Rose Centifolia is a 250 g scented candle from the Grasse perfume house Marie Jeanne, built on absolute of Rose Centifolia, the May rose that Grasse treats as its emblem and prizes for its scent as much as its rarity. The perfumer Michel Almairac composed it to be warm, honeyed and a little spicy. Italian bergamot, pear and green notes open it, the centifolia arrives with Turkish damask rose, Egyptian rose geranium and a honey accord, and New Caledonian sandalwood and musk settle underneath. Lit, it smells like an actual rose rather than the idea of one, which is far rarer in a candle than it ought to be.
WHY IT'S SPECIAL
Rose candles usually drift toward soap or jam, and this one stays with the flower, petals, honey and a bit of green stem included. Marie Jeanne's founder grew up in the family behind Robertet, one of the great suppliers of natural raw materials in Grasse, so the house names where its materials come from, and here that means three roses from three countries layered so that the centifolia stays in front. The candle is poured into thick green glass, the same deep green as the house's perfume bottles, and arrives in a plain wooden box.
NOTES
Top: bergamot (Italy), pear, green notes
Heart: Rose Centifolia (Grasse), Rose Damascena (Turkey), rose geranium (Egypt), honey accord
Base: sandalwood (New Caledonia), musks
DETAILS
Scented candle
250 g / 8.8 oz
Burn time: approximately 70 hours
Olfactive family: floral
Perfumer: Michel Almairac
Vessel: thick green glass
Presented in a wooden box
THE BRAND
Georges Maubert was born in Grasse and founded Marie Jeanne there in 2014. He belongs to the fifth generation of the family behind Robertet, which has worked in perfumery since 1850 as farmers, chemists, perfumers and sourcers. He composes with perfumers such as Sidonie Lancesseur, Alexis Dadier, Karine Vinchon, Serge de Oliveira and Michel Almairac. His approach is to simplify the formula until the raw material is what you smell, and the house traces those materials from planting to harvest. Its packaging is glass and wood, with no plastic.
