The Appeal of Rose

rickshah · Post by **rickshah** » Thu May 05, 2011 12:51 pm

Hey Folks,

I have become increasingly drawn to rose scented soaps/aftershaves recently. Years ago, when I started wetshaving traditionally, I wanted nothing to do with the stuff- I'LL SAVE IT FOR LADIES! and all that...

But I dunno... whether it's that I am getting a bit more mature about these sorts of things, or perhaps simply developing an appreciation for the scent (or, most likely... that I'm just spending too much time on these bloody boards, haha)... There's something, and I can't quite put my finger on what it is... that is really appealing about Rose. Something masculine (in an elegant but soft-spoken way) and evocative about the scent, and I'm no longer so insecure about expressing that thought.

What about you? Were you always a fan of rose or was it something that you acquired along the way? Is there anything you can put your finger on about the strange allure of it, other than it simply smelling nice?

Thanks,
Rick

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Thu May 05, 2011 1:52 pm

Since becoming a wetshaver, I've come to enjoy many scents I previously associated with the ladies and thought were off limits, e.g., rose, lavender and violet.

One of the best bits of advice I received early in my wetshaving journey was from Charles at QED. I was placing an order and we were talking about scents. I can't recall what triggered his comment... perhaps a question about how to choose from so many scents... and he said to go with whatever "lifts your spirits."

That was very freeing to me, because it meant that I could choose a scent because it was masculine or because all of the other guys liked it, but because smelling it brightened my morning.

Dave

John Parker · Post by **John Parker** » Thu May 05, 2011 5:16 pm

I have also been drawn to rose - TOBS rose cream, Klars Kabinet soap (which I think is rose), and Trumper rose soap. Wish D.R. Harris made a rose soap, because I would surely get that one!

drumana · Post by **drumana** » Thu May 05, 2011 6:04 pm

I love the scent of rose but don't particularly care for it on myself. My fiancee wears rose absolute essential oil from time to time and I love it when she does.

vtmax · Post by **vtmax** » Thu May 05, 2011 6:47 pm

Rick, As Dave nicely put what Charles said about lifting your spirits. I have always been drawn to Rose scented creams, lavender and floral scents in general. A nice calm way to start the day. If you get into the rose creams one of the great one's IMO is the Truefitt & Hill version.

Max

RazoRock · Post by **RazoRock** » Thu May 05, 2011 7:55 pm

DavidB wrote:Since becoming a wetshaver, I've come to enjoy many scents I previously associated with the ladies and thought were off limits, e.g., rose, lavender and violet.

One of the best bits of advice I received early in my wetshaving journey was from Charles at QED. I was placing an order and we were talking about scents. I can't recall what triggered his comment... perhaps a question about how to choose from so many scents... and he said to go with whatever "lifts your spirits."

That was very freeing to me, because it meant that I could choose a scent because it was masculine or because all of the other guys liked it, but because smelling it brightened my morning.

Dave

That is great guidance.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu May 05, 2011 8:11 pm

Rick, An interesting and thought provoking post. Unlike some here, I personally maintain a definate distinction between 'masculine' and 'feminine' scents, and yet I'm very fond of some of the traditional rose scented men's shaving products ( and this is even with my wife often wearing markedly rose oriented colognes ). So, let me see....I first started traditional brush shaving in the first half of the '80s but just used the house fragranced soap from C&E for a number of years. But once I became aware of Trumpers and the other authentic old school London firms a whole broader set of possibilities opened up. I went directly to their Limes...soap and later the cream. I'd always like lime colognes even in high school. And I was right in there with English Lavender as well as, also in high school, I'd very much liked the Yardley Black Label Cologne which was mostly lavender. But rose was...well....kinda out there...in the borderlands. I wasn't catagorically oppossed to it but it felt a little risky...a bit daring. I was aware that, historically, it was a very old classic gentlemen's motif, especially in England, but it took awhile for me to feel ready for it. In retrospect it was a little silly because I was already heavy into the Trumpers Almond shave soap, which in reality is also a very old and definately floral scent. But when I finally got around to trying a rose shave product ( the old Taylors Rose cream I think it was ), WOW!..how classy!....and just really nice, as well as vaguely 'soothing' as was mentioned above. And I quickly became a devotee. In fact, much earlier on in this forum when someone finally succeeded in pinning me down re: 'my favourtie shave product' I coughed up Taylors Rose as my #1. Today I would say that my favourite rose prep is the T&H Rose cream followed closely by Trumpers Rose hard soap. Both are a bit more subtle I think and both are way up there in the upper tier of my favourite shave products. At core I'm still a lavender and lime guy but those two rose products are tight in right behind. Enjoy!
Regards,
Gordon

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Thu May 05, 2011 8:23 pm

The only Rose product I have on hand is a one year old tub of the Harris Rose SC. It'll last me a very long time, I think.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu May 05, 2011 8:35 pm

