Forget the delicate, demure florals that practically demanded their own scene in fan-fave fashion flick The Devil Wears Prada. In a move that would make Ms Miranda Priestly arch an approving brow, Australian fragrance house (S)MER has taken the royal-horse-drawn carriage kind of rose, slipped it behind the wheel of a V12, and sent it roaring down Bondi’s Campbell Parade. Disclaimer for anyone out to recreate their Aunty Val’s soft, signature scent … Their latest release, Petal to the Metal, is not a bouquet for the faint of heart. This is no shrinking violet. It’s a thorny beauty with bite. A heady collision of petals and pricks. And, a rose that trades in cliches for pure chaos when spritzed liberally.
Founder Ed Hansen drew inspiration from his mother – a woman just as likely to tuck a bloom behind her ear as to tear down the highway – to create this scent of contrasts. The opening revs with green mandarin and the bite of Sichuan and Timut peppers. This is softened by the unexpected crunch of green hazelnut. At its heart, wild roses tangle with cassis, patchouli and a whisper of eucalyptus. The dry down purrs with cashmere woods, oakmoss and musk, lingering long after the engine has cooled. Like petals pressed between pages, or the warmth of leather seats after a cruisey coastal drive, this is a scent that lingers long after the journey ends.
(S)MER’s rose isn’t the Fairy Tale Princess type. (Unless Disney plans to debut a heroine that breaks from her lane, tears around corners with the top down, and drags you in pursuit after it disappears). A scent as exhilarating as the view from the iconic Icebergs pool, it feels only fitting that Petal to the Metal makes its debut at (S)MER’s newly opened Bondi flagship. And, is destined to become part of the suburb’s scented legends of salt, sand and style.
Launching this September, (S)MER’s Petal to the Metal Eau de Parfum is a rose perfume that proves that florals for Spring can indeed be groundbreaking. Elegant yet unrestrained, this is a rose that resists pruning, runs free, and reminds wearers that beauty doesn’t always whisper. Sometimes it roars. So, stop and smell the roses… Heck, put on your rose-coloured glasses if required. But, be warned. This scent will leave you breathless, chasing petals down the coast with your heart – and engine – racing.
