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36 community ratings
Carven

L'Absolu

Perfumer: Francis Kurkdjian

2015WomenClassic
7.1/ 10
Community score
36 ratings
See your match

Carven L'Absolu opens on Italian mandarin orange and Madagascan ylang-ylang, with tuberose, iris and jasmine at its heart, making a fresh, floral and woody women's perfume.

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Skunky's take: A card-carrying member of the fresh club.

How does it perform?

From 36 community ratings, all out of 10.

Longevity
7.3 /10

Holds up through the day and fades gently toward evening.

Sillage
6.9 /10

Leaves a light trail and stays polite in a crowd.

Bottle
7.6 /10

Sits nicely on a shelf.

Blind buy risk

Medium risk

72% of votes are positive, the rest are more reserved.

Notes

They open one after another, from the first spray into the evening.

Top notesfirst 15 minutes

Italian mandarin orange
Madagascan ylang-ylang

Heart notesfirst few hours

Base noteswhat stays into the evening

Indonesian patchouli
Spanish cistus absolute
Sandalwood

Accords

From most dominant to most subtle.

  1. Fresh
  2. Citrus
  3. Floral
  4. Fruity
  5. Sweet
  6. Synthetic
  7. Woody

What does L'Absolu smell like?

The first impression is citrusy and fruity, led by the mandarin and ylang-ylang. In the heart, tuberose, iris and Egyptian jasmine absolute build a floral body. Indonesian patchouli, Spanish cistus absolute and sandalwood anchor it on a sweet, woody base.

Longevity is rated good and sillage moderate. Most voters read it as feminine, and it leans towards spring and fall, with summer close behind. Voters place it across daily wear, business, leisure and evenings out.

How it changes through the day

  1. First minutes

    • Italian mandarin orange
    • Madagascan ylang-ylang
  2. First hours

    • Tuberose
    • Iris
    • Egyptian jasmine absolute
  3. Towards evening

    • Indonesian patchouli
    • Spanish cistus absolute
    • Sandalwood

When to wear it?

Seasons and occasions, by user votes.

  • 33%
    Autumn
  • 33%
    Spring
  • 21%
    Summer
  • 14%
    Winter
  • Daytime
    22%
  • Casual
    22%
  • Nighttime
    19%
  • Office
    19%
  • Evening
    17%

Smells like this

The closest scents by notes and accords.

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Last updated: October 26, 2026