Oesel Xerjoff 2009

the quality and composition of this scent opens, dryes and ends with very floral tidiness.

to my nose the Jasmin and patchouli gives the boost, on which the orange blossom and tobacco plays its sweetness. after drying down, the rose takes its elegant appearance, but not in a "rose scent" way.

sillage is great but not too pushy, perfect to leave a "if you know, you know" impression.

Initially I was searching for a gift to handle for a beloved person who likes very much the contrast of clean laundry smell, little bit fresh and aromatic and I knew that Fleur du Male was one of her favorites fragrances. As unfortunately Fleur du Male is not easy to be find nowadays I saw multiple reviews pointing to this Oesel from house of Xerjoff and pulled the trigger.
I was lucky enough to find a 2021 batch which has more of a red juice and definitely lilial in the formula. When it arrived and tested by her it blew my mind that it reassembles very very well the smell of Fleur du Male, maybe not that aromatic, but little bit more floral. However, I would say it is a very good substitute and I definitely recommend to give it a try for those in search of Fleur du Male.
Performances are decent, maybe around of 6-7 hours of longevity with a moderate projection for the first 2 hours, then it mostly becomes a skin scent.
Considering the prices of Fleur du Male compared to Oesel, this is a very good choice. A true hidden gem which deserves more attention (or maybe not that much as it will sky rocket the prices? we'll see).

Xerjoff Oesel, 2010, perfumer: Richard Melchio.

Oh my God, this perfume is simply flawless!
This perfume is the best replacement for the much-loved and discontinued Fleur du Male 2007. It's practically 1:1, and it's a good thing it is!
In this Oesel, an extraordinary theme is addressed, one of my favorite themes of the 90's and early 2000's.
What fascinates me most about this situation is the waxy and honeyed, narcotic and slightly animalistic aspect of the fragrance.
Nicotiana alata or as we know it as "Queen of the Night" is excellently rendered in this perfume, along with its characteristics with aspects of fresh, green, narcotic and slightly indolic tobacco!
The perfect pair of the much-loved triad - petit grain - orange blossom and jasmine, is divine, being practically the heart of many famous perfumes, from the golden age of modern perfumery: the second half of the 90s and the beginning of the 2000s. From Le Male to Versace - Dreamer, from Joop Homme to Fleur du Male and, finally, this Xerjoff Oesel that completes the theme and brings it to perfection!
Love at first whiff, just like it was with Fleur du Male, becomes an undisputed signature for me!
I dare say, having known almost all the perfumes of the house of Xerjoff, that this is one of the best Xerjoff, maybe even the best!

Oesel takes its name from a meteorite that fell in Estonia in 1855.
And like the fall of a meteorite it surprises: a highly original reinterpretation of a floral scent.
The opening is almost bitter, and then gives space to the floral part which however appears green and slightly citrusy to my nose, and I really appreciate it, in fact it immediately ended up on my wishlist.
It reminded me of the spring of March, which timidly appears and which I can't wait for it to explode, which I smell and observe with all of myself.
“Bauerngarten” painted by Klimt.

Today, I want to talk about a fragrance from the Shooting Stars line by Xerjoff, which has flown significantly under my radar until now. I'm referring to Oesel. I had only heard or read about this fragrance, which has been on the market since 2009, very sporadically.

Here on Parfumo, it is (as of today, August 20, 2023) included in 212 collections, which is not particularly much. Certainly, there are some in the Shooting Stars line that are included in even fewer collections, and of which I have truly never heard. The most well-known among the Shooting Stars are Uden, Apolonia, Nio, and Kobe. And because of this, I decided one fine day to order Uden again (Hmm???). I must preface that I already owned the bottle, and as is often the case when a fragrance is running low, you start to miss it.

This often happens to me; a bottle or its contents runs out, and suddenly I realize that this fragrance is actually quite wonderful, that I have worn it far too little, that I have undervalued it all along, that my life will seem gray and dreary without it, and that I absolutely must have it again.

Huh? Is he crazy??? Why, you ask, is he buying a Uden and then reviewing Oesel? Quite simply, because that's how the story began:

I ordered a Uden - I won't reveal where - and received an Oesel, but I only noticed this when it was already too late. Those of you who are familiar with the packaging know that a white cardboard box first appears, which contains the actual Xerjoff box. It is important to mention that the white box is already labeled, and on the one I received, it clearly read "Uden."

