Crimson green alchemy: my take on Élisire Aliksir by Philippine Courtière

If you think you’ve sniffed every amber imaginable, meet the one that bites back. Élisire Aliksir by Philippine Courtière doesn’t open with syrup or smoke. It opens like a cut on a copper leaf, green and gleaming, with a warmth that arrives a beat later and keeps you guessing.

On my skin the first spray is a cool rush of sap and crushed stems, then a quick flash of metallic brightness, then the slow bloom of resin. It’s a tension that feels physical, the kind you get watching the sun tilt low and turn everything the color of antique gold. I wore it on a rainy Tuesday and kept catching this crimson and verdant shimmer around me, never heavy, never too polished. The texture is a marvel, both plush and fibrous, like velvet over raw wood.

What I love most is the balance. Aliksir leans green without going soapy, it leans warm without collapsing into caramel. There’s a vintage backbone that hints at chypre structure, yet the finish reads modern and lucid. If you crave the bite of mossy classics and the radiance of contemporary resins, this threads the needle with a steady hand.

Projection sits in that sweet spot where strangers won’t chase you down the street, but friends will lean in. Longevity on me runs a full workday with a soft-halo drydown that lingers into the evening. The vibe is unisex and slightly formal, though I loved it with a leather jacket and messy hair. Autumn suits it, winter too, but a cool spring night would be gorgeous.

A quick aside for those tracking the line, a dab test of Twilight’s Embrace hints at a more nocturnal mood. Where Aliksir glows, Twilight seems to hum under the skin. Different angles of the same universe, and both worth a second sniff.

Credit where it’s due. Philippine Courtière has composed something that resists the current sugar wave and refuses to shout. Élisire once again proves that elegance can be vivid and characterful. This is an amber-green spell with teeth, and I’m happy to be bitten.