Emerald Star Xerjoff 2014

Great easy to read scent. What you see in the notes listed above is all there. Little is left to imagination but the best part is balance. It's incredible. No note pushes out, it's very unisex. Perfect for fall-spring seasons. Scent of candied dates mxed with artimitia bitternes is a very relaxing combination. Sweet, green, herbal. Absolute love!

Harrods Emerald Star from the Italian Haute Luxury Niche Perfumery House Xerjoff is part of the Shooting Stars Collection; is a Musky Sweet Amber Herbal Date scent. It was released in 2014 exclusively for Harrods; the perfumer who signs this fragrance is Chris Maurice.

Emerald Star is a sweet fragrance without exaggeration, dark green but fresh and soft and a slight spicy touch that reminds me of something like a green and fresh cardamom.
Super soft velvety perfume like the meat of the most tender and sweet Medjool Date.

Now the most striking is the green herbal part of mugwort, which brings a bitter aspect to the perfume, contrasting all the time with the sweetness of the date and amber, but without colliding at any time, but coming together to make the perfume a beautiful 'Bitter/Sweet Paradox'!

Clean, creamy musk bolsters your gourmet pleasantness. Bittersweet fragrance somewhat linear but very pleasant and even versatile.
A delicious juicy perfume with good performance on my skin to my nose.
Best interpretation of date I've ever tried in perfumery.

Batch: 08/2019

Uncommented Fragrances No. 82

Actually, I didn't want to write any comments on brands like Xerjoff anymore. One or two really good fragrances do not justify a concept that seems to launch scents on the market weekly, which sell mainly because image and presentation cater to certain longings. Of course, every fragrance ultimately does that. When I quickly grab Old Spice or the latest Beckham scent at my favorite drugstore, where I buy shower gel and shampoo, those longings are also being satisfied. I know that too. But it doesn't hurt financially as much. And that's exactly where the problem lies. This is not a general criticism of expensive brands. Some of them have given us many of the most beautiful fragrances that I have had the pleasure to test. For example, when I think of Clive Christian's L for men, I could almost forgive the man behind it for the crime of buying out the Crown brand, burying it, and only keeping the shape of the bottles. Almost!

With Emerald Star, I also had lower motives for wanting to test the fragrance. The bottle is green, and I like green. The shape is silly, but you get used to that after the 75th (!) fragrance from Xerjoff. This medium green and the name Emerald Star (if I like gemstones, then emeralds) made me weak.

Then Verbena came along and asked me if I wanted to test it (Yes, yes, yes: THANK YOU!). And now I am struggling with my aversion to a certain type of fragrance and my fascination that says: Don't think, just spray it on!

After a first test, I was left with a distinct musk note and a sweet-soft tone in my memory, which probably comes from the fruits (see below) and/or dates. Everything is embedded in a buttery creaminess that almost gives the fragrance an animalistic aura. I also smell flowers that are not listed here (Osmanthus?).

Since I spare no expense or effort, I got an oil roller with pure Davana oil before the test to better assess how and where this note is embedded in the fragrance, as many testers seem to have perceived this scent quite distinctly. Davana oils are quite rare even among manufacturers of essential oils and have even been removed from the program by some suppliers. I only found one with a small manufacturer.
Davana is said to smell warm, sweet, and mango-like, and allegedly has a relaxing effect that can relieve stress and tension. I will keep the roller at my office. It can't hurt. In fact, this fragrance description fits very well with the fruity note that I perceive from the very first moment in Emerald Star and that lingers for a long time, even not completely disappearing in the drydown. On the other hand, I cannot recognize this description in my oil roller with Davana oil. It smells much more strongly woody (this accent is also attributed to Davana). The fruity accents in my oil are limited to a fresh-bright, somewhat pale fruitiness that I do not associate with tropical fruits at all.
So be it. I just wasted 6.95 euros on this roller. Still less than the price I would have paid at Harrods (only there is Emerald Star exclusively) for the whole pot.

Can one now recommend a trip to London with a detour to Harrods? I am pleased with the sample, advise keeping an eye out for a possible sharing, as the fragrance is definitely worth testing, but I see no need to invest in a whole bottle, even though I can understand why one might want to.

And the moral of the story: Don't buy Davana rollers.

Addendum: for those interested - 370.00 British pounds for 100 ml

Addendum 2: The second Davana oil roller also developed only woody accents, hardly any fruit, mango notes only with a lot of imagination. In my view, Davana does not stand out as much as some might assume.

So, dear Yatagan,
I specifically ordered Davana from Mad Et Len to chat about this innocent, fine, little note from the sewing box and to trace it in Xerjoff's exclusive Emerald. Nothing. It's not in there.

Davana smells incredibly fruity, not woody or resinous, as you incorrectly stated below, and Davana doesn't help with mood swings in this perfume either. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTICEABLE TO ME!!! At the manufacturer's price, a decent splash of Davana would have done quite well.

Emerald Star is woody and resinous, but WOW! No idea where that comes from, certainly not from Davana,
that much is clear.
Musk comes on strong, it's really not to be underestimated; but definitely without Davana.
Typical Xerlinade, you all know it, would have been really nice with a drop of Davana in it, well, you can't have everything. No dates, no fruits, no Davana.
What a shame.

It was a gray afternoon in London, and as so often in this city, a fine drizzle hung in the air. The streets around Knightsbridge gleamed as if someone had just polished them, and people hurried by with their collars turned up. I had only one destination: Harrods.

As soon as I entered the iconic department store, I was enveloped by its unique scent-a blend of polished wood, leather, and countless clouds of perfume that have been infused into the walls over the decades. I knew I was searching for something special, something that would always remind me of this day.

And then it was there, in a shimmering emerald green bottle: Emerald Star. The salesperson smiled as if he had long suspected that I wouldn't leave without it. A spritz on the back of my hand, and I was instantly transported elsewhere.

One of the best notes for me is the date, not only because it is very sacred in my religion, but also because it has an exotic depth that first hit me warm, sweet, almost golden like an exotic treasure found only in a foreign desert city. Then came this green, bitter herbal note of mugwort, which grounded the fragrance and gave it a mysterious depth. Finally, musk and amber wrapped around everything like a soft, warm cloth-elegant, soothing, yet with a hint of adventure.

I stepped out into the London rain, and with every step, Emerald Star mingled with the damp, cool air of the city. People turned briefly as I passed by-not intrusively, but curiously, as if they had caught a fleeting glimpse of something precious.

That day, I took home not just a new fragrance. I took a piece of London with me, captured in a bottle that recalls that first memory with every spray: rain on the streets, golden dates in my nose, and the feeling of having found something that could remain my secret forever.
My conclusion:
For me, Emerald Star is a little journey in a bottle. The combination of sweet date, bitter-green artemisia, and the warm embrace of musk and amber makes it something truly special: complex, mysterious, and elegant all at once.

I love how the scent on my skin tells of distant places, of cool London rainy days, and of a warmth that never feels intrusive, but remains subtle and profound. Emerald Star feels like a personal secret to me, known only to myself, bringing me back to that special day at Harrods time and again.

Anyone looking for a fragrance that doesn’t suit everyone, but is unforgettable for that very reason, will find their own treasure in Emerald Star. For me, it is a statement-elegant, sensual, and timeless.