Caecilie

It is difficult to say when a work of art such as a painting, a sculpture or a piece of literature has been completed. But it is part of the creative process to find an end precisely when the work of art has come as close as possible to perfection.... (It is of course different with the performing arts and music making, which are always performed within a living process and are subject to the personal development of the performer.)
For me, a good perfume is a kind of work of art, at least handicraft, at a very high level, which is why I personally think that the perfumer, if he has created a beguiling, multi-faceted and perfection-oriented, already further developed version of a fragrance, should no longer touch it. That's a matter of opinion, of course.
I already loved the 2007 version of J'adore L'Absolu and even more the 2014 version, which is at the same time a refinement and enhancement. This combination of Damascus rose, Arabian jasmine and Indian tuberose is heaven on earth for me.
Magnolia, centifolie and orange blossom should now bring even higher consecrations instead of Damascus rose and tuberose? I was really curious because I thought that without tuberose the fragrance might lose its sweetness, although I never thought it was too sweet.
So I tested the new J'adore L'Absolu last week, first on the paper strip and later on the skin. On the paper strip it smelled very intense, almost penetrating, sweeter than the "old one" and provoked me to cough. At least I got a dense jasmine cloud in the beginning (I love jasmine), but it was superimposed and made unrecognizable by the other flower varieties shortly afterwards. The result was a sweet, flowery block of fragrance with no perceptible individual notes. Whether it is probably the centifolie and the orange tree that make the composition so unfavorably penetrating? Maybe tuberose is still present, even if not listed here (Fragrantica lists it as well), and the flowers just kill each other?
Applied on the skin it smelled of a renewed, this time several times, cough stimulus somewhat less killing and I could notice after second-short Jasmine luck again the same flowery sweet intensive smell note, which mixed itself unfortunately also within few seconds again to a uniform sweet smell paste. Surprisingly, the scent on my wrist had almost completely disappeared after about half an hour, which in this case was very convenient for me.
For me this new fragrance variant politely said superfluous.

I hope Dior notices that at some point and serves us back the 2014 version through a back door in a couple of years.

What makes a great perfume? First of all, the fact that it is a great perfume for me personally and perhaps for some or many other people. Taste is first and foremost an individual matter.
Apart from the fact that a perfume, which deserves the adjective "great", must please me extremely well in all fragrances and their progression, it needs this moment, in which the anyway extremely attractive fragrances unite for me and unfold in their combination a stunningly charming, attracting, my physical and mental perception opening - yes compelling effect. Even as it fades away after many hours it still has to conjure a knowing and at the same time longing smile on my face. A good perfume must be compelling for me.
Gucci Bloom begins with a wonderfully unsweet jasmine, which is flattered by the temptingly sweet tuberose, but never loses its plain, almost austere simplicity. This makes it very suitable for the first nose in summer. The sensual iris brings an earthy note into play, which also makes a Bloom look good in autumn. Unfortunately, I do not know what the olfactory effect of the Rangunschlinger is. Perhaps it is he who gives the fragrance this green and at the same time mysterious note? In any case, this fragrance is great and at the same time really elegant.
The first hour after the application Bloom is attracting to me, tasty-herb, making me want more and hope for the great fragrance experience and then - well, then after about an hour and a half it gradually breaks down on my skin. It slowly gets a little more watery and at the same time takes on a slightly acidic note, which stays in the clothes for days and for me doesn't have much in common with the initially so promising scents. The Sillage is with me just like the durability on the skin rather medium to weak.
Not that the "Drydown" or the remaining scent would smell bad, but it doesn't give me the memory of the great scent experience I had, but rather a stale, sour aftertaste that he really doesn't deserve. Maybe my skin chemistry plays a trick on me and it develops organically and beautifully with someone else, who knows?

Anyway, Bloom is for me an attractive, but not a compelling scent - and therefore no scent for me.

For a long time I have been looking for a vanilla scent, which is not so easy for me as an allergy sufferer, because vanilla scents are often heavy and sometimes tend to trigger a cough in sensitive people. Not so Tangier Vanilla, which I could almost inhale so far at least.
It wasn't that easy to get to a bottling, but since I got it, I've been wearing it again and again, this wonderfully soft and powerful scent.
Immediately after the application on my wrist a great mixture of rose and vanilla flows towards me, which is also surrounded by a certain freshness at the beginning by the bergamot. What does that remind me of? Somehow I associate vaguely positive childhood moments, probably because these scent components are simply associated with pleasant images. Vanilla always has something to do with biscuits or sweet desserts and roses was and still is wonderful. But Tangier vanilla is not a vanilla biscuit or Christmas scent, not at all! When I associate it with biscuits, it is more like fine biscuits at a fine coffee table with a bouquet of roses on top and elegant ladies sitting there.
Tangier Vanilla smells with all vanilla simply very flowery and feminine. The amber gives it a sensual note, which is grounded by the sandalwood and held off by too much sweetness. With a little imagination you can even imagine a mild smokiness. The musk makes him infinitely soft and physical. Yes, it is as soft as a cloud and yet flowery and elegant. The elegance is the most surprising thing about this fragrance, because I would not have expected it after the soft vanilla opening. But through the company of the rose and the other fragrance components, the vanilla layer becomes porous and transparent, from which this fascinating elegance arises. With this fragrance I would like to dress elegantly on the one hand - but rather simply and without frills Co. but that's my style anyway - and going out. On the other hand, I would like to spray it on myself to make a cosy evening at home even more cosy and simply enjoy the existence.
Tangier vanilla also makes you feel good, especially on cloudy days. That's why it's especially suitable for autumn and winter, but also for darker springs - or even cooler summer days - I can imagine it. A real mood enhancer!
The durability is enormous, two sprays hold the whole day I'm into the evening and - oh yes, the bottle is simple and elegant, but looks by the nice, mushroom-like, brown cap somehow also knubbelig-cosy. Exactly the same fragrance at the same time elegant and homey.

I wonder if he's up to me If I can tolerate it all the way until the bottling is used up, without having any breathing problems, it will become mine! The odds are good!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supplement:
I was actually ready to buy a bottle recently.
When testing a current bottle again, I unfortunately noticed that the colour of the perfume liquid had changed. It is no longer bright and transparent like before but old pink-purple. The fragrance is not collectively aged, but has a new color, which unfortunately for my nose also includes a change in fragrance. For my perception, the scent smells more pungent and tickles strongly in the nose, which the old transparent version had not done.
Either my nose has changed or the scent. Anyway, he's not the right scent for me anymore.
Too bad, but fortunately there are enough scents...