Top Notes 
Rosewood
Lavender
Bergamot
Clary sage
Heart Notes 
Geranium
Rose
Jasmine
Lily of the valley
Base Notes 
Patchouli
Sandalwood
Amber
Cedar
Tonka bean
Vanilla
01/08/2022
Elysium
877 Reviews
Elysium
Very helpful Review
13
The Scent Of Desire (Lust Auf Duft)
Zino is a perfume that I used in the late 80s when it came out on the market, and I tied my memory to the Spandau Ballet band and their wonderful song Through The Barricades. Yes, because music and perfume are something that once they stain your brain, they stick together forever and never go away. I stumbled upon this perfume almost by accident in '87. The first time I sensed it on a friend, he had visited me during the Christmas holidays. This dark, dense, sensual aura surrounded him, his scarf, and his coat. When I asked him what he was wearing, he told me "Zino Davidoff". I jotted down the name, but then I didn't buy it right away. A few months later, right before the summer of '88, Davidoff had recently launched what would later become an epitome, Cool Water Eau de Toilette. So, on the occasion of my birthday, some university mates asked me for a suggestion for a perfume, and I told them "Davidoff, the aqueous one with hints of watermelon and melon." But ironically, when it was time to open the presents, I realized Zino was the perfume I had been given. I confess that I was initially disappointed when I took it out of the box and saw a different box and bottle, yet my eyes opened wide shot when I sprayed on my skin. It was on the opposite side of Cool Water, not a summertime scent, but all too good and gorgeous. Ultimately, I was happy they made a mistake, yet I bought Cool Water myself. Well, I had to put it in the closet. In June, its character was not very suitable for hot weather. And so I had to wait for incoming winter to wear Zino, which I fell in love with and remains a unique and unforgettable perfume for me today. Zino is polarising, even in its current formulation. It uses a dirty, virile, very earthy patchouli, which makes one think of a man soaked in sweat after hard work, but also after an embrace. And it was no coincidence that "The Scent Of Desire" was mentioned in the advertisement.
But how is Zino today? I have a recent bottle kindly given to me by a friend a few years ago. Linear in nature, a cross between an oriental, a chypre, and a fougére, the recent formulation is not very different from the original, fortunately. The performance is a bit subdued, but the scent is the same as I remembered, so damn powerful—Manly, impressive, dense like a rainy and foggy autumn day. I like to think of well-dressed men on horseback, returning from a hunting trip, somewhere in the Scottish countryside. The opening is dazzling, with an explosion of earthy and dirty patchouli. It dominates this fragrance, like most of the powerhouse colognes of the late 80s. The bitter undertone is somewhat reminiscent of licorice and lasts until a rosy note of Brazilian rosewood jumps into it. There is also a riot of bergamot, which I thought managed that manhood I got in the original formulation. I was not that experienced in those years, and I did not connect it to the dirty patch. The opening leaves nothing to the imagination, and the juice is as dark as the bottle.
Soon I get a cocktail of fresh floral and aromatic herbs, powdery lavender, and green clary sage. The aroma seems to move away from the initial impression of an alpha male. I feel the stingy freshness of aromatic herbs so much. Lavender and bergamot are the protagonists of a classic duo. Then there are flowers, but they are just a mockery, a faint background bouquet of rose, green geranium, jasmine, and lily of the valley. The scent is refined and still looks masculine, as it is not particularly powdery or sweet. A complex, dark, earthy, woody, herbal bouquet with a solid backbone. Here comes an underlying sweetness quite far from the sweet masculine fragrances of today. It is deeply embedded in the heart.
I get a woody, refined, smooth accord of mild sandalwood on the finish. But blond wood isn't alone, and a drier cedar does the trick. A soft and creamy atmosphere of vanilla and amber in the background, inedible, non-gourmand, and not sentimental, softens the woods. It is the part I like best, rich and balsamic patchouli with an echo of powdery and slightly salty lavender due to the presence of amber, a touch of rose, and a persistent sour bergamot scent. In this last phase, the patchouli takes on a chocolatey nuance as if it were infused with dark chocolate.
Masculine, ideal for both day and night, it is best for autumn and winter. An informal evening colony for any man with a healthy bad boy side, who also likes to be the center of attention. Yes, because Zino collects compliments. Although the fragrance is strong, it makes itself known to the passer-by with a little shyness. The sillage is below average, but it feels good to smell yourself. It lasts about half a day but then disappears during the rest of the day, but if worn for an event or dinner, it will stay with you as long as necessary. I think I'll stock up before they take it out of business. Last, Zino is the best sensual patchouli I have ever smelt.
I base the review on a 75ml bottle I have owned since October 2015.
-Elysium
But how is Zino today? I have a recent bottle kindly given to me by a friend a few years ago. Linear in nature, a cross between an oriental, a chypre, and a fougére, the recent formulation is not very different from the original, fortunately. The performance is a bit subdued, but the scent is the same as I remembered, so damn powerful—Manly, impressive, dense like a rainy and foggy autumn day. I like to think of well-dressed men on horseback, returning from a hunting trip, somewhere in the Scottish countryside. The opening is dazzling, with an explosion of earthy and dirty patchouli. It dominates this fragrance, like most of the powerhouse colognes of the late 80s. The bitter undertone is somewhat reminiscent of licorice and lasts until a rosy note of Brazilian rosewood jumps into it. There is also a riot of bergamot, which I thought managed that manhood I got in the original formulation. I was not that experienced in those years, and I did not connect it to the dirty patch. The opening leaves nothing to the imagination, and the juice is as dark as the bottle.
Soon I get a cocktail of fresh floral and aromatic herbs, powdery lavender, and green clary sage. The aroma seems to move away from the initial impression of an alpha male. I feel the stingy freshness of aromatic herbs so much. Lavender and bergamot are the protagonists of a classic duo. Then there are flowers, but they are just a mockery, a faint background bouquet of rose, green geranium, jasmine, and lily of the valley. The scent is refined and still looks masculine, as it is not particularly powdery or sweet. A complex, dark, earthy, woody, herbal bouquet with a solid backbone. Here comes an underlying sweetness quite far from the sweet masculine fragrances of today. It is deeply embedded in the heart.
I get a woody, refined, smooth accord of mild sandalwood on the finish. But blond wood isn't alone, and a drier cedar does the trick. A soft and creamy atmosphere of vanilla and amber in the background, inedible, non-gourmand, and not sentimental, softens the woods. It is the part I like best, rich and balsamic patchouli with an echo of powdery and slightly salty lavender due to the presence of amber, a touch of rose, and a persistent sour bergamot scent. In this last phase, the patchouli takes on a chocolatey nuance as if it were infused with dark chocolate.
Masculine, ideal for both day and night, it is best for autumn and winter. An informal evening colony for any man with a healthy bad boy side, who also likes to be the center of attention. Yes, because Zino collects compliments. Although the fragrance is strong, it makes itself known to the passer-by with a little shyness. The sillage is below average, but it feels good to smell yourself. It lasts about half a day but then disappears during the rest of the day, but if worn for an event or dinner, it will stay with you as long as necessary. I think I'll stock up before they take it out of business. Last, Zino is the best sensual patchouli I have ever smelt.
I base the review on a 75ml bottle I have owned since October 2015.
-Elysium
3 Comments
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