Quick answers
History
Rose 31 is one of the first fragrances from Le Labo, the house Fabrice Penot and Eddie Roschi founded in 2006 in New York (United States). Now Smell This reviewed it on 1 April 2006, as one of the young brand’s offerings for men.
The house states the aim plainly: to turn the famous Grasse rose, a symbol of voluptuousness and femininity, into an “assertively virile fragrance that can be worn by anyone”.
Daphné Bugey explained the brief to AnOther Magazine in 2015. She wanted a rose that men and women could both wear: “at the time when I created it, there were no rose scents for men.”
She also recalled wanting to keep working on the formula. Eddie Roschi stopped her: “No way, you stop now, it’s perfect.” She now believes she would probably have ruined it.
Success followed. In 2015, AnOther Magazine described Rose 31 as Le Labo’s biggest seller. Bugey said she receives messages from around the world about what the scent means to its wearers.
As of 6 November 2026, Rose 31 remains in the house’s Classic Collection. The site offers it as an eau de parfum, a body lotion, a travel set and hair care.
Fragrance notes
Le Labo publishes no top, heart and base split. Osmetheca lists the notes named by the house, then the launch list recorded by Now Smell This in 2006.
The 2006 list also names Grasse rose, cumin, olibanum, cedar, amber, gaiac and cistus. ÇaFleureBon describes a heavy overdose of cumin and a medicinal oud, before the rose returns over vetiver.
Scent profile
The scent profile alternates femininity and masculinity, the house writes. Warm, spicy and woody notes quickly take up the centifolia rose: cumin, olibanum, cedar and amber. Gaiac wood, cistus and musks then add a sense of mystery.
Its distinctive trait is a reverse development, described by Mark Behnke at ÇaFleureBon in 2013. The opening is rough, all cumin and oud. A few hours in, a full-blown rose returns on a stem of green vetiver.
Now Smell This called it dark, more warm than cool, not particularly heavy and only mildly animalic. The 2006 review read it as a spicy woods scent rather than a rose soliflore.
“The idea was that the rose had to be presented in a beautiful and pure but subtle way.”Daphné Bugey, AnOther Magazine, 24 March 2015
Key characteristics
When and where to wear
The house gives no wearing advice, and Osmetheca has not tested this fragrance on skin. Bugey calls it “bold and sexy”, with the woody spices keeping it from being girly.
In 2006, Now Smell This found it not too masculine for a woman, with nothing feminine about it. Rose 31 suits lovers of spicy woods first, rather than fans of rose soliflores.
Similar perfumes
Four fragrances published on Osmetheca also pair rose with spices, resins or woods.
| Perfume | House · year | Why related |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait of a Lady | Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle · 2010 | Rose, cumin, cinnamon and incense over sandalwood and patchouli. |
| Black Aoud | Montale · 2006 | Rose and oud on gaiac wood, from the same year as Rose 31. |
| L’Homme À la rose | Maison Francis Kurkdjian · 2020 | Another centifolia rose designed to be worn by men. |
| Lyric Woman | Amouage · 2008 | Rose, incense and warm spices in a floral amber. |
Frequently asked questions
See also
Sources
- Le Labo, Rose 31 page, Classic Collection, accessed 6 November 2026
- Le Labo, “Our Creations” page, Rose 31 description, accessed 6 November 2026
- Olivia Singer, “The Woman Behind Le Labo’s Rose 31”, AnOther Magazine, 24 March 2015 (interview with Daphné Bugey)
- Robin, “Le Labo Rose 31 ~ fragrance review”, Now Smell This, 1 April 2006
- Mark Behnke, “CaFleureBon Modern Masterpieces: Le Labo Rose 31, Roughing Up Rose”, ÇaFleureBon, 3 May 2013
- Osmetheca, Le Labo house entry