Fragrance comparison

Her Secret Absolu vs Montaigne (2021)

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 10 Oct 2026 131 ratings analysed

4 wins

Her Secret Absolu

Antonio Banderas

3.8695 votes

Rank #23,723 SweetAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Montaigne (2021)

Caron

3.7836 votes

Rank #39,464 Yellow FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Her Secret Absolu takes 4 of 7 categories.

Her Secret Absolu
Choose it for a sweet and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.
Montaigne (2021)
Choose it for a yellow floral and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Her Secret Absolu4/7

Montaigne (2021)3/7

Ratings & consensus: Her Secret Absolu
Community sentiment: Her Secret Absolu
Longevity: Montaigne (2021)
Sillage & projection: Montaigne (2021)
Value for money: Her Secret Absolu
Versatility: Montaigne (2021)
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Her Secret Absolu

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Her Secret AbsoluAntonio Banderas

Montaigne (2021)Caron

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 95 votes

Have 57%Had 11%Want 32%

3.78/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 25%Had 8%Want 67%

Category winnerHer Secret AbsoluRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

31%Love

43%Like

14%Ok

7%Dislike

5%Hate

95 votes

36%Love

28%Like

17%Ok

17%Dislike

3%Hate

36 votes

Category winnerHer Secret AbsoluMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityMontaigne (2021)

SillageMontaigne (2021)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

¤ Price value19

Category winnerHer Secret AbsoluBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

amber92%

vanilla84%

fruity77%

citrus69%

soft spicy61%

yellow floral100%

powdery92%

woody84%

amber77%

sweet69%

vanilla61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both sweet, amber and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

PearApricotOrange

Heart

Pink PepperOrange BlossomRose

Base

VanillaBenzoinLabdanumSandalwood

Top15-30 mins

MimosaApricotCassiaOrange Blossom

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangHeliotropeMoroccan Jasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesApricot, Orange Blossom, Vanilla and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Montaigne (2021), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring44

Summer32

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring89

Summer11

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night44

Category winnerMontaigne (2021)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex5

Women90

Men0

Unisex37

Women63

Work 36%Casual 33%Date 22%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,723

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#39,464

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerHer Secret AbsoluHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Her Secret Absolu opens with juicy pear and apricot, touched by orange and a soft white floral lift. Very quickly, it settles into a sweeter, warmer heart where vanilla, labdanum and sandalwood take over. It reads as a fruity amber vanilla with a cozy, slightly powdery finish. Best suited to cooler weather, casual wea…

Reviews →

Montaigne (2021) by Caron is a radiant floral composition built around fluffy yellow mimosa, ripe apricot, and rich orange blossom. The opening sprays on bright and slightly tart before softening into a velvety haze of heliotrope, ylang-ylang, and sweet Moroccan jasmine. As hours pass, warm benzoin, golden labdanum, a…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Her Secret Absolu or Montaigne (2021)?

Her Secret Absolu takes 4 of 7 categories. Her Secret Absolu is rated 3.86/5 from 95 votes; Montaigne (2021) is rated 3.78/5 from 36 votes. Choose Her Secret Absolu for a sweet and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Montaigne (2021) for a yellow floral and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Her Secret Absolu or Montaigne (2021)?

Montaigne (2021) lasts longest (Montaigne (2021) 66/100, Her Secret Absolu 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Her Secret Absolu or Montaigne (2021)?

Projection is very close: Montaigne (2021) 58/100, Her Secret Absolu 56/100 for sillage.

Do Her Secret Absolu and Montaigne (2021) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, amber and vanilla accords. Common notes include Apricot, Orange Blossom, Vanilla and Benzoin.

Is Her Secret Absolu or Montaigne (2021) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Her Secret Absolu is the stronger pick. For winter, Her Secret Absolu is the stronger pick. Montaigne (2021) suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Her Secret Absolu and Montaigne (2021)?

Her Secret Absolu has top notes of Pear, Apricot and Orange, heart notes of Pink Pepper, Orange Blossom and Rose, a base of Vanilla, Benzoin, Labdanum and Sandalwood. Montaigne (2021) has top notes of Mimosa, Apricot, Cassia and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope and Moroccan Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Benzoin, Labdanum and Vanilla.