Patchouli Absolu

I loved him so much, still do, he was my bad boy(Patchouli Absolu), but his love for me is over(the juice is over). From the initial spray on the skin, not even waiting for some drydown, I was in love! I was warned though: it's unisex but leans more on the masculine side. I see what they meant, but when you're in love you just don't listen to anyone, do you? Not everyone is going to like it. It seriously is a scent not easily tolerable by others, they think it's smells dirty; i sure had been told by my little nephew that i smell like garbage, when held him in my arms. And from other females that it smells weird, almost "dirty" in a sexual way, provocative maybe. Reviewers seem to detect more notes as i see it in their posts, personally i can't. I don't think there's anything else in here except patchouli. What might be happening is a mixing of the perfume and their body chemistry, and the perfume changes. Still, I'm no expert, so other people more specialized might be right. The opening is medicinal and disgusting. The moment i felt the medicine burst on my wrist, i said: yes please, I'm taking it, i want it, now! It's disgusting in a good way. It keeps like that for about half an hour, it loosens just a bit when it dries. It' earthy, herbal, HEADY, intense and pungent. It has a bite to it, not a friendly fragrance, i also find it a little depressing. The best performance of it though is when it heats up on your skin, i personally wore it all year round, and it got "dirty" on me after vigorous activity, or just workout. After some hours of wear, it turns woody on me and incensey. Hands down you will be noticed; the reactions vary a lot. It's long lasting, sillage is superb, no need for many sprays, although i did bathe in it gladly, and everyone will turn their head to look at you. While i was wearing it, almost every place i would sit, the person next to me would turn and sniff, some of them quite politely, others with a disgust on their faces, others shyly ask what am I wearing; you will get noticed. Full stop. Another thing that I liked about this fragrance, something that none other has done yet for me, is that trail of a scent you leave when you walk, and others walking by get it. When I was little I would wait for that trail of perfume, which a lot of women and men would leave, I wanted to smell it, and as a grown up I wish others to sniff my scent likewise. As I have noticed a lot of mainstream fragrances do not do that(with some exceptions of course), or women choose not to make a statement with their perfumes anymore... The only serious competitor in that trail is Jungle Kenzo (totally different perfume but equally potent, medicinal and long lasting) Another reason that intensified my love towards Patchouli Absolu is "the base" that it is. Realistically, it is a base. It's patchouli throughout and throughout, so i used it to intensify and alter other perfumes, which lacked that something interesting. So i layered a bunch of them, e.g. weekend by Burberry, it's so powdery sometimes it's unbearable, but layered with my bad boy, it's a completely different perfume. So London by Burberry, and all the Narciso Rodriguez ones, which are fabulous on their own and do not need any layering, smelled even deeper and more sensual with some Patchouli Absolu. I ve layered it with White musk oil from Body shop and it works wonderful as well Obviously this review isn't unbiased because i love patchouli absolu. So so much.

Ok, 3rd review of this gem because I am just so excited... The more I wear this, the more I LOVE it. In fact it has now moved up to my top 5 fragrances of all time. My 15 year old patchouli oil is still up there as well but instead of competing with patchouli absolu, it compliments it. Patchouli brings so many fine memories for me. I still don't associate patchouli with hippies but I do associate it with creativity and art. I discovered it in university when a very attractive man walked by me in the library. I followed his scent and almost fainted from it because I never smelled anything SO pleasing to my scent profile (I had no idea about scents prior to this experience, like literally none - I used generic gap fragrances). I had no idea what he was wearing and was too shy to ask but on my way home I entered a shop that sold statues and trinkets from Thailand. They had a huge incense collection and as I began smelling the incense sticks, I picked up the patchouli one and there it was - his scent. I instantly bought 20 of them and would you believe it that I put them on my nightstand and inhaled them through-out the night. Patchouli is supposed to be a very grounding scent like vetiver with sedative properties, but also as a known aphrodisiac which would explain my near fainting experience when I smelled it on that guy. I slept VERY well. In the end patchouli brought him and I together a few months later. Anyway, fast forward... my patchouli obsession is still in tact (don't know if this will ever go away) to the horror of most of my friends. My dad abhors the smell of patchouli - says it reminds him of a moldy, dusty, damp basement. My mother enjoys it but only because it reminds HER of the 70s and majority of my friends find it very jarring. Another problem with patchouli is that the more you wear it, the more immune you become to its scent. I once got to a point where I was dabbing large globs of patchouli oil onto myself because I could no longer smell it. But people inside CLOSED classrooms could smell it when I walked by, to the point where a guy opened the door and yelled at me across the long hallway "are you wearing patchouli???". So one has to be very careful with patchouli oil or prominent patchouli based scents such as this one. My point... The more I wear this the more I appreciate it. I have my patchouli oil which I love but I find this scent to be more accessible because it has other notes that make it a cleaner fragrance compared to the oil which is much more "dirty". This is also a very beautiful WARM patchouli compared to patchouli used in LM Parfums as an example. I also should mention that Tom Ford is a genius when it comes to marketing. He managed to envision a product that fashion editors deemed "dirty" and "unwearable" (patchouli) into something they PRAISE - yet it's still the same smell. So, what's in a name? A LOT.

