Smelling of Roses...

Who wants roses for Valentine’s Day? Yep, me too, but I’d also be equally happy with something rose-scented, because I love it. Rose is a bit of a Marmite scent – many of us love it, or really dislike it.

But when you think of rose today, it’s not the cloying, sickly, fake scent your granny’s talc used to have! There are so many rose-fragranced products on the market, and many of them are very sophisticated, and subtle.

Earlier this year I blogged about Melvita’s Nectar de Roses collection – the gorgeous shower gel, the fabulous Body Veil (£13), and the lovely Eau Sauvages frageance.

This rose scent is sublime -really natural, wild, and real – as far removed from synthetic rose smells as you can get.

I particularly love the shower gel, but the body veil is also delightful – it’s a really light body lotion, easily absorbed, and the smell really lingers.

The Melvita Roses Sauvages EDT (£36) is a gorgeous blend of three wild roses picked at dawn – that’s dedication to the fragrance for you, no?!

Another lovely rose-frageanced set I tried recently was from Korres. It had been a long time since I had had a look at any Korres prodiuct. The Greek company once had a stand-alone store in Glasgow.

This lovely Korres Wild Rose Valentine’s Day Gift Set is a lovely set, and a great bargain. It contains three lovely products (and a couple of mini a  Mandarin Lip Butter Stick, which has a gorgeous combination of Shea Butter and Rice Wax, and will leave lips kissably soft, and with a rose-tinted ‘bitten’ effect. The gift set is £19, valued at £26, so it’s a lovely bargain. Find it at Debenhams.

M&S Floral Collection Rose Eau de Toilette (£12) is a quintessentially rose fragrance. If you want classic rose, this is it. And the lovely vintage-inspired bottle would look good on any dressing table.

Also at Marks and Spencer, Pure Instant Radiance English Rose Hot Cloth Cleanser (£10) has 95% natural ingredients and 100% essential oil fragrances, and is made with rose extract, handpicked from a botanical farm in the heart of Herefordshire. Without parabens, silicones, mineral oils or artificial colours, it’s a lovely cleanser.

Heathcote & Ivory have just launched a Blush Rose Collection – there are LOADS of products with this lovely rose scent, but my two favourites are the Shower Gel (£7.50) and the totally kitsch Bathing Flowers (£10). I adore these, I just discovered they existed at the end of last year, and I am in love. You just pick off some petals, throw them in the bath and get in and soak! Visit heathcote-ivory.com for more info on stockists, etc.

If you aren’t familiar with organic brand, Suti, then you need to familiarise yourself with them now! These lovely Suti products are beautifully scented with rose. Rose is a massive favourite of the Suti team and these two products are lovely. The Rose Water Organic Facial Spritz (£22) uses rose in its purest form, made simply from the finest organic rose water, infused with the essence of a rich red “Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ organic rose. This spritz is like a toner, but can be sprayed whenever you like. It is uplifting and perfect when you need refreshed!

The Honour Coconut & Roses Face Cream (£58) is an intense nourishing day cream made from 80% organic ingredients and natural preservatives. Rose has been married here with coconuts and date seed extract to hydrate and renew dull, tired skin, and alleviate the signs of ageing. Suti is available from sutiskincare.com and selected stockists nationwide.

A classic rose scent for Valentine’s Day – and any day really, is Jo Malone London’s Red Roses.

They call it “the essence of modern romance” and it is a very true rose scent.

It’s a blend of seven of the world’s most exquisite roses, all different, from fruity and citrusy, to green and spicy, the rose scent is strong.

There are also crushed violet leaves in there, with a hint of lemon – the top note.

So, it starts on a citrus burst, the rose is at the heart, and the base note is honeycomb, giving a sweetness to the dry down.

It’s not a cloying cologne, but a very fresh rose scent. It’s £85 for 100ml, and £42 for 30ml, from Jo Malone stores, and jomalone.co.uk

So, if you don’t get roses for Valentine’s Day, who cares? Grab yourself some rose beauty products instead!