Absolu by Rochas

Brutal perfume. I don’t understand why they discontinued it. It has the class of the classics but with a super modern scent; sweet but without that praline or overripe fruit vibe. When I found it at an old perfume shop, I couldn’t believe it. It reminds me a bit of Rochas Alchimie, which I also miss.

I find it enchanting: sober, elegant, distinguished… with just the right touch of musk that I love. Although it’s not a legendary Rochas fragrance, I absolutely adore it and would buy it if they relaunch it. I don’t know if the house is going bankrupt or what’s wrong with them, because with gems like this, they should have kept it. They discontinued it just like Byzance, Alchimie, Mystère, and Lumière. Rumor has it they shut down and sold four fragrances (Tocade, Femme, Muse, and Madame) to an American firm that reformulated them and put them in plain bottles, nothing like the gorgeous original flacons.

It wasn’t a bad fragrance; maybe it just lacked a bit of personality, far from the resinous opulence promised in the description. Absolu wasn’t a bomb, but rather a soft infusion where echoes of what could have been still linger. That didn’t make it bad. It was discontinued quickly, probably because Rochas was already devalued at the time and didn’t know what to sell. At first, it felt creamy yet rough, like a thin fig leaf with a subtle touch of mandarin. Then it gained body without losing that softness, featuring undefined flowers and resins that reminded me of a muted Alien by Mugler. In reality, it was delicious—a sensual, androgynous skin scent. Being by Cavallier, you can tell his signature: delicate but sensual, with a skin-like finish and refined bedroom notes. It whispers without extravagance, yet it’s terribly mysterious.

What a gem! Thanks to you all, I’ve discovered another Jacques Cavallier treasure. To me, it smells almost identical to Boucheron’s Trouble, even though the ingredients aren’t very similar. It’s like when I wear it, I literally fly; yet it’s so hard to find, which I don’t understand for a piece of art like this. Anyway, I highly recommend it.

I’m glad that at a store where I buy perfumes, they gave me the Absolu tester. It’s a beautiful fragrance. On my skin, it smells like sweet figs; you can detect the balsam of Peru and benzoin (both subtle)… a floral touch dominated by bitter orange, ‘behind the scenes.’ The ingredients are very well harmonized, resulting in a distinguished fragrance, like a sparrow among a flock of pigeons. I hope I can get another bottle. For now, I’ll take care of my half tester 🙂