I've been sampling this alongside Frederic Malle Monsieur, and even though at least half of my family and colleagues have described it as an "old man" smell, Patchouli Absolu has jumped to the top of my list! To me it smells like some kinda old school luxurious aromatic shaving cream for a proper wealthy gentleman lol...I'm torn between this one and French Lover/Bois D'Orage as both have such awesome "natural" woody/earthy green vibes. I find both to be full bottle worthy. I got my sample at a Neiman Marcus store, so I guess we can assume it is from a relatively recent batch. The opening 1-2 hours are loud, and slightly medicinal with the large dose of damp, woody, sweet-leaning herbal patchouli. It settles into creamy yet aromatic patchouli and woods. My testing demonstrated good longevity (over 8hrs) and at least moderate-to-heavy projection. Definitely try before you buy, as it appeared to be a polarizing scent during my testing. I'm gonna smell around more before committing to Patchouli Absolu. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Some of the other patchouli scents I sampled: Jovoy Incident Diplomatique Jovoy Psychedelique Montale Patchouli Leaves Nishane Munegu Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly Tauerville Patch Flash Tauerville Fruitchouli Flash Histoires de Parfums Noir Patchouli Frederic Malle Monsieur Nasomatto Pardon (mystery notes ~ reminds me of Patchouli Leaves) By Kilian Straight to Heaven 5/22/18 Patchouli Absolu is seriously still my favorite...it's not chocolaty or fruity patchouli like some of those I sampled. It's a bit dirty-green and "medicinal," though not as medicinal as something like Incident Diplomatique. For sweetness, this blend from Tom Ford is sweeter than Monsieur but less than Mon Patchouly or Fruitchouli Flash. It's not luxury "soapy" like Noir Patchouli but it has this seductive balance of a "clean" classy gentleman's shaving cream with a woody, aromatic, and earthy patchouli style. 5/31/18 Found a great deal on a bottle, batch B55 (2015). Smells and performs identical to the retail sample which again I'm assuming is no older than 2017. Again it's neither a crowd-pleaser nor blind buy worthy, but I'm sitting here 12hrs later and the dry-down is like holy kryptonite catnip to me. I would have opted for a large flacon if I made the kind of money Patchouli Absolu smells like lol...but I'm probably crazy enough to get one after finishing this.

I am a fan.. the opening reminds me of the original Givenchy gentleman and I used to love that fragrance, but I remember at times it could smell almost medicinal to me. Too much of that was not a good thing. PA has that type of opening to me, a head turner but the way it retreats so kindly ..You ease into a more comforting type of Patchouli ,still ever present but not as loudly or with finesse. I am just starting to wear this. I love it for the same reason I loved the original Giorgio from Beverly hills for men. TFPA is macho enough for me. You do not need much of this to capture the magic of patchouli. If you enjoy patchouli in fragrances I recommend you sniff this out, it only reinforces my love of patchouli , a bit elegant and one of those that I think over time it gets comfortable. not 10 hours of beast mode. I feel a fragrance is best for me when it softens up a bit and the aroma is enhancing your persona rather than yelling out at the people around you, especially when those are the people you are around the greater part of the day. The fragrance then becomes an extension of you at your finest moments. I do believe most wear fragrance because we want people to know who we are.. This will announce who you are with class. another thought about this.. this is the most comfortable patchouli fragrance I have tried along with De Nicolai's patchouli pour homme, especially.around people I forgot I was wearing this. when the most attractive woman in my office says, wow , that is a sexy fragrance I know that I am on the right track..this seems to be safer around others , I sprayed a small dose on my sports jacket and the fragrance lasted a long while but never wore out it's welcome. This may make a perfect signature .There is something about patchouli that seems to get a women's attention.. with this one I think it is done with style. Tom Ford's are always pricy but always of fine quality, great sprayer , classy bottle. I suppose you pay something for that. Whether it is worth it or not is hard for me to say. Test it out.. , if you are a patchouli man it is worth getting a whiff of.

