Fragrance comparison

Elixir vs Nuit d'Issey Polaris

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 15 Nov 2026 491 ratings analysed

Elixir

Kemi Blending Magic

4.3070 votes

Rank #27,999 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Nuit d'Issey Polaris

Issey Miyake

4.38421 votes

Rank #1,209 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nuit d'Issey Polaris takes 4 of 7 categories.

Elixir
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Nuit d'Issey Polaris
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Elixir3/7

Nuit d'Issey Polaris4/7

Ratings & consensus: Nuit d'Issey Polaris
Community sentiment: Nuit d'Issey Polaris
Longevity: Elixir
Sillage & projection: Elixir
Value for money: Nuit d'Issey Polaris
Versatility: Elixir
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Nuit d'Issey Polaris

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

ElixirKemi Blending Magic

Nuit d'Issey PolarisIssey Miyake

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.30/ 5 · 70 votes

Have 35%Had 11%Want 55%

4.38/ 5 · 421 votes

Have 40%Had 8%Want 52%

Category winnerNuit d'Issey PolarisRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

61%Love

24%Like

1%Ok

9%Dislike

4%Hate

70 votes

64%Love

27%Like

4%Ok

4%Dislike

1%Hate

365 votes

Category winnerNuit d'Issey PolarisMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityElixir

SillageElixir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value66

Category winnerNuit d'Issey PolarisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody88%

oud77%

fresh spicy65%

floral53%

aromatic42%

woody100%

fresh spicy92%

amber84%

vanilla77%

leather69%

aromatic61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both woody, amber and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

Floral NotesCopahu Balm

Heart

Juniper BerriesLabdanumCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Base

Agarwood (Oud)Gurjan balsamAmber

Top

CypressBlack PepperBergamot

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)PatchouliCedar

Base

VanillaLeatherGurjan balsamAmberLabdanum

InformationalShared notesLabdanum, Agarwood (Oud), Gurjan balsam and Amber. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring77

Summer54

Fall100

Winter92

Day92

Night100

Spring34

Summer7

Fall91

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerElixirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex76

Women12

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,999

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,209

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews65

Category winnerNuit d'Issey PolarisHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Elixir by Kemi Blending Magic is a dark oriental woody perfume crafted by perfumer Chris Maurice. Opening with a sharp bite of bitter copahu balm and piney juniper berries, it settles into an intense heart of cypriol oil and labdanum before grounding itself on a heavy base of agarwood and gurjan balsam. Built for free…

Reviews →

Nuit d'Issey Polaris opens with a sharp burst of cypress, crushed black pepper, and dark bergamot before settling into heavy agarwood and dense leather. Rich gurjan balsam and dry vanilla anchor the base, creating a smoky, resinous warmth built specifically for freezing winter nights and formal evening wear.

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

NabroAZYARUNNER-UP vs

Mila Schön (Original)Mila SchönWINNER

1 person compared this today

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Elixir or Nuit d'Issey Polaris?

Nuit d'Issey Polaris takes 4 of 7 categories. Elixir is rated 4.30/5 from 70 votes; Nuit d'Issey Polaris is rated 4.38/5 from 421 votes. Choose Elixir for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Nuit d'Issey Polaris for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Elixir or Nuit d'Issey Polaris?

Elixir lasts longest (Elixir 82/100, Nuit d'Issey Polaris 76/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Elixir or Nuit d'Issey Polaris?

Projection is very close: Elixir 66/100, Nuit d'Issey Polaris 64/100 for sillage.

Do Elixir and Nuit d'Issey Polaris smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Labdanum, Agarwood (Oud), Gurjan balsam and Amber.

Is Elixir or Nuit d'Issey Polaris better for summer or winter?

For summer, Elixir is the stronger pick. For winter, Nuit d'Issey Polaris is the stronger pick. Elixir suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Elixir and Nuit d'Issey Polaris?

Elixir has top notes of Floral Notes and Copahu Balm, heart notes of Juniper Berries, Labdanum and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Gurjan balsam and Amber. Nuit d'Issey Polaris has top notes of Cypress, Black Pepper and Bergamot, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Patchouli and Cedar, a base of Vanilla, Leather, Gurjan balsam and Amber.