla but wafting up from my cleavage is the unforgettable scent of Coty face powder. I love this. Took off one lippie for the price.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mysterious_scent on 9/7/2009 9:16:00 AM more reviews by mysterious_scent

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

What else can I say? The name has said it all! Lipstick rose smells powdery and sugary. After applying it, I feel like I were wearing full-makeup while I actually just washed my face!
Well done but not for me.

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*TOP REVIEWER* stephhamilton on 6/24/2009 6:23:00 AM more reviews by stephhamilton

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

This smells like rose and violet flavoured candy I used to eat as a small girl. It has a lot of personality but for me its just too sweet and powdery and headache inducing.

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HolliVomit on 5/22/2009 4:02:00 PM more reviews by HolliVomit

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Blue    

the name of this perfume is very fitting. it really has the smooth cream smell of lipstick and the feeling of roses in a vase near by. i think that i expected it to be more blood red lipstick slathered on giant red roses, but it feels like bright pink lipstick and spring colored roses. i also get a watermelon smell. nice, easy to wear but not as alluring as i expected.

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katiefar on 4/16/2009 10:17:00 PM more reviews by katiefar

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

Oh, Frederic Malle. I love your fragrances (Noir Epices? Bellissimo! Iris Poudre, lovely), so why did you have to go and rip off the scent formula for Wet N' Wild lipsticks?

Seriously, I completely love what Tania Sanchez had to say about this in the guide, which was that it was a perfume with a sense of humor. I can totally see that. But I end up feeling like the joke is on me.

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claudia0219 on 4/15/2009 12:55:00 AM more reviews by claudia0219

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Blue    

Of all the Rose type fragrances this is the nicest i have ever tried. I like it so much i purchased a whole bottle. I am not a huge fan of the Fm fragrances, but this one had me at hello. It does remind me of the theater also, beautiful lipsticks, powdery make up, excitement in the air.

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*TOP REVIEWER* NancyDrew27 on 3/12/2009 12:56:00 PM more reviews by NancyDrew27

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Ahhhh...divine. I went to Barney's with the intention of sniffing out Musc Ravageur but was pleasantly assaulted with a spray of Lipstick Rose in the process. The scent guide for Frederick Malle was a little too atomizer-happy and within a couple of minutes, my boyfriend and I were left holding around fifteen unlabeled cards that had been sprayed with fragrance and if I hadn't specifically asked the gentleman to spray Lipstick Rose on my wrist, I wouldn't have had much to go on aside from that first initial whiff, which was eventually lost in the pile.


Of course I fell hard for this one, there's grapefruit in this lovely creation. I don't usually go for violet in fragrances, though I'm not opposed to it in mints and tea - go figure; but the violet here is muted and blended so well with the powder, citrus and rose that it becomes something sweet and bearable, not like the soapy violets of so many florals that I detest.


I can relate to the women who've waxed nostalgic over the fragrance's reference to the stage, having been a ballet dancer in my childhood, and it's true, it does smell like a lancome lipstick, but not JUST a lipstick - there is more to this fragrance than it's subtle waxiness. I cannot stand the wax in so many of the older Guerlain fragrances and the wax in Lipstick Rose is nothing like that; it is powdery instead of animalic, fresh so as not to smell "old-ladyish" and sweet so as not to be too floral. There is nothing watery about this scent; it is soft, but thick and very much present. The rose is very well-balanced and all of the notes come together to create a composition worth smelling - even worth braving the assualting sprays of the FM SA.


Lasting power is quite good - expect at least four hours of heavy sillage and a few more of a lighter interpretation.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Mutschi on 2/11/2009 2:55:00 PM more reviews by Mutschi

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

This fragrance reminds me of one thing: Theater. Backstage. Loads of powder, roses flying around and huge excitement in the air. I like wearing this when having a performance, it turnes nervousity into the "good excitement" and it reminds me that everyone is feeling the same way around me.
A very positive, almost childish fragrance which is fun to wear. One of my favourite FM fragrance.

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