This new TF private blend is one of his better fragrances for sure ! It might be due to the fact that TF loves patchouli and put all the effort into this one scent rather than bringing out a foursome like in the past , some were hit and miss. Well this is a HIT !!!!! Rich ,mysterious, sensual and raw , PA feels fresh and clean and super classy!,, this is not your typical old school patchouli that smells of the 60 s and burning incence and pot , this is rather ,,,,,,,classy and fresh, clean yet rich and utterly gorgeous. Think white patchouli but amp it up 3 notches!!!! ,,, or maybe 10 notches ;) PA has patchouli all the way through it. Starts patchouli , middle is patchouli and so is the end. But it still has three stages. , it starts extremely fragrant with bay leafs and rosemary strait herbal mossy and super appealing. Then in the middle it smells a little more woodsy, fresh woodsy, still clean and slightly ambery then the end is heavy amber, musk and leather , honestly , this is out of this world , I ordered and prepaid my bottle , it's shipped to me the day it arrives in the store. Till then my sample has to last. You know there Are some TF where I think wow they are great , a master piece BUT they are "too much of something ". , like too much oud or too this or too that ,, this one is very well balanced and not too much of anything , truly stunning. PA may lean to the masculine side , especially for people that like their scents to be super feminine. It is pretty unisex though , this one has no gender in my opinion,,,,,, its ,,,,PERFECT !

I love patchouli. For this, I am always positively prejudiced when it comes to testing patchouli dominant fragrances. PA has been no exception. Patchouli Absolu opens with a short blast of a cold & bitter liquorice note, that I personally find slightly off-putting, but can perceive it as an ingenious way to announce the earthy patchouli galore soon to follow. Patchouli has a multi-faceted odour profile and that can be clearly experienced with PA. No more than a few seconds after the blunt opening, the magic begins. A clean, sharp, earthy, minty fresh, strong, herbal patchouli supported discreetely by hints of leather, tobacco, some woody notes and a sort of "old-school" spicy vibe, creates an extremely refined, classy & elegant masculine scent. Patchouli Absolu, though very modern & fresh, manages at the same time to possess a romantic, "retro" style seductive aura reminiscent of masculine powerhouses from past decades. Whiffs of Ralph Lauren Polo (80's version), Givenchy Gentleman (80's version) and the likes, are all present during the (everlasting) fantastic woody leathery spicy earthy drydown To be honest, when I first tried Patchouli Absolu, not for a single moment did it cross my mind that I would end up loving it so much. It seemed simple, linear & pungent at first yet ended up becoming an intoxicating & addictive multidimensional aromatic scent. So nostalgic, so modern, so amazing. 9/10

My woman loves the offerings from the Tom Ford Private Collection. Where as I am fairly indifferent to them. For my taste they, typically, miss the mark tonally and are way too feminine and short lived. Patchouli Absolu, however, is bloody gorgeous. An amazingly natural fragrance and, for once, the 'hypnotic depth' marketing line is totally accurate. You can smell every nuanced facet of the plant, from the tips to the roots. It's like a multi-dimensional patchouli fractal with a myriad of distinct, beautiful, notes to get lost in. On me, this is a pungent, dirty, earthy, patchouli, yet it manages to retain a fresh, green, herbal aspect that's almost medicinal in the opening. I can't detect any other notes that don't arise from the patchouli plant itself. Colour-wise this scent is dark purple and peat with deep jade hues. The longevity is until you wash. But, surprisingly, the sillage is only moderate; you won't stink up a room with this. This is a linear fragrance in the sense that it is fully developed from the moment you put it on and stays like it until the end, when a slight rounding occurs. I would be amazed if any patchouli lover was not entranced by Patchouli Absolu. A word of caution though: it smells significantly different on my woman; a lot less earthy and a lot less patchouli. So, body chemistry plays a notable role with this one.

