L'Interdit Absolu

This fragrance is so silky smooth and sexy, straddling the unisex line between being a woman in a long black silk evening dress with a rouge lip, and a man with a well-presented masculine elegance and self-aware sophistication; both tender and strong, captivating and seducing you through presence alone. I received this fragrance as a New Year's gift, and upon first spraying it through its wonderfully pressurised atomiser, I was perplexed: I first noticed a clear and somewhat pungent white floral note - one that was unmistakably feminine and almost generic - and I worried for a moment if this was going to be a basic jasmine/tuberose fragrance with too much sweetness and not a lot of personality, but I was (thankfully) wrong. I sprayed another two or three times onto my skin as well as the fabric of my sleeves, trying to clear the initial alcohol blast of a new fragrance, and then it happened: the Guatemalan cardamom came through, strong and unmistakable, and supported by an aromatic lavender; opening up an addictive olfactive chapter full of aromatic spice. I said aloud, "This part is exquisite", as the subtle tobacco note began to project from my sleeve, ahead of my skin somehow; bringing about a masculine core to a deceptively feminine opening. I could not stop sniffing my arm, almost to the point of giving myself a tight head. But this androgynous beauty wasn't done with me yet, as I initially sprayed quite close to bedtime, and as I tried to settle down for a good night's sleep, my head was then filled with a heady bubblegum tuberose that, to me, was more akin to a grape-flavoured candy. This part I wasn't so keen on, as I've always had a complicated relationship with white florals - often finding them to be too obnoxious and/or too sweet - but there was something equally as addictive about this conflicting part of the drydown. I won't lie to you: it filled my head and, subsequently, my dreams that night. My mind was commandeered by this fragrance in a way I used to hope for from my liked, but not quite loved, under-performers of the past. I awoke the following morning and was greeted by an oh-so delectable creaminess that bordered so close to being vanillic without ever going over the tipping point; instead, it was a nutty type of creaminess with the white florals fully immersed but still ahead of the aromatic spiciness that makes up the entirety of this fragrance's distinction. The only notes I didn't detect within the gorgeously sensual line-up were neroli (which I'm more than okay with) and rum. The rest of the pyramid was cohesive and beautifully displayed that it could all work together without pulling itself apart, trying to appeal to either gender. Quite frankly, this fragrance is a sensual type of sexy: it allures you, and has you wondering if it will tease and then allude you, before living up to its background and has you falling for it in a heady and hypnotic type of way that makes you not care who, or what gender, the person is behind the mask as they beckon you forth with a gloved hand into a night full of pleasure, as the ad campaign so cleverly suggested. "This is you", said the person who gifted me this darling fragrance. They knew before I'd even come to fully explore this beauty myself. The only other fragrance they said the same thing about was Black Orchid (EdP). I was both flattered and intrigued, but it begs the question: Is this fragrance 'you', too, dear reader? Wear this if you want to project a mysterious type of seductiveness, removed from gender, while still keeping you acutely aware of all that is erotic and erogenous about your own being. A masterfully-blended moonlit creation that symbolises the masculine and feminine as one, but not as you've known it before - and you'll likely find yourself coming back to it in the dead of night, when other more crowd-pleasing fragrances don't quite scratch that itch. All you need to do is submit.