Without looking closely, I removed the foil from the "next" Xerjoff packaging, took out the beautiful leather (imitation) box, which, as far as I know, all Shooting Stars come in, opened it, and eagerly celebrated the unfolding of the final packaging of the fragrance, the white fabric-like curtain that concealed the bottle from my eyes.

“Hm, something's not right!”

I saw a 50-ml Xerjoff bottle, so far so good, but the liquid inside was far too dark. The juice was almost amber-colored and not as light and clear as Uden. I took the bottle out and looked a bit closer. I turned it in the light until I could see what was written under the metal plaque: Shooting Stars - Oesel

“Damn!,” I thought, “the packaging is already opened. What am I supposed to do with this stuff?”

Of course, I would contact the supplier and file a complaint, and that would all work out because I had indeed ordered Uden and received Oesel. The mistake was with the white outer packaging that said "Uden." I have no idea how such a thing can happen, but I have learned in my life, which is not so young anymore, that every mistake that could happen eventually does happen.

The small bottle with the almost reddish honey-like shimmering amber liquid fascinated me because, due to its color, it seemed so completely different from all the other Xerjoffs I had owned or still own. All Xerjoff bottles are somehow noble in their way, but I jokingly and yet with a hint of seriousness associated this one with a container for liquid gold.

Up until then, I had never really engaged with Oesel and began to wonder what it would be like, whether this might be a twist of fate today. Perhaps it would be a mistake to return the fragrance. Maybe this is the scent that would lead me to total olfactory satisfaction.

I opened Parfumo to take a look at the fragrance pyramid. In a matter of seconds, I had agreed with myself that I would keep Oesel if the fragrance pyramid did not contain any notes that I knew I might not like. Additionally, I also agreed with myself that I would still file a complaint about the mistake because, after all, I really wanted to have Uden. However, I would try to capitalize on the mistake and get it at a certain discount.

The fragrance pyramid was quickly checked. There was no problematic ingredient listed for me, especially since it is quite manageable. Hurdle No. 1 was cleared. Then I contacted the supplier, explained the mistake, supported it with photos of the white outer packaging and the bottle, and then generously informed him that I would forgive him for the mistake and wanted to keep Oesel, but in return, I would like a discount for Uden, which I actually wanted in the end. The supplier quickly agreed, granted me an acceptable discount, and thus Oesel was finally mine.

That meant: I would now spray it on.

The first thing that came to my mind was honey, even though it is not part of the fragrance pyramid. This is a problem I often face. I smell different fragrance notes than those listed in the pyramid. Often, I have no idea what I am smelling, but sometimes, as is the case now, I smell something that isn't even there. And here, that is honey. This is worth mentioning because I am not a big fan of honey, neither at breakfast nor in perfume, and so I thought I had made a mistake.

But that's not the case. Like other fragrances before, Oesel naturally got a second and a third chance, and as always, I can't really break down my scent sensations. The fact is, it remains honey for me, but with a bit of training and after a few tries, it blends with the rose and especially with tobacco. This makes it not only acceptable for me over time but really, really beautiful. The overall composition comes to my nose as something I have not knowingly smelled before and unusual. The scent is warm, soft, and cuddly. I feel comfortable with it. It is noble and has enormous strength. Oesel delivers what many other perfumes promise. I am noticed, and not just a little. This fragrance projects endlessly and lasts easily 12 hours on my skin. I can still smell it on my skin the next day.

Oesel is a fragrance that you can't go wrong with, wearable for everyone. Perhaps one should consider whether to wear it to the office or for sports, but as a casual fragrance, it is certainly excellent. Moreover, it works as an all-year-round scent. The citrus notes and the subdued sweetness allow for use in the warm sunny seasons. The warmth from the tobacco and woods, in turn, make it wearable in winter.
I consider the above-described sequence a bit of a fortunate turn of fate, but not a twist of fate. I am glad to have gotten to know Oesel, and when I stand in front of my perfume shelf in the morning and think about which fragrance to wear, it comes into play relatively often.

Thank you for reading!