Fragrance Review: Annick Goutal Rose Pompon (2016)

by: Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

Summary: Annick Goutal's 4th rose-focused fragrance after Rose Absolue (1984), Ce Soir ou Jamais (1999), and Rose Splendide (2010), Rose Pompon (2016) focuses on the fruity tones of rose centifolia accentuated by raspberry, blackcurrant and pink pepper.

Three lucky commenters will receive 1ml samples 
of Goutal's newest fragrance.

Perfumer: Camille Goutal and Philippine Courtière

Try this if you like: Fruity florals featuring peony or rose; subtle aromas that aren't overly sweet; a touch of woods and white musk; a fragrance for warmer weather;blackcurrant or raspberry; a fragrance that is office safe.

Reminds me of: YSL Baby Doll, Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose, The Body Shop Cassis Rose, Rose Jardin Delice by L`Occitane en Provence, DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom,

Pros & Cons: Considering the rose aromas already launched by the Annick Goutal brand over the years, Rose Pompon is a welcome addition that more closely matches the tenderness of the early 80's releases such as Eau d'Hadrien and Eau de Camillethan the more sultry Ce Soir ou Jamais or luxurious Grand Amour. As such, some might find Rose Pompon to be a little too simple or light for their tastes.

Considering the endless parade of fruity florals that seem to launch, well, every week, Rose Pompon fits into this genre well without really adding anything new. With so many other rose/peony/berry aromas on the market, one might wish for something a little more unusual.

The aroma is, however, delightful and easy to wear. I imagine the scent will positively bloom in warmer weather and thanks to its simplicity and subtlety, Rose Pompon would likely make a great gift for someone just starting out as a fragrance-wearer or someone looking for something to wear around others that doesn't scream ROSE!

My favorite aspect of Rose Pompon is that although it is indeed a floral rose/peony blend, my skin radiates a citrus note akin to pink grapefruit and I find it rather addictive.

Longevity and sillage are both average; here's hoping that a richer EDP version will follow.

Notes: “Pink pepper, blackcurrant, raspberry, rose centifolia, Bulgarian rose, Taïf rose, peony, cedar, patchouli, white musk." Press materials for Rose Pompon

"Designer’s Description: “Passionate perfumer, Camille Goutal keeps searching for new inspirations and raw materials. Camille appreciated the work of Philippine Courtière for a while, and she wanted to collaborate with her for the creation of the new Annick Goutal perfume. Both their parents introduced them to the universe of perfumery during their childhood. They share the values of a family tradition, with a destiny of perfumers although they began their careers as a photographer for Camille and a lawyer for Philippine. The purpose of their collaboration was to compose a fresh and playful rose, a unique scent inspired by new horizons. Named Rose Pompon, this creation is an olfactory ode to the two perfumers’ joie de vivre. Rose Pompon reflects Annick Goutal olfactory creations, with a bold and modern twist. It is the joyful interpretation of a new and luminous rose where the spicy notes of Pink Pepper mingle with the bright and green sparkle of Blackcurrant before opening out with the velvety notes of the Raspberry. Its heart notes carry a duo of rose extracts composing the Rose Pompon (Centifolia), a garden rose with a thousand petals, delicate and precious. First, the Bulgarian Rose essence, chosen for its luminous and green facets evokes the freshness of a rose at dawn. Then, the Taïf Rose, a rare flower with a suave and sensual scent offered by its fruity, syrupy facets. Finally, a hint of Peony envelops the notes with an ethereal sensuality. A playful and addictive composition warmed with woody Cedar and powdery Patchouli, followed by an exquisite note of White Musks. Rose Pompon has worked its magic on the iconic ribbed bottle, adorned here with shades of pink lacquering. The packaging reflects the work but aslo the bold and creative universe of the great photographers Camille admires so. The Annick Goutal House has imagined a new woman, charming and mischievous, the Rose Pompon woman who attracts attention and makes everyone smile, hiding behind her extravagant flower. A sketch combining strokes of black pencil and the exuberance of a dazzling rose, embodying the woman for whom Camolle and Philippine created this made-to-measure fragrance." Press Materials for Rose Pompon

Number of times tested: 5 over the last two weeks.