Gary, It's up to you, but if it were me I'd make an effort to use that D R Harris's Rose cream considerably more frequently. These Creighton creams just do not seem to keep nearly as well as they used to....starting to dehydrate in a fairly short period of time. I just recently tossed the leftovers of a current version pot of their Almond cream as it had just gotten harder/drier than I'm willing to try and work with these days. And this sorry state was reached in little over a year. Meanwhile my pot of older style Harris's Lavender is still fine.
Regards,
Gordon

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Thu May 05, 2011 8:39 pm

Thanks for the heads-up Gordon. I'll start using it more often and paying attention to whether it seems to be going "off" while I might have been ignoring it. I like it too well to allow that to happen.

nav · Post by **nav** » Thu May 05, 2011 9:15 pm

I have always been drawn to Rose because I remember rose petal jam from our neighbour when I was very young.

When I got into wet-shaving, I knew I wanted to try Rose products. I tried a few and the one that I have in my den is Trumpers Rose soap. It is a beautiful dry rose scent, it's pure heaven!

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Fri May 06, 2011 8:43 am

Hi Rick, speaking as a former member of the American Rose Society, yes, rose is my favorite flower and favorite floral scent. Probably my first as well as they were growing outside the window overlooking my crib.

Never considered using a rose scented shave cream or soap though, until I was led into it by visiting this Board where the jaws of the trap snapped shut and I was standing there holding a shaking credit card in one hand and dialing Charles at QED with the other.

Still recall the memorable day when the package arrived. Contents were neatly placed on the bathroom counter with the Taylors Rose cream in front. A dainty hand reached out, her eye examined the container and with a voice as sweet as distant tinkling bells said:

You gonna use this stuff?
Yes, you too.

When?
Now.

Camera fades to black with the background sound of running water and female laughter.

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Fri May 06, 2011 10:17 am

I wear a rose bouttonier in my jacket lapel when dressed like a man.
I see Phil is offering a rosewater at an attractive price. Bulgaria is a major source with a city famed for it's production.

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Sat May 07, 2011 2:58 am

<<<< addicted to the rose but if I had not found smf it is a soap i would never have tried in a million years

clive

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Sat May 07, 2011 5:23 am

KAV wrote:I wear a rose bouttonier in my jacket lapel when dressed like a man.
I see Phil is offering a rosewater at an attractive price. Bulgaria is a major source with a city famed for it's production.

KAV, I know what you are saying about wearing a flower in your lapel, but just for the record, I've been dressing like a man for a very long time, and maybe only once when I was an usher at somebody's wedding, I think, did I have a flower in my lapel.

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sat May 07, 2011 7:16 am

brothers wrote:KAV, I know what you are saying about wearing a flower in your lapel, but just for the record, I've been dressing like a man for a very long time, and maybe only once when I was an usher at somebody's wedding, I think, did I have a flower in my lapel.

I prescribe a session of watching all the Fred and Ginger movies (OK, Cyd Charisse too) and you will end up looking like this:

(A closer inspection tells me it may have been gardenia that resulted in this extroverted behaviour, rather than a rose. Probably you just won't jump quite so high.)

Chris

Aztecface · Post by **Aztecface** » Sat May 07, 2011 7:42 am

Gary, remember, Christopher(KAV) said "when" he dresses like a man. We may all assume he does so very rarely.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Sat May 07, 2011 7:45 am

Aztecface wrote:Gary, remember, Christopher(KAV) said "when" he dresses like a man. We may all assume he does so very rarely.

Hmmm . . . would it be safe to presume he might also be clothed in roses when he's not dressed like a man???

DEF · Post by **DEF** » Sat May 07, 2011 7:57 am

Rose smells good. Why should the ladies have it all to themselves?

My first cream was Taylor Rose, and Trumper Rose soap is one of my must haves. I also am a huge fan of Penhaligon's Castile EDT, which is a simple, clean accord of rose and neroli (orange blossom).

That said, I avoid florals in situations where perceived femininity would be a distinct disadvantage, such as dealing with car mechanics, high-stakes meetings at work, etc. So, while I'm generally "comfortable" with rose, there are degrees of comfort.

Craig_From_Cincy · Post by **Craig_From_Cincy** » Sat May 07, 2011 5:55 pm

drmoss_ca wrote:
brothers wrote:KAV, I know what you are saying about wearing a flower in your lapel, but just for the record, I've been dressing like a man for a very long time, and maybe only once when I was an usher at somebody's wedding, I think, did I have a flower in my lapel.
I prescribe a session of watching all the Fred and Ginger movies (OK, Cyd Charisse too) and you will end up looking like this:

(A closer inspection tells me it may have been gardenia that resulted in this extroverted behaviour, rather than a rose. Probably you just won't jump quite so high.)

Chris

Love those spats! Pitty that they will never come back in style.