CoSTUME NATIONAL — Supergloss
Essence
Supergloss is Dominique Ropion’s glossy rose for Costume National: red fruit, lipstick powder, Damascus rose, osmanthus, benzoin, patchouli, vetiver and cedar in a lacquered, youthful frame.
Scent Profile
The opening reads as berries and lipstick over rose. It can feel like rose jam, pink lipstick wax, a cold floral jelly bean, or a brief cola-citrus sparkle before the powder settles in. The heart is saturated rose, sweetened by red fruits and warmed by osmanthus and benzoin. It is not a dewy rose; it is a stylized, glossy one, closer to makeup and lacquer than to a garden. The base brings patchouli, vetiver and cedar. On friendly skin, they give the rose a chic dry frame. On less friendly skin, the synthetic fruit can turn sharp and the vetiver can feel dry or papery.
Performance
Performance is the weak point. Expect moderate-to-soft projection and middling duration, with better results possible on some skins. It benefits from generous application and cooler weather.
Wearing Context
Supergloss suits fall through spring, dates, daytime-to-evening wear and polished feminine styling. It is glamorous but not formal, youthful but not strictly teenaged, and easier to wear than a heavy dramatic rose because it stays lighter.
Comparisons & DNA
Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady is the unavoidable reference because Ropion composed both. Supergloss is sweeter, fruitier, more synthetic and much lighter. Lady Vengeance, Agent Provocateur and Soir de Lune are useful nearby rose-family anchors, but the lipstick-jam gloss is the Costume National twist.
Reception
Wearers who like it praise the sexy rose, chic makeup effect and discount value. Critics focus on weak performance and a synthetic drydown that can resemble polish remover or dry cardboard. It makes sense at low prices for rose lovers, but sampling is wise at full retail.
Versions & Reformulation
Supergloss is a single 2021 composition with no known reformulation. It is absent from the current official line, so it now behaves like a quietly discontinued release.
Acquisition Notes
Look for 50 ml or 100 ml Eau de Parfum bottles, usually through discounters, decanters or remaining stock. The main risk is old or grey-market inventory rather than widespread counterfeiting.
Notable Facts & Lore
- Dominique Ropion composed Supergloss after defining one of modern perfumery’s best-known dramatic rose styles.
- The launch framed rose through seduction, thorns and glossy femininity.
- The bottle uses the house’s sculptural human-figure flacon in a lacquered color story.
- Its reputation is that of an accessible, brighter riff on Ropion’s own rose language.