What is a rose?
As a universal symbol, the rose means so many things to so many different people. The flower itself, holds all the powers of nature within its petals. A beauty to the eyes and a wonder to smell.
Almost every day, we encounter the notion of the rose: in décor, haute couture, bonbons, the variations are endless… The true rose, however, remains elusive.
How many times have we smelled a real rose? One that can steal people’s hearts and captivate their minds?
A deeper exploration of what nature has to offer
Henry Jacques’ journey has been filled with roses. Each with its own personality and secrets. For decades, roses have been a constant in HJ’s collections, and perfume lovers have longed for our rose creations.
Thrilled by new concepts, always on a quest to innovate, the site of HJ’s new laboratory and atelier sparked an idea.
With a unique microclimate sheltered by hills, incredible water quality, a soil rich in iron and plenty of sun and rain the place was gathering the perfect conditions for HJ to grow its own roses.
Henry Jacques chose to cultivate in a manner that would conserve the soil as much as possible. Henry Jacques surrounded itself with a family of experts who have been growing roses for several generations, with unique know-how.
The soil is ploughed by horses. The harvest is done by hand, with respect for the delicate flowers.
HJ wanted to allow nature to express itself freely in the field, which is why HJ’s cultivation is certified by Ecocert.
From the plants themselves, to the picking and the extraction nothing is left to chance. HJ is convinced that every detail will have an impact on the final result.
A new color to our palette
The HJ Rose de Mai was a true encounter.
"A stunning rose that brought tears to our eyes" said Anne-Lise Cremona.
It was like discovering a new colour. A new genesis, shattering all certainties, opening space for the unexpected. It plunged HJ into an ocean of possibilities.
"This rose will sublimate compositions, its introduction will be very visible, it is obvious that it will lead to new creations" predicted Anne-Lise Cremona.
It led HJ to create multiple compositions, like a painter would have created many shapes, forms, and eventually, pieces of art. This burst of creativity gave its name to the collection, Collection de l’Atelier, that might represent HJ's purest form of creativity, bottled.
An ode to the fleeting moment
Like numbered lithographs, the three limited-edition triptych housing nine interpretations of the HJ Rose de Mai are an inspired expression of a lifetime of creativity and a glimpse into the captivating world of HJ.
To preserve the beauty of the rare rose, the perfumes from Collection de L’Atelier will never be reissued. Just like great wines, they will be enjoyed, shared, collected, preserved – and one day, completely disappear. But their memory will remain.
The 2025 Edition fragrances
The 2025 Rose de Mai Absolute reveals itself in all its depth. Floral but less powdery than its predecessors, rounder, with chestnut honey notes that lend it an almost leathery depth. Warm, spicy hints, such as cinnamon and saffron, also appear subtly in the background.
This surprising absolute unveiled new visions for Henry Jacques. Organic forms seem to float and intertwine, bathed in deep blues and solar lights, while pink hues evoke the warmth and softness of sunset, evoking scenes drawn from oriental tales.
From this inspiration, a striking trio came to life: audacious, infused with spices, character, depth, and softness. The boldest edition of the Collection de l’Atelier, standing as the concluding edition of the triptych celebrating the HJ Rose de Mai.
Across the three compositions, the HJ Rose de Mai evolves in very different expressive frameworks, each highlighting one of its olfactory facets.
Rose Azafira is gentle yet full of character.
It tells the story of an unexpected union: that of HJ Rose de Mai absolute with saffron. A delicate, floral, almost fruity, and spicy celebration. Saffron, often paired with oudh and leathery notes, here elevates Damascena rose and Rose de Mai with a whisper of patchouli spiced with pepper. Iris adds a touch of sophistication before allowing the fragrance to unfold into a subtle, silky caress of sandalwood and amber. A contraction of Zahra (flowers) and Zafra (saffron), Rose Azafira is gentle, yet full of character.
Rose Très Rose 2025 is an ode to the complex beauty of the rose.
The fragrance opens with a floral dance where HJ’s Rose de Mai, Damascena rose, and jasmine intertwine, accentuated by the subtle freshness of violet leaves. Iris, patchouli, and benzoin bring majesty, warmth, and softness to the composition, while highlighting the spicy facets of the HJ Rose de Mai absolute 2025. Finally, the leathery nuances of chestnut honey in the absolute blend and magnify within the Cuvée Dehen el Oudh, giving the fragrance a harmonious depth.
