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| Above: Balenciaga Rosabotanica…the bottle’s classic yet modern flair is pure genius. |
Because I tend to gravitate towards the same warm, slightly musky, sweet scents, I have been working on expanding my fragrance repertoire as of late (current fragrance favorites video in the midst of production!). Most recently, I had the chance to try Rosabotanica, the latest release from Balenciaga. Drawn in by the stunning allure of the bottle, I sampled its predecessor, Florabotanica last year and, while it’s lovely, I didn’t feel like it’s traditional floral essence was “me” enough to wear on a regular basis.
In contrast, Rosabotanica is a bright, clean, sweet and creamy fruit-meets-floral juice that includes unexpected notes like fig and vetiver to lend to its distinct rosy appeal. One spray on my pulse points and I am instantly transported from gloomy skies and forced-air heating to cool breezes tempered by a warm and radiant sun; it’s truly that transformational!
Here are the official details on Rosabotanica, courtesy of Neiman Marcus…
Rosabotanica, the second rose in the enchanted garden. The fragrance unveils a fresher territory, with a sheer, enveloping second skin character.
Olfactive: Floral; A bright and spicy rose
The fragrance opens with crystalline floral accents of hyacinth and creamy green notes of fig leaf, refreshed by the natural green character of petitgrain. The experimental rose offers bright vegetal notes while sparkling, slightly bitter drops of grapefruit and fresh spicy notes of pink pepper and cardamom enhance its personality. The white ambery dry-down is cleared by a structure of vibrant and luminous white woods, made of cedarwood, vetiver and patchouli with clean woody notes.
Olfactive: Floral; A bright and spicy rose
The fragrance opens with crystalline floral accents of hyacinth and creamy green notes of fig leaf, refreshed by the natural green character of petitgrain. The experimental rose offers bright vegetal notes while sparkling, slightly bitter drops of grapefruit and fresh spicy notes of pink pepper and cardamom enhance its personality. The white ambery dry-down is cleared by a structure of vibrant and luminous white woods, made of cedarwood, vetiver and patchouli with clean woody notes.
I love how Rosabotanica evolves on my skin over the course of wear; at first spray, I get a clean and unique floral that sweetly lifts the spirits. As it dries down, however, the scent becomes more complex, without a single prominent note (which I prefer…it adds to the mystery). After an hour or two, it takes on a warm “skin-scent.” This progression, coupled with its extreme lasting power (easily eight hours), is what makes Rosabotanica so special. Although, overall, it maintains the fidelity of its base notes, the fact that it adapts to me during wear is both intriguing and enchanting.
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| Above: Bright, clean, sweet and sophisticated, Rosabotanica is a delightful blend of uncommon, yet entirely pleasing notes! |
Bottom Line: Rosabotanica is the quintessential fragrance to bring the fresh warmth of springtime to the cold winter months. This creamy floral with a uncommon twist of greens and amber is instantly mood lifting, the dry down, even better than first spritz and the lasting power, utterly formidable. It’s unique enough to be one’s signature fragrance but not so experimental as to be off-putting to those with whom you share close quarters. If that wasn’t enough, both my husband and my mom love it, and it’s rare, indeed, when they are of like mind in the scent realm. Highly recommended!
Have YOU tried Rosabotanica? Thoughts?
Have a lovely weekend…hope to see you at IMATS LA this weekend!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
**PR samples provided for review, however, as always, all of my opinions are expressly and unequivocally my own. This post contains affiliate links; my disclosure policy contains additional details on how these work.
Comments (6)
Hello dearest,
My apologies for the radio silence, however the past few weeks have been a blur of unexpected circumstances and pet illness leaving little time to do anything else. These events have prevented me from reading your wonderful blog and engaging with your well written reviews, beautiful pictures and inspirational messages. I'm so glad to be able to finally catch up on all I've missed, particularly as I have been in need of nourishing the creative aspects of myself that seek to experiment and play, with the bounty of glorious cosmetic products available!
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY dear B.P!!!!! I am thrilled that you had a fantastic time and hope that you are able to look back on it with fondness, joy and laughter. February is my family's 'birthday' month as we have 5 birthdays so it's an intense time of family gatherings, gift giving (again) and eating a little too much (again)!
Dear B.P you looked absolutely DIVINE wearing the LMdB Cardinale lip color, it is hands down my most favorite lip shade on you of all time (or at least thus far), and I may need to eventually get my hands on one as well:). The contrasting shade is really refreshing on your complexion and helps to accentuate your delicate features whilst providing a lovely 'pop' of color!
I can't wait to see what's ahead and wish you a fantastic weekend! Karen xoxo
Hello dear Karen!
No apologies necessary but it is wonderful to hear from you. I am so sorry to hear that you are still dealing with pet illness…last we chatted, her health seemed to be improving. Is that still the case?
Thank you for the sweet birthday wishes…it was a fun day, indeed. Five family birthdays (including your own!) in February…oh my! That is a lot of celebrating. On what day does yours land?
Thanks for your extremely generous compliment about the Cardinale lip color…honestly, it is so daunting for me to wear reds but something about the velvety texture made me think that should attempt it. If you find yourself gravitating towards bold red shades, then THIS is definitely one to pursue.
I hope your weekend is going well and can't wait to chat again soon…xoxo, friend!
–The Beauty Professor
Hello dear B.P,
Unfortunately my little Lucy is not doing well and has been hospitalized for 2 weeks now, although began deteriorating one week prior to Christmas. The situation is very serious as her health issues have been compounded by the lack of appropriate care and treatment that she should have received from our vet, who was seeing her on a daily basis before she went into hospital. His apparent negligence has been one of the most upsetting aspects of this situation, as we adore Lucy and thought we were doing the right thing by taking her to see him. We do not know whether she will make it, however are trying to trust in God's plan and have faith that she will be okay.
Yes, it is true, 5 birthdays in February! It is our marathon month of the with my birthday capping it off on the 26th. There is only 2 weeks between my husband's and mine, so we were thinking of doing a joint celebration this year. Originally I wanted to do a James Bond themed event, where everybody dressed up, however given recent circumstances, we might have to leave that for next year.
I wish you a beautiful week dear friend and look forward to talking soon xoxo
Oh, Karen…so very sorry that Lucy isn't doing well right now. Coupling that with the fact that your vet seems to have not been a positive force in the treatment process has got to be devastating. I will continue to keep her (and you and your husband) in my prayers. Please keep me posted on everything.
That's wild that you and your husband's birthday are two weeks apart…my birthday and my husband's birthday are three weeks apart (his is on the the 26th). The month of January also brings the birthdays of two cousins, my grandma and two dear friends so I totally understand the madness ; )
I hope your week goes well, lovely friend, and will keep praying for Lucy…xoxo and talk soon,
–The Beauty Professor
I really want to get this, but I am trying to wait until the Sephora triple points fragrance promo next month. I really like how fresh it is on me after it dries down. Plus i love the bottle!
Hello Joyce!
Yes, this fragrance is so very fresh…I don't blame you for waiting until triple points next month; anytime I can justify a superfluous purchase with some sort incentive or gain, it's always more enjoyable ; )
BTW…love your new glasses!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor