Histoires de Parfums
Histoires de Parfums
91 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Italian mandarin arrives with gentle citrus brightness, supported by neroli's slightly honeyed floral quality, creating an almost luminous entry that feels immediately refined. The citrus feels lifted and present, but never acidic or sharp—there's an inherent softness here that signals this won't be a showstopping opener.
Within the first hour, Florentine iris absolute emerges with impressive clarity, its powdery, slightly pencil-like character becoming the fragrance's primary voice. Heliotrope circles underneath, introducing creamy almond sweetness that softens the iris's austere edges whilst the mandarin recedes gracefully into the midground, allowing the floral heart to dominate completely.
By the fourth hour, the woody base fully declares itself—cedarwood and sandalwood create an almost skin-like warmth that merges seamlessly with musk, resulting in a subtle, vaguely creamy finish. The entire composition flattens into a harmonious whisper, becoming increasingly intimate rather than gradually disappearing; it's present but demands proximity to detect.
Histoires de Parfums 2015 Absolu is a fragrance that privileges restraint over projection, whispering rather than announcing itself. What emerges is a distinctly powdery-floral composition where Florentine iris absolute becomes the gravitational centre—that characterful, slightly earthy iris that smells of pencil shavings and refined flour rather than delicate petals. Gérald Ghislain anchors this with heliotrope's creamy almond sweetness, which softens the iris's structural severity without rendering it saccharine. The Italian mandarin and neroli opening provides sufficient brightness to prevent the composition from feeling heavy, though these citrus elements function more as seasoning than primary character.
What's most striking is the woody-creamy interplay in the base: cedarwood and sandalwood create a skin-like warmth that allows the musk to breathe without becoming animalic or crude. This is where the "Absolu" designation becomes apt—there's an intensity here, a density that feels concentrated rather than diffuse. The spice accord (52%) likely emerges from iris's slight peppery undertones, adding subtle complexity to what could otherwise feel one-dimensional.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.8/5 (96)