Absolu

A beautiful, gooey benzoin after half hour..and it keeps getting more deliciously gooey and sweeter. It was supposed to be my signature scent but it is sadly discontinued. I still fantasize smelling like warm resins with an initial greenness so I've just bought 2 bottles from ebay. By the way, this smells NOTHING LIKE TOLU BY ORMONDE JAYNE. NOTHING. Can't believe 12 Fragranticans thought so. Rochas Absolu is sensuous and womanly. Tolu is amber with some initial citrus in a chalky way, to me more of a masculine chalky amber. I do not know how to appreciate Tolu, try as I might since I spent a bomb on it thinking it could replace Rochas Absolu, but I just don't and plan to sell it. Rochas Absolu, on the other hand, I will use sparingly because it is precious nectar extraordinaire. Well done, Jacques Cavallier. Edit: I have found a replacement for ABSOLU and I'm thrilled. It's YSL's CINEMA, another Jacques Cavallier creation extraordinaire. OK they don't have the same opening or mid, but the drydown is 95% similar... that same gooey sweet balsamic cloud. ABSOLU: Something botanical and green ➡️ sweet balsam/benzoin ➡️ thicker sweet balsam/benzoin CINEMA: Cola ➡️ Fizzy florals ➡️ sweet balsam/benzoin (95% similar to Absolu's drydown) ABSOLU is likely the more potent, but I'm not complaining. Hugs to you again, Jacques! Edit: Now that I'm more familiar with Cinema, I'm sorry to say that the drydown isn't that similar to Absolu after all. Bummer...I had wanted it to. But all the same, it's still a beauty. Not quite a match for Absolu, though. She will always regn as the balsamic queen.

Absolu is not really a mirror to its name, but it is a special fragrance that, thank Goodness, walks boldly away from all the over-sweet orientals available now. Instead, this is like rich dark, addictive molasses. It has a bit of sweetness to it, enough to make it warm, feminine, dark, smoky, intense, without being an obviously available (read easy to encounter on others) scent. The rich resinous smell is addictive for me - I love the smell as it says 'I'm not easy to find, I'm not everywhere, I'm not common'. I love to wear it, and seemingly so do the others around me. I bought it expecting something else, the classical vanilla--excessively sweet-drowned oriental fragrance, but am I glad it was not that - it is a tiny bit resinous and bitterish, but this is what makes it stand apart. I do like Kenzo-Jungle Elephant, D&G-The One, Dior-Dune, Chanel-Allure (to mention a few I thought this resembled according to reviews), but I far more love Absolu for its darkness, richness and distinctiveness. I am glad I have it, I enjoy it and I shall but it again and again.

The first spritz to explore a fragrance I give on my wrist; I am able to sniff close or far away and can or cannot pick notes etc. I did that with Absolu and thought: Well, quite boring. Today after work I've spritzed it on the decollete, where I usually wear perfume and this is a totally different experience: Wow, how sultry this is! Still boring in a way, but so nice, dark, sweet and a little nutty. Perfect. I am big fan of Jacques Cavallier. He has his own way of creating perfumes (for women). On paper they use to smell odd (so nobody buys), as a exploring perfume they are usually too linear (so the perfumistas dismiss them), BUT while wearing them they are so delightful, deep and make a woman smell phantastic and absolutely seductive. His creations need skin for development. I find him to be the best contemporary nose, sometimes he's a genius (Kingdom, Nu, M7), sometimes he's uninspired, but even than he creates better than average stuff. By the way: My boyfriend only reacts positively on Habanita and perfumes created by Jacques Cavallier.

