So Elixir Yves Rocher 2009 Eau de Parfum

Yves Rocher SO ELIXIR has not really won me over, though I have a bottle to reach for, should the urge suddenly arise. It never does, to be honest, but I'm not sure why. It's not a bad fragrance, but it's not all that good, either. It's less musky than COMME UNE EVIDENCE, while still being less sweet than many modern chypre perfumes of this style, including Chanel COCO MADEMOISELLE and Van Cleef & Arpels ORIENS.

The problem, I think, is essentially vagueness. SO ELIXIR is no doubt intentionally vague, and I'm sure that the six flaring nostrils which collaborated to produce this perfume were clear about their own ideas on what this composition should be. Nonetheless, in the end, the evidently intended vagueness leaves me a bit apathetic toward SO ELIXIR.

On a good day, I rather like SO ELIXIR. On a bad day, I do not. Usually I reach for the perfumes which do not involve such a roll of the dice, unless I happen to have a bath on the horizon, which means that I'll win either way. On the occasions when SO ELIXIR has not worked on me, it's because the drydown becomes slightly stale smelling. It's not a horrible staleness, as is the case for lots of celebrity sworientals and vandalwood frags, but just moving a bit in that direction. This composition definitely lacks the clarity and precision of COCO MADEMOISELLE and ORIENS, and therein lies the basis for the significant difference in price.

Of course, it wasn't a top-tier perfume, but a pleasant scent that accompanied me from time to time in my daily life.
So Elixir was floral, spicy, and not too sweet in my nose.
I could detect jasmine and rose, as well as patchouli and incense.
Overall, there was always a slightly smoky quality in the air while wearing it, but not to a bothersome extent. There are certainly niche perfumes that require more caution.
Additionally, the connection with the floral notes. The scent felt somewhat chaotic, yes, it wasn't refined and subtly leaned towards the oriental direction. I really liked the jasmine note because it had a spicy undertone. Overall, So Elixir had a warm aura. It was a nice companion for everyday life.
It's a shame that YR changes their offerings regularly, but that's just their concept. This is certainly more debatable than this lovely scent.

Dear So Elixir, Eau de Parfum,

I want to apologize to you. I tested you in the summer and labeled you as a bad fragrance. But that wasn’t your fault. It was simply the wrong season for you and my nose to harmonize.
Uncle Yves meant well and gifted me a bottle of you. I didn’t appreciate it and got rid of you. However, you fit very well in winter and autumn, as your floral sweetness is perfect for these seasons and warms the heart. You are floral, sweet, and easily noticeable. The blend of rose, jasmine, and bergamot is elegant and well-balanced. Frankincense and patchouli develop rather subtly on my skin, so it doesn’t bother me as someone who generally prefers fresh scents. It’s the composition and the season, as I have just discovered.
You look beautiful. You fit in the hand like your sister So Elixir Purple. The color suits you. However, one would expect a different color for the bottle from the box, but that’s that.
I actually tolerate you quite well. I could imagine getting headaches from the patchouli note if used too generously. My skin likes you, as there are no redness or anything like that.

Your Purple sister convinced me recently, and now you have too. However, I like your sister just a tad better ;-) For the cold season, both of you are great companions and for all ladies, anyway. I wouldn’t recommend you to young people, as one should be of a certain age (let’s say 25+) to appreciate you. I was younger during my first test, the nose grows with the challenges, and I find you beautiful now. So if Uncle Yves thinks again about including a bottle of So Elixir as a gift, I will first consider whether to give it away or use it.
You can wear you almost anywhere. Not necessarily for sports, and at work, it depends on the job and the colleagues, I would say. In the evening, you are certainly the perfect companion.

Through you, I have learned that I shouldn’t act so hastily. The next fragrances that someone gifts me, I will first test calmly and in different seasons and weather conditions.

Maybe see you soon! Best regards
your Midna

I actually have quite a few reasons to hate this fragrance creation with all my heart.

First and foremost: I despise sweet perfumes, especially sugary sweet ones. Anyone who wants to avoid me should just spray something sweet and they'll see me run. "So Elixir" is not just sweet, but so over-sugared that it could easily have been called "So Sugar." Or "Si Sucre" or something similar. It's almost as if the perfumers had a little accident with the sugar shaker: "Oooops, who didn't screw the sugar shaker on properly?!"

But there’s another reason for my burning hatred: An encounter last Saturday at a beach bar. Sticky-sweaty people around me, in front of me a cloyingly sweet Coconut Kiss. On me a few spritzes of "So Elixir." And then there’s a wasp. The wasp ignores the sticky-sweaty people, even the Coconut Kiss, and lands directly on my forearm. It walks around a bit, looking for the optimal crime scene, and then stabs its thick stinger into my flesh. It sits there cheekily and brazenly for at least a minute, and after my arm has turned all red and slightly swollen, it finally flies away. (Maybe that creature had trouble taking off-it must have been the pure molasses on my skin.) Thanks a lot!

Reason No. 3 for hatred: "So Elixir" is smoky. At first just a little, because the sugar in the top note tolerates no competitors. But later it becomes more and more smoky, and eventually the smoky note is enough for smoke signals without punctuation.

So: Do I hate "So Elixir"? Three drops of blood: No, I like it. I even bought two 50ml bottles of EdP as a backup. Why? I don’t even know myself. It must be the ultra-feminine jasmine, maybe the sweet rose, perhaps the distinct hint of patchouli. Possibly even the fact that the scent is simply ssssexy.

So I correct my description of the fragrance in the title: "So Elixir" is SUGARjasmineSUGARroseSUGARpatchouliSUGARsmokeSUGAR. But sexy!

If I hadn't known that the fragrance is produced by Yves Rocher, I wouldn't have the negative experiences with other scents from this brand in mind. But there weren't ONLY negative experiences; some YR fragrances have been immortalized in my memory as pleasant surprises: 8eme Jour, the beautiful incense bomb - Venice/Venise, the vanilla shock of the 80s, and... Nuit d'Orchidee, the creamy oriental in a midnight blue glitter bottle. However, these 3 had one flaw: as soon as I started to like them, they were gone again. Not just from my skin, but also disappeared from the surface of the Earth. So Elixir, do you belong in the same league as these 3? I kindly note that the top note is fresh-herb and zesty, with a slight smoky tea hint. Soon, a gourmand sweetness joins in. All in all, very tasty already. Those who discover a resemblance to Coco Mademoiselle are not entirely wrong. Miss Dior (Cherie) is also quite similar. Fruit sugar, just the way I like it. I also appreciate that I don't smell ANY rose. And patchouli is only hinted at. Incense, popcorn, fruit sugar. I like. Drawbacks, as expected, in longevity. But not bad for the price.