The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Romeo doesn't like the natural scent of roses. Most people would simply avoid them. Romeo, a creative figure associated with the OHTOP fragrance house, decided to do something more interesting: build a rose he could actually love. The 2023 release I Hate Rose is the result. Working with Paris-based perfumer Amélie Bourgeois, Romeo approached the project with a clear vision. He wanted a rose that felt modern, that moved differently, that earned its name by refusing to behave like any rose that came before. The concept wasn't about rejecting rose entirely. It was about transformation. Taking something you dislike and reshaping it into something you can't stop wearing. That's the whole point.
What makes I Hate Rose unusual is its refusal to lean into rose's most common associations. No syrupy sweetness. No heavy romanticism. Instead, the composition uses rhubarb and green notes like bell pepper and rose oxide to keep the florals sharp and crystalline. Paradisamide adds a synthetic lift that makes the whole thing feel elevated, almost electric. The result is a rose that reads more mineral than floral, more cool than warm. It's the kind of paradox that only works when every material is chosen with intention. Cashmeran and Karmawood in the base give it softness at the end, but the green-fruity tension never fully resolves. That's by design.
The evolution
The opening doesn't apologize. Mandarin and pink pepper arrive together, tart and bright, then the bell pepper adds something unexpected: a green, almost vegetable-like bite that most rose fragrances would never risk. It's a deliberate provocation, a way of signaling that this isn't going to follow the usual playbook. Then the rose appears, but it's not the rose you were bracing for. This one is cold. Crystalline. Like a rose preserved in ice. The heart builds around that cool floracy, adding raspberry and blackcurrant for fruitiness, rhubarb for tartness, geranium for green depth. The rose oxide keeps everything sharp, preventing any slide into softness. As the top notes fade, the florals begin to recede and the base takes over. Cashmeran wraps around white musk and Ambroxan, creating a warm, skin-close drydown that lingers without projecting.
Cultural impact
I Hate Rose has found its audience among fragrance people who thought they were done with rose. The OHTOP brand occupies an interesting position in contemporary perfumery, one that speaks to a sensibility open to multiple influences and resistant to easy categorization. The fragrance's conceptual hook, a rose made by someone who claims to hate roses, resonates with a community that prizes intellectual engagement alongside sensory pleasure. It does something specific and refuses to apologize for it.