I was a child of the 70's and this to me is nostalgia heaven. One spray on my chest at night and I'm right back sitting in front of a console record player listening to Elton john and the little river band(yeah my mom had some good ones) with the smell of patchouli oil drifting around the sunlit room. Starts off a brilliantly bitter green/brown juicy smell that settles quickly into a real earthy patch that goes on and on for hours. Not a lot of transformation in this one, but that's quite alright when you have something this good. It does morph a little though with hints of dark rum and throws out bits of sweetness from time to time. Most patchouli centric perfumes I've tried are blended with all sorts of other notes and it gets muddled. This is blissfully full on Peace Scent 10/10 if you like patchouli in its dirty/linear glory then this is for you Projection 8/10...like a hippy in a sundress at a dead show, this one swirls and twirls all around you Fortitude 8/10...and the band played on Full bottle worthy...absolutely...even if you get tired of straight patchouli(I don't) you can always use this for a base and throw something lighter on top. It's very versatile I think. Our you can just give yourself 6 big squirts and driiiift aaaawaaaay

I tried this on a few days ago on a very warm day spent shopping... One spray on ONE wrist, and the lovely salesman told me to wander around and see what I thought... Well, about 2 hours later, after lunch and more shopping, I raced back to the counter to see if I could buy it (not realizing it WASN'T OUT YET). This is definitely full bottle worthy if you love patchouli. Like it has been mentioned below, this is a very smooth, sweet patchouli. First spray is a bit minty/camphor like and very very fresh...this lingers for a bit, edges getting softer (but not fainter) as it moves into a richer heart of warm, almost-cookie or chocolate patchouli feeling. It was almost edible!! The drydown continued, getting sweeter and less fresh, deepening into a bit sweeter patchouli that DOES smell blended with a nice warm amber. This is definitely a unisex scent, but on my skin it was almost foody (and I was ok with that)...If you love patchouli you will DIE for this one. I am on the list to be called the second this is available for sale, it is literally that good. I was able to smell this on my wrist from ONE spray for roughly 10 hours, and then used my very generous sample to put it on before bed to give me cozy sweet dreams. 10 stars. <3

Patchouli sevdiğim ama özelde aradığım bir nota değil. Bugüne kadar birçok patchouli baskın parfüm kullandım. En beğendiğim ise Dior Patchpuli İmperial. Yumuşak ve konforlu bir kullanımı var. TF PA ise bugüne kadar kullandıklarımdan farklı. İlk dikkatimi çeken şey oldukça karakterli bir koku olması. Hermes in bazı kokularının verdiği ve nedenini pek anlamadığım "kalite-klasik" hissi bu parfümde oldukça belirgin. Biraz "kirli" havası var. Sertlik ile orta karar arasında ince bir noktada duruyor. Öyle eskilerin söylediği şekilde "yağ gibi akan" bir parfüm değil ama sizi döven bir parfümde değil. Takım elbise için uygun değil. Daha çok orta yaşlı erkeklere yakışacak bir havası var. Harika bir başlangıcı var. 10-15 sn. Sonrasında hemen 2-3 saat sürecek ağaç la yumuşatılmış havasına giriyor. Sonra ise biraz daha ağaçsı hale geliyor ve yumuşak şekilde devam ediyor. Kalıcılığı iyi koku dağılımı bir patchouli için ortalama. Kesinlikle serin havaların parfümü. Sıcak bir ortamda ne hale gelir bilmiyorum. Evet çok beğendim ama tüm TF lar için geçerli olanı söylemeliyim. Bu fiyatlara 50 ml parfüm almamak lazım. Eğer uygun fiyata bulursanız alın. Sonbahar da hafif esen bir ortamda kesinlikle resmi tamamlayan koku olacaktır.

i have samples of and have smelled nearly every primarily-patchouli juice on the market - and a few that are no longer. patch is my favorite note and i love exploring how different perfumers make it work. i have been wearing my TF PA sample for a bit this evening and wanted to toss some initial thoughts into the ring. i agree with deadidol's assertion that this is possibly 'formal' and 'uptight'. mind you, it's way less formal than, say Dior's Patchouli Imperial. i can't begin to disagree strongly enough with the folks suggesting you go pick up some patch oil from a street vendor. not even close, guys. c'mon. to me, this is a fantastically intriguing juxtaposition of rich, earthy, meaty, nasty patch against proper, civilized cleanliness. it's pure opposites attracting. one moment you sniff and it's filthy patch. you inhale a bit longer and it's regal cleanliness. TF has figured out how to mix oil and water. it makes no sense. the dichotomy is fascinating to me. i'm going to wear it tomorrow and see how it fares for the day. i will update my review. ABSOLUTELY worth sniffing if you love patch. get your nose on it! UPDATE1: i misquoted deadidol - fixed. apologies!

