2000 (A High Point in the Rose Odyssey)

I parlayed my sample of Lancome 2000 et Une Rôse into three days of sniffing (each sniff breathing a bit more gratitude to the person who generously shared this with me), where I kept my wrists beside my nose at all times, in order to catch as many whiffs as possible of this extraordinarily ladylike (with a significant exception), well-behaved rose and amber fragrance.

The exception? Just when you are thinking, "Ahhh. Lovely. All is beautiful and nothing surprising going on here," the pepper in the fragrance jumps up and makes itself known. But even the pepper is soft ... there are no discordant notes in this fragrance. It is smooth and delicate and one of the best rose fragrances I've ever experienced. And you know I've experienced a lot. Heh.

But it's hard to get. And I need something to tide me over until either I or (more likely) someone who likes me travels to the Lancome boutique in Paris and stocks up on this beauty.

The answer: Stella (or maybe Stella Absolute -- I haven't tried that one yet). No, they're not the same, but there are some familial similarities and sometimes one loves the one one is with.

But regarding Stella and 2000 et Une Rôse, I turn to a quote from Bois de Jasmin (as I often do when perfumed words fail me; thank you, V): "2000 et Une Rôse can be compared to Stella ... However, on the basis of a side by side comparison, 2000 et Une Rôse wins easily, being more full-bodied, more complex, with a warm peppery touch that seems to enhance its radiance. While Stella sustains the same note and then vanishes, 2000 et Une Rôse continues to unfold into gorgeous layers of silky petals." As usual, she says it all.

Again, many thanks, Ms. Anonymous. (That could be her in the photo).


Best Last Words Department:
"Pardonnez-moi, monsieur." Marie Antoinette, Queen of France (1755-1793), as she stepped on the foot of her executioner.