GUERLAIN L'Art et la Matiere Rose Barbare

I used to never be a fan of rose scented products or fragrances. They say our tastes change every 7 years, so I guess that explains why I'm now obsessed with rose scented everything.

I went into the Guerlain Boutique solely to buy Mitsuko and not spend more than that. But I asked about what rose scented fragrances they had on hand. We tried a few and I just fell in love with this …Read more

a kurdjian rose patchouli, not gourmand, referencing the powerhouse 1991 l'arte di gucci EdP, not EdT. RB is expensive, lighter weight, and I intensely dislike the packaging and price, so I would definitely explore other options before buying this.

Rose Barbare is less oily, rich, overpowering and statement wearing than l'arte. The opening of Rose Barbare and l'arte di …Read more

At last I got this. I was obsessed with it, and love it even more than Juliette Has a Gun Lady Vengeance (another dark rose beauty by Francis Kurkdjian), which I gave 5 lippies to, so this gets 5 lippies too. Just stunning, a perfect balance of darkness, depth, and freshness and so rosy.

I really wish I didn't like this one. It's crazy expensive, near impossible to get, and part of a trend of hugely overpricing fragrances that I deplore.


Unfortunately this is, as most of the L'Art et la Matiere fragrances have been, shockingly beautiful.


I love the delicate wisp of incense/smoke in here, maybe from vetiver or a smoky patchouli? …Read more

When I think of a gorgeous rose scent I think of Joy and compare all other rose scents to that timeless masterpiece. To me, this one just stinks. It smells to me of rotting roses combined with the smoke of incense, a note I can't stand in perfumes. It is bitter and acrid. I had never before known that a perfume could take something as exquisite as the scent of roses and turn it into this …Read more

I am a rose hater, so I'm trying to be fair for this review. Rose Barbare is a classic, nicely done, ladylike rose. It is like Serge Lutens Sa Majeste La Rose with a little honey chord interwoven. It is part of L'art et la Matiere collection. I'm starting to wonder if Guerlain was joking when they named the perfumes in this line. "Cruel Gardenia" is neither …Read more

Fresh, sparkling roses with a light tartness - delicious. Some vanilla in the drydown as well. A must smell for rose lovers.

There are few rose scents that do well with my chemistry, but this one takes the cake on the poor interpretation of a rose scale. It's like a watered down rose and vanilla mixture, so utterly sparse and thin that I had to wonder if my sample has been tampered with? There was no lovely chypre anywhere to be found, no mitsouko like quality, nothing to hope for or pine for or wait for the …Read more

Rose grafted onto a rootstock of reformulated Mitsouko. I love both rose and Mitsouko, but this eventually turned into a sour sort of aftershave on me, which those newfangled oakmoss substitutes usually do. (Exhibit A: 31 Rue Cambon.) If you want a honeyed rose with a bit of chypre in the drydown, I recommend Roses by Ava Luxe.

All I can say is everything Etat Libre said -- she described the essence of this scent perfectly,
without mentioning the amazing bottle it comes in! I must admit that I love Or et Noir, though I tend to layer it, and Rose de Nuit, which I add a bit of woods to, and a couple of the Rosine's, but Rose Barbare is perfect all by it's modern self!