This is a Tom Ford Masterpiece, and one Powerhouse of a performer. My skin "absorbs" scents rather quickly. When people write reviews or do a quick, Like, Love review of a fragrance, I am amazed how long some say scents last on them. Most fragrances are gone from my skin in a few hours (scents last on my clothes much longer). But...Patchouli Absolu lasts ALL day on my skin. I can put a spray on my bare chest, on my wrists and sometimes a small spray on my neck, and Patchoul Absolu keeps getting comments hours & hours after spraying! I know all the fragrances in this collection like Tobacco Vanille, Noir de Noir, Cafe Rose, etc.. are unisex, and I despise anyone telling me what a man or woman can wear, but Patchouli Absolu is very "manly". I will never say a woman cannot wear this, but it could be challenging. This is a deep woodsy patchouli, with nothing sweet, floral or "creamy". I do love this scent, but I almost never wear it during the day or when it is too warm. Daytime or warm weather makes you smell it ALL day and kind of takes over. This is a masterpiece evening or cold weather scent.

Finally got this back in my collection. Some smart shopping on the gray market and I got my hands on a 250 ml bottle. Now, I can say happily it's my signature scent. Mr. Ford really hit some magical balance of rough and smooth with this. It's purple hued and dusky. Manly, strong. But controlled and smooth. Performance is perfect with just 2 sprays to the chest. 8 hours of layered patchouli plant elements that slowly ease into a woody tonka base skin scent to 10-12 hour mark. I love that it doesn't go the route of many patchouli scents that layer syrupy sweet notes on top of natural patchouli. This one stays woody, herbal, and earthy. I tried many other patchouli scents to match this savory balance of notes and couldn't find a better one. Now, with a full flacon I will never be without it. Especially since I've learned how to wear it better with just 2 chest sprays. I used to get carried away and would choke people out. All you need is 1 or 2 sprays and your good for a full day of purple hazed, powerful, confident, elegance.

Tom Ford's latest incarnation of patchouli-dominant fragrance is not one to be ignored. while it lacks the history and cult favouritism of TFs Purple Patchouli, it stands tall among its siblings in the Private Blend collection. Patchouli Absolu retains the fundamental dirty/earthy elements of its namesake, yet somehow also creates the olfactory illusion of luxury and refinement. it is rich, dense, and dark. besides the obvious dominant note, my skin seems to amplify cypress, leather, and what i can only describe as a "fractured" musk. occasionally i'll catch what smells like oud and rosemary. i wouldn't say that this "evolves" through top/mid/base notes in the traditional sense but it does seem "morph" the longer you wear it. this lasts for over 24 hours on my skin with two light spritzes. it's not a projection beast nor is it a skin scent ( but i suppose it can be either one, depending on how much is applied.) it also layers beautifully, particularly with florals and citrus-oriented fragrances.

I reviewed this already and mentioned how it smells exactly the same as my $10 patchouli oil but here I am again with the bottle sitting in front of me, staring at me in all its gloating glory. Yes, I ended up with it again, but this time on my own accord. I had given it a second chance (almost a YEAR later) and next time around I was so drawn to the dry-down I had to go out and get it. I am a shameless patchouli lover in all its forms, pure, raw and strong or desperately concealed by florals, sweets, etc. To the dismay of those around me I cannot get enough of patchouli. I have to reverse my review to mention this concoction is a patchouli lovers dream. Second go around I detected more earthy additions such as mosses and amber which made me salivate. Beautiful WARM patchouli, just the kind I adore. Longevity and sillage as with any quality patchouli is monstrous.

I can’t believe I’ve never written a review on Patchouli Absolu, considering it’s probably my favorite fragrance. Nothing I can say that others haven’t already commented, but I just wanted to bid a final goodbye. I remember trying this and a few other TF scents, but PA stuck in my mind. I made a detour the next day, and the day after to retry it. There’s something about PA that lingered and gnawed at me. I finally went back a third time and brought it home. It’s bright and assertive, mossy woody patchouli that stands above the rest. Since it had been discontinued, I’ve been on a quest to find something close to fill the void. I came upon some close contenders: Chanel Coromandel, Montale Patchouli Leaves, Diptyque Tempo, Reminisence Patchouli. While stunning on their own, nothing compares to PA. PA you will always have a spot in my fragrance lover’s heart.

