In the process of renovating the Palace of Versailles, Louis XIV built the “Orangerie”, an orchard where he cultivated orange trees from around the world. He soon accumulated the largest collection of orange trees in Europe, and it became customary for courtiers to bring him orange trees from their places of origin. The King was well known for wearing an orange blossom perfume, and those wishing to acquire his good favours would wear orange blossom fragrances to please him.
Introducing Absolu, the newest addition to Trudon’s fragrance collection. This intoxicating scent shines a spotlight on Orange Blossom Absolute—a nod to Louis XIV’s love for this iconic flower. A tribute to power, elegance, and the timeless beauty of nature, Absolu is an addictive composition that captures the opulence of haute perfumery.
NOTES
Top: Cardamom, Mandarin, Saffron
Middle: Incense, Iris, Orange Blossom Absolute
Base: Guaiac Wood, Cedarwood, Tonka Bean
PERFUMER
Antoine Le
HOW IT WEARS
Opening with the piquancy of cardamom, mandarin and the bright warmth of incense, after about a minute of wear on the skin, Absolu is warmed by the bittersweet spice of saffron, allowing for the orange blossom to bloom. The orange blossom is vivid and realistic, warm and fruity, but nestled in on a bed of vegetal iris, tonka, and smooth woods, which together create a musky, almost leathery effect. We find Absolu lasts around 6 hours on the skin.
LORE LOVES
We can safely say we have never smelt an orange blossom fragrance like Absolu, and we love Trudon’s unique interpretation of it! Somehow it feels both contemporary and historical, we can imagine Louis XIV smelling like this but also a modern and chic person. This isn’t an overly sweet or floral fragrance, it’s perfectly balanced so the orange blossom is never cloying. What’s that saying – money shouts, wealth whispers? Absolu is a whisper, and what it has to say is something you definitely want to hear.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Founded in 1643, Trudon is the oldest wax manufacturer in the world.
In 1640s Paris, Claude Trudon, a convenience store owner, began to make tapered candles with a new methodology he had developed, utilising a special blend of beeswax and vegetable wax. His high-quality candles rapidly gained popularity, as they didn’t warp, smoke or splutter, and therefore didn’t cause fires!
In 1702, Trudon opened a factory so that their highly sought-after candles could be manufactured on a larger scale. Before long, their secret wax formula (still used today!) attracted the attention of the Crown. The house of Trudon became the candle provider to the Royal Court of Louis XIV, as well as many of the great churches of France. Louis XIV was so impressed with their candles that he issued a seal of approval with his official family crest. This crest can now be seen affixed to every Trudon product, with the addition of the motto “Deo regique laborant”, which means: “they (the bees) work for God and the King”, a nod to the creature that made their successful wax formula possible!
By the mid-17th century, Trudon had become the largest wax manufacturer in France. As candle makers to the Royal Court, Trudon were commissioned to make candles for many French icons – from Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette to Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon actually commissioned Trudon to make a candle for the birth of his son – rumoured to be the only gift he ever gave him – a black candle made in his likeness, adorned in gold.
Fast forward to 2007 when the house took the name Trudon and became the leading specialist in manufacturing perfumed candles. All their candles are still hand-made, using traditional production methods akin to those Claude Trudon would have used in the 1600s. In their Normandy factory, each candle is hand-poured into hand-blown vessels from Tuscany. Today, Trudon has extended their range to a line of genderless perfumes in addition to their variety of options for luxuriously fragrancing your space.
