The Elemental

The Elemental

The Elemental numbers most of its fragrances instead of naming them properly, and names the rest in a way designed to make you look twice. It is a deliberately provocative independent house, and the labelling tells you it is not aiming at the department store shopper.

All six here are 1.7 oz eau de parfums. Number 12, Midnight Violet, is the darkest and most floral, violet worked against something smoky. Number 40, Ginger Lux, is bright and spicy with real ginger heat at the opening. Number 08, Rich Folks, goes for polished woods and amber and is the most conventionally wearable of the group. Number 11, Cashmere Sex, is the soft musk and skin one. Number 39, Fluffer, is sweet and powdery, and a sixth release rounds out the set.

The names are doing a lot of work, but the compositions underneath are more restrained than the labels suggest. These are wearable scents in provocative wrapping rather than the other way around.

There are no decant options on this line, so testing means smelling. Our Miami Gardens shop has all six out together, and a visit gets you through the whole collection in a few minutes.

Online orders ship anywhere in the country.