How delicious! Absolu Rochas is a balsamic masterpiece (several people call it masterpiece, so I will join in) with strong sillage and super longevity. It is hard to deconstruct, because it is so well blended that I mostly smell the benzoins. There is some sharpness (from the cedar and the pepper?) and some fruitiness (from the orange?). I get no green notes. To me it is the archetype of balsamic perfumes. Absolu is of fantastic quality. If this came out on the market now, it would probably wear a hefty price tag. I have always used Absolu in winter time, but OceanPlusEarth recommends it for summer. So I left it close at hand when I changed from winter to summer scents this year. (I rotate my collection twice a year.) Curious to see how this wears in higher temperatures. EDIT: Now I have tried Absolu in warm temperatures, and OMG, it is even more delicious! It turns gourmand, very much like fudge or toffee. Reminds me a bit of Prada Candy. I will buy a back-up bottle of this.

A lovely subtle and unique perfume. The citrusy oil smell I associate with neroli comes to me first. And then a strong and beautiful wave of creamy benzoin and tolu woodiness. It's so rare to find a woody perfume that leans heavily towards the feminine - but to me that is what this does. As it dries down a sweet beautiful spiciness comes out. Everything about it feels deep and slow and resinous. It is not overpowering, but more darkly, quietly sexy. An everyday perfume in my eyes. Safe, unobtrusive, but a little mysterious. It reminds me very much of Moschino Couture (though less sweet... not that Couture is very sweet to begin with). My only further wish for this would be to add a volume UP dial. Wish it had bigger sillage and longevity. It fades quickly on my skin, turning into a warm, but almost nonexistent skin scent in about 2 hours.

Ah this is such a nice resinous perfume. I know this was discontinued and the bottle I bought is most likely very old as I can immediately only smell the base notes, not even the mid notes. Which is fine with me, it’s still very nice and for $35 for a 2.5ml it’s a good deal. I have been wracking my brain to figure out what this perfume reminds me of and I finally got it. It reminds me of Ormonde Jayne Tolu. Both have Tolu in the notes and I get a lot of Tolu on my skin, which I love. I’d say buy this one if you can’t afford OJ Tolu, it’s the closest I’ve found to the actual Tolu. Of course Ormonde Jaynes Tolu is stronger and lasts longer. But both are very very similar in the dry down. And you can find bottles of this perfume under $50 new or used for much less.

I have to confess.I love Rochas Absolu more than Rochas Mystere. Hope no one fainted in our vintage section:p I am really going to buy flowers to my body chemistry for this ABSOLUTE lingerness and smoulderness and chic reqarding Rochas Absolu. Its perfect on me. Wearing it its like sailing – you've got the wings behind your back Rochas Absolu actually makes me better human, tolu balsam – its so smooth and soft and forgiving. Its like someone's loving hand strokes my needles, makes me kind and fluffy) Labdanum here full of ambery liquidness, resinous and placide. Nectarous fig leaf – adds hearty intelligence. Neroli gives rich aromatic oiliness to tolu – these two are meant for each other! Absolu-t-ly gorgeous baby of Jacques Cavallier.

Absolu is a deep scent, smokey, elegant and definitely for winter time. I feel it would kill me if I wore it at hot summer day. I personally do not like the first 5 minutes but after that time, it becomes so dark and seductive that I cannot resist but keep sniffing my wrist :-) I am not very much into oriental fragrances, there are very few in my collection. Absolu is a magnificent fragrance for a big night out but it could never compete with the love of my life - Alchimie. Worth trying if you like oriental fragrances with a moderate sweetness and mellow floral notes. I never thought that benzoin and pepper could be such a lovely sweet and spicy companions making Absolu a genius mixture :-)

I'm currently wearing the lovely Absolu by Rochas - I'd describe it as a velvety, rich, honeyed orange blossom with an amber, resin, balsam, tolu dry down. I wore this to bed last night and it was so deliciously cozy. The morning after, I'm smelling incense and resins. I'm wearing it today, in the heat, and it's also gorgeous. I have two sprays, projection is moderate, staying power is excellent. This is a perfume that's so enjoyable in all phases, the first few hours are honeyed floral, which I can't get enough of. I could see a man wearing this perfume and pulling it off well, in fact, it'd be quite sexy.

