Absolue Pour Le Soir 2024

I am convinced that Francis Kurkdjian cannot do a fragrance that is dark, brooding, foreboding, deep, seductive and sultry, or any other descriptors on that side of the spectrum without making it sweet. A close friend or relative should coyly check-in on him to make sure he isn't type 2 diabetic; the man loves his sugar. Let's tackle the second elephant in the room, while we're at it: the huge number of people who report this fragrance smelling like piss. One, it doesn't smell urinous; if you think it does, take a whiff of actual urine sometime to find out you're wrong. Two, the opening does have a very similar accord to an odor-cancelling chemical found frequently in bathroom urinal cakes - the long-lasting cleaning and deodorizing material. This accord is very brief, and much less harsh and synthetic in the perfume than in the actual deodorizing material. It's a sweet fruity accord of ylang-ylang given a heaping dose of animalic musks, and accented by some sweaty and humid cumin that becomes more apparent after the first dry-down. This oddball and defiant combination is going to be love or hate, but even when it's love it's going to be love at a distance. The opening certainly catches your attention, and it will push away many, but it will reward those who stick around. Once the musks and ylang-ylang dispense, the cumin remains and becomes a soft and silky aromatic nestled on a bed of floral honeys and ambers. This is where Absolue shines. If you fall on the 'love side' of this fragrance, you are going to be thought-provokingly and addictively seduced. If you are on the side of retreat, it will be because the mixture of cumin and honeyed ambers creates an uncomfortable 'afterglow' - and I say that word because, honestly, the best way I can describe this is like the feeling of superb awkwardness you would get having accidentally stumbled into a bedroom containing a post-coital couple that got really raunchy and really dirty, and you get a big whiff of their previous activities. This perfume is so wickedly raunchy, the sinful and sultry side-smile and eye-glint of a ruleless dominatrix, you almost have to laugh at what feels like slapstick or pantomime. For me, I'm on the side of love without a doubt; the quiet inner feelings of awkwardness, guilt, and shame this creates has a tantalizing effect on me, not a call to retreat. After the orgy has ended and everyone has gone to bed, the powdery, honeyed ambers remain to nestle you like your favorite warm blanket. It is at the point you encounter what is, in my opinion, this perfume's only drawback: the final skin scent is almost sickeningly sweet (again, FK loves his sugar). This perfume proves that Captain Kurk is indeed a master perfumer; anyone bold enough and capable enough of creating a perfume that can have such deeply polarizing and emotional effects has to be a master. It also proves that Captain Kurk's moments of brilliant creativity, when left solely to his own direction and devices, are far too few and fleeting. None of the other perfumes he's created for his own house come anywhere close to being as good as Absolue Pour le Soir. Perhaps that is one reason why it's so striking.

The XXL match that ignites the flesh. This is a sultry fragrance that makes no apologies and Francis Kurkdjian's most polarizing scent. A thick oriental amber, the antithesis of Grand Soir. The execution is masterful. I'll quickly skim the notes of this fragrance, as it would be an insult to try to form an image of it simply by reading them: Top trio of cumin, honey, and amber, complemented by rose, cistus, and vanilla. The structure is simple, and the ingredients are perfectly identifiable in a meticulously crafted blend. This is what Francis Kurkdjan's art yields at its best when he is truly himself, free to express himself without commercial constraints, with all the audacity he possesses on all-too-rare occasions. Subscribers to the MFK fragrance collection will be very surprised by the uncompromising artistic vision expressed in this creation, which was launched in 2010 and was already considered at the time to be an anomaly bordering on the experimental. This fragrance is reminiscent in its opening of Under My Skin by Francesca Bianchi, released seven years later, but Absolue reveals itself to be far more refined, more biting, sharper, and ultimately more sophisticated. It is a magnificent, honeyed, animalic amber with dirty floral notes that evoke the deepest, most secret desires of human beings. A distant cousin of Absolue for the evening would be Musc Ravageur in its original version from 25 years ago, powerfully animalic. This fragrance is best worn at night only, as it is too extroverted for daytime wear in my opinion. The strong, spicy indole opening can actually suggest the smell of sweat in a poorly cleaned public restroom. What follows is a powerful, sensual evolution, offering a bouquet of pheromone-like scents reminiscent of skin warmed by love. Absolue is the XXL match that ignites the flesh for those who aren't afraid to take risks. This fragrance won't be worn by the masses, and that's not its purpose. However, if you want a decidedly intriguing and distinctive fragrance that will make people wonder where you're going, this is it. While Grand Soir is intended for more formal occasions like galas and social events, Absolue pour le Soir is much more suited to nights out and underground nights until dawn, like the dark and torrid side of the same coin. It's always a risk when a perfumer relaunches a discontinued creation, but this 2010 reissue is a true success in faithfully reviving the original version with a few subtle contemporary variations. For those who missed the original, MFK had the excellent idea of offering a "lower cost" catch-up session for an identical experience, especially considering that the first edition is being sold for around €800 on some enthusiast forums.

