Élixir Absolu

Élixir Absolu began, by perfumer Ilias Ermenidis's own account, with one of founder Franck Salzwedel's monochrome paintings: the idea of an absolute pink, rebuilt as a contemporary chypre. The result is a floral organized around a color rather than a single flower. Calabrian bergamot and mandarin give the opening a tart clarity, while red berries, rosebud and freesia add a juicy, rosy brightness that stays fresher than jammy. The heart grows fuller and softer: sunny mimosa, orange blossom, tiaré, jasmine and ylang-ylang form a creamy, slightly tropical bouquet, with iris lending a powdery edge. Sandalwood, amber, patchouli, vanilla and musks settle underneath as a warm, smooth base, the patchouli keeping the sweetness anchored. The extrait, at 22%, comes in a monolithic block of solid glass that the house treats as an object to display as well as to wear.