Tendre Jasmin was developed by perfumer Jacques Cavallier, and the notes include jasmine, mandarin, citron, orange blossom and mimosa...

Voile d'Ambre, the first entry in Yves Rocher's Secrets D'Essences line, was so nicely done (even to this amber-hater) that I was tempted by their new Rose Absolue fragrance as soon as I heard about it. Adding to my "why I should buy Rose Absolue" list: it was developed by perfumer Christine Nagel, who also did the lovely 2000 et Une Rose / Mille et Une Roses for Lancome, and best of all, 5 ml miniatures of the Eau de Parfum can be had for $3.

When I purchased Rose Absolue last month, Yves Rocher was running a 2-for-1 special, so I got 10 ml for my $3 investment. I won't be at all surprised if that turns out to be the biggest perfume bargain I manage to score in 2007, as the fragrance itself turns out to be lovely. It starts out creamy and dewy-sweet, with a hint of spice (the notes: cinnamon, apple, Turkish, Bulgarian and Morrocan rose, cedar, patchouli and tonka bean). The rose is slightly fruity, but I don't smell apple, and it is just as well — I was a bit worried that with the apple and cinnamon, this might end up smelling like a rose-apple pie. Rose Absolue does have a bit of a gourmand feel, but it isn't overwhelmingly foody by any means, nor is it cloyingly sweet...

The notes for Iris Noir include bergamot, coriander, ambrette seed, iris, patchouli and tonka bean...

Yves Rocher is launching Rose Absolue in the US. The fragrance, which launched in France last year, is the second entry in the Secrets d'Essences line, following Voile d'Ambre:

Dewy flesh, a velvet gift, since the beginning of man, a legend, the incarnation of femininity. Symbol of love and self abandon, the rose, like a woman, is a caress and a bite, innocence and hypnosis...