I bought it in december last year, and I forgot it in my wardrobe with the intention to test it in a typical italian autumn day. Yesterday I wore it. Love at first sight, thing not so frequent with me even if I love the world of fragrances. This is what I call a real perfume. It reminds me Eclix of La Perla, I don't know why, the notes are completely different. But a woman who wears it doesn' t get away unnoticed. Warm, elegant and sensual. The Tolu balsam is prominent and I love it. Very good projection and it lasts all day long. Thumbs up. Obviously all these positive things led to discontinuation.

Rochas “Absolu” is gorgeous - on my skin. This is a YMMV fragrance that changes an unusual amount not just on different skin but on the same person at different ages. I used to get more powder but now the delicately sweet vanillic/tolu balsam aspects dominate. It is orange blossom, tolu balsam, powder on my skin. Richly beautiful, soft side of sumptuous, elegant, comforting. This and Ormonde Jayne’s Tolu are not only smellalikes but near twins. Tolu is a little drier, more resinous in my memory, but if they weren’t in a side by side I’m not sure I could tell the difference.

Absolu Rochas. Oh, it's simply stunning in the summer! ☀️ It transforms into a sweet, balmy caramel bomb that’s just divine. Seriously underrated! It’s a shame so many amazing powerhouse perfumes get discontinued while weak, synthetic fragrances take over the ‘buy now before you realise how crap they really are’ chemist counters. 🙄 Lucky for me, I’ve stocked up on a few bottles of this beauty. Cheers to real fragrances that stand the test of time! Wear what you want. No labels needed.

Absolue is my all time favourite. I personally find it simply perfect. First you can smell the fig leaves, they're very fresh, crisp, but it is not a green fragrance. Orange note brings some fruity complexion into it, followed by floral notes and then comes the drydown, a powdery and resinous miracle. I've never smelt anything similar before, the most beautiful drydown I can say. I find Absolue cosy, smooth but sexy at the same time. It is not sweet at all.

A beautiful warm and soft cocoon. Sits close to you with its resinous comfort and just tickles you a bit with a very moderate and natural freshness of non-acerbic citruses. Think kumquat here... I really love it and even my perfume hating partner tolerates it. The perfume doesn't overpower and keeps up the game of giving the wearer a special allure. The development is very straight and not very advanced - WYSIWYG. Sadly - discontinued.

I love the way the mandarin and lily notes balance the pepper in this fragrance, and the resinous, woody base is just gorgeous! I tested this fragrance months after first trying Moschino Couture, and I am realizing now that Couture seems to be very much in the style of Rochas Absolu, but lighter, and with a base of vanilla, rather than resins. This feels like the big sister fragrance to Couture. Two thumbs up!!!

Just bought it a while ago. First, 30ml. When I tried it for the second time I fell in love with it and ordered 75ml. It is a nice, elegant, warm & rich scent that can be used during the day or for the evening. Good staying power. More like for special occassions kind of scent, however I think that we should not keep things for special occassions as life is too short!

WONDERFUL!!! I sprayed from a tester today and I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of stock at my local drugstore Fine Fragrance counter. This is going strong after 6 hours ... a fabulous woodsy/rosy/resinous perfume that is easy on the pocket and delivers in spades!! This little gem is quite neglected ... get it while you can :).

Dark, smokey, rich, balmy and resinous, with moderate sweetness and unparalleled longevity. I wear it all year round and I can never have too much of it. So beautiful, so comforting. I pile new unopened bottles of Absolu for fear that it can get discontinued one day. Loss of no other fragrance would hurt me more.

Delicious, warm, nutty sexy! I love this!!! Peppery but not with an overly strong bite. It is smooth and sensual. It makes you want to cuddle up next to a fireplace with a glass of wine and watch the snow fly outside. Just a beautiful scent. A fall and winter must have for sure!!!!!

