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Initiale

Cologne 352 Ex Nihilo 2013

7.8 / 10 112 Ratings

A popular perfume by Ex Nihilo for women and men, released in 2013. The scent is fresh-green. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Fresh

Green

Citrus

Floral

Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Italian lemon Leaves

Leaves

Juniper berry

Heart Notes

Orange blossom

Lily of the valley Rose

Rose

Base Notes

White musk

Gaiac wood

White cedar

Perfumer

Jacques Huclier

Ratings

Scent

7.8112 Ratings

Longevity

6.991 Ratings

Sillage

6.494 Ratings

Bottle

8.093 Ratings

Value for money

5.953 Ratings

Submitted by Apicius, last update on 10/26/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the Initiale collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Mirto di Panarea

1 - Bergamot, Tea Leaf, Sandal Wood

Colognisé

Mile High/38

Vicolo Fiori Eau de Toilette

Décou-Vert

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions

09/13/2025

FoxHound215
38 Reviews

FoxHound215

1

Fresh, clean, crisp.

I wore this today for the first time after receiving my 10ml decant on a blind buy a week ago. At first, after I sprayed it on my wrist to test it out, I was a little underwhelmed. It was just a simple scent, clean, fresh, and nothing else to it. Now, I decided to throw it on as a dumb reach because I couldn't decide what to wear, and I'm very glad I gave it a chance. At first, I had those same feelings when I put it on. It was okay, fresh, lacked depth... but after it's dried down, I'm borderline loving it. It's a lot more crisp than I thought, and this is the clean scent that I like to walk around smelling like. It's almost as if I am fresh from the barber, fresh from a shower, clean, white t shirt, blue jeans, summer day... it's perfect for someone who just wants to go out and smell clean. It's difficult to pick out any specific notes, other than maybe lemon or light floral citrus, but that's only because it's well blended. I like it a lot, maybe even love it.

05/16/2021

8.5Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

Amadea70
102 Reviews

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Amadea70

Top Review 21

Carte Blanche

This card allows everything; you can always draw it, and so it is with this fragrance. It lifts your spirits, smells fresh, and lasts incredibly long. A dear perfumer wrote today, "your soul scent." If there is one for me, then it must be this one.

352, that is an address on Rue Saint Honore in Paris - this wonderful creation comes from there. And this is what they themselves write about this fragrance, which I find aptly described:

"A gentle spritz of Italian lemon rises into a crescendo of an orange blossom heart, rounded off with a substantial background of white cedarwood, guaiac wood, and white musk. Fresh and sparkling like a morning walk in the Tuileries garden."

I personally think I also perceive a bit of lemongrass, which gives the whole thing a kick. But it could also be the combination with the guaiac wood.

The perfumers also receive carte blanche, if you believe the creators of Ex Nihilo. "Do what you want - as long as it's good, it pleases, and the quality is right!" I like that and I agree with it.

When do I draw this card?

when
- it gets warm and all other fragrances would overwhelm me
- the rain is falling outside and I need sunshine in my heart
- the sun is shining and the birds are already chirping in the morning
- I can't decide

Crossover from the kitchen of perfumers - good home cooking modernly interpreted. A cologne for me only by name. And thanks to Sylvie Loday, Oliver Royere, Benoit Verdier, and the creator of this beautiful composition - Jacques Huclier.

12/30/2014

10Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Knowquality
3 Reviews

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Knowquality

Top Review 21

Unexpectedly Convincing

This is my first comment here and since no one has taken on this fragrance yet, I’ll seize the opportunity.

I stumbled upon this cologne by chance in Paris. At le Bon Marche, there was a promotional area for the brand during the Christmas season. Very cool setup, with a diffuser for each fragrance that released the respective scent at the push of a button.
A very nice and knowledgeable lady from the perfume house told me the background story. Three young perfume enthusiasts decided to create a new, cool perfume house in Paris. Hence ex nihilo... Latin for out of nothing.
She then sprayed Cologne 352 on me as the signature scent of the house. I then moved on.

