This was my first experience with a fragrance having a really negative reaction to my body chemistry. I had a sample of this and I put it on and it totally smelled like the stinky back room of the thrift shop where they throw all the old lady clothes nobody buys.
It took forever to get the smell gone, too.

I just recieved a sample of the clinique aromatics elixer and I absolutely love it. I used to wear Mystique or hypnotic poison but I like this one because it's not quite as woody as mystique is nor as sweet as hypnotic poison. A definite winner, and every man who's smelled it on me has complimented me. I also find it to be an extremely calming scent, another nice thing about it was that a little goes a long way... so I imagine this sample will last a while. But when the sample is done I will DEFINTELY be going to buy this fragrance. The only reason I didn't give this fragrance 5 lippies is because the packaging is so damned unimaginative. I like interesting bottles and this bottle looks like any cheap colonge you could buy at a drug store. But the smell, as I said is wonderful.

This is definitely love it or hate it from the reviews I've read on here. I love it because it's unique and has an extremely mysterious sillage (trail of fragrance) on the right person with the right chemistry. It's woodsy but also has a very slight sweetness on me. It's woodsy straight out of the bottle but with pronounced, crisp chamomile. AE has a floral accord flowing throughout, with notes of rose, palmarosa, tuberose and ylang ylang. The base is very nice and warm, it consists of moss, sandalwood, cistus labdanum, patchouli, amber and civet. I love wearing it as it smells very good on me, and is a very comforting smell. I've also smelled this on others and it's to die for if the person wears it well. A true classic that transcends. Funny how so many people hate this, but I can sort of see why, because it is quite different and pungent when first sprayed (especially on a paper perfume card). This fragrance will stop you dead in your tracks if you encounter it on a person who wears it well. It's so very mysterious and enchanting. I've had people my age (23) and younger tell me I smell SOOOO good. Another thing, this is one of the few fragrances I've worn that doesn't make me feel queasy.

This is definitely a body chemistry thing, because straight out of the bottle this perfume is nothing to write home about. In fact, I can see why someone would give it two thumbs-down. HOWEVER...I received a small bottle of this as a gift with purchase. My husband and I were going to a wedding, so I touched a little of the perfume to my wrist and neck. I've never gotten so many compliments before. Several women I've never met approached to tell me I smelled wonderful. My sister-in-law and mother-in-law said they loved my perfume, and my husband kept sniffing around my neck, saying I smelled great. So, go figure! This is one of those things you have to test out on yourself before making a final judgement. I laugh to think that upon initial sniff of the bottle I nearly tossed the stuff.

If you want to try a refreshing chypre, this is a good bet. On my skin, the initial spritz was lovely - definitely, I smelled chamomile, bergamot, and the aldehydes. The top notes smelled like I had bathed with a lovely French milled soap. Then the initial floral notes fade and I get more the intense flowers - the jasmine, the tuberose and the xlang xlang juxtaposed against the woody base. Even several hours after spritzing on this parfum spray, I smell soft patchouli, moss as well as the floral. Each whiff of Aromatics is refreshing and crisp not to mention calming. Now, this is not a sweet perfume and if you like florals, gourmands, or anything sweet, exclusively, you may not like this scent. Even as a woman who loves Fracas (a heady floral), I like this chypre as a nice, refreshing change. It's not as crisp, to me, as Cabochard, but I still get a nice woody feeling. I like that it's feminine but not the typical definition of a feminine scent. I don't sense underlying strong musk as I do in Cabochard or some other woody chypres. I wore this scent today and it was very comforting as I hiked along a snowy trail, breathing in the fresh air and woody scenery. And, I can see myself wearing this in the spring and perhaps summer too. Again, if you're not used to this sort of scent, you may wonder what you're smelling but if you're a fan of scents like Chanel 19 or Cabochard, I'd say give this a try. And, a wonderful thing too is you can buy Aromatics Elixir at any Clinique counter!!!

Disgusting!

My DH would not let me get in the car to go home until I washed it off in the ladies room of Nordies. Still, it stuck to my clothes and smelled like sickeningly sweet old-lady powder. I think it would work as an anti-attack spray if mace is unavailable.

Geez,this vies with Hypnotic Poison for the worst fragrance ever!!
Pure rancid flowers!!
Yuck!!!!!

Personally, I like it, but it's an acquired taste. It has nice staying power so it's best worn sparingly.

Plague, death, and war... the only things that smell worse than this. I can imagine "doctors" of the black death stuffing this into the beaks of their plague protecting costumes while shoving mountains of bodies into pits. Nasty. Or maybe it smells like a witch's apothecary... in the worst way, nasty curses involving urine and rank poisonous herbs hanging from the walls. Cat's pee is the most pleasant note.

Why, oh why do I keep trying to like this? What is it about me that I torture myself and my loved ones with this toxic malodorous tincture? Is it because they keep calling it powerful and sophisticated? Go figure. Notes: Vertiver, Henbane,wormwood, Cat's pee, mouldy rose, and fingernail clippings... maybe some graveyard dust too. Tie in a black bag and give to your worst enemy!