Rose Alambrah is radiant and enveloping.
Rose Alambrah is a sensory stroll through the splendors of palatine architecture. It opens with fresh, almost green neroli, lifted by a hint of mandarin bitterness, evoking orange tree paths dappled with sunlight. Citrusy and floral notes of bergamot, paired with Turkish rose, drape the fragrance in a veil of brightness. Fountains and basins adorned with Mediterranean motifs bring life to every patio, reflecting the ochre tones of the monuments in their mirrored surfaces. Within the maze of arcades, a subtle play of light and shadow unfolds. Spicy, leathery accents of resinous labdanum, cinnamon leaf, and vetiver bring a gentle ambery warmth. Finally, sandalwood, vanilla, and benzoin wrap the composition, giving the fragrance a reassuring depth, like the cool shade of a gallery or the blue of the sea under a zenith sun.
The 2024 edition fragrances
The HJ Rose de Mai absolute 2024 is floral and powdery, this way closer to the rose one can expect, but comforting, round, deep acacia honey notes give to the absolute its ambery, chestnutty colour and all its olfactive character.
It gave new visions to Henry Jacques: organic shapes, soft and deep greens, warm sandy tones, and hues of pink one can only dream of.
Collection de l’Atelier 2024 offers a rich olfactory palette. Each fragrance is distinct yet interconnected, like different parts of the same landscape.
Rose Alba is addictive and comforting.
In Rose Alba, HJ’s Rose de Mai truly expresses itself. Fascinating and comforting like the first glimmers of dawn, the fragrance opens with fresh and woody notes of mint and cedarwood. The honeyed, almost dewy heart of the rose is then elevated by powdery mimosa and tolu balsam. Finally, sandalwood, ambery notes, and silky white musk highlight the rose’s soft and comforting character, giving its warm elegance to the fragrance.
Rose Très Rose 2024 is an ode to the complex beauty of the rose.
The HJ Rose de Mai absolute meets the rose damascena in a sophisticated bouquet, harmonised with jasmine and iris, and accented by the fresh notes of violet leaf. Deep notes of Cuvée Dehen el Oudh and patchouli, enriched with benzoin, create a smooth, long-lasting trail.
Rose Zephyr is refined and unconventional.
Rose Zephyr is a masterpiece of olfactory craftsmanship. Floral notes are meticulously sculpted, carrying you from one place to another as if driven by the breeze. It opens with an intense and unexpected burst of ylang-ylang and HJ's raspberry accord, followed by delicate and subtle rose damascena and geranium notes. Then, tuberose emerges, embracing the deep, woody, and slightly smoky nuances of patchouli. Sandalwood and vetiver intertwine with vanilla and Cuvée Dehen el Oudh, anchoring the fragrance in its carefully curated originality. And this is just the beginning, the perfume evolves beautifully on the skin, drawing you further into its enchanting journey.
The 2023 Edition fragrances
The first perfume is pure and celebrates the colour - HJ Rose de Mai absolute - in all its glory. As Yves Klein celebrated his blue.
The second and the third are bolder, fruits of journeys of trial and error, association, superpositions, cuttings. Those two fragrances can be compared to the work of Matisse in his late years, when he sculpted colors and contrasts with collages, playing with forms and ‘counter-forms’, always between figuration and abstraction.
ROSE SOLEIL is delicate, warm, and spicy
Sophisticated and complex, the HJ Rose de Mai absolute plays with notes of clove, sandalwood, patchouli and ylang-ylang. This fragrance is youth in amused wrinkles, recklessness in wisdom, sparkling joy in an unconscious smile. The kind of smile only one who has lived their life to the fullest can make, leading us to lose track of time, enlightening our daily lives.
ROSE TRÈS ROSE is self-sufficient
Refined, pure, statutory. By its uprightness the HJ Rose de Mai absolute is comforting, giving a sense of completion and fulfilment.
It is the reassuring hometown, the familiar earth, the centre of gravity we are born from and always come back to.
Rose Très Rose is somehow like home.
ROSE AZUR is charismatic and unexpected
Enveloped within dry woody notes and zests, the HJ Rose de Mai absolute appears at its will. Just as the soft heart of a strong personality, Rose Azur must be won over.
Intriguing and fascinating, impalpable, divine, celestial, almost liminal, the fragrance merges different terroirs for a rich and complex identity to which we cannot help but be attached.
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