Aromatics Elixir Clinique 1971 Perfume

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7.8 / 10 501 Ratings

Aromatics Elixir (Perfume) is a popular perfume by Clinique for women and was released in 1971. The scent is spicy-chypreartig. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is being marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.

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Main accords

Spicy

Chypre

Woody

Floral

Green

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Chamomile

Clary sage

Geranium

Vervain

Bergamot

Coriander

Rosewood

Heart Notes

Carnation

Jasmine

Orris root

Orange blossom

Rose

Tuberose

Ylang-ylang

Base Notes

Oakmoss

Patchouli

Frankincense

Musk

Vetiver

Sandalwood

Perfumer

Bernard Chant

Ratings

Scent

7.8501 Ratings

Longevity

9.3389 Ratings

Sillage

9.1379 Ratings

Bottle

6.7355 Ratings

Value for money

8.375 Ratings

Submitted by Sani, last update on 03.05.2023.

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Reviews

34 in-depth fragrance descriptions

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01/26/2019

6
Bottle 9
Sillage 10
Longevity 4
Scent

SchatzSucher

Translated Show original

SchatzSucher

Top Review 48

Sometimes it's just not meant to be

There are scents that capture us immediately. A first spray and you're on cloud 7.
Of course you should never be blinded by the very first impression and wait and see how the scent develops over the next minutes to hours and whether the enthusiasm is still the same.
But it is also said "there is no second chance for a first impression" and that is true.

But this can also be applied to the less good impressions. And that was true from the very first sniff on the Aromatics Elixir from Clinique.
When he met me for the very first time, I knew immediately: I don't like him. That doesn't bode well Aromatics Elixir first came to my attention about 25 years ago on a female customer. She wore this fragrance very generously and spread a heavy cloud of scent. For me, it was something like bumping into an impenetrable wall. I have seldom smelled such a repellent scent.

The Aromatics Elixir actually contains a lot of stuff that I like. I like flowers, I also like herbs, I like oakmoss and patchouli, chypriges is also welcome, but here everything has been processed in such a huge amount that it lies on my respiratory tract and depresses me.
The fragrance does not appear friendly, warm or in any way cuddly to me in any of its phases. I smell dry, stiff and overburdened floridity, paired with severe and extremely tart herbaceous aspects, as well as an overdose of moss and spices. Pungent, scratchy, narcotic. None of the ingredients help to make the fragrance more accessible or endearing. It's all too much for me and breathtaking, in the worst sense. I almost have the feeling that you could cut the scent, everything seems so impenetrable.

I must tell you that the customer who applied the fragrance so lavishly was unfortunately of the extremely unpleasant variety. Never satisfied, always looking for a reason to complain about something, this was not true, this was not true. Of course, one always remained friendly and helpful and always looked for solutions, but inwardly one thought, "My goodness, you old grumbler, just vanish into thin air with your horrible scent"

And as fate would have it, I have encountered exactly this fragrance from time to time on other customers who were carved from the same wood. And again and again this great antipathy against Aromatics Elixir built up or even grew.
Then I had peace from the smell for a long time and it was gradually forgotten.
But some time ago, on a trip in the ICE back to Hamburg, a lady was sitting right in front of me. This lady was perfumed with, yes exactly, Aromatics Elixir. I recognized it immediately. This lady spread quite a veil of scent and to make matters worse, she threw her scarf elegantly and sweepingly over the backrest and I couldn't stand it any longer. I was supposed to put up with that for 4 1/2 hours? I'm going to break!
I couldn't move because the train was full to bursting. So I had no choice but to spend the trip in the on-board restaurant. In the end this was expensive fun but at least I was spared this cloud of scent.
It is also noticeable again and again that the already very rich and strongly radiating scent is used so lavishly. In addition, there is a durability that is second to none.
Only after many hours Aromatics Elixir has retreated and laid down so far that it becomes bearable for me. But that is then clearly too late for me
I definitely acknowledge that this fragrance has always been very popular, currently 321 owners, which is not a small number. Also the fact that it has been on the market for almost 50 years speaks for itself.
To all those who appreciate the fragrance so much, I don't want to speak ill of Aromatics Elixir, this is just my personal feeling and what I associate with the fragrance.

