Salvo Elixir by Maison Alhambra

Top aroma, lives up to the reviews and is ideal for dates or meetings. If you’re looking for something that works in those situations, this is the perfume for you.

Excellent perfume, scent, longevity and price. What more could you ask for? Buy blind, you won’t regret it.

Highly recommended for value for money. The opening is a bit chaotic with a very marked coffee note, but once it dries down it becomes one of the best Arab dupe versions of Sauvage Elixir. I keep it next to the Dior and this is the one that resembles it most; the only drawback is that it stays close to the skin, but if you apply it to your clothes, it lasts for days.

In short, a disappointment. The opening is aggressive and very spicy, which can be irritating. Some reviews underestimate the expectations, but thanks to the 30ml presentation I was able to try it. After ten minutes it smells like Sauvage Elixir, but with less projection and quality. The gap with the original is clear. I recommend testing it first or buying the 30ml pack to avoid surprises. At its price, it delivers: it is accessible and you can use it without fear.

The experience with this perfume has been, overall, a disappointment. The opening is aggressive and excessively spiced, it can be unpleasant. Perhaps some reviews generated unrealistic expectations; luckily I managed to get the 30 ml presentation. After the first 10 minutes, it smells similar to Sauvage Elixir, though clearly below in projection and, above all, in quality. The gap with the original is evident. I’d recommend trying it before buying or considering the 30 ml to avoid disappointment. In any case, for its price, it delivers: it’s an accessible perfume to apply without fear.

It delivers, smells good and gives a refined impression, less dense than the Assad. It lasts and projects the basics: by two and a half hours it is close to the skin, on clothes up to seven hours. It shouldn’t hurt to overapply it given the price. If you are looking for an honest opinion, buy it; well-dressed and on special occasions, you will stand out moderately. Just smell it first to ensure you like it.

It’s incredible, it smells very much like Dior’s Sauvage Elixir, though without the same longevity or quality, but at a much lower price.

Surprising for the price. In terms of cost-benefit, it’s almost unbeatable. It smells 80% like the Sauvage Elixir I own, but costs a tenth of the price. Highly recommended, save for the original Dior.

I’m absolutely blown away by this Maison Alhambra perfume. I have two others from the brand that say nothing to me and seem synthetic; in-store, I’ve tried many more with that same ‘Arab’ note that turns me off. But this Salvo Elixir is tremendous. I’m not a fan of the Sauvage DNA, which I find burnt, but the Elixir version is another world entirely. I arrived looking for a dupe of the Gisada Embassador Intense, which I adore and which counters the Dior: the first is sparkling and citrusy like the little sweets from my childhood, while the second is dark with licorice. I prefer the Gisada, but I needed something in that line. Salvo Elixir delivers perfectly. The fusion with Dior is literal in the opening and heart, but as it dries down, it becomes sparkling like the Gisada. The Dior stays dark with licorice, whereas Salvo could be a very high-percentage dupe of the Embassador Intense. Yes, it has a slightly synthetic edge, but we’re talking about around 20 euros (I paid 17 on Amazon) versus more than ten times that price for Dior. The projection is strong for two hours, and then it remains noticeable on the skin for another 3-4 hours. I could not be happier.

An absolute clone of Sauvage Elixir, very well executed and spectacular. To the Dior fans who talk about the quality of the original, I say you’re right, but also that Salvo Elixir costs between 20 and 30 euros while Dior’s doesn’t drop below 140. If for that price it lacks good performance or quality notes, forget it.

An elegant fragrance that I love more than the original Sauvage Elixir because here I don’t feel that accentuated pepper note; it only appears in the opening alongside the patchouli, then calms down to showcase the woods, tobacco, and iris. I also detect vanilla, amber, a hint of incense, and a touch of burnt sugar, similar to Boss Bottled Absolu. The performance is good with moderate-to-high projection. I’ll let it macerate anyway.

I liked it… though not too much. The scent is rare and rich. At first, it seems like a good dupe, but after a few days you notice its transformation, something that doesn’t happen with the Asad. It has many notes that create a perception without being declared. Thus it evolves: a soft herbal opening from the patchouli or black pepper; then a blend of coffee, iris, and tobacco that creates that characteristic aromatic-green sensation; and as it dries down, a curious effect from the labdanum and benzoin that on certain skins can be confused with something sulphurous (not smelling bad, it’s a slight warm, resinous, and ambered sweetness). That sulphurous scent fades and the tobacco, patchouli, and woods emerge, giving that earthy and fresh effect, finishing with an elegant musk base, balanced with vanilla and benzoin in that ambered and balsamic phase that adds a refined air. For a price much more affordable than Dior, it’s a win-win. I give it 8.3/10. Totally recommended. Watch out for the bottle: from the middle downwards it is glass, with a magnetic cap and contains 60 ml.

The famous magic perfume: you apply it and it disappears. Although it’s very rich and has personality, it didn’t last more than two hours on my skin, and the projection reached only 30 minutes, which is a lot. Luckily, I had a decant because any price is too expensive for a perfume that lasts nothing.

I tried it. I bought it along with the other two Salvo versions, the EDP and Intense, for about £50 in total. I wanted to get olfactorily close to the originals and the experience was worth it; so much so that shortly afterwards I had the Dior EDT, EDP, and Elixir, plus a mini of the Parfum. To be clear: although these versions imitate the scents well, they don’t achieve 100% accuracy, and none match the quality of the originals; it’s noticeable from the first spray until they fade. The worst is the synthetic feel: in the EDP and Intense, the lavender and bergamot smell like cheap alcohol; in the Elixir, the vanilla is like bakery vanilla, nothing as creamy as Dior’s, which is soft and natural. In longevity, they don’t even come close. Of the three, this Elixir is the most interesting: it’s softer and more versatile than the original, suitable for mild days or less formal looks. In short, they smell like cheap perfume, but they’re a good opportunity to try the Dior line without spending much.

I don’t know the original Elixir, but if it smells like the Salvo, I wouldn’t buy it. This purchase disappointed me.