AD – GIFTED | As a lover of vintage perfumes, I’m always on the lookout for a new one to rekindle my childhood memories. And when I received an invitation to try that quintessential romantic fragrance of the 1950s, Goya Black Rose *, there are no prizes for guessing my response. The original advert quoted a glamorous lady who had so many compliments when wearing it that she called it, “The most successful perfume I’ve ever worn.” That’s quite some claim, so could this iconic scent still hit the high notes of its heyday?
Goya Black Rose – the brand
The Goya brand and company name were created in 1937 with offices in Piccadilly and a factory in Brooks Mews, London. Douglas Collins, the founder, created Goya Black Rose in 1955 and it was the brand’s most famous perfume up until 1984. After such a classic run, his son, Christopher Collins, has referenced the original archived formula to recreate the feminine, romantic fragrance of Black Rose. The perfume is now available to buy both online and in a select range of stores.*
If you’re looking for dressing table chic, you couldn’t fail with this gorgeous vintage glass bottle. It’s so elegant and stylish, just like the 1950s. The packaging is clean and simple, but no less striking for that with its green stripes and beautiful deep red rose motif. This isn’t my first brush with vintage perfumes (I’ve written previously about my love for Aqua Manda and Aqua Citra) so how does Goya Black Rose compare?
Goya Black Rose – the perfume
Top notes: citrus and green – Bergamot, Clove, Green Stems.
Middle notes: fresh and floral – Rose, Geranium, Rose Damas.
Base notes: musk – Jasmine, Salicylate, Musk.
Floral and citrus fragrances are my favourites. I grow roses, geraniums and jasmine in our garden, plus I’m always pinching Alan’s bergamot cologne, so I had high hopes for Black Rose. The fresh green notes came through very strongly at first, as did the hint of clove. They were then closely followed by the most gorgeous clean, rose scent. The base notes of jasmine and musk help to anchor the fragrance for a good eight hours’ of sillage. At the time of writing, 100ml of Goya Black Rose perfume* retails for £47.00 and the range includes some soap, and a handy 15ml edition for your purse as well.
Sometimes floral perfumes can be rather light and sweet but not this one. It’s not like any rose scent I’ve worn before and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Overall, it’s a very sophisticated mixture and one that’s suitable for any occasion, day or night. I’ve been wearing it every day for the last month and I love that I don’t smell it on anyone else. It makes me feel happy, feminine and elegant – I’ve even swapped my habitual jeans for skirts every day, what sorcery is this?!
Final thoughts
“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” according to my favourite poet, William Shakespeare. Our sense of smell is one of our most powerful senses, and some scents are more positively associated in our minds than others. As I said, I love floral fragrances but I’ve never found one that I could wear all day, every day before. To be honest, I was only expecting a light, fresh day time scent. But Goya Black Rose is so much more than that and I can certainly see why it enjoyed so much success in its heyday. Huge thank you to Beauty Brand Development for allowing me to experience such a beautiful and iconic fragrance. I think it might be one of the most successful perfumes I’ve ever worn too.
What type of scents do you like to wear? Have you ever tried a vintage fragrance? Do you think you’d like to now?
Click here to see the latest pricing and buy Goya Black Rose perfume right now on Amazon*
* This post features a gifted item and affiliate links (please see my Disclaimer) but all opinions are my own.
Vintage perfumes are the cutest thing ever. They also come in the coolest packaging. It’s super cool you were gifted this bottle! The way you described the scent makes me want to try it so bad!
They’re so lovely, aren’t they? And wow, thank you, my work is done 😘 x
I brought the 4711 cologne just for the packaging, although the actual perfume is incredible too 😊 I love the retro Goya packaging, and roses are my favourite scent, so perhaps I should make a note of this for Christmas (or just treat myself next payday!)
I remember that one too! Oh, if you like roses then I think you’d love Black Rose, it’s absolutely gorgeous, I haven’t worn anything else for weeks now 🙂
I am a big rose fan, I only own one perfume (out of 7) that doesn’t have rose in it! But even that is a floral scent too! I think a lot of people get put off by rose for being too heavy, which clearly I don’t mind, this might be a nice one for people to try.
Ellyn x | Life Of A Beauty Nerd
Oh wow, then this perfume sounds ideal for you! I know what you mean about florals in general but this isn’t at all heavy, nor is it sweet, it’s just so clean and beautiful, not like anything I’ve worn before. An oldie but definitely a goodie 🙂 x
this looks so good! I’ve been looking for a new perfume, thanks for the suggestion!
You’re welcome, I hope you love it if you do treat yourself!
I really like the sound of this perfume. Furthermore the bottle looks super classy and elegant.
It’s soooo gorgeous, and the bottle looks very lovely on my dressing table too!
Love the look of this packaging and the scent sounds like the perfect floral scent for me – something fresh and clean, not overly cloying either. I haven’t tried many vintage perfumes so I’d love to start with this one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
It’s gorgeous, not at all cloying, which some rose florals can be. I was so surprised, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do TBH, it’s a very happy find!
It must smell just amazing! I don’t actually wear floral scents, I am more about fruits and spices, but this one sounds so lovely!
I love citrus but I find spices a little overpowering for me – this is so refreshing though, just gorgeous!
