24 Elixir Platinum

#789 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I'd call this scent unique in that I have not previously encountered this note combination or anything close to it, and I do love it. I get that others are smelling hints of Shaghaf and Shurah because of the fruitiness, but this doesn't have any of that floral Oriental leaning with the roses and jasmine those scents have. This is definitely a Western scent, but I think many of us think everything with an incense note is Oriental. I've got shelves and shelves of Oriental scents and will likely need more shelves, but nothing quite like this. Vermouth is a new note for me. I've recently made a mental note to look for artemesia, which I really like in a scent. And I think the only other apricot notes I've run into are with Rasasi's La Yuqawam Tobacco Blaze and Atelier Cedre Atlas. This is EDP potency, good projection but not in a way anyone will find offensive, so car pool, elevator and office safe. I think it's also good date wear. Any age group. Keep in mind this line is likely to disappear at any moment since the TV series for which it's named has been off the air for a while and half the flankers are already unobtainable. So get it while you can. I think it's a safe blind buy and I'm ordering backup bottles before it goes away. Addendum: A really beautiful young woman sitting four feet away in the coffee shop said, "Excuse me. Can I ask you what cologne you're wearing? It smells amazing and I want to get it for my boyfriend." I resisted the urge to offer my services as her new boyfriend and showed her the FragranceBuy.ca listing.

Early impressions, a comparison heavy review. Take 1 part L'Anarchiste (the cedar and mint with tinges of cinnamon) add 1 part Micallef Emir (smoky oud) and 1 part Soleil De Jeddah (the smooth lemon opening into apricot/osmanthus earthy leather). Also reminds me a bit of Pure distance Black (can't confirm the similarities as I haven't smelled that in years. Yet it popped into my head during my first wearing). The spine of the fragrance is an old-school IBQ (isobutyl quinoline) leather with roughly equal parts cedar and some barbershop musks, and yet it is somewhat modern in overall feel. Wonderful masculine rich leather. I've heard Buveur de Vent described as the smell of a rich but down to earth grandpa, but I think this nails the mark even better. Doesn't actually smell like an old man, per se, but definitely of a man who has experienced a bit of the world and can get things done.

Following the theme of the Platinum 24 fragrances (Platinum, Platinum Oud), Platinum Elixir is heavy-handed with the rose note. Comparison-wise, it's definitely greener along the lines of the original Platinum and less the commoner rose/oud pairing of Platinum Oud. But the rose is not just green; it's also sweet and jammy along the lines of Tauerville Rose Flash. I agree that the note breakdown is incomplete here without rose, which is likely a heart note. The opening is slightly greener with a burst of citrus, then it very quickly loses its brightness and devolves into a rose-dominant fragrance for the remainder of its life, involving some blend of cedar, vanilla, and musk to create a soft, smooth base. Overall, it's a pleasant composition. Though no other members of the line have been able to dethrone the original 24 Gold in terms of the smoothness of the blend, 24 Elixir Platinum comes reasonably close, as it doesn't seem to involve any points that would be a major turnoff. Performance-wise, it's not as strong as most of the rest of the line, partly because it's smooth, but partly because I doubt the concentration label matters too much for this line. Still, overall very strong performance for an EDP at its price ($80). I might have to nab a bottle if I can get a good deal. 7 out of 10

Has a very soapy vibe to it going on With some faint woods in the background

Just unboxed this and have been wearing it now for 10 minutes or so, so it is still developing. Now, I first smell incense and leather (more so incense). The incense starts to fade allowing the leather to come up a little more. Next, I smell amber and a little bit of the vanilla but not much and the incense seems to continue to hang out in the background a little bit. Lastly, seems the cedar and musk is there ever so slightly to my nose. All in all this isn't bad, actually its good if you like middle eastern fragrances because that is exactly what you are getting. I don't love it, but of course glad to have it and looking forward to wearing it outside to see how it will behave. For now, I give it a 6 out of 10. I can't speak to the projection right now, but it is strong with the first spray. A female coworker just came into my office and said she liked it (smelled it in the air). i will update later after wearing it fully, but this was my first impression. Happy Sniffing