I intend to write this review without large mention or emphasis on the obvious qualities of this scent. For some, yes, the scent smells of urine and sweat: it is obvious that this scent is polarising. But to me, it is bewildering – wild, raunchy, containing a flaunting sexuality to the scent. But move away from these attachments of the erotic and the carnal, and experience a polygonal construction – a scent that when smelled closely, all of its differing edges can be experienced and detected.

On the unexperienced and ill-adventured nose, I concede that its associations take over. Cumin – the wonderfully glorious smell of warmth and a golden glow translates to the smell of something bodily and unwashed jockstraps. Honey – sweet albeit urinous. Concurrently moreish, almost edible and maintaining a viscous quality, hence creating conflict and disparity.

Absolue Pour le Soir is a scent for the evening worn easily throughout the day. It is a fragrance not of decadence, but of substance. It is warm and indirectly delicious. It retains an originality for the twenty-first century, reminding me of a style of vintage rose scents alloyed by heaving waves of musks and animalics; the most austere scents were at the same time very back alley. For Absolue Pour le Soir, this is literal, with a bodily aroma calling to mind Kouros, Muscs Koublai Khan, and Original Musk … Very erotic, very challenging, but eau so fun to wear!

The animalic aspect in Pour le Soir fascinates me. To my nose, it is not overwhelmingly urinous or fecal for that matter, but buttery and smooth. It is like a fatty foie gras, warmed with a sweetness from honey and aromatics. It builds depth with its use of incense, blending harmoniously with the accord of honied cumin, caraway, and benzoin. Above all else (to me), Pour le Soir is a honey scent, and it is deceptively deep but makes itself as sweet and simple. Beyond the honey, comes a furry balmy note adding plushness; a touch of an ingredient redolent of dark chocolate adds to this effect.

I choose to dab on this perfume, and on opening it is sweet with a hint of plastic, overripe with a heart of florals – a naturalistic rose fleshed out in the background with ylang ylang’s characteristic yellow smell.

As the scent progresses through its subtle transitions between honied cumin and caraway, overripe floral, and incense and resins, there is an adequate amount of overlapping throughout, creating a seamless and smooth effect. It plays off my favourite aspect of dirty and clean – a sweetness treated as a dirty creature. A succumbing to incense and amber retaining a very classical style: it flirts with top notes and then delves straight into a territory of the heavy base notes. Interestingly, the scent is resinous and syrupy from start to finish, and the spicy and floral inflections seem to emphasise the stoutness of the amber. The wooded quality, a mix between creamy sandalwood, the fresh qualities of cedar, and to my nose the distinctive booze-associated impressions of oak add restraint and complexity to the mix.

It is linear at best, projects moderately, but will endure for the entire soiree. Close to the skin, it requires people come that little bit closer when smelling… It is the smell of a deep hug.

Very solid construction – great blending prominent.

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5