Hugo Boss · 2023 · Annick Menardo and Suzy Le Helley

Bottled Elixir

Mid-range$$, 2 of 5
Hugo Boss asks $115 for 100 ml
100 ml$115

The houseFor men

VersionParfum Intense

Incense and cardamom over vetiver and patchouli, settling into cedarwood and dark, resinous labdanum.

A shop’s page says

You’ll smell incense, cardamom, vetiver, patchouli, cedarwood essence and labdanum absolute.

The shop’s page

Press one to keep this perfume on your shelf.

The drawn Bottled Elixir bottle

When you spray ittop notes

As it settlesheart notes

What staysdry-down notes

Bottled Elixir’s scent picture, a draft: frankincense, cardamom, vetiver, patchouli, cedar, labdanum drawn so far; dashed outlines where nothing is drawn yet

When you spray ittop notes

Bottled Elixir, when you spray it: Frankincense, Cardamom

As it settlesheart notes

Bottled Elixir, as it settles: Vetiver, Patchouli, Citronellol (rose)

What staysdry-down notes

Bottled Elixir, what stays: Cedar, Labdanum, Coumarin (new-mown hay)

What’s inside it

What a shop’s page names

IncenseCardamomVetiverPatchouliCedarwood essenceLabdanum absolute

What the label names

6 scent ingredients on the label, familiar names first.

A label must name certain ingredients, most of them ones that can cause allergies; some houses print more. It is never the whole recipe.

1 citrus1 herbs & lavender2 florals1 sweet1 spices

Citrus1

Limonene

Herbs & lavender1

Linalool

Florals2

Citronellol (rose)Geraniol (rose)

Sweet1

Coumarin (new-mown hay)

Spices1

Eugenol
7 more lines on the label, not there for the smell

Not for the smell7

AlcoholWaterOctisalate (a UV filter)A light stabiliserCi 15985Ci 19140Ci 42090

The label, as printed on the house’s page

Wearers say

Smells like it

For less

Hawas ViperRasasi · Many of its own wearers say it copies Bottled Elixirabout $48 for 100 ml · about a third of Bottled Elixir’s $115Its notes add cannabis, gurjun balsam and thyme and leave out labdanum and cardamom.

Shoppers call a cheaper stand-in a dupe.

What wearers say, set beside the price each house asks. Noses differ.

Our match of the notes

Shares its notes

Dia ManAmouage · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver, patchouli and 2 more$395 for 100 ml
EnclaveAmouage · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver, patchouli and 1 more$395 for 100 ml
Palais BourbonMemo Paris · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver, patchouli and 1 more$350 for 75 ml
See 5 more27 more share half its notes
Abu DhabiMemo Paris · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver, patchouli and 1 moreabout $287 for 75 ml
Ambassador IntenseGisada · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver, patchouli and 1 more$135 for 100 ml · about the same as Bottled Elixir’s $115
Decision 42Amouage · shares frankincense, cardamom, patchouli, cedar (Atlas cedar) and 1 more$550 for 100 ml
Beloved WomanAmouage · shares frankincense, cardamom, patchouli, cedar (Atlas cedar) and 1 more
ReasonsAmouage · shares cardamom, vetiver, patchouli, cedar (Atlas cedar) and 1 more$475 for 100 ml
See 5 more22 more share half its notes
ElsewhereAmouage · shares cardamom, vetiver, patchouli, cedar (Atlas cedar) and 1 more$475 for 100 ml
2Comme des Garçons · shares frankincense, vetiver, patchouli, cedar (Atlas cedar) and 1 more$160 for 100 ml
Reflection 45 ManAmouage · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver, patchouli and 1 more$550 for 100 ml
Opus XIV Royal TobaccoAmouage · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver and cistus$395 for 100 ml
Replica Autumn VibesMaison Margiela · shares frankincense, cardamom, cedar (Atlas cedar) and cistus$170 for 100 ml
See 5 more17 more share half its notes
Overture ManAmouage · shares frankincense, cardamom, patchouli and cistus$395 for 100 ml
OutlandsAmouage · shares frankincense, cardamom, patchouli and cistus$475 for 100 ml
TerraRayhaan · shares frankincense, cardamom, patchouli and cistusabout $41 for 100 ml · about a third of Bottled Elixir’s $115
L'Interdit AbsoluGivenchy · shares cardamom, vetiver, patchouli and cistus$196 for 80 ml · about twice Bottled Elixir’s $115
Absolu AventusCreed · shares cardamom, vetiver, patchouli and cistus$610 for 100 ml
See 5 more12 more share half its notes
Vetiver 46Le Labo · shares frankincense, vetiver, cedar (Atlas cedar) and cistus$348 for 100 ml
Ombré Leather ReserveTom Ford · shares frankincense, vetiver, cedar (Atlas cedar) and cistus$300 for 100 ml
Jubilation 25 WomanAmouage · shares frankincense, vetiver, patchouli and cistus$395 for 100 ml
LineageAmouage · shares frankincense, vetiver, patchouli and cistus$395 for 100 ml
BeautifulEstée Lauder · shares frankincense, vetiver, patchouli and cistus$115 for 75 ml
See 5 more7 more share half its notes
Above the WavesEtat Libre d'Orange · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver and cedar (Atlas cedar)about $186 for 100 ml
Million Gold ElixirRabanne · shares cardamom, patchouli, cedar (Atlas cedar) and cistus$182 for 100 ml
LustreAmouage · shares cardamom, patchouli, cedar (Atlas cedar) and cistus$475 for 100 ml
Mystic MossDries Van Noten · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver and patchouliabout $248 for 200 ml · about the same as Bottled Elixir’s $115
BoundlessAmouage · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver and patchouli$395 for 100 ml
See 2 more2 more share half its notes
Lyric WomanAmouage · shares frankincense, cardamom, vetiver and patchouli$395 for 100 ml
Fleur de MatéVersace · shares frankincense, patchouli, cedar (Atlas cedar) and cistusabout $388 for 100 ml
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Matched by the notes each house names. A shared note is not a promise they smell alike.