Rose & Bergamote

Mathieu Nardin's grandparents grew Rose de Mai in Grasse, and as a child the perfumer rose at dawn in harvest season to help with the picking. This cologne tries to hold two sides of that flower at once: its freshness and the soft trail it leaves behind.

Bergamot and litsea cubeba open it with a fizzy, lemony brightness. At the heart, rose meets geranium, which adds a green, leafy edge, and cherry blossom, which keeps the floral tone light.

Vanilla is the only base note. It does not turn the rose into a dessert; it rounds off the green and citrus edges so the rose ends warmer than it began.