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K Collection

'Ilm Xerjoff 2023

7.2 / 10 113 Ratings

A perfume by Xerjoff for women and men, released in 2023. The scent is woody-animal. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Woody

Animal

Spicy

Oriental

Resinous

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Thai gurjun balsam

White oud

Australian sandalwood

Heart Notes

White oud

Atlas cedar

Ambergris

Oakmoss

Base Notes

White oud

Amber

Ratings

Scent

7.2113 Ratings

Longevity

7.7106 Ratings

Sillage

7.3105 Ratings

Bottle

8.7125 Ratings

Value for money

5.991 Ratings

Submitted by Essy07 · last update on 01/26/2026.

Source-backed & verified

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the K Collection collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

'Ilm

Dehn el Oud Shaheen

Kemi

Ghanati

Reviews

4 in-depth fragrance descriptions

06/30/2025

7Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

TonyTonka
25 Reviews

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TonyTonka

Helpful Review 9

'Ilm …

… is a fragrance - so much can be said in advance - that is not for everyone. Sure, Oud is always a tricky subject, but many people immediately associate Oud with feces, farm, etc.
However, Oud can be so many things: sweet, leathery, the scent of dried fruits, green, and much more.
With 'Ilm, however, I can understand this association, even though I don’t perceive the farm aspect as strongly as some others do. For me, it is rather herbaceous, peaty, woody, and a bit sour/sweet, almost like wild berries. When I smell the fragrance, images of the Scottish coast come to mind, rough wind, wet wood, peaty single malt. The 'Ilm doesn’t really develop, it remains very subtle throughout. It stays woody from start to finish and only sheds a bit of its peatiness, becoming slightly berry-like. I would definitely say it is something for those interested in Oud, as you do not get a sweet or creamy everyday or even mainstream fragrance here. Perhaps it is something for people who are curious about the different facets of Oud and who already have a somewhat trained nose in this area. It is definitely worth testing, even if it is simply too herbaceous and linear for my taste. It is always interesting to see what this fragrance material offers in terms of possibilities, depending on processing, origin, and age.

Just a small addendum.
I have been able to extensively test both the old 'Ilm from Kemi and the Xerjoff reissue and must say that here (at most due to maturation) there are hardly any differences to be recognized.

Updated on 06/30/2025

07/09/2024

6.5Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

RoseOud
7 Reviews

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RoseOud

4

If you like cow barn, this is the right one for you

A very, very animalic scent:

If you like cow barn, this is the right one for you.
The oud that can be perceived here is a wet oud that lasts from the beginning of the fragrance to the end. Sometimes it seemed to me that I was sensing something slightly alcoholic.
The scent changes only minimally, the polarizing oud remains constant. It's not for everyone. There was even a time when a colleague, to whom I sprayed the fragrance on the arm, had to wash it off because he couldn't stand it.
Perhaps better suited for layering; I once layered it with al Fareed from Arabian Oud, it wasn't bad, but alone, pure, you really can't wear it everywhere, so it had to leave the collection.

Updated on 07/09/2024

09/18/2023

8.5Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

TristanKalus
130 Reviews

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TristanKalus

Helpful Review 6

Lunch Break at the Sawmill

The sun shines through the forest's canopy of leaves,
Balsam resin-soaked stumps on moist earth as far as the eye can see.

Dry and decayed wood can be found in equal measure,
From the second, dark mushrooms grow, on the first one, one sits to linger.

Out of the grove and into the sawmill for a lunch break,
There is silence at the saws, food awaits at home.

Fine sawdust flutters, shimmers in the warm summer air,
At the entrance lies a pile of stall wood, which has a bit of a musty smell.

Stacked dry woods of sandalwood, oud, and cedar,
Release their lovely scent of dust, the workshop smells of glue.

Not only do workbenches and saw stations smell of glue,
But also of tough adhesive, turpentine, and oil-soaked chains.

From the distant coast, a salty breeze wafts in,
The sawmill lies behind me, the intense scent of wood is just a hint now.

Fin.