I don't know why I smell a lot of gardenia in this, but I do. And I love it! it is a warm floral fragrance with a slight kick (possibly from the pepper and fig leaf.) it smells like: black dress, high heels, elegant night out. not like: sequin & glitter, wild makeup, clubbing drunk.

As another reviewer mentioned, this scent is similar to Theorema. Both are warming scents perfectly blooming in cold climes. Sadly the other common factor is they are both discontinued.

Gorgeous perfume!! Stayes a LONG time and is very well constructed, I cannot recommend this enough and with this new store Luxuryperfume, it is available for a great price!

Luxurious and rich! Perfect for mature ,classy,successful ladies! Suitable for special occasions Ideal for fall/winter,cold evenings

I have a bottle of this one for sale. It’s not for me. I love all the notes but there’s something not right, it’s badly blended.

Vintage resinous dream. If you like Chantilly, Blue Grass, Casmir, and similar, you will like this. So happy I went for it!

People, do not miss out on this genius production of Cavallier! He did a magnificent job on this Alien sister!! :-)

This fragrance is back in FragranceX. Am keen to try this side by side with Van Cleef by Van Cleef and Arpels.

Gorgeous classic Amber Oriental perfume. Such a shame it has been discontinued

Absolu is citrus, very warm and powdery... It's my top five winter scent

Absolu is deep, rich, dark, warm and elegant. A little goes a long way.

If you love Alien, give this a try!! i adore it! Good luck! Action

A perfume for all you sexy ladies out there!!

I can't determine if my bottle has turned or not; it's a vintage I bought on ebay. The juice is much darker, more amber, instead of the yellow pictured here. However, I see that bottles pictured for sale on Amazon and other sites also show a darker liquid. Either way, on me the perfume I have is all gooey resins. I get no fruit or florals; just thick, warm, sticky, ambery resins. The effect is a heavy sweetness, but one that is not at all gourmand or fruity. The sweet sap makes me think that if it hasn't turned, it's on the verge and has lost some of its original notes. Even so, for now it's still wearable if a bit linear. Pungent and dry, this is the way I always imagined ancient burial chambers smelled, thick with the sticky sweet resins and oils used to anoint the dead--and in my world this is a good thing. I find a serene beauty in ancient funerary rites, particularity in the fact that the greatest care, best fragrances, and finest linens were often reserved for the deceased--after all, this is what you would wear for eternity. Life was temporary; it was the afterlife that mattered. This heady scent conjures warm firelight, rolls of handwoven linen, and opulence too precious to be wasted on the living. Because of its weight and thickness, this will certainly be a cold-weather wear for me. It's too heavy for everyday, but I will enjoy it on those occasions when the ancient past chooses to haunt me. This is one of those perfumes that's not just a scent, it's a time machine, an experience. One that may not even be entirely pleasant, but that you are richer for just the same.

“For a moment a phrase tried to take shape in my mouth and my lips parted like a dumb man’s, as though there was more struggling upon them than a wisp of startled air. But they made no sound, and what I had almost remembered was uncommunicable forever” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Well well this is one way to put it... I have a strong bizzare reaction to this fragrance but I have absolutely no idea why. What I can say is that Absolu is a fragrance hard to pin down on a particular season, it is like having a Quattro Stagioni perfume where you get something from every time of the year... a summery fig leaf, a dash of mandarin, woody notes bringing a flair of modern "blue" scents (must be the cedar), even orange flower, and then those winterly delights of balsamic and benzoin opulence. So everytime I put this on, I have an emotional flashback to something I don't know what it is and it is unbearable, although on a rational level I do appreciate this fragrance. I would say Absolu is a must try of you like balsamic and/or woody fragrances.

