Adieu Sagesse (original)
Jean Patou (1925)

Adieu Sagesse is the black one in Patou's hair colour trio. It wraps a dark blackcurrant, muguet and vetiver round a creamy aldehyde core.
This core accord is most obvious in the perfume for blondes, Amour Amour - which also the most straightforward, a nice, polite soft pink floral with a dirty hair note of costus. The other two in the series are developments of this, with added extras.
Que sais-je? wraps it in a huge brown pelt - which makes the brunette the most hair like.
This one, the black version, doesn't have either the simple prettiness of Amour Amour or the animalic power of Que sais-je? The dark earthy-winey add-ons work at cross purposes to the pale creamy core and Adieu Sagesse doesn't quite pull off the air of mystery you'd expect from this raven haired perfume.

This original is a warm, spicy amber/musk creation, which is so well blended (one of Patou's signature achievements in most of their scents) that it is difficult to pick out individual notes, they are all so subtle.

The use of real carnation oil rather than the cloyingly heavy clove oil used by lesser houses is evident and makes all the difference, adding a light peppery fragrance, which balances the apple blossom beautifully. Despite the heavy and animalic base notes listed, these do not intrude on the over all impression.

Though not outstanding, it is nonetheless a well done creation - warm, spicy, peppery and above all, light as a breeze.

Adieu Sagesse - "Goodbye Wisdom" - "for moments when the heart rules the head".

This review is for both the original and the Ma Collection (which was available from the mid 1980s to around 2003) version of Adieu Sagesse, which were identical.

Adieu Sagesse was one of three Patou fragrances released together in the early 1920s: the heavy rose-based Amour Amour was intended for brunettes; the light floral Que Sais Je for blondes, and the tart, spicy Adieu Sagesse was for redheads.

This was one of my favourite Patou fragrances, and of my favourite autumn/winter perfumes of all time. It was very strong, dominated by cloves and a complex mixture of numerous powerful spices, and was rather pungent - there was VERY little, if any, sweetness to the perfume. I remember it as not being instantly likeable (especially in comparison to sweeter perfumes), but, rather, took a while to work its magic, and grow on you - once it did, it was absolutely wonderful!). In a way, I would describe it as a forerunner to Opium type Oriental perfumes.

I was so disappointed when Ma Collection was discontinued circa 2003, and equally pleased to see Adieu Sagesse among Patou's new Collection Heritage - however this turned out to be another story (and fragrance) altogether - please see my review for the new Adieu Sagesse; all I'll say here, it really IS another fragrance altogether, and nothing whatsoever like the one I've reviewed here.

This smells a lot like sun lotion on warm skin, very soapy, indeed! I smell a lot of clove and probably carnation. If you miss a summery feel in the midst of miserable winter weather, give this a try! Nothing outstanding in my opinion! This review is for the EdT!

i love jean patou....leave it to the french to create the sexiest, most sensual scentsi don't now what the notes in this are but i do smell this much:sweet almond, myrrh, cloves, carnation and glorious, glorious heady muskthis is a warm, sensual, spicy, forbidden love juiceadieu sagesse means goodbye wisdom....aptly named since its hard to think with the right head when you smell this one.this is sooooo warm, golden and sexythis gets a thumbs up even though its lasting power is nil