Elixir

I bought this blind purely because I liked the notes (A*Men and Black Phantom are fragrances with a surface similarity that I enjoy greatly, though admittedly I don’t wear them that much) and my signature scent (Penhaligon’s Tralala) is a boozy gourmand) So I thought it’d be a pretty safe blind buy, having loved Peter’s Dendera and enjoyed his candour on his channel (he’s forever begging people to sample first instead of plonking down cash for a full bottle, and also constantly shrugging off the possibility that his tastes might not be everyone else’s). Also I had watched the couple of review videos there are on YouTube for Elixir and they were positive, and all the allusions to Biscoff biscuits and waffles made my mouth water. So having received it, does it live up to its expectations? If I was yearning for a close relation of Black Phantom I think I would have been disappointed and I can’t lie, for a moment I was. It did not have the startling complexity of Dendera upon first spritz (and can one really expect it to?) But one thing’s for sure, it delivers on its promise of being a semi-gourmand Cedar was at the forefront and perhaps being a bit too assertive, But I’ve learnt that with natural perfumes the first spray from the bottle is never the whole story and very often the shifts occur in quick succession depending where they are sprayed. Five minutes later and I was shrouded in a Biscoff/cappuccino duvet and feeling absolutely delectable. This of course would have been ridiculously juvenile if a third photorealistic impression did not intervene, and that, curiously, is of Saphir’s Medaille d’Or shoe polish; for any guys who enjoy spending a quiet afternoon polishing up their precious brogues you’ll know what I mean. Among its ingredients are beeswax and turpentine (from pine resin) and quite emblematic of the oldy-worldy Gentlemanly sartorial arts of pocket squares and boutonnières. This progresses, for a Chinese guy brought up in Singapore, from the shoe-shine chair to the Sinseh. That undeniable terpenic and salubrious aspect of American Ginseng, an odorous root that claims to cure a litany of ailments and wafts out of every Traditional Chinese Medicine hall with the same vehemence of Fierce out of an Abercrombie boutique. I’m not sure if it’s because all tree-based extracts are essentially terpenes (and cedar and sandalwood are in this) but there’s something that definitely creates that impression - something faintly anisic and solvent-y, a penumbra of maturity on an otherwise callow sunlit sugary shore. This combines with the rather prominent rum ether to create a treacly base that lasts and lasts a good 24 hours, and I’m a sweaty person. Also, since rum is a derivative of sugar, it is a wonderful use of a natural material to stand in for an otherwise saccharine, one-dimensional synthetic, and provides the background hum of a vanilla fragrance without apparently there being any actual vanilla in it at all. I’d say, if you’re looking for a great caramelised cakey vanilla, this could be it. So all in all, great stuff, whatever your choice of tipple. Works a treat on bed linen (at least for me). I only wish we had seasons here because I can imagine this would be extra cosy in winter.

This is in my top 5 strongest fragrances. Amazing coffee and alcohol notes. Love that the company is from Yorkshire which is also where I live. I own 3 fragrances from Centauri, one is new and isn’t listed here yet. Definitely get Dark phantom though and at the moment slightly prefer the Killian

As @SmellsLikeIDontKnowWhat mentioned, the fenugreek lactone is WAAAY too overdosed. The opening is beautiful, it smells like a barrel of whiskey, brandy... gorgeous. But the caramel furanone lasts forever, I really don't wanna smell like curry (actually I don't wanna smell like anything) for 24 hours.

I am a huge fan of Peter's work but this one doesn't work for me. It also is honestly too strong. Even a shower can't get rid of this smell. God help you if you get it on clothes.

Insanely intense caramel scent, not that I don't like caramel, it's just SO STRONG