Reviews of Rose de Siwa / FK2 by MDCI
Gentle, soft-natured rose in Francis Kurkdjian's more commercial style. A style he commands but is perhaps not always fully appreciative of himself consider his bemusement at his À La Rose's success. So, yes, this is as mainstream as it gets and there are probably better priced versions of this idea out there, but it is still a thing of some beauty.
The rose here is not rich and complex, a more modest and even sweetness is preferred. And it is paired with conventional fruity make-up notes (probably the peony and violet combination) and the air of slight unreality and distance that violet often imparts, to say nothing of commonly used synthetic musks. Over time the violet becomes as much of a player as the rose and this is a fairly traditional combination as well, especially when it rests on fluffy musks and hints of clean wood. Rose de Siwa seems to declare ease of wear' and that makes it a handy travel companion.
The rose here is not rich and complex, a more modest and even sweetness is preferred. And it is paired with conventional fruity make-up notes (probably the peony and violet combination) and the air of slight unreality and distance that violet often imparts, to say nothing of commonly used synthetic musks. Over time the violet becomes as much of a player as the rose and this is a fairly traditional combination as well, especially when it rests on fluffy musks and hints of clean wood. Rose de Siwa seems to declare ease of wear' and that makes it a handy travel companion.
From the start the opening is diving into the rose that the title promises: a pleasant, lean, friendly rose that is a tad simple and stripped down; this rose is neither a rich rose, nor is it a complex representative of this species of olfactoric flower.
In the drydown there is a floral impression, with a light violet delivering the main component here. Additionally a light and somewhat innocuous hawthorn impression are present, which is rather flat and not very vivid - this is no Aubépine-Acacia.
The end is announced by a woodsy-musky mix that is soft, light and - plainly - not very interesting in itself, but on me the rose returns towards the end and now - surprisingly - has gained in colour and depth, with a greenish hint of rose leaves now present. Unfortunately, this final glow over the last hour is extremely close to my skin.
I get soft sillage, adequate projection and in total seven hours of longevity on my skin.
Looking at this creation as a whole, I find it a somewhat thin, tinny and generic spring blend, which, at times, overly evinces it's synthetic nature; but there are some redeeming characteristics present, especially the at time rather nice rose notes. 2.5/5.
In the drydown there is a floral impression, with a light violet delivering the main component here. Additionally a light and somewhat innocuous hawthorn impression are present, which is rather flat and not very vivid - this is no Aubépine-Acacia.
The end is announced by a woodsy-musky mix that is soft, light and - plainly - not very interesting in itself, but on me the rose returns towards the end and now - surprisingly - has gained in colour and depth, with a greenish hint of rose leaves now present. Unfortunately, this final glow over the last hour is extremely close to my skin.
I get soft sillage, adequate projection and in total seven hours of longevity on my skin.
Looking at this creation as a whole, I find it a somewhat thin, tinny and generic spring blend, which, at times, overly evinces it's synthetic nature; but there are some redeeming characteristics present, especially the at time rather nice rose notes. 2.5/5.
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A sweet, pink, fruity, rosy rose with a green and slightly herbal backdrop. It's quite luminous and airy and does a nice job of splitting the difference between sweet and spacious so it never really overwhelms. It goes a bit soapy right away, but the soap's kept in check – as are the bitter facets of the rose which are trimmed so all that remains is the olfactory impression of the petals themselves. Vivid, sweet, and like many of MDCI's offerings, extremely dated-smelling. It's nicely put together and very coherent, yet doesn't have anything new to say. Classy and classical, it smells like it could exist both in the 1890s as well as the 1980s. A good one for bingo night.
I am with NIB here. This rose opens delicate, classy and victorian. It is a child´s dream grown up. A pink rose garden, fresh, lovely, classic yet not boring. Next to une rose di malle one of my favorite roses. Not overly bursting of fantasy, but really good mannerly done.I think I will buy one at this point
Rose de Siwa strikes me as the distaff version of Amouage's Lyric Man: both are musky rose florals with a similar high-quality musk drydown. (Perhaps they even have the same aromachemicals in the base - I don't know enough about the raw materials of perfumery to say for certain.) As always, MDCI uses very high-quality ingredients here, and despite its lightness this fragrance has some serious tenacity, lasting at least a day on my skin. Whether or not you like Rose de Siwa depends on how you feel about sweet musky florals, but if you like that sort of thing then you definitely have to try this.
When it comes to rose accords, I must admit to having a preference for fresh dewy roses. ROSE DE SIWA's rendition is lush but wears a little dense and sweet on my skin. It is nowhere near as powdery as I have come to expect particularly with violets in the mix. I do however appreciate the hint of greenery in the backdrop as it adds depth to the composition. While I find this MDCI pleasantly wearable, it is up against strong contenders bearing even less intimidating price tags.
Slightly plasticy at first application. Quickly faded down into a softer powdery type rose fragrance with just a tinge of green. Drydown brought a bit of spice with musk with the rose balanced out by the other floral notes which seemed to move a bit more forward. I don't find the rose heavy handed - it's there but not obnoxious. Might be a good choice for someone who doesn't want a rose fragrance to be only about roses. Not overly long lasting.
SIWA is not, as you might imagine, a sinister organization devoted to the overthrow of decency but an Egyptian oasis of which M. Marchal has fond memories. Whatever. The scent is Turkish rose with the occasional backbite of sub-Nahéma lacquer. Irreproachable, i.e., null. How can someone be as accomplished as Francis K without accomplishing anything ?
A strong fruity, powdery rose. Very pretty and long-lasting, but also a bore, like a beautiful young woman without a thought in her head. A disappointment from the makers of Enlevement au Serail and Promesse de l'Aube, both of which have far more complexity and character
Rosy, rosy, rosy and ballerina pink, "Rose di Siwa" is the ultimate princess of rose scents; fussy-formal and "Queen of Hearts" Victorian rose garden. Tiny, delicate greenery encircles round, pink roses like painted lace; the rose is sweet, with a nectar feel taken on by the inclusion of pretty-pink lychee. Hawthorn cuts the syrupy-sweetness and adds a hint of powdery dryness. The rose evolves into a refined tea, with violet adding a hazy dash of melancholy to the mix. "Rose di Siwa" is totally for dreamy, hyper-feminine romantics. It's such a "Cinderella" of scent and so royally dignified--but in a cutesy, fairy-tale way. Very pretty.