I am of the considered opinion that aesthetic evaluations are always relative. Unfortunately for Valentino ROCK 'N ROSE, I have been wearing a lot of Keiko Mecheri ATTAR DE ROSES and Creed FLEURS DE BULGARIE of late. Next to those gorgeous, complex, regal rose perfumes, ROCK 'N ROSE seems pretty petit bourgeois.
Nonetheless, I can state that, relative to other members of its own social and economic class, ROCK 'N ROSE is pretty good. The opening portends a possibly splendid rose perfume to come: lush, bright, and concentrated enough--could it really be rose? I found myself marveling--to fool the nose for a minute or so. Until, that is, its base origins begin to peer through the veneer of what seemed to be a nobler creation.
The base is sticky sweet. I believe that it is the same one used in perfumes such as Badgley Mischka FLEURS DE NUIT and Britney Spears BELIEVE, although ROCK 'N ROSE is a Valentino perfume, now under the management of Procter & Gamble, not Elizabeth Arden. Nonetheless, it is possible that all of these corporate conglomerates are sourcing their millions of gallons of solvent 'stuff' from a small number of similar vats. This particular base grows stronger over time and ends up masking what were initially the distinct virtues of the perfume in question. In this case, that would be the succulent rose opening.
ROCK 'N ROSE is yet another example of a perfume which must have been a big hit at the counter. Had I tried it there, I might have been sold on the spot. Instead, I was sent a huge (I'm serious--it must hold 3 ml) vial along with an online order. This provided me with the leisure to get to know this perfume before issuing a verdict, which is: this is a good perfume relative to the pink juices currently being fobbed off today. If you're ready to ascend the rose perfume social ladder, I recommend Keiko Mecheri or Creed.