Just recieved this and immediately got the piss-y urine smell, which is quiet off-putting, *but* I'm going to be patient and wait out for the dry down to make a judgement on this one, as I have high hopes, I'll come back to this in a few hours with an update..... UPDATE: OK, now have been wearing this for a couple of days. I *still* smell that 'pissey' smell throughout the life of the fragrance, but it diminishes along with the fragrance till it's a skin scent and then I can barely smell it. The culprit for this is probably the Cumin. Even with the unpleasant smell throughout the duration of the frag, I have found myself addicted to it, which is extremely strange. The fragrance itself is terribly interesting, there is a bewildering simple complexity about it, one that begs me to go back for more. There is also a very filthy and sexual vibe to this fragrance, I smell mainly amber, mingling with said unpleasant smell, a little bit of vamilla hiding in there, and some honey. Worn alone, it's a masterpiece and yet I've managed to layer it with a couple of fragrances, mainly Mécanique Intuitive by Les Eaux Primordiales, and Enflammé by De Givenchy, which retains the fragrance's DNA but elevating it a bit, and taming that Cumin down a tiny winy bit. Longevity on this is a good 10-12 hours where it ends up being a skin scent. This does not project much, but it keeps its aura around you like a transparent bubble. Body heat and temperature changes that, and I stupidly discovered this in the gym, whereby I kept on smelling the cumin note and thinking 'oh please Lord don't let them think I need man nappies'!!! Versatility is tricky, because I've asked a couple of friends if they can smell the offensive note, and none could, except for me, but that made me all the more paranoid :) A masterpiece definitely worth checking out, and although I blind buy *all* my fragrances, I consider myself lucky with this one. In light of this, I do not recommend this as a blind buy, but I can assure you if you get around that note you will probably fall head over heels for it. I'm gonna stop my ramble and leave it at that, may all you lovely people enjoy and God bless :)

This is far closer to the original than I anticipated and certainly the best of the re-releases so far. I find it to be lacking a bit in the animalic facets of the original but nobody should consider paying the price for the old APLS now that this is released. I do notice some minor difference but it’s about 95% similar to the vintage versions. Save yourself some money and pick up the new version. It’s almost identical and costs very little compared to the price people are paying for the old one. In honesty is the vintage better, yes. That said, I don’t think it’s worth the cost with this available now... Highly recommend this if you love the original honeyed/cumin/amber of the vintage formula. Now if they would just release a 100% recreation of Lumiere Noire Pour Homme. That is and will probably always be my favorite MFK creation of all time. Down to about 10-12ml and praying they re-release that next! The reviews here are about this being a cash grab but in reality they’re offering to save everyone money and give us access to this scent again. It’s really close to the original unlike APOM (combining the Homme and femme didn’t work imo) and Reflets D’Ambre (ciel de gum). EDIT 11/11/24 - Those who are saying it’s completely different may want to give it time to macerate. Comparing decades old juice that’s macerated for ages vs brand new is rarely going to be accurate. Scents do change over time, it’s a scientific fact if high amounts of naturals are used. I still say it’s about 92-95% similar after more wearings. In my fragrance making I’ve had scents made at exactly the same amounts down to .0001g and they smell different at different stages of maceration...

Let me try to shine some light on why some may consider this a cash grab. For me personally it is not simply because of the high price itself, but rather that its new pricing seems influenced by the exorbitant prices sellers are asking for APLS on the secondhand market. Compare: Absolue pour le soir (edp) 70 ml | 2013: 115 EUR | 2024: 310 EUR (based on Selfridges preorder) | 169.6% up* Oud (edp) 70 ml | 2013: 195 EUR | 2024: 235 EUR | 20.5% up Oud silk mood (extrait) 70 ml | 2013: 275 EUR | 2024: 335 EUR | 21.8% up However, I do agree with those commenting that people should not hate vote on a perfume’s scent and performance without having actually tried it out. I myself am still curious to smell how the reformulated perfume compares to the original. EDITED TO ADD 24/10/2024: *To put things a bit more into perspective: the price in EUR indicated on the Selfridges website appears to be including duties and taxes. It is more likely that the actual price will lie somewhere between 230 EUR (250 USD) and 275 EUR (230 GBP). This would still constitute an increase between 100% and 139.1%, some of which may be accounted for by costs incurred by the reformulation process. However, one may question if those costs justify a percentage increase of five times more than its counterparts. Arguably, the ingredient costs seem higher for both other fragrances if assuming the usage of real oud. Why the USD and GBP prices vary so wildly is beyond me. Anyone a guess?

