This was a Christmas gift and mainly because the wife loves it. I had samples between this and elixir and I liked both but she prefers the absolu version. The biggest difference is it has the honey and tobacco taken out and a plum note added which is very nice. This is a beast of a fragrance though and there is no need to spray away. The Le Male DNA is prominent and this reminds me of Le Parfum and Elixir combined. Its really great if you are a fan of the Le Males.