Welcome!

Welcome to my unique perfume blog! Here, you'll find detailed, encyclopedic entries about perfumes and companies, complete with facts and photos for easy research. This site is not affiliated with any perfume companies; it's a reference source for collectors and enthusiasts who cherish classic fragrances. My goal is to highlight beloved, discontinued classics and show current brand owners the demand for their revival. Your input is invaluable! Please share why you liked a fragrance, describe its scent, the time period you wore it, any memorable occasions, or what it reminded you of. Did a relative wear it, or did you like the bottle design? Your stories might catch the attention of brand representatives. I regularly update posts with new information and corrections. Your contributions help keep my entries accurate and comprehensive. Please comment and share any additional information you have. Together, we can keep the legacy of classic perfumes alive!

Monday, April 15, 2019

Ombre Rose by JC Brosseau c1981

Ombre Rose by JC Brosseau:  launched in 1982 in USA. In association with Parfums Jean Patou: created by Françoise Caron of Roure Perfumers.






Fragrance Composition:


It is classified as a rich powdery-floral-oriental aldehyde fragrance for women, reportedly made of 100 different essences. It begins with an aldehydic top, followed by a woody floral heart, resting on a sweet powdery base. Warm sweetness of honey, iris and vanilla with floral combinations of ylang ylang, lily of the valley and peach with a woodsy note.
  • Top notes: aldehydes, geranium, Brazilian rosewood and peach
  • Middle notes: iris, Virginia cedar, sandalwood, rose, ylang-ylang, lily of the valley, Italian orris, vetiver
  • Base notes: new mown hay, vanilla, musk, iris, honey, heliotrope, cinnamon, tonka bean


House & Garden, 1981:
"Ombre Rose is a hauntingly feminine fragrance created by designer Jean-Charles Brosseau. The scent is sophisticated, at the same time possessing a fragile, powder-like freshness. Lily of the valley, honey, iris, vanilla, peach, and woody undertones are all a part of the medley. The lead crystal bottle is a limited edition work of art- black for the perfume, translucent for the eau de toilette - adorned with a frosted floral motif in relief. Perfume $150 an ounce. A Bergdorf Goodman, Frost Bros, Sakowitz, Robinson's, Marshall Field."


New York Magazine, 1984:
"OMBRE ROSE When a fragrance is this memorable, so is the gift. Ombre Rose . . . designed by Jean-Charles Brosseau. A fragrance so special it virtually belongs in the palm of your hand, extended to her. From the exquisite crystal bottle to the distinctively warm, floral scent itself, this is a gift that says it all. The parfum in black crystal, 1 ounce, $150. Eau de Toilette, 2.5 oz, $35."

The Sydney Morning Herald, 1986: 
“Ombre Rose, a truly heavenly perfume from Jean-Charles Brosseau Parfums of Paris. Much more than just a simple rose perfume, it is a rose perfume with mystery, with a hundred hidden notes that are revealed as it warms your skin. The unforgettable Ombre Rose fragrance fulfills the promise of its name...shadowy or dark rose...with the warmth of honey, vanilla and iris...the tenderness of ylang ylang, lily of the valley and peach...the deep notes of wood to give it lingering qualities. The Ombre Rose containers are as heavenly as the perfume they contain, lucent, hand-blown crystal bottles decorated with a romantic frosted flower design. As a very special introduction to Ombre Rose, this week at David Jones, you receive a miniature crystal bottle of the parfum concentrate (5ml, valued at $90) as a gift with any purchase from the Ombre Rose collection (except single soap) and we will have Ombre Rose consultants on hand at our perfume counters as well. The 30ml Cologne Spray is $35, the 90ml is $85; the 75ml Eau de Toilette is $99.50, the spray is $119; the 7.5ml parfum extract is $135.”


Bottle:


Presented in an unusual hexagonal flacon of black or frosted crystal with a floral bas-relief, modelled after the 1920 bottle design for the fragrance 'Le Narcisse Bleu' by Mury.

