Boss Bottled Elixir Hugo Boss 2023

Finally, in the drugstore with the large perfume department, I noticed the large number of golden-brown packages and testers in the Boss section. Boss Bottled Elixir, Parfum Intense Natural Spray. I have to say in advance that Boss Number 1 was my first fragrance ever; it laid the foundations, so to speak, for my later enthusiasm for fragrances. And I had the complete range back then: eau de toilette, shower gel, after shave. Then, for a long time, nothing came from the Metzingers that would have been interesting in any way, until Boss Bottled entered the scene over a decade later.

Boss Bottled is still an outstanding fragrance for me today. Of course, it became a bit mainstream, but I literally bathed in it. My consumption of bottles and shower gels reached worrying, astronomical proportions. I loved this fragrance and could recognize it from five metres away. It was only finally at a class reunion that a colleague was severely irritated when I said "you're wearing Boss Bottled, right?". The answer was yes, somewhere between embarrassment and surprise. Boss Bottled is an extraordinary fragrance with an absolute and high recognition factor. One that you can almost always wear, that always fits. In the office anyway, but also for shopping, for a cappuccino in the sun, for dinner in the evening.

I never really warmed to the typical flankers after a success. For me, none of the big brother's wingmen were a real asset. In this respect, my expectations of the Elixir were correspondingly low. Nevertheless, you want to know what's available on the market, so I grabbed the tester and scented my wrists.

Elixir opens smoky and spicy, but I was surprised to find that it was even slightly fresh on my skin, which I blame on patchouli. Over the course of the first hour, I am really very taken with the clouds that move into my nose, the fragrance becomes a little darker, I find it very masculine and yes, I would also give it slightly animalic and aphrodisiac notes. Pure eroticism for hours as a couple or for the single man's appearance in a club. The blend has a high-quality, not at all cheap feel and is therefore pleasantly different from typical poser fragrances that turn the corner with synthetic would-be oud blends or ambroxan bombs.

After about an hour and a half, the twist begins for me, the fragrance loses its strong initial character and the obviously abundant labdanum gains the upper hand. This makes BBE warmer, I think I detect a certain vanilla note, even some floral hints, all in all simply softer and also sweeter. This is actually less my cup of tea, because it also takes away some of the masculinity of the fragrance, which I think is a shame. The longer the elixir lingers, the sweeter it becomes, before fading away rather unspectacularly hours later.

And so BBE leaves me in two phases: a brilliant opening and a somewhat disappointing dry down. Nevertheless, Boss has succeeded in creating what I consider to be the best flanker to date; the dry down is simply a matter of taste.

THE fragrance for evening events, whether with the lady or the boys. Heavy, dark, masculine, striking. Labdanum-driven sensuality.

Longevity and sillage above average, my on-skin test delivered very decent results. But what a perfume should be able to achieve, apart from that. On the skin, the fragrance gains massively in intensity compared to the test strip and really leaves an impression.

The bottle: Why should you forcefully try to make something really good worse? It is and remains a Boss Bottled, the recognition and affiliation to the family is clearly recognizable and that's perfectly fine. I think the color scheme is extremely successful, fits the fragrance perfectly and also looks simply classy.

Value for money: At a time when some manufacturers feel they can get away with anything (e.g. Creed, where they now like to charge 190 euros for 50 ml), the prices here are reasonable. Normally, the elixir has a price tag of 110 euros/50 ml, but with a little skill you can also find offers at around 70 euros - and that is very fair for what is on offer.

Conclusion: The best Boss Bottled after the unique and unattainable original. Recommended for anyone looking for an evening fragrance. Perhaps too much for the opera, but perfect for an intimate dinner and a glittering club night. A fragrance that will go its own way and find its wearer.