Clinique Aromatics Elixir

I'm slow, but I haven't forgotten. My perfume sample experiment continues, and I'm glad I have taken some time to get to know these lovely things.

Today's perfume is Clinique Aromatics Elixir. I'm a bit amused by the idea that Clinique does perfume, because when I was just a tiny thing, even I knew that Clinique set itself apart by eschewing fragrance in their cosmetics. My mother was a Merle Norman woman; just typing "Merle Norman" brings to mind that heady, deeply powdery, almost musky scent of their foundation. Mmm, mm, nothing says "makeup" like scented foundation!

(Suddenly wondering what all those chemicals did to my pores back in the day...)

Anyway, Clinique introduced Aromatics Elixir in 1975, and I never noticed until this year. A quick check of Fragrantica shows that "patchouli" is a top note for most noses; further reading reveals that many people say, "You either love it or hate it." This is a good sign; my favorite Private Collection is described thusly, itself. A non-insignificant number of critics also blatantly say, "I hate it."

I don't hate it.

It does have an astringent quality to it when it's fresh that reminds me a bit -- just a bit -- of Sea Breeze skin toner from the 1980's.  I don't hate it, but at first, I didn't like it.

That strident stripped-face quality fades pretty quickly. Forty-five minutes later, I smell my wrists and immediately think, "Oh, this reminds me of Private Collection." Ah ha! No wonder Fragrantica readers compare the two.

People who love patchouli love Aromatics Elixir. Me? I still can't pick out exactly which note is patchouli, and I notice that this thing, this beloved patchouli thing, isn't listed as a top note, middle note, or base note of Private Collection. Therefore, I have to point to the greens and the florals that the two fragrances share in common: rose, ylang-ylang, and jasmine. Maybe those common themes are why I like Aromatics Elixir, but not enough to buy a big bottle of it. I'll stick with the darlin' little sample. Maybe when it's gone, I'll start to miss it. Heck, that might be another perfume trial project in and of itself. Which perfumes will I miss enough to purchase? Only time will tell.

Aromatics Elixir is a strong perfume and long-lasting. It survives a day at work and then some.

You can get samples of all the perfumes I'm reviewing this winter by checking out MyPerfumeSamples.com .