Ralph's Club Elixir

The opening of the fragrance is a powdery and spicey makeup aroma. You will have to be a fan of Orris/iris if you get this bottle, as that is the major aroma at the opening. The opening projects well for 5-10 minutes with these notes. After the opening settles, the incense and woody scents bring the aroma to a more masculine feel to balance out the powdery opening. I continue to get these mid-notes into the first hour before you are led to a darker and woodier aroma similar to the notes in the EDP and Parfum. The aroma projected well off my skin for the first hour, creating a large scent bubble around me. After the first hour, the bubble closed to about two feet from my skin until the fourth hour. Eventually, the scent does become a skin scent that lasts over eight hours on my skin. This was an interesting fragrance, as it threw me off from what I expected after my EDP and Parfum reviews. If you recall, I stated that those two had fresh and easy-to-wear aromas that could be worn all year round. However, the Elixer is a much darker and powdery take on the DNA. The opening and mid of the Elixer appear to be completely different when compared to the other flankers. The Elixer's darker and powdery take on the DNA is evident in its intense and rich scent profile, which is more suitable for colder evenings and formal occasions. Only when you get to the dry-down can you find the connection between Elxier and the other flankers, as only then do they share the Ralphs Club DNA. The Elixer fragrance resonates with me on a personal level. It's a more dressed-up and mature take on the Ralphs Club line, perfect for a colder evening when you're dressed to impress. This is the scent of a sophisticated man over the age of 35. The Elixer is not just a fragrance but a perfect match for me and my favorite in the line. If only I could get my hands on the EDT, my review of th complete line would be complete.

TL/DR: Smells great get it at a discounter or on sale performance is very average. Another wonderful creation from Domenic Ropion. As I perused the 'reminds me of' section above, It appears to be quite obvious that someone just plopped everything with orris/iris into it, and I'd venture to guess that those folks haven't actually smelled most of their own recommendations, or even this one, as they are pretty far off. Having said that, from the first time I smelled and wore this, It felt like a proper flanker to the Ralph's Club lineup. From a potency standpoint, it was a bit of a letdown initially, but I soon realized that there is much more to this fragrance than you'll get at the counter sniffing test strips at the local Macy's. After draining a decant, I got a bottle. This does have vague similarities to VUI, and a smidge of Givenchy Gentleman Society vibes, but I feel as though it stays in its own lane for the most part. It is quite good. I don't notice any of the off-putting notes that some other reviewers have mentioned, but that is just me. It's not as bold as the 'elixir' title has come to suggest, but we've seen other 'elixir' frags disappoint that were FAR more hyped and anticipated than this one (looking at another DR creation, a much less successful 'Y' elixir). Ralph's Club fragrances are designed to smell good, in as 'gentlemanly generic' of a way as possible. That isn't a dig on the line, as I really like them all. This is probably my favorite, the added orris and the woody depth that lingers in the mid and dry-down is excellent. A bit more potency wouldn't hurt, as it is a very inoffensive fragrance, but I guess we can't have what wasn't meant to be. This fragrance achieves what I believe it was created for, and it does so very well. I do wish for more projection and longevity, though...

Ralph's Club Elixir is a woody, spicy and aromatic fragrance. It has a slightly dry woody and spicy opening, which smells like roasted cardamom with some hints of orris root that is also a bit reminiscent of the smell of iris. About 15 or 20 minutes later the fragrance becomes more aromatic, some floral accords of lavender and geranium begin to appear around a green sage, some leathery accord is also noticeable that gives a little opacity or darkness to the aroma. Finally, after 2 hours and until its development ends, the aroma becomes sweeter, with a base of tonka, vanilla and patchouli that is very pleasant. This Elixir version continues to retain the attractive aroma of the Ralph's Club line, only in this version the aroma is more spicy, but it is not a heavy fragrance, however I would recommend it to be used during the first days or nights of spring and in autumn and winter as a daytime fragrance, for formal or casual situations, office work, among other activities. Its longevity is very good, over 12 hours, with a good sillage for the first hour and then it is perceived at a distance of approximately 30 cm. Its aroma may bring memories of other fragrances or at least similar in its structure, for example the opening has some similarities with Sauvage Elixir in terms of spiciness, but not in power or smell, and in its drying phase it also reminded me of Eros Parfum. In short, it is an attractive fragrance, I think it is easy to like for almost anyone, slightly expensive, although perhaps over time it can be obtained at better prices. It is worth it if it does not have fragrances like Eros Parfum or YSL Le Parfum because of the redundancy in style, but for that same reason it could also be a good purchase option for those who already like those fragrance

The fragrance itself is rock solid, while it does not reinvent the wheel from the original DNA, it fuses excellently with some of the new nuances. A fruity tangerine ensures that the spice blend of cardamom and sage does not immediately invade the nose. The scent is definitely spicy and not too scarce, with time, however, lavender and iris butter provide a warm, bright effect. Remotely, the balsamic patchouli base also reminds me of Pasha de Cartier, although Ralph's Club is clearly spicier and only later becomes sweeter. The overall performance is on par for a designer elixir oil concentration. The longevity is well above average, I am clocking in at least 10 hours minimum. The guys writing reviews on here saying this is a weak fragrance have either lost their noses in a car accident. Or, they think frags like CDNIM are awesome because they only care about melting faces with harsh, loud, and scratchy garbage. While this is not a room filling projector, it does provide a heavy sillage for a good 3-4 hours when you first put it on. People will definitely smell you as you walk by them. As for the projection, I would say this scent project 1-2 arms lengths for a solid 2 hours. After that, it sits closer to about a foot for another 6-8 hours. For it's overall value, If you are patient and shop around online or at rack stores, you can now find this for a good price. I just recently purchased the 2.5oz bottle for only $59 at Ross Dress for Less, which is a dynamite price/value for a fragrance like this.

This fits well in the line and still carries the base DNA the entire line shares but takes it in a darker, richer direction. You do get the Grapefruit/mandarin combo off the top but its not a bright, sweet fruity the way it comes off. To me it comes off as more of a semisweet dark slight spice sensation with the cardamom. You also, immediately get the mid all mixing together. I feel the orris is a big player in this one that brings that almost floral, earthy tone to the fragrance when blended with the aromatics in the mid. All of this is still present when the leather and olibanum hit in the dry down which gives it the dark, resinous tone. Very nice, dark, earthy, rich and full bodied fragrance. Although I like this fragrance, its not really for me and not one I would be reaching for in my collection. I feel it is more of an occasion type of fragrance and not a signature scent, every day kind of wear. Worth a sample or a sniff at sephora. Who knows, it might be your holy grail fragrance.