Aiden Turner, photo Wall Street Journal

Ten years ago, when I read there were two sibling perfumes with a hemlock note, with all its witchy connotations, I had to try them straightaway. What greeted me were not the murky, goth fragrances I expected but exquisitely structured, unconventionally beautiful scents that were instantly memorable. Ormonde Jayne Man and Woman were my first understanding of contemporary perfume as wearable art. So when I heard that founder, creative director and perfumer Linda Pilkington had invented a new version of my beloved Ormonde Man augmented with oud, I was both curious and wary. I mean, why flanker perfection?

Linda Pilkington of Ormonde Jayne

The Ormonde Jayne Elixir Collection revisits 5 classic Ormonde Jayne favourites – Osmanthus, Ta’if, Ambre Royal, Isfarkand, and Ormonde Man – and either amps them up with higher concentrations or adds a high-quality Cambodian oud. The new versions are less variations on a theme and more Ormonde Jayne squared.

Benedict Cumberbatch in Patrick Melrose

Ormonde Jayne Man is bright, quirky, brainy gorgeousness: Benedict Cumberbatch bottled. So why change it up with that note du jour, oud? Well, happily, what I discovered was not a pale shadow of Ormonde Man, but his moody, roguish brother, the one no one mentions without a dark look. As Ormonde Elixir begins to expand, I can smell the family resemblance in the turpenic hemlock and aged cedar cask notes that underlie the composition from beginning to end. But where Ormonde Man is a modern Sherlock, Ormonde Elixir is Aiden Turner’s Poldark: brash, brooding, handsome, and not always a nice guy.

Wood sparks, stock photo

The addition of a very classy Cambodian oud does not displace the Ormonde Man structure but acts as a burnished glaze over what becomes gradually more recognizable as the original fragrance. The opening is, for a brief moment, pure Ormonde Man: polished woods with that bright citrus and generous pinch of spice. But right after that – voom! A dry, complicated oud gives a fierce crackle like sparks exploding from a burning log. The introduction of that oud is cannons firing and bucklers swashing; smoky wood and spice that gives way to layers of scent that peel off in a tumble: all at once there are hits of charred wood, black pepper, wood oil, tobacco, saffron, and that characteristic medicinal savor oud has.

Aiden Turner as Poldark

As Ormonde Elixir hits its mid-section, its resemblance to its brother becomes more marked. The aged, mellow cedar that is so unmistakable in Ormonde Jayne Man comes out more fully, and, although only three notes are listed, I would almost swear to the bright, bitter sharpness of bergamot.  The first and middle sections are so prolonged that I begin to wonder if there is, in fact, a dry-down coming. But it does, many hours later, and quite differently than its sibling. Ormonde Man sweetens and lightens, almost smiling as it approaches its third act, but his brother is not having any of it. Ormonde Elixir’s black pepper aspect intensifies as time goes on, even as the medicinal and woody notes recede. The citric note I was so sure of earlier may, in fact, be a fruity facet of the oud, and it stays put. A faint, oily aroma of leather polish hangs in the air, mingling with smoke and wood and the shadowy, pine tree smell of hemlock. A sexy, sweaty note comes through in the finish. And the staying power? Well, let’s just say it clings to the skin the next morning like the remnants of a brilliant night out.

If you love Ormonde Man but occasionally fancy a bit of high-class rough, Ormonde Elixir is your guy.

Notes: Cambodian oud oil, hemlock, cedar.

Disclaimer: samples of the Elixir Collection kindly provided by Ormonde Jayne. My opinions are my own.

– Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor

Ormonde Jayne Elixir sample set (bottles shown)

The Ormonde Jayne Elixir Collection does not debut until May 1 at Harrod’s in London and its worldwide launch is not until August 2019. But thanks to the generosity of Ormonde Jayne, one lucky registered  (you must be registered) reader worldwide can sample all five Elixir scents now. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Ormonde Elixir Collection Ormonde Jayne Man  and whether you have a favourite Ormonde Jayne perfume. Draw closes 4/13/2019.