Sublime (1992)
by Jean Patou

I have managed to destroy three lipstick colors, five or six blusher colors, several bath and shower gel fragrances and now my favorite (no longer) perfume. The "new" Sublime is awful and I shall guard jealously the drops I have left in a few bottles of the "old" Sublime. What a bitter disappointment! Why, oh why, did they change it?

20th December, 2011.

I used to wear this a lot, but now that it's been reformulated I will have to find a vintage bottle. Rich, radiant and VERY sexy, Sublime was a masterpiece. It was not of a style that I even thought I liked but I fell in love immediately. It is best for evening, but it's civilized enough for day with judicious application. Every perfume lover should experience the original version at least once.

12nd December, 2010.

Sublime possesses a stylish reticence that is a result of Patou's confidence and individuality.

The greatest interest can be found in the heart notes, where some dense but subtle florals are played against each other. This mixture of lightly sweet and bitter elements ensures a phase of humble beauty. My only real complaint is that the base is so uninspired in comparison. The dull copse of lifeless wood is a disappointing end to an otherwise very pleasing experience.

It is perhaps not quite beautiful enough to live up to its name, but I do like this pretty little creation.

9th September, 2010.

Now somewhat reformulated, but still very elegant and easy to wear with a lday-like feel. A very "perfume-y" perfume, yet nothing I could fall in love with, because it is too well-behaved and somewhat conventional. Reminds me of the good old days when true ladies used to wear classy scents like Arpege and Chanel 22 ... - it is a fragrance nobody could object to - but it is - at least in its new, reformulated form, a trifle more faceless than it used to be. Nevertheless a much better choice than the loud, cloying novel mass-market perfumes (take the latest Thierry Mugler "Womanity" as an example).

29th August, 2010.

Sublime oriental incense :)
Quite easy to pull off, a classy little sophisticated incense chypre!

uhmmm... goddess Hathor your hair must smell like this!

29th April, 2010.

Sublime starts life as a big, sweet patchouli and amber oriental wrapped in a delicate jasmine blanket. It is rich and weighty, but rounded in its contours and soft in texture. Its fundamental sweetness is bolstered by nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla, but also countered by a dry, soapy edge to its jasmine note.

Sublime's backdrop seems to rotate slowly over time, so that its patchouli face is replaced by a lush, creamy sandalwood. The change is so gradual as to be imperceptible while underway. Instead, I simply become aware at some point that the patchouli has been eclipsed and that sandalwood stands in its place, while the remainder of the structure has stayed more or less still. A neat effect, and evidence of Jean Kerleo’s compositional brilliance.

While substantial, Sublime is not a loud scent and remains relatively close to the body. It projects modestly for three or four hours before beginning a slow slide into an extended drydown dominated by amber and that same smooth sandalwood, along with a soft vanilla and vetiver accord that brings to mind the late stages of Molinard’s classic Habanita, though in a softer voice. All and all a truly beautiful oriental scent that I would feel very comfortable wearing as a man.

13rd December, 2009.