L’Interdit Absolu by Givenchy

Can there be a richer perfume? Impossible. It’s ultra-unisex, so don’t be afraid to wear this bomb as a man; you’ll receive countless compliments. Enveloping nardos that fascinate everyone. Heavy projection and an easy 10 to 12 hours on the skin. Givenchy quality at its best. Rating: 9.5/10.

I’ve been a fan of this line since the EDP relaunch in 2018; it was an instant click; I love those sticky, ambroxan nardos. I’d dare say this new L’Interdit Absolu is the best in the line (all the ones I own and have tried are great). Givenchy missed a huge marketing opportunity for unisex scents; if straight male influencers who wear the EDP Rouge try this, they’ll be blown away. It starts with ambroxan nardos, but here the sweet floral dose is extremely balanced by masculine commercial notes: tobacco takes the lead, almost sidelining the nardos. On my skin, it gains tremendous intensity with that spiced touch of cardamom, lavender, and a subtle, unlisted clove. In the dry-down, I sense vetiver, similar to how it was handled in Gentleman Society (call me crazy, but my nose trusts it). The nardos are present throughout, but not as intense. In short, a massive perfume with good performance and perfect androgynous character for these times where the line between masculine and feminine is blurred thanks to niche perfumery.

Intense. My brother gifted it to me for my birthday because he had praised my mother’s perfume, L’Interdit Rouge. I’m not used to such heavy fragrances, but this is a definite yes. Heavy in just the right measure, it has body; I smell the alcoholic, smoky notes clearly, which is why I rated it unisex; it suits any gender perfectly, it symbiotises with the skin, it moulds. It’s not sweet, but it has a feminine point I can’t quite detect. A tiny bit for winter days to project without overwhelming, or plenty for night if you want to turn heads.

It’s the type I like: exotic, original, mysterious, powerful. It doesn’t resemble anything currently in trend. I don’t find it as unisex as they indicate; I find it feminine, though that is very personal. Essential in my collection.

It’s not a perfume exclusively for women. It’s an ultramega fragrance for all inhabitants of the world. It’s rich, versatile, happy, expensive but not too much. It lasts over 8 hours comfortably and projects just enough to not go unnoticed. It has white flowers but isn’t feminine. It has tobacco and rum, but isn’t masculine. It has cardamom, neroli and jasmine that place it in the unisex range, but it goes much further. It’s universally unisex, bisexual, trisexual, non-binary, asexual and a blender. It has everything and not everyone has it. Take advantage. Givenchy does it to the max once again.

If you’re a man looking for something different, this is the best option. It doesn’t smell very feminine; honestly, I can’t imagine a woman wearing this. The scent has a white floral base, a hint of grape that’s there even if it’s not listed, and a super soft sweet tobacco note at the bottom that gives it a dirty edge. It’s ultra distinctive and incredibly sexy with its exclusive aroma. Ideal for dates in autumn, dressed up, at night, or in winter. I love it 10/10 (I don’t own it yet, so I don’t know about the longevity).

Oh my gosh! What a wonderful thing! It smells like sweet tobacco, but also grape, but with flowers… IT SMELLS LIKE A NICHES PERFUME. I just bought it and I can’t wait to wear it.

Its opening was incredible, almost unique. In my case, I sensed notes of grape, even though it’s not declared. I sprayed it on my skin and it became increasingly feminine. After an hour, it still projected very well and gradually stopped being so feminine to become more unisex. If you’re a man and want a different fragrance, try it and see if you can wear it. In my case, it’s a resounding yes. If you’re a woman, I highly recommend it.

L’Interdit Absolu is a more intense and mature version of the original, but with an unexpected twist. It smells as if they fused that floral character with the warm, spicy, and ambered warmth of Dolce & Gabbana’s The One for Men. The result is a denser, enveloping perfume with much more personality. Instead of the typically feminine focus of the classic, Absolu moves to a more unisex terrain, even with an evident masculine touch. It has a floral opening with jasmine and neroli, but dark notes like patchouli, thick vanilla, and a woody base reminiscent of The One’s seductive style appear very soon. It’s not fresh or light; it’s warm, sweet in just the right measure, with a certain tobacco or resin sensation that gives it character. The combination of notes is sublime. It might be a future purchase as both The One and L’Interdit are my favourites. Perfume acquired on 27/10/2025. Excellent purchase… A true gem of perfumery. Completely underrated.

