Essence Rare

This is one of the prettiest perfumes in my collection. And I use the adjective "pretty" to its fullest intensity and specificity: Essence Rare isn't glamorous, lush, elegant; nor is it reserved, understated, or boring. It is so beautifully formulated, all the notes blending together, hardly distinguishable from one another. It's such an even-handed treatment of the ingredients that the result is—paradoxically—stunningly simple, and admirably pretty. The lily-of-the-valley is there, but it isn't too sweet or indolic. And there's the iris, bringing some floral powder but not at all starchy or leathery, as it can sometimes be. And then the rose, a flower I feel quite ambivalent about: this is one of the most delicate, sublime rose notes I've ever encountered. Taken together, the result is a sublime creamy-powdery-floral perfume, a mellow springtime halo, both cool and with subtle heat, tranquil and inviting. Definitely pure Ellena. My only qualm is that it's a bit too weak: it fades to a skin scent in a couple of hours, then lingers in that form for a few more. The sandalwood and jasmine come through more a bit later. The bottle looks very unique on my shelf.

This is a lady's perfume. A grown up, adult lady. Iris is the predominate note, quickly followed in 1-2 seconds by lily of the valley. As it dries, it does interesting things which I have yet to sit with and analyze. Sweet (but not in the current style of candied toothaches), delicate, beautiful things. It is translucent, like a good fairy's wings, and quite beautiful. Go sniff some if you can. I'm usually a lover of orientals and big, brash, loud tuberoses, smoky things, an avoider of lily of the valley (a note that always brings my mother to mind. I love her, but haven't want to smell just like her.) But I really like this. Maybe it's the price tag ($280!!!) but it smells and feels like luxury. I think I've been waiting for an iris perfume, and for me, this is it. It's interesting, and it unfolds its notes like a flower unfolding and dropping its petals, which is something I love in a perfume. Recommended.

Another proof that those 1.5ml samples are not good for testing. When I tried it from a sample I wasn’t impressed at all. Fortunately that brand offers 8 ml travel size and I gave it a second chance and I was amazed. Floral perfumes need more air and wider spraying to fully open up. So I personally don’t believe in those small samples. This is one very beautiful and elegant scent. I love how iris and rose are combined in this one. There’s something timeless in this perfume. It’s classical, but not in a vintage way. I think it’s a perfect perfume to gift for a perfume lover who is into delicate nuances. It is difficult to explain, but this perfume brings me tears to my eyes. There’s something really high quality in this one and not in a pretentious overpowering way. The body really reacts on this one. Very nicely balanced. I wish more people would wear perfumes like this.

Nostalgic. Essence Rare is something created out of my dreams. The closest resemblance is when I was a child, and I used to go to religious ceremonies. We would throw an abundance of flower petals at the end, a combination of beautiful flowers of all different grandiose bouquets representing different sentiments, devotion, romance, maternal love, congratulations, sorrow, regret, and gratitude that all combined and surrendered in Oneness. The quality is authentic, infinite, and enduring, this is by far the best floral fragrance in my collection, and the others (excluding maybe Amouage) fall flat by comparison in both dimension and opacity.

This smells exactly like when you enter a florist shop. It is hard or almost impossible to tell the flowers apart. It reminds me of the scent of a certain miniature carnation you can only buy in a pot. Lovely scent, very natural, but it does not project a lot. Longevity is average/above average. It belongs to the best of Ellena in my opinion. A gem for floral lovers! There is no iris or powdery notes in this perfume according to the producer. (My review is for the new one, in the bottle as pictured above. I have never tried the vintage version.)