Fall Fragrance - Aromatics Elixir

Getting into Fall, it is a fantastic time to indulge in those warm, cosy fragrances that were too heavy to use in the summer. Warm, spicy fragrances are perfect for cool weather because they won't overwhelm you with their development this time of year, but also because they evoke all those wonderful memories of being in a toasty home in the cold months, the smells of baking and cooking enveloping the senses. There are a few such fragrances I'd love to talk about as the weather continues to cool off, such as Shalimar, Poison and Obsession, but I'm going to start off the season with a classic Chypre by Clinique: Aromatics Elixir in its pure perfume form.

This is the perfect scent for the start of Fall because it isn't a sweet oriental, but it is as spicy a fragrance as you are likely to find anywhere. It opens with a good dose of chamomile, coriander, sage and lemon verbena, and already that sounds SUPER spicy and aromatic - and it is! Rose smooths this out a bit as it enters the medley, and vetiver ensures that this always feels fresh, never entering oriental territory. I think that is why I love this so much for the beginning of autumn - it's spicy, but fresh. There's no vanilla, no nutmeg, no leather or tonka bean or appoponax, in fact there are no resins of any kind found here. As it unfurls, it has a slightly church-y smell to it, likely from the incense, woods and herbs. Still, it somehow manages not to smell musty. This is damp and cool while packing a huge punch of spices.

Aromatics Elixir isn't feminine. It is technically a woman's perfume, but it doesn't smell... well, like perfume. It smells like a season, a place, a spice cupboard, a musty cabin, fresh cut wood, herbal tea. It's interesting to think that at this point in time, we have more fragrance releases than ever, and less open minds out there when it comes to fragrance. A lot of people don't appreciate big smells like Aromatics Elixir, Coco, Poison, Obsession, or Youth Dew. They smell dated and heavy to a lot of people. Somehow they've held on, and thankfully there are still fume heads like myself who enjoy fragrance for what it is. I love fragrance the way some people love paintings, or good films - it's not always just because they smell pretty; sometimes a fragrance just smells... interesting. It challenges, provokes, connects with old memories. Aromatics Elixir is definitely one of those challenging scents, because it is full of beautiful autumnal ingredients, most of them more common to men's fragrances. But we want to smell unique, don't we? That's why there is an overwhelming number of launches every year. But what can be more unique, more memorable, than a woman with the confidence to wear a spicy, masculine incense perfume? Voilà. Endless intrigue: delivered!

Aesthetics: I love the simplistic bottle. Frosted glass, Aromatics Elixir on one side, Clinique written on the other in the same fashion. I love the embossed flower on the box. The whole thing is very simplistic and classic. The cap is nice too, plastic on the inside, metal casing enveloping it. It's also interesting how affordable the pure perfume is compared to... oh.. say, any other brand! For the same price any other one would cost in an EDP, you can get the pure perfume in Aromatics Elixir. Why would they do this? Likely because it is the most amazing way to experience it. The lasting power is amazing, projection is not too strong, but very present. This is just gorgeous for both Fall and Winter.

I read on Bois de Jasmin that this is more popular in Europe than in North America, and found that really interesting. Different ideas about what is sexy. It makes me just a little sad that so many women here go to the fragrance counter, venturing no further than the fruity florals that smell of shampoo. I think we need to be more adventurous and bold. Aromatics Elixir is as good a place to start as any! A good tip if you're used to the very common fruity florals (because the chances are you probably won't like this at all when you first smell it) is to let it grow on you, and keep smelling different things, not just more of the same family. I didn't mean to turn this into a lecture on fragrance exploration, but there you have it. There is a wonderful world of fragrance out there, don't miss out!

And, if in doubt, start with the classics.

Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

A.