I have a sample. --- Softly resinous, with vague notes of that sort of acrid traditional old yellow soap, and maybe woody notes? Maybe vaguely fecal floral notes? I am not sure. While wet I can smell the fresher notes, but they are very fleeting for me. As it dries it becomes what I described, a resinous perfume that, on me, is not sticky nor sweet as many resins are. It's a skin scent that does not project on me, but when you sniff it there's something else under the resins, unexpected. I am not sure I can identify what I am smelling. It smells pleasant to me, warm human. I wish it did project more on me. To re-test. There's clearly more that I am not getting yet. --- UPDATE: It changes! As it dried more and time passed, it became both more powdery and more sharply resinous, less soft, and projecting much more. I was working at my laptop and suddenly caught a waft of fragrance, something resinous and powdery, reminding me of something I used to smell when I accompanied my mother to the hairdresser years ago. Intriguing.

Rochas ABSOLU is a resin-rich oriental reminiscent of Cartier LE BAISER DU DRAGON or even MUST in its dark and heavy texture, more akin to perfume oil than eau de parfum. ABSOLU showcases benzoin, tolu balsam and labdanum, in which incense and a bit of pepper have been infused. The florals and cedar serve more as garnishes than as dominant notes. The fig leaf opening is a bit lighter than the drydown, but overall this is a serious affair, suitable only for cold winter nights. I find ABSOLU dreamy and hypnotic, not quite as intense as its Cartier cousins, but close! Such scents seem well-suited for secret nights out under assumed identities in shadowy oriental settings. The tarot card concept attempted by D&G with its Anthology suite seems more appropriate to these sorts of scents, IMNSHO. As a dark, oily oriental, ABSOLU has excellent staying power and sillage. A little goes a long way!

Beautiful!! Not modern sugarsweet or flower/fruitysweet. Adult, deep, sexy and very elegant. Soft whispers encircling me and Absolu is perfect. Not too strong, not to weak, but it's here all around me in a very sensual way. I love the benzoin and Tolu Balsam for the deep sexy notes and the Rose and orange blossom for the female touch and I love the notes of pepper that softens the sweet notes on my skin..Absolu'tely perfect! Underbar!! Inte modernt sockersöt eller blom/fruktsöt. Vuxen, djup, sexig och mycket elegant. Som en mjuk viskning omringar Asolu mig suveränt. Inte för stark, inte för svag, men här runt mig på ett behagligt och sensuellt sätt. Jag älskar Benzoin och Tolu Balsam för dess djup och sexiga noter och Ros och Apelsinblomma för den kvinnliga touchen och jag älskar pepparnoten som skalar av de söta noterna på min hud. Absolu't Perfekt!

Right now I'm sniffing Absolu on one wrist and Couture Moschino on another... Somebody said they are in some way similar, but what I smell is two complitely different stories. But complitely different perfumes. Couture is fresh. Absolu is spicy on me, not balmy nor musky. I like it, because I generally like spicy scents, it is strong though and quite masculine. This is, at least, what I smell on me. Longlasting and with a good sillage too. Very good quality perfume, it's so obvious. Something else: tolu balsam is so noticable, one has to like it to stand this perfume. I dislike tolu balsam but benzoin is one of my favorite notes. So, there is a peculiar balance here for me. It reminds me of Serpentine in a way.

This is everything that other reviewers already have said. Balsamic,sweet,warm and resinous oriental. Perfect match for cold weather. I just bought it from trusted outlet online retailer for a bargain price. Few years ago, this somehow skipped my atention. Back then I was mad about Alchimie discontinuation - another beauty from Rochas and Jacques Cavallier. Now, as I understood Absolu Rochas is also discontinuet. Sad,sad, sad... The Jacques Cavallier signature is all over this creation. It reminded me of Cinema Yves Saint Laurent and Classique Eau de Parfum Jean Paul Gaultier which are his creations also. If you like those try Absolu. I'm Absolu your fan mr.Cavallier...

