Shortbread is as simple as a simple cookie can get. But it's also divinely delicious. And for this reason, Shortbread has been a favorite across the UK for hundreds of years. The origin dates to around the 12th century, when people initially made it with leftover bread dough, which was left to dry and harden until it became "biscuit bread." Over time, the butter replaced the yeast, and the biscuit evolved into a shortcrust pastry. The term "short" refers to the crumbly texture because of a sizeable amount of butter. Since butter was a luxury item, nobles and royalty only enjoyed shortcrust pastry on special occasions. Traditionally, Scottish Shortbread is baked in a rectangular or square dish and cut into fingers, like individual round cookies, or in a large circle and cut into triangles.
And Sublime Epoque has a lot to do with traditional Scottish Shortbread pastry. It is rich in white flowers, heavily centered on tuberose, with nuances of musky, woody, and almost powdery accords. Undoubtedly sweet with vanilla, but also clean. In the beginning, I get a fresh, fruity, and, above all, creamy accord from the candied orange blossom plus a slight spiciness from the brilliant bergamot. The bergamot remains until the end as a pleasant note in the background. There is a peach note on my skin, which is not mentioned, something with a chewing gum impression. The opening is like smelling the spring breeze. Then, a clean, crunchy, and floral start with a bit of fruitiness. Besides, from the sprayer, I get a clear smell of strawberry, an accord non mentioned but evident.
While the creaminess becomes more and more acute in the heart, the sensual tuberose surfaces and merges with the orange blossom of the opening and the clean jasmine with a lower tone, not at all indolic. Jasmine is a delightful addition to the perfume's limited range of heart notes, and here it plays a supporting role rather than a primary role, making room for the majestic tuberose. The result is smooth, sweet, and buttery, so much buttery that it reminds me of the traditional Scottish Shortbread pastry, as mentioned in the beginning.
Let the scent dry and fuzzy white musk tones, combined with a more subdued presence of dry cedar and a heap of spiced vanilla, not overtly gourmand or cupcake-like, linger on the skin. White musk is supportive, as is cedar. Instead, vanilla is quite potent and adds warmth to the base, which helps give the flowers some expansion. The cedar undertone intrigues me and makes this fragrance sway more towards unisex—it may still be too floral and fruity for a man who typically likes "masculine" scents.
Pleasant, it is perfectly balanced and built around the note of tuberose. It is versatile and can be worn both in autumn and spring, and for any occasion of the day, of the evening, but also of the night. It projects perfectly and lasts well for many hours. No question, it is a delightful, crowd-pleasing scent. It's floral, a little sweet, and feels like you've just stepped out of the shower. It is not the most original combination of notes. I mean, I've already smelled a lot of recent scents similar to Sublime Epoque, and it reminded me of so many other musky-berry-sweet scents around. It's something like
My Way and
Bloom Eau de Parfum. Become identical to each of those scents throughout evolution. Though, the small price makes it a suitable alternative to any of the previous. The sweetness and floral aspects make Sublime Epoque which tends towards a feminine gender, although more daring men might wear it.
I based the review on an 80ml bottle I have owned since September 2021.
-Elysium
Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
Elysium