It’s a shame 😒 this was discontinued!😢 this is a beautiful patchouli wear!! it’s not overpowering and doesn’t put a chokehold on you like old-school patchouli back in the late 80s early 90s when dreadheads sold those oil‘s from the table set up on the sidewalks with those amber bottles 🤣🤣🤣.no ✋🏾,this is not that patchouli . This is a refined strong yet subtle patchouli that lasts and lasts and lasts..... i layer with Tuscan leather as my base for almost everything that I wear and then I hit myself off with two or three atomization‘s of something else ...when I use this it’s 2 sprays and I’m good to go for the day... I love catching wafts of this unexpectedly throughout the day... good thing you don’t need a lot of this because .it’s a rare gem 💎 to have in the collection.

I don’t like being *that* person, but I had a sample sprayer from Nordstrom a couple years back and I loved the old school patchouli-moss combo, and kept the mini sprayer just to smell it from time to time after they discontinued it hoping to find it again. Apparently they still sell it in other parts of the world because i recently grabbed a new bottle in the dusty colored box like the new bois marocain, etc comes in now and while it is still nice, it is not the same. This new bottle is much more similar to D&G velvet patchouli which has an airyness/synthetic feel, and still better than that one but definitely not the fuller scent it was previously. Still also probably worth grabbing if you dig patchouli, but I would love to find something more like the Original.

So I brought a half used 50ml bottle of this scent to see how I got along with it. I have to say the opening can be overbearing but it dries down into an amazing fragrance. Compliments galore during the winter. Particularly because ot the beast mode that accompanies it! However that bottle ran out.. so I went all out and got a new 100ml bottle from the Tom Ford counter. Although the scent is the same, the performance is nowhere near where my old bottle was. I noticed as soon as I sprayed it for the first time... sure enough it’s now more of a skin scent that goes after a couple of hours.. rather than a room filler that stayed on my coat for days like my old bottle. Quite sad tbh! :( Beast mode BATCH AB4 2014/11 Weak mode BATCH AB7 2017/11

I received a sample of this the other day from my Tom Ford salesman at Neiman Marcus. I haven't been able to really dig into it yet but from my first sampling, I can tell you that it's pretty amazing. I'm sure the note breakdown is much more complex as others have already stated, and I am very impressed so far. I'll update when I can spend more time with it. Update: I went ahead and bought a bottle of this juice. My first thoughts were, "Wow, this may be a little more mature than than I was expecting!" But upon wearing it more, I'm falling more and more in love with it. It's a beast!!!! So be careful with the trigger! Wore it dancing and got ALOT of compliments. Smells very classy and has That Tom Ford uniqueness that I really love.

@ mabduaguye Loved the comment. I buy my fragrance as an experience. I love that I am .. well hopefully not going to smell like every other person who walks around, but you never know. Personally love almost everything that TF puts out there including PA. To me it smells like a green patch. Fresh and crisp. You get a full nose of mediciny camphor sent the first few minutes. On a dry down settles to a more sweet and a comfy sent full of amber and truffles. I am a patchouli fan. All together absolutely love it! Especially after an hour or so. I can wear it to bed or during a lounge day around the house. Probably would not wear it on a date since it is such a cozy scent to me. I always feel sexy and thin wearing it lol.

I really am just a patchouli lover. And this is my signature fragrance. I love if for its savory, earthy, real plant-like, expression of patchouli. Luckily I have a large flask of this in its original release. Back when Tom Ford was making bold male-oriented fragrances and not sparing expense on the ingredients and formulation. I had since noticed Estee Lauder has been making reformulations of this and other scents and in fact discontinued this. Which is fitting. They're neutering the original aesthetic that Tom Ford, himself, created. Get an old bottle and keep it tucked away. A memento of a once daring and fascinating aesthetic that apparently left the ship with it's captain.

I remember the first time I tried this in Changi Singapore airport. It blew me away! I already owned Oud Wood, Tuscan Leather, Tobacco Oud etc. When I got back from holiday I got a 50ml this was back in 2019. Found a 100ml and ran out last year. Just picked up a full 50ml for cheap! This stuff is strong! It's one of my, if not my favorite patchouli fragrance I've tried. This is dark green, mossy and spectacular. For me this is a 10/10 for the perfume that it is. But overall factoring in wearability, versatility it would be an 8/10. This is definitely a special occasion or black tie type perfume. I wear this casually sometimes but be careful! Masterpiece

I love patchouli, and this is patchouli through and through. I love it. initially it BURSTS with the patchouli note, dark, oily, skanky, brooding - all of which I love. As it blooms the darkness brightens into an "aftershave-y" vibe - so I find it rather masculine but I think it's still really good. An hour or so in, this is not an overwhelming patchouli on me, it's vibrant, a little heady and not heavy at all. I don't know if my skin, or my nose, has acclimatised to patchouli but as it evolves (2 hours in) it could be stronger for me. This is really good though - and I totally recommend it.