I have long thought about writing something about this fragrance. But why not express disapproval? Each of us has one or the other scent that makes him/her flee. And now it has just hit Aromatics Elixir At some point it hits everyone. And the scent always pushes me down from cloud 7 very quickly and I know that it just doesn't fit with us.

05/16/2019

9
Bottle 10
Sillage 10
Longevity 10
Scent

Lillie

Translated Show original

Lillie

Top Review 33

Ur tincture

The most bitter, spicy, impressive, most loved, most hated perfume on the planet. Its wearers are either anosmic (and accordingly it is overdosed), then it attracts negative attention, is loud and almost rude, or they wear it like a veil, are aware of the magical powers and let it seep deeply and gently into their environment.
My first attempt with Aromatics Elixir took place in midsummer. Big city, noise, dust, people, fumes, dirt. I put on the EdT (!) in Karstadt at Herrmannplatz and was enchanted. Like a protective cocoon I am surrounded by silence, almost meditative pausing and my muscle tension is released, as is my irritation. Instant wellbeing!
Then further attempts with the EdP ("Perfume"), and here the dose constitutes the magic. One sprayer too many and you're over it. I dabbed it on at first, used a mudflat swab as a carrier. You can also spray it into the air and walk through it. I particularly like the minis (4 ml), which have a very small spray head, here then spraying goes flawlessly. I love the scent in winter because it envelops me in cosy, cuddly herbal and spice melange and I love it in summer because it cools and centers through its aromatherapeutic effect. Personally I also find it very sensual, patchouli and tuberose, ylang and sandalwood are in my opinion very erotic in their scent. I can only recommend to everyone who doesn't dare to go for it because he or she might associate his or her (bad) experiences with the name with the overdose carrier to sniff at the bottle like a smelling bottle and to feel this beneficial effect. I swear by this almost therapeutic scent even in the case of inner restlessness. A masterpiece!
For me the primordial mother of all Chypres (although only 1971 created).
Am I the only one who can smell cinnamon?
Allegedly one of the most popular women's fragrances in the Mediterranean (it makes itself surprisingly good in the heat - rationally dosed -).

05/11/2020

6
Bottle 10
Sillage 10
Longevity 8
Scent

Rosalie

Translated Show original

Rosalie

Top Review 33

Hippie Chic for the Hippie Chick

Reading some of the comments here I am amazed how different perceptions and associations can be. The first time I tested this fragrance may have been in the early 90s, and, despite its intensity, I liked it immediately. This scent reminds me of my exuberant time in the 80s, when I danced my feet flat almost every weekend in the "Alternative Disco"...

At the beginning of the 80s it was always crowded there on weekends. Punks, freaks, alternative, weird but also some chic people wanted to have fun, see how to spend the evening, or just "dance off" like me. I remember those hot summer nights, I wiggled, danced and jumped over the dance floor. The music was just great, and then these smells: At that time there were these little bottles of scented oil, which were very popular because they were cheap and some of them didn't smell that bad : patchouli, opium, musk, yasmin, ylan ylang...above all there were clouds of nicotine, and every now and then a clearly noticeable cannabis note "wafted" through the room and mixed with the sweat of the dancers. When you breathed this for a while, the scents would condense and become an intense scent, and I was intoxicated.

Aromatics elixir would have been noticed even then, however, and would have been successful. This fragrance is an announcement in itself, it is so dense, intense and rich that only a single spray is enough - in my neck. Then it lasts, hours after hours.

At first I was surprised by the camomile, as I had never perceived it in fragrances before. Here it is present, but very quickly blends in with the colourful array of clary sage, rose geranium, coriander and co. Carefully dosed, it remains harmonious, and soon Patchouli leads this round dance.

Sprayed Aromatics Elixir once on a hot summer day, as mentioned, one sprayer is enough. I was in the mood for a light "hippie outfit", and this fragrance seemed to suit it. The scent accompanied me for almost a few days, it was the patchouli that surrounded me for a long time. Not disturbing, but becoming more and more gentle, and even in the heat easy to bear. Also my scent of sensitive husband was impressed, and that means something. In my clothes the scent lasts almost eternally
No, AE is not a "silent peddler", but the time of the 70s, when it was launched, was intense, colourful, loud... a time of "women's movement", when women raised their voices, demanded their rights and fought for equality. So this fragrance fits quite well into an already special era, and stands for itself.

