It’s Official: These Coveted Perfumes Prove Rose Has Outgrown Its Grandma Label

As recently as a year or so ago, the thought of rose perfume immediately made my nose wrinkle. Bags of potpourri, heady bouquets of red roses, and, sorry, my dear Grandma Evelyn’s powdery-pink cardigans came to mind. Of course, all of the above are lovely and nostalgic in their own special ways, but the sampling isn’t exactly what I’m going for when I’m searching for a new signature scent or when I’m reaching for a perfume pre-date. But then, something weird happened. Suddenly, almost every new fragrance launch I received featured rose as its MVP, and I found that I liked each new fragrance better than the last.

So, long story short, I’m now infatuated with rose perfumes, and in addition to rediscovering the cult classics that definitely aren’t old-fashioned, plenty of the most coveted perfume houses have been debuting new iterations of the floral scent. Some are balanced with citrus or juicy stone fruits, while others veer warm and spicy thanks to musks, pepper, or vanilla. Regardless, some of the absolute best perfumes on the market right now put rose front and center as their compliment-inducing It factor. There are plenty more where this comes from, but below, I’m sharing 13 standout rose perfumes that absolutely disprove the notion that rose is old-fashioned or reserved for grandparents only. Keep scrolling!

The Best Rose Perfumes, At a Glance

• Best Overall: Dior Miss Dior Rose N’Roses Eau de Toilette
• Best Amber Floral: Byredo Rose of No Man’s Land Eau de Parfum
• Best Green Floral: Diptyque Eau Rose Eau de Toilette
• Best Earthy Floral: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum
• Best Feminine Scent: Maison Francis Kurkdjian L’Eau à la Rose Eau de Toilette

The 18 Best Rose Perfumes, Tested By Editors

1. Best Overall: Dior Miss Dior Rose N’Roses Eau de Toilette

2. Best Sweet: Monique Lhuillier Eau de Parfum

3. Best Fresh: Clean Beauty Collective Clean Reserve Blonde Rose Eau de Parfum

4. Best Musky: Acqua di Parma Rosa Nobile Eau de Parfum

5. Best Woody Floral: Maison Margiela Replica Flower Market Eau de Toilette

6. Best Amber Floral: Byredo Rose of No Man’s Land Eau de Parfum

7. Best Feminine Scent: Maison Francis Kurkdjian L’Eau à la Rose Eau de Toilette

8. Best Earthy Floral: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum

9. Best Light Floral: Jo Malone London Red Roses Cologne

10. Best Green Floral: Diptyque Eau Rose Eau de Toilette

11. Best Spicy: Ex Nihilo Devil Tender Eau de Parfum

12. Best Vanilla Rose: Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose Eau de Parfum

13. Best Citrus-y Rose: Kilian Good Girl Gone Bad Eau de Parfum

14. Best Warm Rose: Parfums de Marly Delina Eau De Parfum

15. Best for a First Date: Future Society Haunted Rose Eau De Parfum

16. Best Fruity Floral: Snif Rose Era Eau De Toilette

17. Best Powder: Merit Retrospect L’Extrait de Parfum

18. Best Designer Scent: Chloé L’Eau de Parfum Intense

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.