Since 2010, Dior has found a cult audience in its luxe thirteen-piece fragrance wardrobe, Collection Privée. This fall, the house’s latest scent collection, Élixir Précieux, is taking perfume into the realm of olfactory couture. Inspired by the ancient Middle-Eastern tradition of layering fragrances, each Élixir is comprised of a single-note concentrate—Oud, Rose, Ambre, and Musc—that’s made to be paired with an existing Privée perfume to create an entirely new bespoke scent.
Crafted with rare ingredients by in-house perfumer François Demachy, the elixirs offer a potent base for building on. For example, the fashion house’s “vigorous” Rose—made with a coastal variation of Turkish damascena, which Demachy admires for its “interesting aggressiveness”—offers a heady counterpoint to the Collection Privée’s powdery, woodsy Bois d'Argent. By contrast, the Ambre gives the fashion house’s New Look 1947 floral perfume a steamy, animalistic edge. Those game for experimentation can try layering the concentrates under any perfume of their choice: A drop of Oud dabbed on the inside of the wrists, for instance, seems destined to provide a favorite summer floral, like Le Labo’s sensual Jasmin 17, with a distinctly masculine note for chilly nights by the fireplace.
While the ancient ritual of dabbing a glass stopper on one’s pulse points is a luxury in itself, the sleek, thick-cut glass bottles are as indulgent as the three milliliters of fragrance they hold. Says Demachy, “Right away, these bottles tell you that every drop is precious.”
