Pause Eau de Parfum

Pause is a confident, harmonious, and multifaceted floral fragrance. It opens with the bright, green freshness of violet leaves, followed by a floral heart of mimosa and narcissus. Hay Absolute and cedarwood ground the perfume with a warm dryness.

• Top notes: Violet leaf
• Heart notes: Mimosa, Narcissus
• Base notes: Hay Absolute, Cedarwood

Pause is a centering fragrance that guides body and mind into a harmonious balance during a woman’s hormonal transition, offering a sense of confidence in this new phase of femininity. Its balanced, floral profile makes it a cherished companion for any period of change.

• New formulation for improved longevity and sillage. The slightly modified formulas have a 37% higher fragrance concentration and last 15% - 25% longer. The result is a more intense, longer-lasting Abel scent – still natural, but now with more presence.
• Abel Radical Fragrance: Biotechnology, master perfumery, and 100% natural ingredients – a blueprint for the future of perfumery.

Over a decade ago, Abel started with a bold vision: to create distinctive, contemporary fragrances made from 100% natural ingredients. Today, this vision is realized through the expertise of master perfumers and the use of the latest biotechnology in every perfume.

Abel creates fragrances for everyone who values authenticity over artificiality and depth over trendiness. The perfumes are confident, elevated, and distinctive. Just like the people who wear them.

• 100% natural, vegan, cruelty-free
• Base: Organic certified grain alcohol of food-grade quality.
• Made without parabens, phthalates, silicones, artificial dyes, or petrochemicals.
  
• Bottle made from 11.5% recycled glass, produced in France.
• Biodegradable and compostable caps, cardboard packaging made from 100% recycled FSC-certified paper.
  

Application

• Apply the perfume as needed to the inside of the wrists, sides of the neck, or hair.

Ingredients

Full Ingredients

Ambrettolide — Upcycled musk note
Ambroxan — Biotech ambergris note
Amyris oil — Haiti
Anisaldehyde — Biotech anise note
Bergamot oil — Italy
Carrot seed oil — France
Cedarwood oil — USA
Copaiba balsam — Brazil
Grapefruit oil — Brazil
Hay absolute — France
Mimosa essential oil — India
Narcissus — France
Verbena essential oil — Morocco
Violet leaf absolute — Egypt

INCI (Potential allergens)

Alcohol, Perfume, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Limonene, Beta-Caryophyllene,
Linalyl Acetate, Linalool, Pinene, Citral, Lippia Citriodora Absolute, Geranyl Acetate, Narcissus Extract, Terpineol, Farnesol, Terpinolene, Geraniol, Alpha-Terpinene, Coumarin

FAQ

1. New formulation and new packaging

What remains unchanged?

100% natural: Abel has always been 100% natural and remains true to this promise – it always has and always will.

Made with master perfumers: We continue to work directly with our master perfumers to ensure that only the highest quality ingredients and the latest technologies are used in our fragrances.

Made in the Netherlands: Our new collection continues to be locally produced in the Netherlands.

New formulation – what was changed and why?

• We have slightly modified the formulations to improve longevity and sillage without deviating from our philosophy of 100% natural ingredients.
• The new formulas feature a 37% higher fragrance concentration.
• Additionally, we have increased the proportion of natural, biotechnologically derived Ambroxan and Ambrettolide, these fragrance ingredients help improve longevity and scent diffusion.
• Longevity does not increase exactly in proportion to concentration, but with the higher concentration, the fragrances last about 15 to 25% longer, some even longer.
• The result is a more intense, longer-lasting Abel fragrance – still pure, still natural, but now with more presence.

Do the scents smell different?

• We have preserved the essence of each fragrance, true to its original character and with all the nuances you know and love.
• Performance improvement is not a linear process. Increasing the concentration of one ingredient requires careful fine-tuning of the other ingredients to maintain overall balance. You may not smell a difference, but you will notice the performance.
• Nurture is the only fragrance whose formula has remained unchanged. It was developed as a low-allergen, gentle, nurturing scent, and increasing the concentration of certain key ingredients would have altered its soft profile. For this reason, we decided to leave Nurture unchanged.
• All other scents in the collection have been reformulated and now have an average 37% higher concentration to achieve greater intensity and longevity.