Fragrantica still hasn’t caught up with reality. This isn’t “for her.” It’s for whoever’s hot enough to pull it off. 🔥 Givenchy said it themselves: “A smoky, warm signature blurring the codes between genders.” That’s what made me want it before I even wore it. I’m a woman who thrives on unisex scents that lean masculine, the kind that smells like moral corruption and after-hours confidence. Tobacco, booze, leather, spice, and zero tolerance for sugar or “clean girl” boredom. My inner chaos demon yelled “BUY” when I sampled it for the first time, and I did. Days after it dropped. The opening hits like that one ex who only ever texted “come outside” instead of “hi.” Lavender and cardamom melt together, calm and carnal all at once. Love that kind of contradiction. I’ve always believed the deadliest kind of sex appeal is control. Nothing louder than stillness. Nothing filthier than quiet confidence. Then comes the heady white floral middle. Tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine... the unholy ménage à trois of migraines. And I’m a card-carrying member of their hate club. Normally I’d tap out, but here they’ve been sedated with rum and duct-taped in smoke. Finally behaving. And then the base drops. Tobacco, vetiver, patchouli, rum. Holy. Or rather, unholy. It’s heavy, rich, intoxicating. You stop smelling like perfume and start smelling like the villain in an obscure 2000s erotic thriller. 💋🩸 You’ll leave a trail of memory behind you whether you mean to or not. It’s not perfume or a confidence booster. It’s a full-on personality upgrade. People say it’s the most masculine L’Interdit. Yeah, sure. It’s masculine the same way a woman with dark lipstick, a slow smile, and a knife in her pocket is masculine. Which is to say, not at all. Think goth noir heroine energy. The type who makes eye contact like a dare and walks like she’s about to throw hands or kiss you. I’ve worn it on a suspicious number of dates. Boys said it was “too strong.” Men said they couldn’t shake it off. Age never mattered, it was all about the state of their minds. Absolu is natural selection in a bottle. A built-in filter for mediocrity. Just wear it and watch the faint of heart self-eliminate. ☠️ This isn’t your everyday fragrance unless you’re clinically dramatic. It’s bold, decadent, and unapologetically inappropriate for daylight. Perfect for 2 a.m. in cold weather. Cigarettes, leather, lace, and crimes of passion. The kind of thing you wear when you want to be both the problem and the cure. And that bottle? Pure authority. Opaque black, sleek, heavy enough to end an argument. Essentially a blunt weapon with aesthetic value. I’d gatekeep it, but that’d be selfish. L’Interdit Absolu smells like a fight in a church alley between lavender, tobacco, and rum that ended in sex and repentance. Spray it before you apologize to absolutely no one. 🕷️

A more nuanced, aromatic, less peppery, spicy L’Interdit Rouge. Still a warm scent. As a first impression I can’t say I smell any lavender in the Absolu but the cardamom is quite strong. I like that, I am a fan of cardamom. For me this version maintains the original DNA: a strong blend of tuberose, jasmine, orange blossom and patchouli. Maybe some faint hints of rum, tobacco and vetiver. Note wise, it has a more complex structure than most of the line, at all levels, but the overall scent ends up smelling like the rest of L’Interdit, just slightly more grown up and unisex. Might be more punchy than the original and the previous release, Rouge Ultime, but can’t be 100% sure unless I would give it a full wear. Would love a small bottle of this version but for winter. I don’t think it’s absolutely a must have if you have some of the previous variants of L’Interdit and it is highly priced for the moment. But it does seem like a strong scent for sure which is something that I personally like in all my fragrances. Givenchy still creates fragrances that packs a punch in 2024! I am impressed, Givenchy!!

Scrumptious. Absolutely Scrumptious. I had Intense, but I sold it because of the sesame note. It just didn't sit well with me, so I was excited to test this when it came out. I adored it, but it was coming into summer where I live and it is more of a cool/cold weather scent. So i put in on my winter 2025 wish list. Well, i forgot about it. I tested it again while Christmas shopping and decided that I wasn't going to forget about it again. I bought it about 4 weeks ago, damn it's SEXY. I haven't worn it out yet, but wearing it at home makes me want to rip my own clothes off 😉 It's so well blended. The rum, tuberose, lavender, Jasmine, patchouli and vetiver is so smooooth but sexy spicy. It's a little syrupy sweet, but not in a juvenile way at all. Although it leans a little feminine, it's totally unisex and I would swoon if i smelt this on a dude. It's sex in a bottle. MA rated. Proceed with caution. Your significant other will want to bury their face in your neck... Or breasts... Or thighs.... or.. well this is getting X rated real quick. So I'll leave it at that.

Despite being advertised and a part of Givenchy’s women’s perfume line, I think this is one of the best unisex fragrances I’ve smelt to date. It’s deep and sensual yet smooth and soft. You won’t have to worry about performance at all; the beauty is in the scent. The lavender and neroli opening is beautiful. Idk what tuberose smells like but it’s got great smooth florals. And I love the tobacco, rum and vetiver combo once it becomes more of a skin scent. I literally smelt this on someone in Canada almost 2 years ago and have thought about it everyday since. I could’ve bought it online, but I wanted to get my hands on it and smell it again. Couldn’t find it in any Sephora, Ulta, Dillard’s, or mall. Welp I ended up finding it in an airport in Hawaii. Bought it instantly and it’s now a top 5 fragrance that I own and is signature scent worthy. And yes, the glaze is justified. Any man or woman wearing this has my respect.