Our take
What does Rosabotanica smell like?
Two years after Florabotanica, Balenciaga went back to the garden in 2014 with Rosabotanica. Olivier Polge and Jean-Christophe Hérault, the pair behind the first one, signed it again. The opening is unexpected. Damp hyacinth, fig leaf and petitgrain smell like a stem you have just snapped. Then comes the rose, and there is nothing jammy about it. Grapefruit makes it sour while pink pepper and cardamom give it a sting. Some people find it soapy and a bit astringent, and they have a point. The base is calmer. White amber, cedar and vetiver draw a clean wood, with patchouli kept in the background. Compared with Florabotanica and its minty carnation, Rosabotanica is brighter and easier, though it lacks that weirdness. This is the idea of a rose more than a portrait of one. It has since been discontinued, so finding a bottle takes some effort.
When to wear it
A daytime scent for spring or a mild summer day. Three sprays on the neck and clothes help the woody base last.
It belongs to the Floral, Woody family. Rosabotanica is one of 3 creations by Balenciaga in our encyclopedia.