Just got my bottle delivered an hour ago and sprayed it while the bottle was still ice cold from transit. I had a decant of the original a few years ago but do not have one to directly compare with. To me, this fragrance has been reformulated but not drastically. It Is still a urinous, musky, powdery, amber with some almost Animalic funk to it. Right off the get go it seems like this will not be as strong as the original. Although it’s impossible to tell if the strength of the original is more related to faulty memory, the temperature of the bottle when sprayed, a decade of maceration or all of the above. I’m happy that Francis re-released this fragrance and seems to have left it mostly untouched. There was no real monetary incentive to re-release a cult classic that smells like a urinal when all of his current fragrances smell like a clean window and probably sell 10 X what this will sell. So I’m glad he did it and I’m glad I bought it My guess is at the beginning most reviewers will just be people complaining about strength and reformulation. I would say these people are prone to hyperbole and “Golden Age thinking”. If you enjoyed the original you will enjoy this. If you have not smelled the original this is not exactly blind buy safe and you should probably sample first.

I received the bottle yesterday and applied the fragrance on myself both yesterday and today. First, let’s talk about longevity—it’s incredible! 💪🏻 I applied it on my wrist in the morning, took a shower in the evening, and could still smell it on my skin. And even when I woke up the next morning, there was still a faint trace of the scent on my skin. As for the fragrance itself, its profile is undoubtedly rich, deep, and beautiful—a true niche scent! However, this particular interpretation of honey may not be for everyone, as it opens with a slight urinous note. In many niche compositions, honey tends to have this nuance for some reason. It’s not a problem for me, as it fades from my skin in about 10 minutes. I can also smell honey combined with waxy honeycombs, which adds an interesting touch to the fragrance. Cumin is also quite noticeable, lending a soft spiciness and a hint of bitterness. The amber in this fragrance is warm and viscous, rounding out the composition and adding softness. I don’t specifically detect vanilla, but the base of the fragrance does become noticeably sweeter. To me, this scent is very beautiful and unique. I’ve never smelled anything quite like it.

Got a chance to smell this at Selfridges. For reference I have not smelt the original release. I perceive this scent through many other scents of which I own. Grand soir I find far too gourmand and sweet in the base. I prefer my ambers spicy and animalic. This is that. The cumin in here reminds me of declaration by Cartier, it has the same BO vibe. The overall scent profile and notes are most comparable to Dior Mitzah. The honey amber rose incense notes are present in both. But pour le sour goes in a much more animalic direction. What’s not listed in the notes is a Civet musk accord. This is what gives it that pissy urine animalic smell. This is what reminds me of YSL Kourous. But ultimately the fragrance that I can compare this with the most is Dior’s Leather Oud. A similar warm civet composition. It’s daring for MFK. I can see why it was discontinued as scents like these don’t do well in the mass market. This is actual niche perfumery. It makes grand soir look like the basic b*tch that it actually is. On my to buy list.

This isn’t a review (look below for my review) this is a rant. I am over the elitist snobby attitude of some collectors. They have the belief that discontinued fragrances shouldn’t be relaunched. Why? Because you have the “original” and don’t want others to experience something incredible? They claim the newer one isn’t as good? By what measure? If one is honest, you can smell it’s the same exact fragrance but the 2010 has an incredible silage and is a bit more room filing but the structure, the texture and the experience is the same fragrance. Some claim it’s not the same and it’s butchered- you’re joking, right? I believe some people just want status over experience or enjoyment. I am so happy Francis Kurkdjian decided to relaunch this because it’s truly an amber masterpiece. In 15 years it will be just as beastly as the 2010 bottles. I say listen to the people who tell you their experience of the fragrance rather than the people who are telling you what to think about the fragrance.

I have no experience with the original Absolue Pour Le Soir, and so unfortunately cannot make comparisons. What I can say however, is this is a beauty - I have often made it known I do not hold much respect for Kurkdjian as a perfumer, I find the majority of his work uninspired and dreary, but this is gorgeous. An overwhelmingly sweet and sticky note of honey blasts you in the face upon first spray, quite a realistic honey accord I must say, as it’s at once syrupy and sugary, but holds a certain bitterness. This sweetness is elevated by a standard Amber accord, the sappy facets furthered by an increase in labdanum, all intertwined by a guttural punch of cumin - which comes off satisfyingly filthy. For those that struggle with cumin, this will be an absolute no-go. But for those who crave an element of eroticism in their perfume, you will find it most welcome. I always found Grand Soir a little too boring, and this seems to be the perfect remedy.

I just got the new 2024 release from Selfridges and it’s exactly like the 2010! I have a 2ml sample of the 2010 vintage that came along with a 200ml bottle of Cologne Pour le Soir. It’s the same round, slightly acidic almost waxy honey (think unfiltered honey with wax inside) with the dusty/stone like incense. Just as dense and rich but the vintage is a bit more beastly in projection which makes sense as it’s aged for 14 years. The new fragrance does project very well with two sprays but the vintage seriously needs only 1/2 spray! The cumin is not funky or too much it’s just creating this human nuance that makes the fragrance feel sort of erotic and part of the wearer. I do not smell urine, I have no idea how others smell urine. I’m so happy I splurged. The backside of the faceplate reads: Parfum Créé en 2010 Francis Kurkdjian- such a lovely touch!

