*This* particular luxury perfume turned BEAUTYcrew’s editor into a ‘signature scent’ fan for the first time ever

I’m a big fan of a varied fragrance wardrobe, I’ll admit it. Rarely do I wear the same scent in a row - partly because I’ve been collecting perfumes for about a decade now (and so have quite the stash to work through) and partly because I generally like to pick a specific scent for each specific day.

Of course, I like to tie them to the season - woods in winter, citrus in summer, sugar cookies at Christmas time, you get the gist. But more than that, I like to choose my scent based on how I want to feel that day. If I want to feel feminine, I’ll do a floral. If I want to up my confidence levels, I’ll spritz a smoky leather scent. And if I’m craving comfort, nothing delivers like linen. Basically, I find myself looking for different perfumes to suit different parts of my personality/plans, because I’ve never really found one that works across the board.

And yet I recently sampled a spritz that has turned me into a ‘signature scent’ adapter through and through. Yes, it’s gotten that serious - I’ve been wearing it every day for over a week now - and for a beauty editor with cologne commitment issues, that’s a massive feat.

As for the perfume that sparked this shift, allow me to introduce Elie Saab Elixir Eau De Parfum ($187 at Myer), an option with a scent as dreamy as its vanity-worthy bottle (which as you can see, is really saying something).

I don’t mean to be dramatic but take it from a beauty editor: this fragrance is one you’re definitely going to want in your collection, especially if you enjoy a little glamour. On top of the pure luxury it offers in both scent and bottle form, it’s the type of application experience that makes you feel like you’re a main character in a movie enjoying a glamorous ‘getting ready’ montage (just like I know you too always aspired to be).

So, if you want in on said experience (and are determined to elevate your fragrance collection this year), here's everything you need to know about my experience with this beautifully elevated eau de parfum…

The product

Billed by the brand as a ‘love potion’ of a powerful, sensual, and magnetic woman (shoes we’d all like to fill!), Elie Saab Elixir is a fragrance that’s feminine in the coolest, chicest way possible.

The heart combines Lebanese orris with ‘love accord’, an olfactive creation that aims to evoke emotions of attachment and seduction. Top notes of neroli and mandarin brighten the blend, while its heady base of amber, myrrh and benzoin round it out beautifully.

And as for the aforementioned bottle, Elie Saab’s signature luxurious touches are very evident within the visuals; the spherical bottle is wrapped in opulent gold and engraved with the house’s monogram, a beautiful link to Elie Saab’s renowned couture craftsmanship. Even the weight of the bottle contributes to the fact that it just feels luxurious in every way.

But for now, back to the scent inside and why I’m here raving about it…

Elie Saab Elixir EDP review

You know how you can personalise your own perfume these days by hand selecting every facet that goes into the fragrance? Elixir feels like that for me, only it was the house of Elie Saab that created it, and I cannot take a speck of credit (damn). It’s exactly the style of scent I’ve been coveting, and it’s fast becoming the star of my collection.

Elie Saab have somehow blended all the elements I enjoy: sweetness (thanks to neroli and iris), strength (special mention goes to myrrh), and subtle sensuality (that’s the amber) with a little something bright (via mandarin). I can apply it on any given day for any given activity, and it’s somehow perfectly suited to them all. Versatility never smelled so chic. It’s legitimately as if someone knew exactly which notes I needed to feel like my most polished self and poured them into one (stunning) bottle.

I’ve always been a luxury fragrance fan, so I’m not surprised I’ve got a taste for the finer fragrances in life (this is certainly one of them), but I genuinely feel like this scent elevates every outfit – just like a great accessory, it’s the final touch that pulls a look together, and makes you feel your most confident stepping out the door. So if you’re after something that’ll encourage you to carry yourself in the way you’ve always wanted to, this is a stellar scent step to take.

For the record, Elixir EDP classifies as a ‘floriental’, a combo of floral and oriental, and that’s suddenly become my very favourite category. ‘Oriental’ is ironically usually the one fragrance family I tend to steer clear of - I’m not a big ‘wood’ perfume person and I’m extremely specific about spice. Though I do often find myself wishing my favourite floral spritzes were just a bit more complex - hence why I haven’t been able to stick to anything prior! I hadn’t found the right balance. Until now, of course.

The ‘balance’ factor is precisely what I appreciate most about Elixir EDP, because it’s a balance between everything I appreciate most in fragrance. It’s sweet but not sickly, full-bodied but not powdery, and ‘cool’ without steering out of the feminine, soft yet sensual territory I prefer to play in. There’s also the fact that the balance just smells wealthy to me; it’s a luxury scent through and through.

I must say, also, that the balance gets to an absolutely perfect place (for my senses at least) during the dry down, so give it a minute to work its magic before assessing. It’s lovely upon first spritz, but once it settles into skin it transforms into its truest form (which is what I can’t seem to look past when picking my daily perfume).

That exact scent (of the dry down) is what lingers reliably all day long, so there’s zero need to worry that you’ll fly through the bottle too fast, even if you’re as obsessed as I am. One to two spritzes in the morning, and you’ll still be enjoying the notes well into the evening. That’s the beauty of a luxury fragrance like this; the quality comes through in the longevity. And if the scent is one you love, longevity is the greatest feature a fragrance can have. Again, there’s the pure quality coming through. A+ Elie Saab, A+.

The verdict

Here’s my verdict, plain and simple: I’m not sure I can go back - at least not this season. It’s stellar within the winter chill, though I foresee it evolving into my spring and summer scent as well.

When I go out of my way to spritz something else, I’m left longing for the heady dry down, moody femininity, and unrivaled longevity of Elixir. I’m serious, it’s that good! It makes me feel like the exact type of person I aspired to be, and I now aspire to have a bottle with me at all times.

I have full faith that if you’ve had trouble finding a fragrance that hits a seemingly impossible brief (sweet and femme, yet strong and bold, but slightly fresh at the same time) you’ll be every bit the fan that I am. It’s exactly the kind of fragrance I’ve been coveting, and I think you’ll feel the very same.

Main image credit: Getty Images/BEAUTYcrew