The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
36 Rosa is LabSolue's olfactory celebration of Rosa, composed by perfumer Francis Deléamont. The fragrance centers on precious Rose Absolute, distilled from the most fragrant varieties, Centifolia and Damascena. The perfumer built the composition to enclose rose's beauty in a bottle rather than approximate it, layering the absolute with floral companions that sharpen its character without competing with it. Deléamont treats the rose not as a single monolithic note but as a living spectrum, allowing Centifolia's dewy, almost soap-like softness to mingle with Damascena's deeper, honeyed density. From the first contact with skin, the absolute radiates a velvety warmth that feels both immediate and slowly unfolding, as though the petals were still releasing their essential oils in real time.
What makes 36 Rosa distinctive is the choice to anchor everything on rose absolute rather than essential oil or a synthetic reconstruction. Absolute retains more of the flower's natural complexity, including the waxy, almost honeyed facets distillation can lose. Deléamont then uses peony and geranium as supporting voices, both naturally rose-adjacent, each pulling a different facet forward. Peony adds the dewy, lighter-fresh lift. Geranium contributes its green-leafed rosiness with a hint of minty coolness. Bitter orange opens the door with a clean burst that keeps the composition from collapsing into sweetness.
The evolution
The first thirty minutes belong to bitter orange. It arrives bright, almost sharp, with a zest that reads clean and architectural rather than juicy. Beneath it, the rose absolute is already loading, but the citrus keeps it disciplined. Around the forty-minute mark, the orange recedes and the floral heart opens fully. Peony brings a dewy, lighter-fresh quality, like petals after rain. Geranium layers in its green, slightly herbal facet, a thread of cool that keeps the rose from tipping into sweetness. This is the most complex phase, the one where the composition feels most alive. By the second hour, the rose absolute settles into its true character. Powdery, waxy, with that dense, almost honeyed depth that distinguishes absolute from lighter rose oils. The peony softens and the geranium fades to a whisper. What remains is a close-to-skin rose, intimate and persistent. On fabric, particularly scarves and jackets, traces linger well into the next day. On skin, expect a quiet presence through most of an afternoon before it fades to a faint floral warmth.
Cultural impact
36 Rosa has earned its following as a rose composition for wearers who want the flower's full character without embellishment. It reads as clean, direct, and structurally sound, the kind of rose that earns loyalty through wear rather than through marketing claims. Among rose enthusiasts, it functions as a reference point for what a focused, absolute-driven rose can achieve when the supporting cast is chosen to clarify rather than to distract.
The House
LabSolueLabSolue is an Italian niche perfume house that blends artisanal craft with modern lab techniques. Based in Milan, the brand offers a curated line of fragrances that draw on natural ingredients and a family tradition of scent making. Each scent arrives in a bottle that references historic apothecary vessels, while the formulas emphasize balance and depth. LabSolue also designs home diffusers that echo the same amber‑glass aesthetic, extending the olfactory experience beyond personal wear.
The Creator
Francis DeléamontTrained at Givaudan, Deleamont developed an appreciation for quality raw materials and meticulous construction. His work at Jean Patou demonstrated a fluency in creating elevated, refined scents that felt both contemporary and anchored in tradition.
