L'aromatics elixir nella formula originale dal 71 fino a una ventina di di ani fa aveva circa 700 ingredienti amalgamati e concentrati che formavano quel bouquet famoso intenso e dorato che durava giorni interi e cambiava magicamente addosso passando dalla rosa al muschio umido,all'odore di foglie secche in autunno,all'incenso su note piccanti,erbe verdi e secche,fumi calmanti,salvia,fiori e zibetto.

The opening can be a challenge, and when people talk about this one as "old", it must be the aldehydes they refers to.

I like this "retro" scent (the very young might say "old lady" but it's lacking the powderiness I'd require for that label) although to my nose, it doesn't scream 70's (like I think my Revlon Ciara or Coty Musk do). I have read some people describe aged patchouli oil as smelling "chocolaty", like the scent of the patchouli in Black Orchid, and maybe that will help give you an idea.

If you appreciate the smell of Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream, you'll probably like Aromatics Elixir, too.

It makes me want to put on my huge pink glasses and my crocheted sweater and binge watch The Golden Girls. I put this scent on again when I was a 30 something and I found with surprise that it was a sexy scent, powdery, woody, spicy, and dark on its own. You can be trivial about the differences in the modern in comparison with the vintage, but at the end of the day the two smell the same. On first spray (forearm and wrist), the most prominent notes I'm getting are the chamomile and Oakmoss. The juice still contains real oakmoss, there is a *long* list of ingredients in the box (as it's the case after reformulations), and it's made in Switzerland if that matters.

And I have some patchouli essesntial oil at home for aromatherapy, so I'm very sure what I'm talking about! This fragrance has *nothing* in common with modern day scents that smell of cupcakes and cotton candy, this is a full blown green, 1970s earth goddess medicinal salve - a true to form "aromatic elixir. Because of life, I shuttle back and forth between the bitter, biting winters of New England and the thick, humid almost unforgivable heat of Florida summers. I have both the vintage and current formulations and I can only detect a small difference and it’s mainly in the strength upon first application. Sniff close to the blotter whereon I put two full spritz, it's like bug repellent or stick incense - though of course it's deluxe incense for some elegant restrooms rather than for public toilets.I think there is a sexy, non conformist element to it, and that it would probably smell interesting and expensive on a man as well. This current formulation brings it closer to the 80’s formula and remarkably close to Genny, the original Diana de Silva production. As the top notes fade out, the lemon verbena is still present 15 minutes after application, but it becomes smoother as the white florals and rose chime in. I have a travel size and have been wearing AE for the last several days to see if I want a full bottle.