Zara Energetically New York Elixir Review – Is This the Affordable Santal 33 Alternative?
Quick Summary
Zara Energetically New York Elixir by Zara
(Jo Malone Vibrant Cities Collection)
Main Notes: Cardamom / Sandal Wood / Suede / Jasmine
Longevity: ★★★★☆
Projection: ★★★☆☆
Best Season: All Seasons
Zara Energetically New York Elixir comes from Zara’s Jo Malone Vibrant Cities collection, reinterpreting the energy of New York in a softer and more wearable direction compared to the original EDP version.
Compared to the original EDP, this fragrance feels deeper, warmer, and more rounded overall. It still carries a distinct New York-inspired urban identity, but the interpretation here is smoother, less sharp, and easier to wear on a daily basis.
When placed next to Le Labo Santal 33, it leans lighter and more modern, offering a similar woody-musky direction but with a less intense and more approachable character.
Overall, it sits between a designer-style scent and a niche-inspired woody fragrance, making it a very accessible option for those who like Santal 33-style perfumes but prefer something more subtle and wearable.
Intro
Zara Energetically New York Elixir is one of those fragrances I didn’t expect much from… until I actually wore it.
Zara is widely known as a fashion brand, but over the years it has quietly built a fragrance line that’s far more interesting than most people expect.
At first, I honestly didn’t pay much attention to their perfumes. The early releases felt simple, affordable, and very “safe”, nothing that really made me want to explore further.
That perception slowly started to change when Zara began collaborating with well-known perfumers and pushing more structured, trend-driven compositions.
Among those releases, the Jo Malone created Vibrant Cities Collection stood out the most. Each fragrance was designed around a city, translating atmosphere and mood into scent rather than just notes.
I had completely ignored Energetically New York for a long time.
But the Elixir version changed that.
The moment I saw people comparing it to Santal 33, I became curious enough to test it properly on skin.
And that test ended up turning into a full bottle purchase.
What I found wasn’t a clone or dupe of anything, but something more refined than I expected from Zara. Structured, wearable, and surprisingly well put together.
Zara Energetically New York Elixir feels more refined than I initially expected from Zara.
Notes & Accords
Energetically New York Elixir sits on a warm spicy woody structure, with cardamom and sandalwood forming the backbone from the very beginning.
The combination itself isn’t unusual in perfumery, but there’s a reason it keeps appearing in modern compositions, it simply works. Here, the spice and wood feel tightly connected rather than separate, creating a dry yet slightly creamy opening.
Fragrantica lists additional powdery and leathery facets, but on my skin, the powdery aspect is barely noticeable. The leathery nuance is there, but it stays in the background rather than shaping the scent.
Overall, what you get is a clean interpretation of a spicy-woody accord rather than a complex multi-layered structure.
Top Notes
- Cardamom
Middle Notes
- Jasmine
Base Notes
- Sandalwood
- Suede
The first spray is all about cardamom.
It opens dry, slightly sharp, but not aggressive. There’s a tension in it, somewhere between smooth and piercing, which gives the opening more character than a typical spicy fragrance.
There’s also a light airy lift underneath that keeps it from feeling too dense or heavy.
After around 15–20 minutes, the sharp edges start to soften and jasmine slowly comes forward.
It doesn’t turn floral in a traditional way. Instead, it adds texture, almost like a soft veil over the spice. There’s a faint animalic touch, but it stays controlled and never dominates.
As it moves further into the drydown, sandalwood and suede take over.
The fragrance becomes noticeably smoother and warmer, with jasmine staying quietly in the background to support the structure rather than lead it.
At this point, the transformation is quite noticeable. The opening and drydown almost feel like two different fragrances connected by the same thread.
It reminds me of a very specific moment in New York.
Early morning, just before the city fully wakes up.
Not the fast, chaotic version of the city, but the quiet in-between phase where everything is still forming.
People are outside, but nothing feels rushed. Cafés are just starting to open. The air still carries a slight chill, but warmth is slowly building underneath.
There’s a strange duality in that moment.
Nothing feels fully awake, but nothing feels completely still either.
And that’s exactly where this fragrance sits, in that in-between space where contrast feels natural rather than conflicting.
Performance
Longevity: ★★★★☆
Projection: ★★★☆☆
Zara Energetically New York Elixir performs better than I initially expected.
Performance was the one area where this fragrance surprised me the most.
On skin, it easily lasts from morning into the evening, gradually fading into a softer skin scent rather than disappearing abruptly.
On clothes, it goes even further. The sandalwood and suede are still noticeable the next day, which is impressive for this price range.
Projection stays moderate.
For the first couple of hours, it has a clear presence without becoming overwhelming. It sits in that middle zone where people around you will notice it, but it won’t take over a room.
The only thing worth noting is the opening. Cardamom can feel slightly sharp in the first 20–30 minutes, especially in close proximity. After that, it settles quickly into something much more comfortable.
Design & Presentation
The box of Zara Energetically New York Elixir keeps a minimal design language, but feels slightly more refined and structured compared to most standard Zara fragrance packaging.
It features a soft brown centre panel with a lightly textured, leather-inspired finish that gives it a warmer and more premium feel.
