Rose Elixir

Roses Elixir

Montale 2010 Eau de Parfum

Delicious composition based on strawberry and roses.

Despite being feminine, it's easily unisex in my opinion.

A bit linear scent, opens with a lot of strawberry and roses, but nothing too sweet: there's no candy like smell.

After the initial notes, there are some citruses that fades quickly.

The development of the scent is not too noticeable: there are a vanilla and amber notes that joins and gives it a depth.

Sillage and projection are medium-high. Lasting power is around 8 hours.

Rose Elixir opens and cruises through the central notes with a bucket full of candied strawberry fruit compote. A dash of roses, a bit of fruit juice, a tiny whiff of orange blossom round out the strawberry dessert. I happen to like strawberries which is a good thing. There is no gourmand excess other than this particular event thankfully. The vanilla is reasonably restrained. The ambergris and musk bolster the entire decadently rich fruitiness into a marginally elegant drydown. But really it's all about strawberries. It could easily be a fruity chypre if they just threw in some oakmoss and a tad of patchouli. This actually reminds me a great deal of Miss Dior Cherie EDP 2011 with it's stewed strawberries as well. As fruity florals go, it's an excellent fruity floral. Those who truly enjoy strawberry will love this.

An oudless rose perfume from the house of Montale? Yes, here it is: ROSE ELIXIR. This creation really caught me off guard. First, I assumed that the "elixir" would be amber or benzoin or some other resinous note(s). In fact, the elixir is a super sweet and concentrated fruit syrup! My guess was "red berries," but strawberries are identified as the primary source of the fruitiness of this composition. These are not straight-up strawberries, though. No, they have been cooked and reduced in a vanilla sugar syrup to produce a liquid with the viscosity of an elixir but the flavor of a candy. An all-natural, delicious, sparkling and bright candy, but it is candy nonetheless. By the drydown, some of the sugar syrup has evaporated away, leaving behind a very nice layer of rose, but this perfume really is quite sweet for an hour or so.

It may seem difficult to believe that Montale would release a fruity-floral perfume such as this, and I have no doubt that there were some disgruntled blind buyers who assumed that this would be a part of what one of my fragrant friends refers to as "the holy rose trinity" of Montale rose perfumes: OUD ROSE PETALS, ROSE MUSC, and OUD DAMASCUS. No, ROSE ELIXIR, defying its name, is much closer to Yves Saint Laurent PARISIENNE. If that happens to be your genre, then you cannot go wrong with this scrumptious-smelling candied strawberry rose, but only fruity-floral lovers need apply!

I sprayed this on about 4 times and thought, eh, it's just a sweet fruity scent that's kind of light. 5 minutes later, it just exploded with strawberry and roses! It was still very light and airy so that it wasn't cloying, but boy was it sweet! I felt like I was floating on a cloud of cotton candy in a rose mist with a fleeting lemony taste.

When I put my nose closer to my skin, I pick up a muted sour note resting in musk. It seems to counter the sweetness quite well, since there's nothing else in this mix to really keep it in check. I definitely detect the jasmine in this, as it seems to stand out from all the fruits and pink roses but still somehow remain part of the crowd.

This is a scent that doesn't develop much. It does deepen a little with a bit of a musky, powdery feel, almost resinous. However, it has a synthetic feel to it, which I don't fancy too much.

Overall, Roses Elixir is very pleasant and feminine, almost girly, even. It speaks of youth and happy thoughts, of a carefree time when bills and responsibilities don't matter quite so much.

This lasted around 6-7 hours on me, with the last two hours being rather soft, otherwise sillage was rather decent.

Such an unsteady perfume!

1. Delicious, sweet rose with honey and fruits, the fruits are citrus, maybe strawberry, raspberry or currant, so some berry. I really like this stage.
2. Heavy resins. No, thanks. (Orange blossom?)
3. Beautiest metal and fruits, fresh, genuine, powerful. (Surprisingly I could identify this stage with top notes.)
4. Cheap, dry, strong soap.
If the stages would be competitioners, I would chose the third one, and would not sniff any other from the 4, but unfortunately there is no choice, I have to hold on till the end.

ROSES ELIXIR in my opinion is definitely for women (I beg your pardon, Gentlemen, who prefer to wear this, of course it is possible), strong and lasting.