___________________

What a wonderful surprise! The previous reissues of the original Kemis hadn't really excited me until now. But Ilm breaks a lance for this collection from XerJoff. When you look at the fragrance pyramid, you quickly realize what to expect here. The big question I had beforehand was whether the oud is worthwhile and at least somewhat resembles real oud distillates. And to answer both questions in advance: Yes and Yes!
XerJoff's Ilm opens quite animalistic and with a fine and subtle stable note. However, this quickly recedes into the background, leaving behind a beautiful, woody scent that plays with nuances of both moist and dry wood. Thus, the oud comes across as quite woody and is accompanied throughout by just the right amount of animalic notes. Cedar and sandalwood mix robustly and create a warm melange of dust-dry woods with the balsam resins and amber. Now and then, delicate notes of forest floor, mushrooms, glue, and turpentine flash through, adding even more depth and complexity to the fragrance. Unfortunately, there is no real scent progression here, but Ilm truly creates beautiful images in the mind's eye. Only in terms of longevity and sillage does this candidate fail to impress. While the sillage is quite close to real oud oils, I would have preferred a touch more longevity.

Updated on 09/18/2023

07/28/2023

5Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

Svartir
11 Reviews

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Svartir

10

Playing Oud in Expert Mode

A few months ago, while clicking through Parfumo, I noticed the new Xerjoff bottles from the Kemi series on the homepage. And although I was still trying to find enjoyment in the creations of this fragrance house at that time, I was nonetheless curious about the direction the K-series might take.

Since I wanted to place a sample order anyway, I decided to study the notes of the new fragrances.

In the end, I was more confused than certain, and I spontaneously chose "'Ilm | XerJoff". How often do you see Oud at all levels in the pyramid?

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What do you get?

Well, since I haven't held a single Xerjoff bottle in my hands yet, I can't evaluate the feel and the sprayer - just as little as the packaging. But I must admit: In the photos, especially the new K-series bottles look really harmonious and beautiful. The oriental-looking caps and labels suit the bottle. I think the embellishments and the "rustic" appearance actually fit the bottle shape better than the usual golden caps.

For 50ml, Xerjoff charges 240.00 euros and says the following about "'Ilm | XerJoff":

"Taking its name from the Arabic word for knowledge, Ilm is a tribute to the golden age of chemistry. A simple yet intoxicating blend of aged oud, with gurjum, cedar and amber, Ilm is warm and sweet set alight with flaming balsamic notes. Kemi is a collection of perfumes created from natural raw elements using innovative distillation techniques."

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I’ll take my own evaluation of the fragrance right away:

For "'Ilm | XerJoff", you have to like Oud. No - for this fragrance, you probably have to love Oud.

I like Oud - and yet I simply can't handle it, and that's because it's a stinker of the worst kind. I mean that kindly, but seriously.

Fecal-smelling Oud is something I also know from other fragrances. One that immediately comes to mind is the no longer available O - The Exclusive Parfum. The difference, however, is that the latter takes a pleasant turn, unlike 'Ilm.

"'Ilm | XerJoff" remains relatively static. Thus, it does exactly what the pyramid predicts. I would have wished it became softer upon contact with the skin. I find it hard to perceive other notes besides the Oud. There is indeed something balsamic in the air, but only subordinate.

A small side note that I noticed on the sample boxes: "'Ilm | XerJoff" has the lowest alcohol content of all 8 samples at 65% VOL.

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And otherwise?

Although I don't feel angelic myself, a small appeal to reason follows:

Xerjoff states about the fragrance: "This product is vegan-friendly"

The note is well-intentioned, and I think it's great that such things are even mentioned. But: Should a vegan person actually buy a perfume that uses such a questionable raw material to this supposed extent, it would reveal an idealized delusion in my view.

Because the truth is: Agarwood is, among other things, endangered due to its high value for the perfume industry.

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My conclusion about "'Ilm | XerJoff" is rather sober overall. While I don't feel compelled to wash it off, the fragrance simply doesn't suit me. Since pleasantness is a foreign word for 'Ilm, I also see no realistic application possibility. Since a fragrance rating of 5 out of 10 stars is also unusually low for me, it’s important to say that the fragrance does not smell inferior or synthetic. The fragrance rating refers to my subjective perception.

Anyone who has only played with Oud in beginner mode and has already had difficulties will definitely not be happy here.

Updated on 07/29/2023