The patchouli here is similar to the patchouli in Malle's Monsieur but much drier and almost minty. In fact I believe there might be mint or basil in this. Regardless, I like this one a whole lot better as it doesn't dry down into something cloying or sweet like Malle's interpretation. Instead this dries down into soft elegant woods, while the dark elegant Patchouli becomes a mossy affair. There are times this reminds me of Private Label as well but Patchouli Absolu is less intrusive and cleaner. Overall, this is a very impressive Private Blend and easily one of the classiest scents I own.

I too got to experience PA through a decant from a reputable seller... however I was disappointed that the scent seemed to be much more subtle than described. I am not sure if this is due to it being older/discontinued or what. I did not experience the amber as much as the woody smell that reminds me somewhat of Encre Noir. Does anyone else feel this scent is similar to Encre Noir? It could be the cashmere wood that I’m smelling the resemblance. Edit:I take it back and I smell the amber, as well as it has decent longevity... still not sure about projection. Kinda has a honey note also

Overall: 10/10 Here's Why: This is my go to fragrance. It layers with everything, radiates warmth and smoky sweetness. This ain't grandma's old Patchouli, this is new. I've been stopped in my tracks, people have asked what this is, they wonder where they've smelled it before. It's like a walkway through a 70's music festival - only everyone there is in their best suits and dresses - high end meets vintage ruggedness. The drydown is lovely, musky warm and the slightest bit sweet. The best fragrance i own.

Batch - A54 (2014) A18 (2018) A20 (2020) Patchouli Absolu is a superbly stunning patchouli scent that nothing will ever top up for me everything that i tried after smelling this one just does not come close at all. Its so earthy, damp, mossy and green in such a good way. I have never been so addicted to smelling a fragrance this style. This thing is just monsterly strong more than 3 sprays will kill someone. Super captivating scent this is what i miss about Tom Ford, scents like these. 10/10

Very deep, intense, in your face patchouli. Very very strong IMO. If you're not into raw strong fragrances you might not like it; not very safe to blind buy. Nevertheless it smells very good. I only imagine wearing it during winter and very cold autumn nights, on formal and semi formal occasions. The first 2 hours after spraying it, it will project like a freaking monster. It will last an entire day on your skin and like a week on your clothes (if you don't wash them of course).

It's a very nice change to the overly done renditions of Patchouli on today's market. This is not your typical sweet Patchouli.Their is something about this fragrance that drives me nuts...in a good way. The patch is almost 3 dimensional. My nose was glued to my arm for several hours. I will thoroughly enjoy this bottle and will most likely own another. Longevity is about 6-8 hours on my skin. Sillage was moderate for about 4 hours on me. Layering provides about 6 hours. 8/10

I wasn't sure I'd like this... It's a deep, rich, earthy, potting soil kind of scent. It reminds me of a small bottle of Tsar I once had (and traded away), but this doesn't have the geranium scent that was such a turn off. It's quite nice. Really? This is just patchouli? Nothing else? I once smelled some patchouli essential oil and don't recall liking it much. How is this different? Wore it for a day: Yep, I like this stuff. It smells great! Longevity is acceptable.

The best visual metaphor I have is that of a sophisticated, well groomed, but nonetheless hairy Sasquatch wearing a tuxedo, martini in hand, at a black tie event. The scent presents is an olfactory juxtaposition. The scent is mauve and dark-green; at once camphorous and earthy; a dash Polo Green, but with a borderline psychedelic wild streak. I adore this smell, but due to its elevated profile and concentrated essence, it is not an everyday fragrance.

This is the ultimate patchouli fragrance. A masterpiece from Tom Ford. Sadly the brand will surely never release anything close to this ever again. Four sprays last 12+ hours on me, it is simply NUCLEAR and will not leave your nose. Damp, earthy, silky, mossy, woodsy patch, dark green brown in colour, serious vibes, a true rock star that keeps a stiff upper lip regardless. If you have 10+ bottles on rotation this will last you a lifetime. Enjoy.

Wearing this for the first time, it reminds me Kouros. Trying them on side by side, I can smell both the similarities and differences. Kouros is not identical to Patchouli Absolu but is definitely in the same "ball park" in that they are both patchouli dominant scents. Kouros is an affordable alternative to Patchouli Absolu. To me, this scent is on the masculine side of the unisex spectrum, wheras Tom Ford White Patchouli is more feminine.