I bought this soly because of the reviews and description of Absolut. I love orientals, I would say it is my favorite category of perfumes. This one is listed as woody, yet it has amber nuances, the wood is is in the background and nicely blended. There are some flowers in it that are unlisted, I'm sure of it. There is a floral top note that has a faint herbaceous scent like a beautiful citrusy floral note of a magnolia blossom or even slightly jasmine. I enjoyed this little bottle regardless of the price. The sillage could be better but the fragrance is wonderful.

After reading some of the reviews on here, I didn't quite know what to expect from Rochas Absolu..but it sounded like the sort of thing I'd like.. I got this in a swap, and all I can say to my swap-partner is Thank you, thank you, thank you.. I love it! Yes it's sweet & juicy, but it's dark and sultry, and it's rich and cosy all at the same time.. and in a strange way it kinda reminds me of a sexier more "aloof" JSP Covet..and yes I know there is little if any similarity in their notes, but that's what I get!

Layered this tonight on top of Ormond Jayne Tolu bath oil (rubbed into my skin after a shower). They complement each other perfectly. It has a vintage vibe to me that is perfect for a cold December evening at home. Both the mandarin and fig are noticeable in the beginning. Mid way through I pick up lily. I've had my bottle of Absolu for about 16 years and for a while, it was my signature. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to "Play Me Again" by Tanita Tikaram and it's so fitting.

Looking for another 'resinous' fragrance I picked this little cute bottle up following Action's advice. And yes, it is a lovely, moderately sweet and balmy fragrance. To me it is more ambery, in line with Gres Ambre de Cabochard rather than smokily resinous as Rochas Femme, so I am not 100% happy, but it is definetely a pleasant option with a little peppery touch which slightly enriches the balsamic warmth. Very comforting and worth its price.

This is a timeless fragrance and what I really like about it is that it's unique and doesn't smell like every bottle out there. It is sophisticated and not offensive at all. The silage is ok, I tend to like the oriental type of notes but this juice is on the lighter side to me especially with the mandarin going on in there. It is memorable, very pleasant and could easily be a signature scent, however it's been discontinued.

Tolu Balsam Benzoin and i think there's a note missing Myrrh gives it a dark woodsy scent and it dries down to a powdery texture this can be weared by Men and Women i love the color the color of Yellow Topaz Liquid and i love the Bottle design it's shaped like a top or the Top looks Like a old record Vinyl. the Reason i like this then loving it because of it's powdery drydown which i'm not crazy about. I give this a 4

Rochas Absolu is, to my mind, an under-rated beauty. I've never smelled Ormonde Jayne Tolu, but if it smells like RA, I'm sure I would love it. Why spend that kind of money when the Rochas is (supposedly) so similar? This is a terrific Tolu/resinous scent at a great price. The longevity is not the best, but hey, at this price, and for how much I enjoy it... I'll just keep on spraying! It is beautiful for Autumn.

I don't get floral or citrus notes. No pepper on my skin either. It sweetens quite a bit on my skin in the drydown - all sweet amber. It smells so much like vanilla to my untrained nose. It's a cozy winter fragrance. I enjoy it but seldom reach for it. It's a like rather than a love. I believe it has been discontinued??? I'm a Rochas fan. Great fragrances at even better prices.

I'm not sure that this is a woody oriental. There are a lot of flowers in it.Its light but has a good longevity, certainly over 5 hours. Its daytime for me as I like something a little heavier in the evening. It does provoke ' thats lovely, what is it?' from people. And it is lovely. A scent anyone can wear. I would say woody floral. Its classy.

i just bought it to my mum. i expected something more outstanding. i got i bit dissappointed, it is not that great. its just ok,a bit to woody!what i got the most is pepper and lily. i have to mention that my mome loved it... in my opinion,if you love oriental woody better choose an other scent...

I got this one on ebay on a blind whim (I have them often) and this one was another pleasant surprise especially for the price. It has depth, is warm and spicy with oody undertones yet not cloying. Definitely something for oriental lovers. The bottle is quite cute too!