Much more discreet than the older brother L’Interdit, and yet it’s the Absolu. With so few notes, you’d imagine the neroli explodes as soon as you spray it, but it doesn’t. Good thing there’s cardamomo, rum, tobacco, and vetiver to tone it down. What about the lavender? Fine, thanks. I’m just starting to try it, so these are first impressions. I agree it’s unisex. It’s not one of my favourites. A decant arrived as a gift for a purchase. Nevertheless, seeing its notes has surprised me, although I wouldn’t buy it.

First time buying this brand; I was torn between Rouge and this one, finding it hard to decide. Then I remembered my feeling when trying it at launch: I couldn’t stop smelling my arm, went home and was obsessed, but then left it in the past. A few weeks ago I tested both on each arm; my husband loved Rouge, but I had doubts (I would have taken both and didn’t take either). My nose doesn’t detect ingredients; I don’t know what a narcisso smells like, but I know when something pleases or bores me. Finally, yesterday I went to see the new Zadig one, the winged bottle, and when I got home and was about to buy it, the Absolu came to mind and I followed my instinct. Waiting for it to arrive.

A terribly beautiful perfume. The balance of light and dark notes is magnificent, although the performance on my skin isn’t dazzling. It’s baroque but classy. I resisted trying it; I’m the type who likes heavy, woody, patchouli and floral scents, but the black bottle caught my attention and I needed something to break the current banality. At first I smell neroli and lavender well. Then it acquires a dark spicy touch. As it develops, the tobacco becomes evident, giving it a naughty and sexy side, like a date with a woman in a leather jacket, boots, red lips and stormy hair. A double espresso and a cigarette complete its calling card. For me, it’s unisex in the best sense, with bitterness, dark tobacco spices and lots of patchouli. Simply cosy, like the pleasure of a wool coat and scarf in winter. It lasts a long time on clothes, unfortunately less on skin, which holds me back from a possible future purchase. Worth trying.

I tried all the L’Interdit flankers, but this is the most beautiful and captivating for me. You immediately feel the lavender, the spices, the cardamom… a delight. What hurt me is that it lasted very little on the skin (about two hours and it had already disappeared) and honestly it costs a lot of money to last so little. Anyway, if I find it on promotion, maybe I’ll buy it. Its little siblings (Rouge and Rouge ultime) have brutal longevity, but both have something that doesn’t fully convince me. In any case, not everything can be in this life.

I’ve just tried this fragrance; it’s an absolute, plain and simple. It carries white flowers; I don’t say no, but the kind found in mikados, which aren’t natural. What can be unisex? Yes, because perfumes never had a gender until marketing got involved. It opens sharp and alcoholic, with luminous and floral notes (not natural). The light fades and the ever-loved and hated essence of a fruitchouli appears: the darkness of an imaginary lipstick over a bed of lavender (not natural, but Kneipp bath gel, the good night of Kneipp, oh dear). In the background a vanilla/tobacco sweetness with timid patchouli. Sincerely, I don’t see it well made; I don’t see personality, even if it wants to attract attention. It’s a shout in a demonstration, a tear in the sea. In my opinion, for something unisex, transgressive and better priced: JOOP! Homme, which comes these ways but with thirty-five years of advance.

This morning my long-awaited blind purchase arrived. It was bold to go blind because NO L’INTERDIT HAD EVER PLEASED ME. I tried every flanker and there was no case, but luckily with this the curse was broken. It has the L’Interdit DNA but is much better balanced. The narcissos aren’t so shrill and piercing (something I can’t tolerate in the others). The cardamom gives creaminess and softness so the opening isn’t a slap in the face. The lavender is very well balanced and doesn’t predominate. In the heart is the famous trident of white flowers where the narcisso takes the lead, leaving a sweet dry-down from the tobacco and rum. I consider it unisex for fresh days or nights. Very happy with this new Givenchy launch ♥.