La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Absolue

Guerlain's La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Absolue is a darker, smokier take on a sweet cherry-almond floral. Everyone who describes it calls it gourmand, about two thirds say floral, and a third notice green, woody, leathery and citrus sides. It is an eau de parfum released in 2023.

Bergamot opens it with a brief sparkle before cherry and almond take over, a pairing that lands somewhere between marzipan and black cherry. The heart is where the Absolue earns its name: rose brings a jammy floral sweetness, iris adds cool powder, and then smoke and tea drift through, giving the scent a dry, slightly bitter, almost burnt edge that the fruit alone would not have. The base is leather, tonka bean and patchouli, so the finish is warm, supple and faintly earthy, with tonka keeping a thread of almond sweetness going to the end.

A feminine scent for those who like their gourmands with shadow rather than sugar, and who enjoy a smoky, leathery drydown.

La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Absolue — unisex fragrance by Guerlain (released 2023). Top notes: Cherry, Almond, Bergamot. Heart notes: Smoke, Rose, Iris, Tea. Base notes: Leather, Patchouli, Tonka Bean. — Parfica open fragrance database