27 87
ELIXIR DE BOMBE

2016

PERFUMER
Mark Buxton

Red Pepper
Tangerine
Ginger

Raspberry
Ylang-Ylang
labdanum

Caramel
Amber
Leather

‘For exceptional moments and rare encounters: elixir de bombe unfolds in robust notes of red pepper, ginger, and tangy tangerine. Paired with labdanum, raspberry, and sweet caramel, it’s a scent both confident and slyly sensual.’ – 27 87

I did a quick first impression test on all of the releases from 27 87. It was a very mixed bag for me personally, ranging from unwearable (Sonar), to interesting (Wandervogel, Flaneur) to my first pick (Elixir De Bombe).

Elixir de Bombe, funny enough, isn’t really my type of fragrance, but somehow this one captured my attention and after several tries, it still does.

Perfumer Mark Buxton takes an overly sweet, almost bubblegummy fruity amber in an interesting direction. While still closer to his mass appealing work on Kajal Lamar, it takes a less conventional route by adding a sharp red pepper and ginger to the opening. This adds a really nice ‘zing’ and also steers the otherwise strong traditionally feminine leaning composition closer to unisex territory.

The tangerine is very prominent, but once the sharper additions fade, the soft and beautiful combination of the mid notes shine for most of the wear (raspberry, ylang ylang and labdanum). The whole ordeal is very sweet, but luckily it smells like the caramel note that’s listed and it’s not a Baccarat Rouge 540-esque sweetness. Especially in the first hour(s), when the ginger and tangerine are still noticeable, there’s a great contrast between bright & juicy and the sweetness.

Given its scent profile, I’m highly surprised that I like this, but I do. It’s probably still a tad cloying for me to wear in most occasions and I do think it would be twice as good on most women, but I can definitely appreciate Elixir De Bombe for what it is.