To be honest, this one is a bit of a challenge to describe, so I did the next best thing and read Fragrantica members' reviews before typing in mine.
Cold Coke with a slice of orange... Smoky orange with a touch of dirt from under pine needles... Not so great smelling praline... Somewhat gourmand, not quite fougère... this composition is as complex as it is quite hard to explain.
I agree that it could easily be considered unisex.
As for why I got a big bottle of this juice? Well, mainly because I am a curious cat, and also because there seems to be a dire lack of minis of this fragrance.
I am sure, if I asked around, someone on Fragrantica would spare me a tester vial but, you know what? Sometimes you just have to give into temptation, and treat yourself.
So I did. Blindly. Based solely on reviews.
Am I sorry I spent a small fortune on a nicely sized bottle of Elixir des Merveilles? Not at all. It suits my 50+ Capricorn personality rather well.
I do agree this scent is not for everyone and, frankly, it was not exactly a love from first sniff for me, either. But I gave it time... and the romance just developed on its own.
I believe, Elixir des Merveilles is a cold(er) weather scent, spicy-sweet but not sugary, a bit smoky, a bit like a nice sniffer of orange brandy on a cold wintry evening, and a bit... sweaty? At least that is what I get at drydown and I am not crazy about that bit, but, thankfully, it is just a scintilla really, something that is somewhat familiar, yet not repulsive. Maybe that is the bitter note some of you mentioned. Maybe this is what patchouli and caramel mix smells like... Or maybe the oak... See? Not easily described. Perhaps that is why I am so strangely attracted to this scent, because it is so very different from the flowery compositions that fill fragrance counters this time of the year. Mind you, my other all-time favorites are Dior "Miss Dior" and Trussardi "Skin". So, there you have it, an impulse buy turned another hit, and that is all one can really hope for when purchasing a big bottle of an unknown fragrance, purely on instinct.
One thing for sure, it is not a "girly" fragrance, and not a typical feminine one, either. But I have always been a bit of a tomboy with penchant for power tools and home repairs...
If you are curious, a bit adventurous, and an oddball like me, you will find Elixir des Merveilles to your liking.
Lasting power - excellent.
Sillage - rather close to the skin, but it seems to come and go in gentle waves.