How does the concentration compare to other brands / perfumes?

Our previous formulations were in the "Eau de Parfum" range with 15–20%. The new concentrations (except for Nurture) are all in the 20–30% range, which is typically indicated for Parfum Extrait.

We decided not to label our EdP as "Parfum Extrait" but to exceed our customers' expectations. We are not alone in this: while these concentrations are normal for commercial brands, some niche/artisanal brands sell Parfum Extrait concentrations as Eau de Parfum.

Sustainability and ESG Commitment

Local sourcing: All packaging materials now come from Europe (instead of China) and are sourced within a 400 km radius of the production site – reducing CO2 emissions per carton by about 98%.

Certified cruelty-free: We are currently in the certification process for COSMOS ecocert and Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) for our cartons and bottles, further strengthening our commitment to sustainability.

Why the price increase?

This adjustment is a result of increased supplier prices and additional investments in the manufacturing process, allowing us to improve quality and longevity across the board. Furthermore, these price adjustments are unavoidable for maintaining business independence and continuous quality assurance. Our last price adjustment was in 2023, without corrections for rising operating costs.

2. General questions about Abel perfumes

Are there scents in the collection that are more masculine or feminine?

The entire collection is gender-neutral (unisex). If you’re looking for a more traditionally masculine scent, we recommend Grey Labdanum. If you prefer a more traditionally feminine scent, we suggest Golden Neroli or Pink Iris.

How concentrated are Abel perfumes?

Our previous formulations were in the “Eau de Parfum” range with 15–20%. The new concentrations (except for Nurture) are all in the 20–30% range, which is typically indicated for Parfum Extrait.

Can Abel perfumes be combined with each other?

Yes, it is possible... All our perfumes share the same DNA, making them excellent for layering together. You really can’t go wrong. If you need help getting started, you’ll find tips and advice in our blog post on Perfume Layering.

Are the perfumes really 100% natural?

Yes. Creating natural perfumes that are chic, modern, and long-lasting (without compromise) is our raison d'être. While we’re flattered that you might not believe all our scents are natural, we can assure you they are. More precisely, we use a highly concentrated formula of natural oils, concretes, and isolates (naturally derived single aroma compounds) embedded in a food-grade (non-denatured) base of organic alcohol.

Does a 100% natural perfume last long on the skin?

Yes. We have worked hard on our collection to ensure that our perfumes last long on your skin. In particular, the addition of long-lasting "natural isolates" (see above) contributes to the longevity of our perfumes. With the higher concentration in the new formulations, the durability has even improved. They now last about 15 to 25% longer, some even longer.

How can I further extend the longevity of the perfume?

• There are a few things you can do to extend the longevity of your perfume on your skin.
• We recommend moisturizing your skin with a fragrance-free cream or oil before applying perfume, as dry skin absorbs fragrance oils more quickly.
• Perfume applied to your hair and/or clothing lasts longer than perfume applied to your skin.
• Also consider where you apply your perfume – pulse points are good for the fragrance to develop on your skin, but the inside of your wrists is not ideal if you type on a computer all day – it rubs off there – or if you wash your hands regularly – it washes off there.
• When you apply perfume near your nose (e.g., on your neck), you quickly get used to the scent, so others can smell your perfume but you no longer notice it yourself.

Why should I choose a natural perfume like Abel?

If you care about the environment, your fellow humans, and your own health, Abel is a beautiful and safe alternative to the mostly synthetic fragrances available on the market. Most synthetic aroma molecules are synthesized from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Some of these molecules are not biodegradable and accumulate in the food chain, the environment, and our bodies. Learn more about natural perfumes in our blog post.

Are your products vegan?

Yes, they are. Our fragrances contain no ingredients of animal origin and are not tested on animals... we are also big fans of the little furry creatures.

What is contained in the perfume?

Plant-based perfume oils, plant waxes, and absolutes. Naturally derived individual aroma compounds, e.g., natural musk from hibiscus seeds. And biologically certified, non-denatured food-grade alcohol. That's all. You can find the full list of ingredients for each fragrance on the perfumes page.

Fragrance Family

We classify this perfume in the following fragrance families:

• Floral, green, aromatic, woody

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