ELECTIMUSS
Aquila Absolute

2023

PERFUMER
Julien Rasquinet

Cardamom
Raspberry

Turkish rose absolute
Geranium

Leather
Patchouli
Labdanum
White Oud
Violet Absolute

‘Warm, sensuous delights of white oud and leather accords are elevated by fresh and fruity facets of raspberry and rose and herbaceous geranium. Inspired by the Aquila constellation, this cosmic perfume is radiant and gives the courage to take on the world.’ – Electimuss

Aquila Absolute goes through several stages, of which the middle and longest part of the wear is easily my favorite.

The opening is a bit much. A huge dose of cardamom takes over most of the composition, but as is often the case with spices, it settles down quickly. The cardamom sticks around, but in a much more manageable manner.

What follows is an intriguing mix of a spicy leather with a fruity freshness. Listed in the notes you’ll only find raspberry to account for the latter part. I can imagine raspberry here, but I also picture a lot of grapefruit when I smell Aquila Absolute. It’s a fizzy, sharp, zesty fruitiness that sticks around for a surprisingly long time. Rose and geranium are listed as heart notes; there’s definitely a floral facet, but it’s not a stand out feature for me based on my first couple of wears.

For me, the fruitiness gives needed balance to the heavier, warmer leather base. It has that typical ‘sweet oudy’ vibe that can get cloying.

As someone who’s not a huge fan of straight up leather, this combination suits me more. However, I would find it too much to wear in Summer, especially once the fruitiness subsides, so this is more suitable for Spring or Autumn in my opinion.

In general, I much prefer Aquila Absolute before the late drydown. Luckily performance is great, so that middle part lasts for several hours at least and it’s quite a unique mix