J'Adore L'Absolu

I asked my BF for this bottle as a gift, I did not compare it properly with the original version before. I simply assumed that I would enjoy the L'absolue version better, I generally enjoy extreme, absolue and essenze versions, so I just guessed that it would be the case with the J'adore line as well.. Right after I recieved this pretty little gift I ran off to check and compare notes (which I obviously should have done earlier..) to my suprise (and horror) I notice that the L'absolue version are enriched with a heavy jasmine and rose! My two most feared florals! Today, a few weeks later, I'm honestly very glad that I asked for this particuliere version. The jasmine are beautiful and I don't get much rose at all, thankfully. Not really a rose fan. It's indeed a heavier, deeper and richer version of the sweet, floral J'adore. It's lighter on the fruits and the sweetness, but stronger in it's florals and it's sharper and more distinct (in a good way). It's slightly more matuare and refined. A classier and more "expensive" alternative. The gold colour really complements this scent, it does smell "rich". I now own both L'absolue and a miniature "to go version" of the original. To my suprise I always reach for the L'absolue version. I feel more comfortable wearing it and it provides me with far more compliments that the original does. The sillage and lasting power are wonderful, 1-2 sprays will follow you through a whole day. My favorite place to apply L'absolue are in the back of my neck, feels kind of sensual and I can ejoy it without having it "in my face" all day. I feel like I must complement the jasmine once more, I'm very picky with jasmine but I must say that this is jasmine at it's best behaviour. It could also be the mix with Ylang Ylang who really helps the jasmine pop, they are indeed nice together!

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks that this basically smells like the original J'adore + Pure Poison? L'Absolu is the most beautiful one though IMO, as the extra flowers add a gorgeous powderiness as well as creaminess compared to J'adore, while it's not as sweet/stuffy as Pure Poison. It kinda makes sense though, as L'Absolu is a lot more floral (Pure Poison) compared to J'adore (1999). What surprised me though (and I thank God for this)! is that the fruit notes from J'adore seem to be pretty much intact. I MUCH preffer L'Absolu over the original J'adore. L'Absolu is like the original J'adore on steroids + a ton of creamy, white flowers. I've always loved florals but I'm also a pretty huge fan of pear and melon (original J'adore) so for those notes to be compromised would have been a huge let down for me. Not all fruits and flowers go together this well, but Tuberose, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang + melon, pear and musk is just a match made in heaven! To be perfectly honest, the original J'adore kinda smells "unfinished" now that I've smelled L'Absolue. This beauty has got all that I look for in a perfume, it's filled to the brim with class, understated elegance and freshness. Just one huge, classy perfume! And the best thing of all? It's actually really poweful! Just one small spray lasted all day and then some, projecting nicely the entire time. If you want to smell clean, pampered and elegant, then this one won't let you down! This is floral fruity done right. This is perfection. J'adore L'Absolu - absolutely flawless!

I have owned both the pre-reformulation (2009) and the current version. I have only managed to use about 2/3 of the larger bottle of the former because, after a while, it started to feel a bit too much to me and even overpowering at times to the point of my feeling dizzy, so to the wardrobe it went, only to be rediscovered a while ago. Alas, it was too late because time has already taken its toll on it and it has gone kinda sour. Having spent much time lately looking for the 'perfect' fume but to little avail, I decided to give this one another try and purchased the current (2015) version. Although this one definitely starts off more alcoholic and has a curious synthetic feel in places, as others have noted, having lost some of its former fullness and longevity, it is still such a stunning beauty. I even have to admit (please don't stone me though!) that I like this one a tad better because now that it has been stripped of some of its former monstrous potency, gone are the ocassional headaches. All it does now is put a smile on my face whenever I wear it, literally, which is exactly what I want my frag to do, all day every day. Reformulation notwithstanding, to me this is the ultimate happy scent, reminding me of sunny early spring days. That said, one would expect some change in the price tag as well, though. UPDATE: The drydown is really to die for and I find it even better than in the pre-reformulation version. A straight 10/10.

'Absolue' or, simply put, 'absolute' is a term that perfumers seem to use to describe natural ingredients of the highest possible quality. Never has this been more accurate when used for J'Adore. J'Adore has always been a bit ethereal and banal, but the absolue feels so much more well rounded and full. The jasmine and tuberose in this smell almost photorealistic. It is also a perfect example of a perfumer being able to toss aside the not so great ingredients used in cheaper renditions and pull out the goodies. I can only imagine how great it must have felt to perfect an already highly popular and rather enjoyable scent. This is just so elegant and spectacular. It lasts roughly the same amount of time on my skin as the original does, but my skin often isn't the best judge for longevity. However, it is important to remember that 'l'Absolue' doesn't always mean it'll last longer, so don't expect it to when testing. As I truly enjoy most versions of J'Adore already, I'd give this roughly a 7 out 10. You won't smell too different, just like a better version of people wearing the original. Provided your skin agrees with it, that is.

Wonderful fragrance. My wife asked me to smell this while we were walking around Sephora together because she said she'd received it as a gift when she was younger and that she hadn't liked it because she thought it smelled like "old woman" (sadly, my wife has since lost her sense of smell, which is why she asked me to smell it and then describe what I thought about it to her). Because she had primed me with the "old woman" comment, that's immediately what I thought it smelled like when I first sprayed it. But after a few seconds, I realized that I didn't think it smelled like "old" woman, it smelled like "classy" "elegant" woman. This is fantastic as a formal scent, wearing to galas, or weddings, or anything with floor-length gowns. After a few more seconds, a thought began to form that this smells like what I would consider an archetype of "women's perfume" and I imagine it sitting in an ornate glass bottle with a bulb spray in some wealthy woman's home in Paris. Really nice feminine scent and better than the original J'Adore.