Top Notes 
Venezuelan cocoa
Heart Notes 
New Zealand ambergris
Base Notes 
Sicilian almond
02/23/2025
Elysium
891 Reviews
Elysium
3
In Search Of Chuao Beans
Nothing quite compares to perfumes for rousing the memory. A sudden scent that wafts under our noses can awaken memories of a distant time, catapulting us back to those moments we have tucked away in a remote corner of our minds. We do this often; unfortunately, we consume and move on, forgetting—almost unaware victims of this insatiable desire for living, for doing, for conquering—which frequently forces us to forsake important emotions along the way.
Those familiar with contemporary cotton candy-focused perfumes will have noticed how similar and recognizable these scents are. It is no coincidence that, when I tested a sample of Zeta, I initially confused it with Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum, the same genre with a strong dominance of ethyl maltol. For this reason, I never wanted to delve deeper into the knowledge, having already some perfumes with a strong dominant of cotton candy. But after a few hours, the scent changed towards something salty and amber, more similar to the "Erba Pura | XerJoff" genre from which the fruit has been subtracted. This sudden change, which marks a seamless passage from one scent to the other, and not a layering of the two scents, was the spark that pushed me to buy and wear this essence.
What is the authentic story that Zeta wants to tell us? The perfume belongs to the trend of innovative ones, which exploit gourmand accords to create new emotions, smells, sensations, and memories. At the opening I get a shower of cocoa powder like the one to sprinkle on sweets and pralines, for example, truffles rolled with cocoa powder, together with a burnt sugar accord. It is a fine cocoa, very powdery, but with that talc that only cocoa can offer, and which diverges from that of iris, violet, and coumarins. As the opening settles, the cocoa transforms into a dark, creamy, bittersweet and salty chocolate. The scents of a cocoa hazelnut spread emerge, whether Nutella or something similar. Compared to #baccarat, here we do not find the pungent, metallic, quasi-medicinal note of saffron, which especially in the extract takes on tones that recall paint and nail polish. So, if the first notes and moments of the perfume’s life recall Baccarat Rouge 540, everything changes as the perfume evolves, and the similarity vanishes.
There is for a while a bizarre scent, a bit mentholated, balsamic, but never medicinal. It is not bad, it is just unexpected. Little by little, the fragrance enters the heart phase and releases a bomb of ambergris, which is probably a mixture of ambroxan and musk. The accord is that of a musk soaked in salt water, without, however, exceeding the threshold of the aquatic and marine families. It is an amber accord that amplifies the perception of the essence, helping it to spread in the air.
When the perfume approaches the dry-down, the similarity with Erba Pura is more evident. The saltiness of the amber, however, is here enhanced by the presence of the almond, with its characteristic bitter nuttiness. Do not expect the almond you get from xxx or yyy. Here the white nut is bitter yet dusty, never lactonic. It has nothing to do with the Amaretto liquor or similar things, but a kind of almond granella. A salty and powdery trail is what remains around you for hours.
I think Zeta is smoother and less intrusive than Baccarat Rouge, with the powderiness replacing the leatheriness. It is dynamic, so you catch many faces while you wear it. I find it a neutral perfume, which does not show any particular gender bias, beautiful on both men and women. With a moderate dosage, it can be worn during the day, but it is also suitable for cold evenings and nights in the autumn and winter seasons. I do not think it is necessary to dwell on the performance, which is enormously above average. Be careful if you spray it on clothes, as it will remain attached for many days.
I based my review on a bottle I've owned since January 2025.
-Elysium
Those familiar with contemporary cotton candy-focused perfumes will have noticed how similar and recognizable these scents are. It is no coincidence that, when I tested a sample of Zeta, I initially confused it with Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum, the same genre with a strong dominance of ethyl maltol. For this reason, I never wanted to delve deeper into the knowledge, having already some perfumes with a strong dominant of cotton candy. But after a few hours, the scent changed towards something salty and amber, more similar to the "Erba Pura | XerJoff" genre from which the fruit has been subtracted. This sudden change, which marks a seamless passage from one scent to the other, and not a layering of the two scents, was the spark that pushed me to buy and wear this essence.
What is the authentic story that Zeta wants to tell us? The perfume belongs to the trend of innovative ones, which exploit gourmand accords to create new emotions, smells, sensations, and memories. At the opening I get a shower of cocoa powder like the one to sprinkle on sweets and pralines, for example, truffles rolled with cocoa powder, together with a burnt sugar accord. It is a fine cocoa, very powdery, but with that talc that only cocoa can offer, and which diverges from that of iris, violet, and coumarins. As the opening settles, the cocoa transforms into a dark, creamy, bittersweet and salty chocolate. The scents of a cocoa hazelnut spread emerge, whether Nutella or something similar. Compared to #baccarat, here we do not find the pungent, metallic, quasi-medicinal note of saffron, which especially in the extract takes on tones that recall paint and nail polish. So, if the first notes and moments of the perfume’s life recall Baccarat Rouge 540, everything changes as the perfume evolves, and the similarity vanishes.
There is for a while a bizarre scent, a bit mentholated, balsamic, but never medicinal. It is not bad, it is just unexpected. Little by little, the fragrance enters the heart phase and releases a bomb of ambergris, which is probably a mixture of ambroxan and musk. The accord is that of a musk soaked in salt water, without, however, exceeding the threshold of the aquatic and marine families. It is an amber accord that amplifies the perception of the essence, helping it to spread in the air.
When the perfume approaches the dry-down, the similarity with Erba Pura is more evident. The saltiness of the amber, however, is here enhanced by the presence of the almond, with its characteristic bitter nuttiness. Do not expect the almond you get from xxx or yyy. Here the white nut is bitter yet dusty, never lactonic. It has nothing to do with the Amaretto liquor or similar things, but a kind of almond granella. A salty and powdery trail is what remains around you for hours.
I think Zeta is smoother and less intrusive than Baccarat Rouge, with the powderiness replacing the leatheriness. It is dynamic, so you catch many faces while you wear it. I find it a neutral perfume, which does not show any particular gender bias, beautiful on both men and women. With a moderate dosage, it can be worn during the day, but it is also suitable for cold evenings and nights in the autumn and winter seasons. I do not think it is necessary to dwell on the performance, which is enormously above average. Be careful if you spray it on clothes, as it will remain attached for many days.
I based my review on a bottle I've owned since January 2025.
-Elysium
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