STYLE Edit: Charlize Theron turns gilded muse for Dior's new J'adore Absolu

The J’adore fragrance, originally created in 1999, still triumphs in the new millennia with its golden flora and mesmerising amphora bottle. J’adore Absolu is the latest offering from Dior’s J’adore fragrance line.

The marriage of Grasse jasmine with sambac jasmine in J’adore Absolu adds a tenacious freshness to the original accord of rose and magnolia. The Absolutes, or pure floral concentrates, create an intense perfume that would be impossible to produce synthetically.

“I wanted the full intensity of jasmine to shine through. It is animal, fruity and brimming with sunshine,” says François Demachy, Dior’s perfumer-creator since 2006.

Demachy grew up in the French town of Grasse, the international capital of perfumery. The district has an optimal microclimate for flower growing.

And it is in Grasse that J’adore Absolu has sourced one of its most fascinating floral Absolutes, the Grasse jasmine. Although it lives humbly as a little white flower, Demachy calls it “the queen of Grasse” for its floral richness and fruity nuances.

Grasse jasmine, like all Absolutes, requires precision handling in its extraction. As Demachy says, “In the morning, the jasmine has sharper, almost blackcurrant notes. When it is picked, it gives its all ... In the damp, cooler evening air, when it opens once again, it provides extraordinary sensations.” He adds that once the harvest is over, the jasmine keeps growing and becomes even more sensual, releasing fruit apricot notes.

Another development from the original J’adore is the addition of the nectar-like oranger, or orange blossom. When the oranger is paired with the honeyed notes of rose, the result is a sweet, balmy resonance on the nose.