The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Élixir de Vie arrived from Tempus Vitae in 2022, composed by Kyle Mott-Kannenberg as a citrus aromatic built around movement and ease. The house's intent was specific: marry refinement with the energy of fresh air pursuits. Yuzu and lemongrass create an immediate lift, while white flowers temper the brightness with an elegant softness. Elemi adds a lemony, lightly incense-like continuation, and pine brings a clean aromatic thread beneath the fruit and flowers. Nothing asks for attention loudly. It simply gives the day a little more air.
The composition is interesting because its citrus isn't left to behave like citrus. Yuzu, grapefruit, and orange supply the snap, but lemongrass gives the opening a herbal edge rather than a candy-like shine. White Flowers shift the mood toward polished calm, then elemi and elemi resin stretch the citrus into something more persistent. Pine quietly grounds the brighter materials. Together, the notes create a rounded fresh profile that feels more like clean linen and open windows than a sharp citrus splash.
The evolution
The first impression is buoyant and fizzy, led by yuzu and grapefruit, with lemongrass sharpening the brightness and orange adding a rounder fruit note. On skin, the opening quickly hands off to white flowers, which make the composition softer and almost soapy without becoming heavy. Elemi is the useful surprise: it keeps a lemony, faintly incense-like character moving beneath the floral middle, making the citrus seem to last longer than the opening suggests. Pine adds a clean, aromatic finish as the scent settles. By the later drydown, the scent is less sparkling and more like citrus folded into clean fabric, with its clean green and woody edges becoming more apparent as the brighter fruits recede.
Cultural impact
Élixir de Vie draws on a bright yet composed fragrance vocabulary, pairing lively citrus with soft white flowers, elemi, and pine. Its appeal lies in the balance between freshness and comfort, with each note changing the texture of the composition rather than standing entirely on its own. The opening feels energetic and sparkling, the floral heart adds a smooth and gently soapy quality, and the drydown settles into a clean, aromatic impression. Together, these elements give the scent a versatile identity that can be explored through its shifting layers and contrasting textures.
The House
Tempus VitaeTempus Vitae is an independent niche fragrance house founded in 2022, operating from Dallas, Texas. The house crafts its perfumes in small batches using hand-blending, bottling, and labeling methods. With a catalog of six fragrances released across two years, the brand divides its work between warm, amber-forward compositions and lighter daytime offerings. The house name derives from Latin, translating roughly to "time of life," a theme that permeates its naming conventions. Élixir de Vie, Carpe Diem, and Fête D'Ambre launched in 2022, establishing the brand's initial aesthetic vocabulary. The 2025 releases, including Vanille Miel Brûlée, Café Du Jour, and High Tea, expanded the line into gourmand and tea-inspired territory. As an independent operation, Tempus Vitae maintains direct control over its production process, from initial blending through final labeling.
The Creator
Kyle Mott-KannenbergKyle draws on a background in art direction and chemistry, a combination that gives him unusual structural instincts. He builds fragrances like compositions, layering contrasts to create tension and intrigue.