I tried this before where they sold Tom Ford and I decided to order a sample of it myself a bit after it. Perhaps it is because I bought a sample from Ebay but it really didn't last long on my skin at all (< 2 hours) despite the smell is simply fantastic. It's a very dirty, smooth, bittersweet and refined patchouli . Hopefully I'll get an actual bottle of this someday rather than a watered down variation of it.

I tried this at Nordstrom today and was a bit hesitant because I'm not a huge patchouli fan. To say I'm surprised that I love this is an understatement. It starts off bright but dries down to a very warm patchouli that is always smooth and a bit sweet at every stage. I washed my hands twice and I can still smell it quite clearly 5 hours later. It far outlasted a $485 fragrance I tested on my other hand.

You need to be a patchouli lover to enjoy this fragrance. Fortunately I am. 👍👍It takes me back to those little bottles of thick black oily liquid that everybody (myself included even tho i was about 12yrs old) wore in the 1970s and 1980s. I used to soak a leather bracelet with it. Pure bliss in a bottle. This is EXACTLY that same wonderful feeling. Yes its pricey but its unmistakably patchouli. 🥰🥰🥰

So black, chewy and beastly it’s quite stunning. I pickup a strong animalic feel in the opening that is almost too much but I love the patchouli here. Real, dark and so resinous you can almost see the oil. It’s a hell of a wear and more masculine leaning. I’m hanging onto my bottle as we won’t see the likes of this again. Requires a certain strength of will to wear and definitely for the cold.

This is a strange one on me.. The first hour it adds a note to my skin that reminds me of..'sex'..Male bodily fluids, in other words. I do not know what this note is, but it is in your face. Then disappears after an hour and you get strong, oily patchouli. Not easy to pull off for anyone, but it is a remarkabke scent! I'd love to whiff it off men to see how it is on them!

Very good friend of mine just handed me a full bottle that he claimed he has had sat in his cupboard for 'yonks' I checkfreshed it and it's one of the original bottles from 2014. Absolutely amazing smell. Beautiful dirty patchouli oud like smell. Huge fan. I didn't realise what he had handed me until later on and I am blown away by his generosity.

My first and only Tom Ford fragrance. It's beautiful and intoxicating. Something I only use on special occasions and when I want to create an impression. Would I recommend it? Totally. Problem is that it's discontinued. I think got mine just before that in 2018 Writing this review made me go and have a smell of it... It does capture my mind

I love this, It's very addictive. Quite spicy and dark but also has a cleanliness to it. On my skin, it literally stuck for days, after two days and two showers I could still smell it on the back of my hand. It also projects quite well, especially for the first few hours. I personally prefer this to Tuscan leather, but both are fantastic.

I think Fragrantica is missing a few notes here: Bay leaf, rosemary, moss, patchouli oil, patchouli coeur, patchouli Clearwood, guaic wood, cypriol, violetwood, cashmere woods, tonka bean, amber, musks, leather. This stuff is great! Scent:10/10 projection:8/10 longevity 10/10 "14 hrs+. Full bottle worthy? Yes!

Why do people not like this? It was love at first sniff. I cherish it so much that I only use it for special occasions. I don’t want to over use it and get bored. Unisex for sure, and as a female I love it. Only 1 complaint, it doesn’t last long. It’s gone in 5 ish hours.

Absolutely beautiful scent, really smooth patchouli right from the start. Real shame that it's discontinued especially since it's Mr. Ford's favorite fragrance. I hope they bring it back soon, it would be one of the few scents from the house that's worth the high price.

Got a sample of this recently and so far I like it. Like some other reviewers mentioned, this smells mature and classy. I don't know if it's just me but I notice that Patchouli Absolu smells very similar to Italian Cypress.

I have never smelled a more sexy, sophisticated patchouli than this. I love the green oakmoss ans minty touch which keeps it from being too seventies retro. This smells like how i imagine Tom Ford himself will smell.

I wish i could get me a legit bottle of this gem, smelled it way back in Germany at an airport..... still kicking myself for not purchasing then, but who would think such amazing juice would ever get discontinued?

I reached for this today as the weather is frosty and I have layered it with Insomnia Faviol Seferi. What a beautiful winter scent. Cosy and warm. Both strong fragrances on their own but smell great together.

whyyyyy you discontinue this Mr. Tom Ford 😭... I regret not stocking up the 500ml 🥲... it’s so rare to have a fougere that smells so dirty yet clean, young yet mature, soapy yet natural at the same time!