I love the scent of rose – especially in perfume but I haven’t current;y got a bottle at the moment with the scent. I still have two bottles of Daisy that I am trying to use up but I think I may have to try this one. I’ve never tried a vintage perfume and admittedly don’t know a lot about them but I’m always up to giving anything a try. Great post and I love your photos.
I loooove rose but it’s usually quite sweet and overpowering so I don’t normally go for it. But Black Rose is lovely, very fresh and clean, and a true old fashioned rose fragrance. Thank you so much for your lovely comments!
This sounds like a really lovely scent, my favourite scents are usually quite strong ones and I also love anything citrusy. I love the design of this perfume too it looks really vintage! Great review x
Oh, thank you! It’s wonderful, not at all what I was expecting, and I can’t stop wearing it. I’ve had quite a few compliments too, so it’s definitely a keeper 🙂 x
I never worn a vintage scent before, honestly it’s kind of hard for me to find one I actually enjoy. I’m glad you shared this one because it features rose ros Jasmine which are some of my favorite notes😊😊😊 glad you found an everyday scent to wear!
Natonya | http://www.justnatonya.wordpress.com
Oh, that’s wonderful, I’m so glad to hear that. I know what you mean about finding the right scent but vintage fragrances have been quite successful for me – plus it’s nice to wear something a little bit different too!
Finding just the right perfume is always an interesting journey – so many different ones to choose from! Floral fragrances are a favorite of mine, so the Goya Black Rose sounds like it smells amazing! Oh you have a garden as well that’s amazing – it must be the perfect place to relax in!
Finding the perfect perfume is exactly that, a journey! I’ve had a few that just didn’t suit me along the way but when you find “the one” it’s fantastic, isn’t it? And yes, we do love our garden, especially with the gorgeous weather we’re enjoying just now!
Oh how lucky that you got to try this one! It sounds amazing. I love florals & citrus too so I bet I’d love this scent x
I know, I feel incredibly lucky, it’s beautiful! X
This sounds like a lovely perfume! I can be quite fussy sometimes when it comes to fragrance but I do like something fresh and floral. I love the bottle of this too, would look beautiful on any dressing table! Lovely review Lisa xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
It’s such a lovely perfume, I wasn’t really expecting to love it as much as I do, but it’s so fresh and unusual. I’m so happy to have it 🙂 and thank you, I’m very pleased you enjoyed the review xx
Vintage perfumes are always so nice, and look great on your dressing table. I like that it comes in a smaller size, great if you’re fussy and want to try it before investing in a bigger one or for perfume addicts. Thank you for listing the notes!! It’s a pet peeve of mine when people review perfumes and just say it smells musky etc x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
They really do, the bottles are so elegant, aren’t they? And yes, I love the smaller size option, perfect for testing and your handbag. I’m so glad you enjoyed the review, thank you for your lovely comment! x
I love the idea of wearing a vintage fragrance! The scent sounds like it would be something I would definitely wear! I loved reading this post, thanks for sharing! 🙂
melissakacar.blogspot.com
There’s something about vintage fragrances that’s so special, isn’t there? And thank you, I’m so pleased you enjoyed the review! x
I have never heard of this brand before, but it sounds really lovely! I love how you have shared the history behind the brand. Sounds like a great vintage fragrance. Thank you for sharing your review Lisa xxx
It’s a lovely vintage fragrance, definitely one of the best I’ve ever tried. I feel very lucky to be wearing it! xxx
I will admit I’m not a huge lover of floral perfumes – especially on myself (I’m not a floral person haha!) but this would make a really lovely nostalgic gift. It’s great that they still make vintage perfumes to really take you back to a certain year or era!
BBD have relaunched quite a few vintage perfumes (including Aqua Manda and Aqua Citra, which I also have 🙂 ) and I do think there’s something very comforting about the old fragrances. Not just for the memories, but they smell different to more modern scents as well!
Vintage perfumes are really unique and one of it’s kind! I’m a sucker for floral fragrances 🙂 This bottle is super cute 💖 Thanks for the lovely review 🙂
Yes, they are, aren’t they? And this one is definitely one of the loveliest I’ve ever tried – I’m glad you liked the review, thank you 🙂
I love the sound of this perfume from the stunning bottle to the simple yet elegant packaging. Floral fragrances (especially rose or lavender) are my go-to’s as well, so this could be great for me.
Oh yes, in that case, this perfume sounds ideal for you, it’s a gorgeous floral that’s just a little out of the ordinary!
I have recently started to wear perfume on a daily basis, but this sounds lovely – and isn’t it funny how we associate memory with scent?
It’s so gorgeous, I absolutely love it – and yes, scent memories are super powerful, aren’t they? 🙂
I love a variety of fragrances but I find myself gravitating towards a nice floral. This one sounds so good Lisa. Would love to try. Have a lovely day my friend. 🙂 I have missed so much. Trying to catch up after a long vacation. 🙂
Via | http://glossnglitters.com
I love citrus and florals but my preferences gravitate towards roses. This one is gorgeous, I’m sure you’d love it too, Via, and welcome back, hope you had a wonderful holiday! x
Nothing like a shower of compliments because of the siren fragrance you’re wearing. I love a beautiful floral, so now I’m about to go check this out.
It is a gorgeous fragrance, if you love florals I’m sure you’d love this one 🙂