Sublime (1992)
by Jean Patou

Leave 1000 and Joy to the ladies but all men should try Sublime at least once and be mesmerized. Masterly even by the lofty standard of Patou, beautifully constructed and, yes, Sublime indeed!

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.

I wear this and it is wonderful. I smell so sexy, that well I've turned a few heads with curiosity. It is as it's named, " Sublime "...

I love this -- not only the experience of smelling it, but the sort of stylishness I feel it represents. There is something sweetly lemony about it -- maybe ylang? -- that, along with the somewhat contradictory green note cited by Foetidus, gives sparkle and lift to the ambery sweetness of the base. Florals, citrus, vetiver and vanilla -- a rich Oriental that never feels vampy or swanky or over the top. It seems both alertly feminine and hiply unisex, the kind of perfume I'd feel comfortable wearing everywhere. I do find the opening slightly jarring but within twenty minutes it all comes into perfect focus. My only complaint is that on me the EDP is not sufficiently lasting. I seem to note this problem more often than most people, so maybe the fault is mine and not Sublime's.

I love the sweet, incensey dry-down on this. Too bad the top notes have a touch of something that smells like sharp cat urine on me, ugh. Beautiful after the first 15 minutes or so, with good sillage and persistance.

Sublime is one of my favorite fragrances. It is classified as an oriental, but it has sparkle and brightness that is missing in many products in this category. Sublime is very long lasting, staying with me the entire work day, and still detectable on the skin the next morning. It is marketed as a feminine, but it can be easily worn by a man with a taste for fine fragrances. This one is truly marvelous!