Fan di Fendi Pour Homme Assoluto by Fendi

Elegant and masculine, good quality. The longevity is a bit short, but it’s worth it.

I never knew about Fendi’s perfumery. This Fendi Absoluto made me an absolute fan. I found it by chance in my frantic search for discontinued scents at a small perfumerie; the girl pulled it out as a last remnant. I bought it blind and loved it. It’s woody, spicy, with a strong 80s-90s influence. Smells great of balsamic pine (opoponax resin). The oud isn’t noticeable. It doesn’t smell old or like cheap copies of classics. Old-school performance, masculine, elegant, and versatile. Very economical price, around 30 euros for 50ml. Now it’s hard and expensive to find.

Fan di Fendi Pour Homme Absoluto is a well-made woody oriental, elegant, formal, and mature. Intense opening with spices and slightly smoky woods, pepper, oud, and cardamom, even seeming to have leather. Then a sensual tonka bean note gains presence, perhaps with subtle patchouli, while the spices remain. Reminds a bit of the original version and Burberry’s London for Men. A very pleasant and good scent, though I think it was overlooked, perhaps that’s why it was discontinued. Excellent longevity, superior to 12 hours. Preferably worn in autumn and winter.

I understand Fendi’s strategy with this flanker: they are not looking for jewels or innovation, but perfumes that work. They blend safe values appropriately to create an efficient product. Assoluto is a masculine woody scent with a certain smoky touch that works very well and performs satisfactorily. It is designed for fresh nights. I have read that they are now at a fair price, so it is a good option if you can find it for 30-35€.

I usually stand against mass flankers, like those of One Million or CH, and sometimes refrain from trying them because they are so generic, boring, and commercial. This Fan di Fendi one never crossed my mind to try, but a saleswoman made me sample it because she loved it and had just arrived. I was surprised as rarely happens when testing a perfume; that spicy oud wood amazed me. I told myself it couldn’t be all rosy and waited for it to dry down to see if it changed. And indeed it did, but for the better; it turned out to be a special woody scent. By the time I wanted to buy it, it had already been discontinued. I took a long time to finally acquire it.

Fan di Fendi Absoluto is linear, potent, and formal, ideal for temperate to cold climates. The lack of the original’s liquorish touch is noticeable; it is sober, slightly dark, and of a stern character. Dominated by opoponax, cardamom, and pink pepper, it has a dirty opening that takes about 15 minutes to reveal its true intention: a sweet wood with tonka and an old, dry-herb patchouli. The best part arrives at 45 minutes, when the citrus sage seems to awaken among the pepper and the ever-present oud. It is very pleasant, refined, and sweet in the dark, perfect for the evening. Longevity exceeds 12 hours. Rating 9.5.

I believe this fragrance is based on an intense, high-quality oud wood, with patchouli and pepper, and very soft citrus at the start. I owned it and it made me feel like freshly sanded furniture or wood straight from the sawmill. The tonka bean or cardamom gives it a slightly cloying sweetness. I consider it linear and a bit boring but interesting; it is the best of Fendi currently. It is potent, with good longevity and sillage, and at some point it reminded me of the wonderful Kokorico. The bottle is very nice and the juice colour is lovely. Suitable for a man over 30 in autumn. Recommended.

It smells of cinnamon but then becomes boring, with the same wood, spice, and citrus notes found in most men’s perfumes.