Number of sprays applied for this review: 2 sprays to the back of hand from a new EDT bottle sent to me by Annick Goutal (2016).

Fragrance strength: Eau de Toilette

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex): Rose Pompon opens with a sparkling citrus accord and if I didn't know any better I would assume grapefruit was a key topnote. Immediately behind this appears the rose accord and so it is clear that Rose Pompon is indeed a rose-focused aroma. Likewise, the peony rounds out what could otherwise have been a sharpness from the roses.

The fruity raspberry and blackcurrant are also present but not in a syrupy way as found in yearly releases from Escada, for example (not that sugary is a negative quality, only as point of comparison). Whereas a rose fragrance such as LancomeTrésor has a thickness to its sweetness, Rose Pompon is lighter and fresher, more like Clarins Eau des Jardins or YSL Baby Doll.

Although the base offers patchouli, woods and musk, I imagine they are there to serve as an anchor and support longevity as I really don't detect them as prominent notes. Likewise, the pink pepper, of which I am not a fan, is impercevable to my nose. The entire composition is so masterfully blended that the overall effect seems quite linear. And even at the drydown I detect juicy grapefruit! Perhaps it is an effect of the rose blend?

Longevity: (Short / Average / Long-lasting) 1 spray lasted 3-4 hours with the basenotes sticking around even longer.

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot) Though Rose Pompon is indeed zesty at first spray, the scent immediately dries down to a subtle hint of its topnotes; likely office safe.

Note about the packaging: The traditional, ribbed glass bottle with gold cap has been colored in shades of translucent pink. The name of the maison is now inscribed around the ring of the cap; a gold charm inscribed with the fragrance name and dangling from black cord adorns the bottle. The packaging is a white paper box with an illustration of a female figure holding a centifolia blossom as seen in the artwork herein.

Where can I buy it? Launches February, 2016 at http://us.annickgoutal.com in 50ml and 100ml EDT spray sizes.

The Bottom Line: Having been born and raised in south Florida, I've long been a citrus lover. My favorite? Pink grapefruit. And I regularly seek out fragrances that get this note right and that actually last more than 15 minutes - no easy feat. However, when it comes to florals, I'm not exactly a rose lover; I'll admit that I have a lot of scented associations to older women and Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose that have made the classic bloom a bit of a challenge for me over the years. Generally, the skankier the rose and the more blended it is with oreintal notes such as patchouli, musk, ambrette, etc, the happier I am; rose soliflores rarely grab my attention.

When I approached Rose Pompon (which I had initially read as "Rose PompoM"), my only expectation was that it would be bright and cheerful (as spurred on by the incorrect pompom expectation). And indeed it is a cheerful scent that could almost be therapeutic in its fruity-floral nature; "uplifting" comes to mind. I was pleasantly delighted by the overall aroma, most closely resembling YSL Baby Doll, and even more excited about its use of grapefruit throughout the composition.

Wait a minute. There ISN'T any grapefruit here?

Hmmm, I suppose that Taïf rose could be blending with the blackcurrant to resemble pink grapefruit, and the result is truly mouthwatering. I briefly flirted with Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose and just found it far too fleeting. Though Pompon isn't exactly impressive in terms of longevity, it sure has the Hermes aroma beat.

Is Rose Pompon unique? Nope.

Is it a success? Definitely.

Should you give it a sniff? By all means. Just don't expect it to stick around all that long. But then again, those of us who have fallen in love with other classic Goutal aromas such as Eau d'Hadrien have come to understand the sacrfice of longevity in exchange for sparkling beauty.

Are you an Annick Goutal fan? What is your favorite rose aroma?
Three lucky commenters will receive 1ml samples 
of Goutal's newest fragrance.