Elixir
A plume of cardamom and cinnamon opens with Victorian apothecary warmth, cut through by eucalyptus's medicinal coolness—an unexpected counterpoint that keeps the spice from becoming cloying.
The scent fingerprint
Weighted by intensity across 11 accords.
Every perfume in Sillage is represented as a distribution across canonical accord slugs — a lingua franca for scent. Two fragrances with overlapping fingerprints are scent-twins, even if they share no literal note.
- Incense80
- Sandalwood75
- Cinnamon70
- Cardamom65
- Tonka55
By the editors · 2 min readA plume of cardamom and cinnamon opens with Victorian apothecary warmth, cut through by eucalyptus's medicinal coolness—an unexpected counterpoint that keeps the spice from becoming cloying. The contrast feels deliberate, almost tonic in nature, as if Penhaligon's reached back to its pharmacy origins for inspiration.
As it settles, orange blossom and jasmine soften the edges while rosewood adds a quiet, woody sweetness. The base is where Elixir finds its gravity: layers of frankincense and benzoin create a resinous haze, grounded by sandalwood and guaiac, with tonka and vanilla offering just enough sweetness to suggest comfort rather than dessert.
The result is a spiced oriental that leans contemplative rather than seductive—incense-shop tranquility with enough aromatic interest to avoid becoming meditation-room background. It wears close, building a personal atmosphere rather than broadcasting across a room.