The original 1980s Parfum was housed in an opaque black glass bottle and came in three sizes:

  • 1 oz
  • 0.5 oz 
  • 0.25 oz
A mini size of 5ml Parfum was available by 1985 in clear crystal with plastic cap, usually in gift sets or in single boxes like this one:





The Eau de Toilette was available in several sizes:
  • 2.5 oz Splash
  • 6 oz Splash
  • 1 oz Spray
  • 2.5 oz Spray
  • 6 oz Spray

The boxes for the original version was white with black such as the one below.




By 1984, Eau de Cologne in a 1 oz Natural Spray was introduced in a black canister. In 1987 the 3 oz Eau de Cologne Spray was available.




La Collection Pour le Bain:


By 1986, Ombre Rose could be had in various bath & body products: body lotion, body cream, soap, talc, bath powder, and shower gel.





Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued.

Alfin was distributing the Ombre Rose fragrances since around 1982. During 1993, Alfin terminated the licensing and distribution of Ombre Rose and Ombre Bleue. All rights and inventory to Ombre Rose and Ombre Bleue were sold in July 1993 for $3,5000,000.

Jean Philippe's French subsidiary, Inter Parfums, SA, acquired the license and inventory of Ombre Rose from Alfin. Jean Philippe regarded the Ombre Rose brand as complementing its existing distribution channels without incurring significantly greater costs.

So if your packaging is marked with the Alfin name, your bottle dates between 1982-1993 and Inter Parfums, after 1993.


In 2002, Ombre Rose was reformulated and relaunched as Ombre Rose L'Original.
  • Top notes: aldehydes, geranium, honey, rosewood and peach
  • Middle notes: ylang-ylang, lily of the valley, orris and geranium
  • Base notes: new mown hay, Virginia cedar, vanilla and sandalwood

Beauty Packaging, 2005:
"Also in the prestige category, Ombre Rose is being relaunched by its original creator Jean-Charles Brosseau, who recently regained the ownership rights to the name and fragrance from Groupe Inter Parfums, which had acquired the worldwide rights to the license from Alfin Inc. in 1993.

Ombre Rose L’Original has been introduced in the same style bottles as the original.
Brosseau had Givaudan rework the fragrance to return it to the original formula. It is being marketed as Ombre Rose L’Original in bottles that replicate the original Art Deco-style containers: black with shiny and matte patterns for the perfume, and clear or frosted glass for the eau de toilette."



CLICK HERE TO FIND OMBRE ROSE PERFUME BY JEAN CHARLES BROSSEAU

 



1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much for all this wonderful information. I just purchased a new, sealed original version which is distributed by Alfin Fragrances, Inc. Of course, I always come here first when I am looking for a vintage, especially if it had been relicensed to another company, to make sure I am getting the original version. I just have one question: Didn't Jean Charles Brosseau rebuy the license and is now making this fragrance yet again? While I see some with the Interparfums packaging, I am now seeing lots of bottles that have on the back of the box - Parfums Jean Charles Brosseau, and then Jean Charles Brosseau authorized dealer. I read several different stories. One, that he rebought the license because he wanted to make the fragrance the way it originally smelled; another that he rebought it because he wanted to update it; and finally, that he rebought the license because he was upset that it was butchered by Interparfums and he wanted to return it to the way it was originally. Anyway, I'd love to hear if you have any additional information on that.

    ReplyDelete

All comments will be subject to approval by a moderator. Comments may fail to be approved if the moderator deems that they:
--contain unsolicited advertisements ("spam")
--are unrelated to the subject matter of the post or of subsequent approved comments
--contain personal attacks or abusive/gratuitously offensive language

Featured Post

Faking Perfume Bottles to Increase Their Value

The issue of adding "after market" accents to rather plain perfume bottles to increase their value is not new to the world o...