Not a fragrance I can or want to wear all the time. But I am glad to own an older version, and I don't give it away anymore - despite sensitive bronchial tubes ;o))

SO.....and now I hear "Shine on you Crazy Diamond"... ;o))

06/22/2018

8
Bottle 8
Sillage 8
Longevity 9
Scent

Siebenkäs

Translated Show original

Siebenkäs

Top Review 40

New wave, not punk.

The rain obviously couldn't decide either,
it fell flat on the shiny plaster, in which the neon
Writing of the "Krachnest" and the lights of the few other
Shops, then he preferred to let the wind
drift across the mostly shabby cars, which are almost completely
park left and right of Oranienstrasse. That Berlin in winter
was hard, he'd been told, and he'd believed it.
But now that it was real, it was different.
Anselm struck the collar of his dark blue homecomer-
Army coats up. Somehow it was cool. All this
Berlin Island Bleak-Atmo... walled city...coal stove smell
and a sense of so many possibilities.
No wonder Bowie moved here, he thought
He had a date. Another try, the fourth one this week.
Funny how hard it was to find a drummer in this town -
when there were thousands of bands, bands of all styles, from which
most of them played for a few marks everywhere where it's something like that
like a stage. Like over there in "Krachnest", in its basement
they had their headquarters. Rehearsal room was such an uncool word,
it sounded like diligence instead of inspiration, genius and turmoil.

At that moment, twenty meters from the "Krachnest", an old,
dark red hump-backed volvo and parked rather swinging.
It took some time for the door to open and a long, lean guy
i got out of the car. He wore a wide coat with a faded flower pattern,
blue suede trousers with several holes and old laced boots,
that looked too big in spite of his size. So perfect.
A pair of drumsticks looked out of the coat pocket.
"So you're Anselm!" - said the Hagere and walked straight towards him.

And then there was the scent.
Intense and soft, springy, spicy and above all warm.
Warming up, just like that. A stove of fragrance.

"So, you're the drummer?"
"Exactly! I'm your new drummer..."
Uh, yeah, I'm Anselm..."

When he unlocked the door, a piece of memory
in him like a shadow from long faded days.
And disintegrated again.
The scent, however, still intensified in the narrow staircase.
Flowers were added now, heavy and overripe, field herbs,
tart, straight plucked out, a little bitter or also sweetly stunning.
It was confusing, he thought of chamomile tea and an old rose-
bouquet with his favourite aunt in her Viennese Belvederchen.
On the other hand there was this clear edge.
Mysterious, wedged somewhere between earthly and heavenly.
New wave, not punk.

Anselm unlocked the door.
Shortly afterwards the Hagere sat behind the Gretsch Drumkit.
Anselm decided for the Telecaster and started the AC30.
He played the riff from "But a Dream", slightly distorted,
i'm not being cautious, because it wasn't about him.
Suddenly the Hagere stood up again and stepped up to him.
"Before I get started - a little elixir for you..."
He sprayed Anselm, who just kept playing, a few times
from a small amber bottle to the chest.

Then he sat down behind the Gretsch again and started.
Dry, straight as a candle, actually nothing more than the usual
Wum Ta Wum-Wum Ta. But so precise and sharp,
with such a ravishingly swinging hi-hat, which always scarcely
before the first hissing the Basedrum pushed up - more aggressive
and more thrilling than anything drummers have ever done before.
How long that went on - hard to say.
Just as the Hagere a few sophisticated Basedrum snare variants
anselm became completely aware of the fragrance,
he merged with the beat, the riff entwined him,
the guitar tones turned into swaths of flowers and herbs.
To the thunderstorm of flowers and herbs came now what had been missing.
The basis on which everything made sense, the key, so to speak.
A deep, lush, archaic hippie aura that is more likely to deny
and rebellion. Or no, it was the postulate, the essence
of Love and Piece, no ifs or buts. It reminded him of
a wide panorama, in front of which the time courses blurred.

"I knew he wouldn't get bored,
here in the punch society..." said his uncle Nelson,
"but believe me, he's had enough of this elixir..."

Anselm opened his eyes and just saw,
as his uncle swiftly and nimbly the little bottle in the pocket
of his floral dressing gown.