I recently purchased a vintage 200ml of Cologne pour le soir- very light as one would expect from a cologne concentration but very long lasting (especially on hair and clothing) the seller was kind enough to send me a sample of their vintage APLS. I was undecided between the two (both were selling for $400) because sometimes cumin is way too much for me. My word! Absolue is divine! Judicious use of cumin which didn’t come across as cumin to me. Tart honey goodness with a dusty/stone like incense that purrs for hours! It is a beast mode fragrance- I needed 1/2 a spray to create a scent bubble for hours. Don’t listen to the bad reviews many haven’t even tested this yet. I ordered a new bottle of Absolue from Selfridges! It was preorder and starting to ship today Oct. 28th Should be here around Nov 7th! Cant wait to compare and review!

This one is less dirty and animalistic than the previous version but don't be fooled, it's a bit easier to use the dirty side is still there (thankfully) but not so much in your face. 10/10 It's always good when a fragrance comes back on sale after being discontinued and the perfumer, even though the fragrance isn't a sales success and becomes a failure, doesn't change the characteristic that made the fragrance not a success with the common public, which is simply the dirty, carnal, animalic side, Francis has kept all that, even toning it down a bit. It won't be long before it's discontinued again because it was made for a specific audience, a full bottle will last a long time, it's not for the masses. This is not a Le male JPG and Francis knows it.

The opening is very special. Definitely getting urine vibes. First it's very animalic and a bit weird. Extremely niche. Then it developps some sweetness and is more bearable. Definitely a close encounter type of fragrance, not for the faint of heart. I love when Francis does these daring perfumes. This gets way better after a few hours. Ambery, sweet, with a bit of an animalic background. It's not the strongest perfume out there but it definitely performs above average. Big love, for a very niche fragrance. This lasts forever and I'd rate the projection between moderate and strong, it can be obnoxious if you overspray.

A truly raw oozing honeycomb, doesn't feel synthetic or "sweetened up". It's slightly animalic but it's more of an indolic kind, it's very soft and doesn't feel offensive unless you overspray it, I can see it becoming obnoxious then. It really reminds me of Angelos Creations' DNA, specifically Narkissos which also features a dark animalic raw honey note. It feels dusty, hazy, rays of sunlight peaking through the boards of a farm barn and diffracting off dust particles, which is odd since there are no woody notes here, yet the association I made makes me think of an environment where there is wood dust everywhere.

Finally decided to go ahead and order a bottle. Having owned the original, I bought this one blind and have no regrets. I find the cumin is dialed down from what I remember and only lasted a few minutes in the beginning. The honey, amber and slight vanilla are what remains and in that order of intensity. It is stunning with longevity at over 12hrs for me. *The rating here has been, unfortunately, ruined. Within the first mth of launch, it received an onslaught of negative ratings from folks that hadn’t even smelled it yet. It may never recover. That’s okay. Those who know, know!

There is NO WAY this is rated as 3.37/5 as of 16/08/2025. That might be the biggest 'rating injustice' I've seen thus far on Fragrantica. This is an unusual, dirty, beautiful fragrance that I instantly purchased on testing. I see a few comments regarding folks downvoting for reasons other than the quality of the scent. I'm not a big fan of cumin in scents, but I love how it is used here. If you're into darker, raunchy scents (of which MFK make very few, if any apart from this), give this a try. It's a stunner. 9/10

This is rude as all heck. Animalic cumin, honey and vanilla that makes me think of a bear claw dripping with freshly torn comb, complete with an initial near pissy slap that can be off putting but moments later... all beastly heat. At least in the warmth. In cooler weather it's more elegant and stays closer but still resolutely naughty. It's a brave wear but pays off - wore this in stag costume at a very wild festival and was deeply huffed a few times 🤣 just be prepared for the first minute and don't overspray.

first impressions: cumin and honey on an ambery bed of incensey labdanum and sweetness of vanilla/tonka. i can pretty much smell everything on the listed notes except for the rose, which is a very rare occurance. it's not as offensively animalic on me, but then im pretty biased since im nuts for that stuff. that incensey cumin opening reminds me of marlou fragrances. i havent smelt the older version so i have nothing to compare to. for now im just loving this current version.

The original has a touch of civet / deer musk from Quest/Takasago that the new one probably doesn't have - it's been replaced by milder synthetics, probably the same thing that happened with Kouros after the Gucci /loreal reformulation in 2011 where iffra again reduced the quantities of musk used.