Our take
What does Heures d'Absence smell like?
Louis Vuitton created its first perfume, Heures d'Absence, in 1927. The name comes from the Vuitton family home, and the original formula has been lost. In 2020 Jacques Cavallier Belletrud offered a reinvention rather than a reconstruction. Jasmine and rose open, fresh rather than opulent. The heart belongs to mimosa. You get its yellow pollen powder and honeyed side, woken up by tart raspberry. Pittosporum, a shrub with small white flowers, adds a quieter orange-blossom tone. Then Peru balsam and sandalwood lay down a soft, almost creamy base, with musk carrying it on skin for hours. It is a bright floral, smooth and highly polished, with nothing left rough around the edges. Compared with Guerlain's Champs-Élysées, another scent built around mimosa, Heures d'Absence is less powdery and fruitier. The price is pure Louis Vuitton.
When to wear it
A spring scent for sunny days and long lunches. Two sprays are enough because the musk lasts all day.
It belongs to the Floral, Musky family. Heures d'Absence is one of 13 creations by Louis Vuitton in our encyclopedia.