Then he dawned back into the deep vastness of his dream.

10/27/2019

7
Bottle 9
Sillage 9
Longevity 8
Scent

Serenissima

Translated Show original

Serenissima

Top Review 30

from another world of scents

Amazing that "Aromatics Elixir" has been on the market for so long.
Only towards the end of the eighties, when the opulence was almost overflowing and reached a previous climax in fashion and fragrance, did this spicy something appear on my fragrance horizon.
At that time, elaborate wardrobe dominated: "Dallas" and "Denver Clan" still show the enormous proportions of fashion at that time.
Christian Lacroix created impressive collections in his beautiful "gemstone colours": Sapphire blue, robin red, emerald green and lots of gold dominated the fashion with not exactly puristic cuts.
The creations of the fragrance world were just as powerful and impressive: if you look here for dates, you will find many of these powerful and impressive creatures in the enchanting flacons.
We loved her very much and wore what is today a little bit called the "massive humming noise" every day:
That's what happened! Everybody did it!

Suddenly a woody, spicy fragrance appeared: "Aromatic Elixirs" set a counterpart to the Oriental Chypre fragrance in a true fragrance laola.
We all noticed! What was that?
Whoever is in the middle of a vortex is dragged along and does not notice it at all.
Where would this mighty fragrance opulence, which I still love today, have led then? Was there ever an increase?

Suddenly, aromatherapy was used and "That was good!" (to quote a former Berlin Governing Mayor following)
Spice and freshness (sometimes even a bit biting!) suddenly reigned: "Aromatics Elixir" conquered us.
The top note alone resembles a walk through the herb garden of a monastery: the senses are awakened and calmed at the same time.
All the green and herbaceous was given attention; we saw and rediscovered our fragrance environment!
A fragrant balance suggests itself: the senses are suddenly freed from all the fragrant balast and begin to spread their wings!
instead of being opulently scented and overwhelmed with fragrance A lightness in the fragrance spread!
And yet the heart of this seductive fragrance carries all the classics that we know from the past and love so much.
Only here jasmine, iris, carnations and their well-known playmates seem slim, less peppy.
So there is also a kind of minimalism here.
Oak moss and patchouli bring earthy nuances to this composition, Vetiver also belongs to this category.
Whereas musk, sandalwood and incense clearly appeal to the senses.
This classic fragrance appears round and new and inspiring.
Do we dare?

"Aromatics Elixir" removed pomp and plush from the scent world; it was new and somehow puristic!
Even the followers of Jil Sander's minimalist fashion found in her first perfumes the concentration of fragrances associated with the spirit of the times: they were not tame and natural: they only wore "antique" names

But at the same time "Aromatics Elixir" was also not without problems.
Several cases of allergic reactions in the form of pimples and sore spots on the sprayed skin I saw myself.
If this clear, woody-spicy fragrance did not immediately disappear from the repertoire of some users, it was only sprayed on the underwear! Where he left borders.
To my knowledge nobody found the trigger: it was just like that!

At that time I was still swimming on the wave of monster scents; "Aromatics Elixir" only touched me peripherally.
Most of the time I was confronted professionally with this new spicy-woody freshness.
It was not until the end of the nineties, when I discovered Shiseido fragrances, that I discovered this area for myself.

Through our lovely perfume "Gold" I now have the opportunity to test "Aromatics Elixir" once for me.
Despite careful packaging, the slender, fine-walled glass foil was destroyed: a long crack was drawn through the glass body.
Thus "Aromatics Elixir" enriched not only my skin, but also my apartment: a positive addition to the currently only moderately available feel-good climate due to various construction works in the house!

Timelessly beautiful is this fragrance from Clinique still; it spreads well-being and also attracts a lot of attention: "sensually beautiful" would be here even the more appropriate expression!
But also I have to be a little careful; on some days this aromatic beauty bizzelt nevertheless very much in my nose: I must sneeze and the eyes get immediately red borders and tears!

So I find here a not completely unproblematic smell creation, which lures me however again and again.
But in the meantime I have learned to sound out our mutual forces - there are days when "Aromatics Elixir" and I go on a confrontation course: then we make a bow around each other!
But it is beautiful, this clear purity in the fragrance!
Thank you, Gold, for the generous bottling!

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