ÇaFleureBon Modern Masterpieces: Absolue Pour le Soir Review– Francis Kurkdjian’s Absolute Temple of Love

francis kurkdjian @N.Baetens1

Francis Kurkdjian

To understand fragrance history, means above all, learning about the perfumers behind the classics. Similar to painters,  understanding their masterpieces often requires closer look into  their provenence, their training and the aesthetic references in their  palette. For example,  Aimé Guerlain was fascinated by verbena, and  Jean-Claude Ellena is a man of jasmine.

Caravaggio-san-tommaso-detail

 Incredulità di San Tommaso

“Tradition is important because everything we are today it’s because of yesterday… Modernity is because I live nowadays, I have a smartphone, I use technology so I try to do things that can be worn in our time, everyday” Françis Kurkdjian  told me almost five years ago  when speaking about tradition and innovation in his creative process. When I first smelled Absolue pour le soir right after, everything  he said became crystal clear. Beginning at a young age, M Kurkdjian has been one of the most influential perfumers of the 21st century, creating mega hits for many designer, niche and department store  fragrance.  How masterfully he has brought lavender and orange blossom, used for centuries in colognes and fougeres up-to-date. Delving deeper, he is definitely a man of rose and Absolue pour le soir represents the summa of his aesthetics.

masion francis kurkdjian absolue soir

As in Shalimar, the Temple of Love created in 1921, Maison Francis Kurkdjian Absolue pour le soir, composed in 2010, plays with contrasts in the opening, breaking the boundaries of genders and social acceptance. Paraphrasing Jacques Guerlain, wearing Absolue pour le soir means letting your senses take over. I swear Kurkdjian did it in the making. There’s a sense of innocence in it, an almost edible childhood memory of oriental fried honey treats in the opening bringing the sinful message of cumin, its suede-like unshaved outrageousness whispering “this is my body, which is for you”.

 Lawrence Alma-Tadema  heliogabulus

Detail from Lawrence Alma-Tadema Elagabalus 1880s

In  Absolue pour le soir, the sensual warmth at the top is a masterful handling of the floral aspects, the indolic clove-dashed ointment of ylang ylang. There is sense of tradition though in the heart of the fragrance. Rose is the key: the cherished smell and flavor of eastern countries empowers Absolue pour le soir bridging the honeyed sweetness on top to the resinous burning base and places it along the heritage of Shalimar and Ambre Antique.

virgin mary in rose garden

Albert Edelfelt:The Virgin Mary in the Rose Garden

As for its reference to  classic masterpieces, it is Rose, she shines like the star of Isis, The Virgin Mary, both  sacred and mundane, seamlessly blending bold opposites in a totally unexpected powdery mellowness. Measure by measure Kurkdjian's absolut temple of love juxtaposes tobacco lusciousness with myrrh tinged smoke giving way to hieratic incense and papier d’armenie. Absolue pour le soir awakening the senses in a totally polarizing, primitive place reeking of feast, bed and cathedral smells.

Absolue pour le soir has overnight longevity and above average sillage.

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample of Absolue pour le soir  courtesy of Campomarzio 70.

Guest Contributor Ermano Picco of Le Gardenia nell’ Occhiello

Ermano is a fragrance expert, well known for his insights into artistic perfumery and he was integral to the new Rubini Fundamental introduced at Esxence. He will be contributing monthly to CaFleureBon Modern Masterpieces. Please welcome him and  be sure to check out his wonderful perfume blog Le Gardenia nell’ Occhiello

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9 comments

  • Really excited about this modern masterpiece series and welcome Ermano. I love your analogy to art classics and although I have never sniffed Absolue Pour le soir I will make sure I do now! Jean Claude Ellena as a Jasmine man and Mr Kurkdjian as the king of rose. The indolic clove dashed ylang ylang sounds amazing

  • Systeme D says:

    Welcome, Ermano!

    I like the idea of a series of posts on Modern Masterpieces, and I am sure I will enjoy your reflections. I wonder which fragrances you will choose?

  • Iphigenia says:

    Welcome dear Ermano 🙂
    Wish you all the best and I am looking forward to reading more from you in relation to modern classic masterpieces like Mr. Francis Kurkdjian creation which must smell divine, I am a rose lover and Absolue Pour le Soir creation did got my attention for sure.

  • Welcome Ermano! I’m not a fan of this fragrance, even though I feel I ought to be, but hey, that didn’t stop me from enjoying your writing. Cheers!

  • I really love how Ermano Picco describes what this perfume generates in his own emotions!
    And “Absolue pour le soir awakening the senses in a totally polarizing, primitive place reeking of feast, bed and cathedral smells”. What else can I ask for? I need to get a sample 🙂

  • Welcome Ermano!

    You make Absolue pour le soir sounds absolutely tempting. I have to try to sample this one. Thanks for reviewing this perfume.