Absolu-tely Divine
By Donna Hathaway
When Jean Patou’s Sublime was released in 1992, I was immediately drawn to it, but I was reluctant to actually buy it at first. It was so different from anything I had ever worn before that I was not sure it was “me”. Until then, the only “big” perfume I had in my possession was Guerlain’s Nahema, which I could not wear in very many situations due to its intensity. I was afraid that Sublime would overwhelm me with its power. It was not a huge blast of olfactory overload like Poison or Giorgio, the twin plagues of the Eighties, but it was pretty assertive. However, after trying it on and wearing it for a few hours, I was amazed to discover that Sublime and I were meant for each other. The mandarin and orange blossom agreed with my skin as I never dreamed they would, and the bergamot, coriander and cedar kept it from being too sweet as the rose cast its spell over the whole, while never being dominant enough to turn it into a true rose scent. This was also one of the first perfumes I ever wore that has a generous dose of vanilla, but it is so well balanced that it is never foody; it just gives an embracing warmth to the composition I broke down and bought a big bottle, and whenever I wore it I received many compliments. This was a lesson for me; even a very strong fragrance is wearable when it is of the highest quality and has the seamless balance that Sublime has in abundance.
Recently, I discovered another fragrance that is very much in the same tradition as Sublime; Absolu de Rochas, released in 2002. For some reason I never tried it before, but I either love or admire virtually all other Rochas fragrances I have ever tried, and when I stumbled upon a description of it I was intrigued. This sounded like another winning Rochas fragrance meant for women, not girls, and lately I have really enjoyed wearing such things as I age into what I hope is my prime. So I ordered a small 5 ml bottle of the EDP for about $10.00. (For some reason, this fragrance has never been popular, so it is available at bargain prices at online perfume outlets.)
The only listed notes these two perfumes have in common are mandarin and orange blossom, but since each have enough of them to really make a statement, the similarity struck me immediately when I opened my elegant little bottle of Absolu. In contrast to Sublime, the elements that keep Absolu from being cloying are fig leaf in the opening, fleur de Lys and black pepper in the heart notes, and tolu balsam in the base. The other base notes are labdanum ciste and benzoin, making this a very warm fragrance indeed, and the longer it is on the skin the better it gets. I am a big fan of all three of the major base notes, so having them all in one fragrance is a real treat. This is a perfume for romantic evenings and special nights out on the town, deep and enveloping and very sensual. It is definitely not for women who do not wish to attract attention from men, for it will indeed provide an assist in that department, not only on its own merits but how it makes you feel when you wear it – feminine in the very best sense of the word.
Fashion expert Clinton Kelly of the popular television show “What Not To Wear” says that women should go through their closets and discard any article of clothing that does not make them feel beautiful, or powerful, or both. Absolu does exactly that.
Both Sublime and Absolu are still in production, and Sublime can be found at high quality department stores that carry the Jean Patou line. Absolu may be a bit harder to locate; like 1998’s Alchimie, which I also adore, it was never the big hit that Rochas fragrances such as Femme, Madame Rochas or Byzance have been. It is available at specialty boutiques and online merchants.( Also, in 2003 a new “version” called Absolu Intense Simply Red was released – it adds tuberose, amber and vanilla to the mix, among other things. I have not tried this one yet, but I hope it has retained the good qualities of the original. It’s on my wish list!)
12 comments May 22nd, 2007