At the bottom, “PARFUM 100ml” is cleanly printed, reinforcing the functional and understated design approach rather than anything decorative or overly styled.
Looking at the bottle, the design feels clean, modern, and surprisingly well balanced in hand.
One detail I always pay attention to is the cap, because if it feels too light, it instantly gives off a cheap plastic impression.
This one has a reassuring weight to it, and it uses a magnetic cap, which adds to the overall premium feel.
It snaps into place smoothly when brought close, creating a satisfying click that reinforces the sense of quality and attention to detail.
The bottle design is defined by a large recessed rectangular panel at the center, with the “Energetically New York Elixir” name engraved directly into the glass.
Instead of being printed on a flat surface, the lettering sits within the indentation, creating a structured, almost architectural impression, like a carved frame embedded into the glass.
The deep brown glass further enhances the premium character of the bottle, clearly signaling this as the Elixir (Parfum) version.
Compared to the EDP version, which used a lighter transparent sky-blue tone, this darker shade comes across as more grounded, warm, and concentrated.
Placing the name at the center also reinforces the fragrance’s identity, acting as a visual cue for its richer and more intense composition.
Recommendation
It’s not a fragrance that tries to impress immediately, but one that grows on you with wear.
The comparison to Santal 33 is understandable, but only on a very surface level. The shared woody-spicy direction is there, but the experience is different once you actually wear it.
Most of that comparison comes from the opening cardamom. Sharp, dry, and slightly unusual in the Zara lineup.
Some people even pick up a subtle “pickle-like” nuance in the opening, which is also something occasionally mentioned with Santal 33.
If you enjoy that kind of opening, slightly strange, slightly energetic, this will likely work for you.
It wears comfortably across genders and doesn’t lean too strongly in either direction.
It can feel slightly softer on skin, but still maintains enough structure to stay interesting.
One of its most interesting traits is how much it shifts with temperature. In warmer air, it feels fresher and lighter. In colder conditions, it becomes warmer and more comforting.
Who will love it?
- People who enjoy the sharp, spicy kick of cardamom
- People who appreciate fragrances with a Santal 33-style woody-spicy direction
- People looking for affordable scents with niche-level quality
- People who want a fragrance that works well across all seasons
- People who enjoy a subtle animalic nuance in white floral compositions
Who should avoid it?
- People who dislike sharp, spicy openings dominated by cardamom
- People who don’t enjoy fragrances in the Santal 33 direction
- People looking specifically for heavy, dense, and dark woody scents
- People who prefer bold, attention-grabbing signature fragrances from the very first spray
If you want to understand how Zara Energetically New York Elixir compares in detail with a deeper niche-style woody fragrance, you can read my full Santal Majuscule vs Zara Energetically New York Elixir comparison.
Overall Conclusion
Overall, Zara Energetically New York Elixir strikes a strong balance between uniqueness and everyday wearability.
While the cardamom-heavy opening can feel sharp and slightly polarising, the fragrance quickly settles into a smoother, more comfortable woody-amber structure.
What makes it interesting is this contrast between its opening and dry down, rather than a linear development.
It can feel fresh and airy in warmer weather, while turning warmer and more comforting in colder conditions, making it a versatile all-year-round fragrance.
It may not be a loud or attention-seeking scent, but it has a quiet presence that becomes more noticeable the longer you wear it.
If you’re interested in similar woody-spicy fragrances, you might also want to read my review of Santal Majuscule for comparison.
FAQ
Q1. Does Zara Energetically New York Elixir smell cheap or synthetic?
Not really. I was actually surprised by how well blended it feels for a Zara fragrance. It doesn’t have that harsh synthetic edge I was expecting at all.
Q2. Is Zara Energetically New York Elixir similar to Santal 33?
Only in a broad sense. They share a woody-spicy direction, but the execution is clearly different. This one opens sharper, while Santal 33 feels smoother and creamier throughout.
Q3. Is this fragrance worth the price?
Yes. It’s not trying to be niche-level complex, but it’s very wearable and easy to reach for. That alone makes it worth the price.
Q4. Is it safe as a blind buy?
Relatively safe, but not risk-free. The cardamom opening is the deciding factor. If you enjoy that, the rest of the fragrance becomes very easy to wear.
Final Thoughts
Zara Energetically New York Elixir feels like a fragrance that doesn’t try too hard to stand out, but still leaves a clear impression.
What stayed with me the most was how it starts slightly sharp with cardamom, then slowly settles into something much softer and more wearable. It doesn’t feel linear, but it also doesn’t feel complicated.
In the end, it’s a scent that sits somewhere between freshness and warmth, without fully committing to either side. That balance is probably what makes it so easy to wear in real life.
Not a loud fragrance, but definitely not forgettable either.
If you’ve been curious about Santal 33-style fragrances but want something more affordable and spicier, this is one of the better options in Zara’s lineup.
Overall Rating
Scent: 9/10
Longevity: 8/10
Projection: 6/10
Originality: 7.5/10
Overall: 8/10
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This is one of the best and descriptive fragrance review ive ever seen in my life. Somehow managed to make a fragrance review somewhat poetic. Keep up the good work
Thank you, I really appreciate that. I’m glad you enjoyed the review and connected with the writing style. More fragrance reviews are on the way!