ORMONDE JAYNE
Osmanthus Elixir
2019
PERFUMER
Geza Schon
grapefruit
pimento
davana
osmanthus absolute
water lily
jasmine sambac
musk
cedarwood
vetiver
labdanum
‘What happiness to include this truly spellbinding perfume in the Elixir Collection. Osmanthus, but not entirely as you know it. It’s a new discovery, catapulting you into a sunny field of flowers embellished with intense citrus notes, crisp and mesmerising. As illustrious as the original but more achingly profound.’ – Ormonde Jayne
In my prior testing of Ormonde Jayne, Osmanthus EDP and Royal Elixir (the extrait of Ambre Royal) always stood out to me. Lately I’ve fallen in love with Indus (a bright, sweet rose), but when offered a pick of my choice, I had to go with the no-brainer; the versatile, heavier version of my favorite: Osmanthus Elixir.
What I love about this fragrance is that it neither ‘just a fleeting citrussy/fruity osmanthus, nor a rougher, leathery one one. I’d say it leans very far into the citrus and bright side, but… it has a surprising side to it.
This has an edgy facet of osmanthus (probably a lot of davana too) on display, albeit subtle and mostly noticeable when smelled up close; I wouldn’t say it’s daring to wear. There’s a bitter, tartness to it. Almost like a hint of sourish rolling tobacco or cannabis, more so than leather to me.
Some have likened Osmanthus Elixir to Les Indemodables Cuir de Chine. While I prefer the Ormonde Jayne by a large margin, I have the Grand Cru ingredients from Les Indemodables and that’s where I first really took in this side of osmanthus, so it may be a good reference point.
That being said, this is fruity, it’s fresh and bright with a green acidity. I picture neon-green when smelling this fragrance. Grapefruit is quite prominent at first, while in the mid this wears more and more floral. Elixir’s performance is amped up from the Osmanthus EDP and its longevity is above average for its style.
It has the clarity, transparency, yet density, that defines the best Ormonde Jaynes for me. Perhaps you could view this as a slightly more funky, yet even more classy brother to a Hermes Terre D’Hermes (& Eau Givree).