But all the while, this incredibly light and fresh scent lingered in my nose; I kept smelling my wrist and had to turn back to take another look at it.
Back at the stand, I asked for more information about the fragrance and inquired about the price, 260,- € for 100ml ... Okay, not exactly cheap, rather the opposite.
So I wandered off again and continued through the department store, out onto the street into the Conran Shop ... Still constantly having my wrist to my nose ... Okay, I have to have this! Back and bagged.

And I have not regretted it for a second; I love this scent and wear it every day!

Now to the scent itself:
It starts upon spraying with a light, transparent yet very intense lily of the valley, underlaid with a green, grassy note. But alongside, there is something powdery, deep, and slightly warm from the very beginning. It is by no means one-dimensional. There are clearly hints of typical colognes, probably due to the included petitgrain. But the scent does not smell old-fashioned; it is distinctly high-quality.
Somehow, it eludes many categorizations for me; it is both elegant and sporty, light yet also intense. It lasts for hours on me and even longer on clothing. It is never intrusive, yet it surrounds you like a veil. It is perfect for me and wearable at any time.
Later, woody notes come in, and it becomes a bit warmer, with light musk detectable.

Somehow, I feel like I have found my scent with it. Unexpectedly.

06/28/2024

8.5Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

Dennis1104
1001 Reviews

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Dennis1104

6

A Wonderful Cologne

Cologne 352 from the house of Ex Nihilo really appeals to me.
Ex Nihilo generally has super fine and beautiful fragrances, and this cologne fits seamlessly into the previously positively tested scents.

This pleasant fresh-citrus scent for summer, the subtly maintained floral elegance, and the fruity as well as green undertone are extremely appealing to me.
All the notes harmonize wonderfully with each other and almost merge together. The fragrance also brings a slightly creamy touch.
I believe this is the best cologne I have tested so far.

The juniper berry is, in my opinion, brilliantly executed.
In addition, we have this pleasant lemon, a perfectly fitting greenish note, a subtle and finely tuned orange blossom that does not have that piercing neroli touch at all, as well as some floral nuances.

Towards the end, we have the classic musk and a slightly woody note.

Overall, this fragrance does not do anything particularly special, and there is also no great scent development, but it doesn't have to. This fragrance fulfills the purpose of a cologne, and as I said, it is also the best cologne I have encountered so far.

I recommend testing this fragrance. It is unisex and the performance is also decent for a cologne. Of course, the scent does not last forever, but I did not expect that either. For a cologne, I would actually classify the longevity as quite good.

03/04/2024

9Scent 9Longevity 8Sillage

ClaudeZac
7 Reviews

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ClaudeZac

3

Jack of all Trades, Master of none?

Briefly about the scent:
Cologne as an EDP? At first, that sounded strange to me, but it piqued my curiosity. This contrast, or rather this evolution, runs through the scent's development. I think two words describe this fragrance: active and transparent. Active because it is not transparent like molecular scents such as Escentric Molecules or Juliette has a gun Not a perfume. No, the scent is subtly transparent yet present. It envelops the wearer in a natural aura that doesn't smell like them, but they could naturally smell like this.
It starts fresh and subtly floral, with a natural feeling that simultaneously feels modern. One can faintly recognize the Cologne DNA like a skyline in the misty distance. However, this could also be a figment of imagination due to the name. Over time, the slightly powdery Ex Nihilo DNA comes through, as known from Fleur Narcotique. The sillage is not extreme, but the scent can be perceived for several hours, for me about 4 hours, and then less. As a close-to-skin scent, about 7-8 hours. Cologne 352 has an elegant, high-quality depth, as if something natural has been artificially optimized. In the drydown, it already resembles Fleur Narcotique but is more masculine.

If it were about universality, this would be the ultimate scent. But do we really want that? I think most people here feel like I do, and we are not looking for the one fragrance that works all the time, but rather the special, the exciting one that we wear depending on our mood (even if it's for work). Accordingly, while this scent can actually be worn at any time, it is unlikely to be worn all the time. Its strengths lie in situations where subtle signaling of class is required. As for the time of day, it is definitely more suitable for daytime, but as mentioned, there are no limits to its use; from the gym to a gala ball, the scent is never truly out of place.

My conclusion is that one really needs to test Cologne 352, and if it appeals to you, you should definitely buy it. An absolute top fragrance, but for not everyone will the wow effect be strong enough to justify the price.