I tested Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute – sweet and sultry, but is it for the right season?

Aside from its luxury handbags and accessories, Marc Jacobs has become a huge name within women’s perfumes. While its Daisy fragrance is arguably its most recognisable, its Perfect perfume line-up launched in 2020, and it might be my favourite scent collection from the brand.

Part of the Marc Jacobs Perfect range, the new Perfect Absolute debuted in 2025, just in time for the autumnal season. I’ve been testing Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute for the past few weeks now, and it’s been a welcome scent to mark the weather change – although it might be best suited for spring.

Despite only launching back in 2020, the Marc Jacobs Perfect collection features the original Perfect Eau de Parfum, Perfect Eau de Toilette, Perfect Elixir, Perfect Intense and now, Perfect Absolute.

Best characterised as fruity and floral, all options from the Perfect line-up have recurring notes of rhubarb, daffodil and almond, with different variations of woods, cashmere, amber and vanilla. While still floral, Perfect Absolute is a slight move away from the collection’s three popular notes and goes down a different floral avenue.

Described as a more intense and concentrated version of Perfect, Perfect Absolute has top notes of fig and caramel, a heart note of jasmine absolu, and a base note of amber. It’s part of the oriental floral fragrance family and comes in a beautiful, red bottle with a cap decorated in Marc Jacobs charms.

The bottle of the Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute immediately stood out to me. Marc Jacobs is known for fun, colourful, cartoon-like bottles and Perfect Absolute is no different, with a bow, dice, heeled shoe, banana, star and cherries displayed on the cap.

But what about what’s inside the bottle? The Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute smells sweet, sultry and floral. The jasmine absolu is the most prominent note from the initial spray and after hours of wear. The caramelised fig is another layer that comes out throughout the day, giving a rich and warm scent.

Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute came out in the later months of the year, so I expected it to be quite an autumnal fragrance. I do think it would be good for the chillier months – I’ve been wearing it throughout September and have been loving it – but I think Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute is better suited to spring and summer with its floral, fruity notes. I found it quite similar to Burberry Her Intense but a lot stronger.

A big positive of the Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute is its strong spray. It shoots out the bottle with some force and smells extremely intense from the get go. Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute is definitely a long-lasting fragrance but it drastically fades throughout the day – I often found myself topping it up after a few hours.

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I’d say that Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute clings better to clothes than it does to skin. A strange thing I noticed was it got more prominent and intense when it came into contact with sweat. I often sprayed Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute before going for a run or to a workout class and it was all I could smell even during intense sweat sessions – a definite plus if you’re worrying about body odour.

While I think Marc Jacobs Perfect Absolute is better suited to the warmer months of the year, it’s a vibrant, sweet and floral scent that’s perfect for everyday wear. It’s pretty affordable too, and is available in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml sizes with prices starting at £76.