We review Rose Prick, a floral chypre Eau de Parfum (EDP) from Tom Ford’s Private Blend collection.
Tom Ford
Having served as the Creative Director at Italy-based fashion powerhouse Gucci and, previously, at French luxury house Yves Saint Laurent, Thomas Carlyle Ford founded Tom Ford in 2005.
Ford opened an online store in 2006 and, the following year, his flagship boutique at 845 Madison Avenue in New York City. His clothing, eyewear, watches, and fragrances quickly became a favorite among celebrities. Fashionistas and frag-heads expectedly followed suit.
When it comes to clothing, eyewear, and accessories, Ford’s sense of style is undeniable. In 2006, he made his mark on the world of fragrances when he launched the iconic Black Orchid in collaboration with American conglomerate Estée Lauder.
A year later, in 2007, Tom Ford introduced the Private Blend Collection of luxury fragrances, and, with the addition of new scents, that collection has been growing since.
Rose Prick
Facts
| House | Tom Ford |
| Fragrance | Rose Prick |
| Concentration | Eau de Parfum (EDP) |
| Nose | Undisclosed |
| Released | 2020 |
| Family | Floral chypre |
| Description | Inspired by Tom Ford’s own garden, this wild bouquet of precious rose breeds is so lovely, it hurts. A rose by any other name wouldn’t be Tom Ford. |
| Sizes | 0.3 fl oz (10 ml), 1 fl oz (30 ml), 1.7 fl oz (50 ml), 3.4 fl oz (100 ml), 8.45 fl oz (250 ml) |
Ingredients
Denatured Alcohol, Fragrance, Water, Geraniol, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Limonene, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Oakmoss Extract, Linalool, Coumarin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Cinnamate, Eugenol, Farnesol, Citral, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamal, Bht, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Benzoic Acid
Source: Tom Ford, last retrieved January 18, 2022
Our Review
Rose petals. Pink bedding. Playful touch. This is Rose Prick, a sexy aphrodisiac of a perfume from Tom Ford’s Private Blend collection.
The most iconic rose scent I have ever smelled. It’s lush and sophisticated, but also seductive and sultry. How can anyone make a perfume so delicate—and yet so dirty—all at the same time? “Dirty” being the keyword here.
This suggestive and polarizing fragrance should come with a PEGI 18 label on the packaging. It’s one of the sexiest scents in my collection, reserved almost exclusively for date nights and flirtatious outings.
The top notes are Sichuan pepper and turmeric. The heart notes are rose de mai and Bulgarian rose. The base notes are patchouli and tonka bean.
Rose Prick is the quintessential modern rose: a bouquet of pink roses, piquant pepper, mustardy turmeric, and creamy tonka, the concoction of which will shock you at first. You’ll end up liking it so much, you’ll just keep coming back for more.
If you wear this perfume in public, someone will comment on it. Whether they are repulsed or enchanted by it is completely up to chance. But one thing is certain: they won’t be left without a reaction, and they will ask what you are wearing.
The name Rose Prick suits this fragrance extremely well. It’s sexy, thorny, powdery, seductive. This is not your grandma’s rose, though. Yes, you can smell the pink, velvety petals. But you can’t ignore the sharp prickles you’re somehow strangely drawn to.
Why it’s called that way, I can only speculate.
The perfume aficionado will tell you that Sichuan pepper—a Chinese spice from the southwestern Sichuan Province, which produces a numbing tingle on the tongue when eaten—is commonly known as “prickly pepper.”
Hence, “rose prick.”
The seasoned salesperson at the department store will tell you that it is a name aimed at young professionals who are not afraid to express their sexuality in a bold and aggressive way that redefines the gender boundaries drawn by the patriarchy of an earlier generation.
So what does this tell us about the ideal wearer for this perfume, then?
This is a seduce-and-destroy type of perfume. It’s your little weapon when you want to make men weak in the knees. I know it’s marketed as genderless, and it is, but it definitely leans toward the feminine character.
Nevertheless, guys can still pull off wearing it. If you are the kind of man who likes to rock a rose scent, more power to you! You will stand out in the crowd in the most alluring way possible.
Rose Prick by Tom Ford is a floral chypre perfume that can be worn all year round. However, don’t overdo it with the spraying—and keep in mind that it can get cloying on sultry summer days.
Longevity
Tom Ford’s Private Blend fragrances are not known for their longevity. I’m happy to report that Rose Prick is the exception. The scent stays on the skin for 7-8 hours. If you spray it on your hair, it lasts upward of 10-12 hours.
You asked, we answered: Why some perfumes last longer than others
Sillage
When it comes to sillage, Rose Prick by Tom Ford can hardly be called a beast. Spray it on, and people can smell you for 2 to 3 hours. Then it is no longer as noticeable and effectively becomes a skin scent.
Layering
Layer Rose Prick by Tom Ford with Blooming Bouquet by Dior for a fresher, more aquatic rose for summertime wear.
Layer a spritz of Tom Ford’s Rose Prick with a spritz of Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Oud Satin Mood for a darker, evening-appropriate rose scent.
Sizes
Rose Prick, an Eau de Parfum (EDP) by Tom Ford, is sold in five sizes: a 0.33 fl oz (10 ml) travel spray and 1 fl oz (30 ml), 1.7 fl oz (50 ml), 3.4 fl oz (100 ml), and a gigantic, 8.45 fl oz (250 ml) bottle.
Read our guide: Which size perfume to buy?
Price Tag
On the day of publishing this review, the 1.01 fl oz (30 ml) bottle of Rose Prick sold for $216, the 1.69 fl oz (50 ml) for $375, the 3.4 fl oz (100 ml) bottle for $500, and the 8.45 fl oz (250 ml) bottle for $940.
Frequently Asked
Consider Delina Exclusif, an Extrait de Parfum for women by Parfums de Marly; Portrait of a Lady, an Eau de Parfum (EDP) for women by Frederic Malle; Atomic Rose, a unisex Eau de Parfum (EDP) by Initio.
In Conclusion
If you want to skip the mundane rose scents and find something sexy and daring, go for Rose Prick. This, ladies and gents of Sterlish, is not your typical rose. It’s a Tom Ford rose.
