13
Very helpful Review
Golden Velvet
The brand Xerjoff meets with a divided echo here: For some, it is a fragrance house with legendary status, where masterpiece after masterpiece is lined up in its portfolio. For others, it is rather a somewhat pretentious attempt to define the niche fragrance field through inflated prices and marketing-focused pseudo-luxury. While I can understand this criticism to some extent, it is specifically Zefiro that ensures Xerjoff still holds a good position with me. Zefiro not only combines a beautiful and very unique scent character with absolutely everyday wearability, but it is also, in my perception, exceptionally well crafted. But let's start from the beginning:
In the first 15-20 seconds after spraying, the notes listed here as top notes create an unusual accord. I primarily perceive elemi resin, something sweet-herbaceous (likely davana), and a grape-like note. Before one can really consider what to make of this combination, it has already disappeared again. This top note seems thematically separated from the rest of the fragrance. However, due to its very short duration, it fortunately does not manage to imprint or influence the scent in any way. Only the bright, pleasant resinousness of the elemi bridges the beginning of the "actual fragrance".
After those few seconds, the fragrance then opens with a hint of spicy-unsweet cardamom, a subtle clove, and a very pronounced cinnamon note. This is clearly in the foreground at the beginning and is really well executed: Instead of a gourmand or Christmas market character, it presents a distinctly woody quality. One is almost forcefully reminded that cinnamon is nothing other than tree bark. Additionally, there is the typical ethereal sharpness of fresh cinnamon, which will be the starting point for the brilliant scent progression of Zefiro.
This ethereal character ensures that the cinnamon note transitions so subtly into an incense note that one hardly notices it. One only realizes at a certain point that one can no longer perceive cinnamon; otherwise, the fragrance seems to remain linear. Incense clearly represents the most important note of Zefiro, and everything else is ultimately tailored to the incense note. It appears very high-quality, soft-resinous, and, compared to classic incenses like "Cardinal" or "Avignon," is above average smoky. In my perception, this is primarily due to the woody accompanying notes of cinnamon and oud, which keep Zefiro from becoming too resinous-ethereal and "sauna-like." This, however, makes me perceive the fragrance as somewhat "more ecclesiastical" than, for example, "Cardinal," which always triggers a distinct sauna association for me.
In the further course, Zefiro achieves the feat of a maximally subtle transition once again: woody-smoky, yet very gentle oud joins in and integrates so excellently into the fragrance that one initially hardly notices it again. This incense-oud combination lasts surprisingly long and ensures (despite all gentleness) that Zefiro remains a full-bodied fragrance until the end and does not leave just a sweet, indefinable residue after a few hours.
The triad of cinnamon-incense-oud (with a clear emphasis on incense) thus forms the defining framework of the fragrance. That this does not reinvent the wheel goes without saying, but what is made of it is all the more astonishing: Despite these seemingly dark and heavy notes, Zefiro remains bright, very airy, and above all extraordinarily soft in character. This is primarily thanks to the other fragrance notes, which, alongside cinnamon, incense, and oud, never stand out directly but significantly shape the character of the fragrance. Honey and iris are particularly noteworthy here, playing a role over long stretches of the fragrance progression. Honey ensures that Zefiro never appears "gray" or off-puttingly smoky, but always has a warm, "golden" appearance without becoming noticeably sweet. Iris makes the fragrance exceptionally noble and velvety soft and accessible. The incense never comes across as harsh, and even the biggest oud skeptics need not fear Zefiro. Instead of an oriental steam hammer, one gets golden Italian velvet to spray on.
Since Zefiro retains this character throughout the entire fragrance progression, it appears very linear at first glance, without actually being so. If you spray it again after a few hours, you notice how much the fragrance has changed. The individual notes interlock so perfectly in the fragrance progression and maintain the character of the fragrance that, despite its constant change, you feel like you are wearing a linear fragrance.
Zefiro combines its rather "niche" incense character with absolutely everyday wearability. With its golden-velvety and more European than oriental appearance, it does not offend people without a particular affinity for niche fragrances, without becoming arbitrary. Its application range is very broad: Zefiro fits almost all occasions from casual to very formal and is wearable in every season, perhaps with the exception of high summer. It also boasts a great longevity of about 10 hours with a pleasantly subtle sillage.
For me personally, Zefiro is the most beautiful incense fragrance I have encountered so far. Not least because of its everyday wearability, it has almost automatically and without conscious decision become my signature scent. As such, it has accompanied me for over two years now, and as long as it exists, it will likely continue to do so.
In the first 15-20 seconds after spraying, the notes listed here as top notes create an unusual accord. I primarily perceive elemi resin, something sweet-herbaceous (likely davana), and a grape-like note. Before one can really consider what to make of this combination, it has already disappeared again. This top note seems thematically separated from the rest of the fragrance. However, due to its very short duration, it fortunately does not manage to imprint or influence the scent in any way. Only the bright, pleasant resinousness of the elemi bridges the beginning of the "actual fragrance".
After those few seconds, the fragrance then opens with a hint of spicy-unsweet cardamom, a subtle clove, and a very pronounced cinnamon note. This is clearly in the foreground at the beginning and is really well executed: Instead of a gourmand or Christmas market character, it presents a distinctly woody quality. One is almost forcefully reminded that cinnamon is nothing other than tree bark. Additionally, there is the typical ethereal sharpness of fresh cinnamon, which will be the starting point for the brilliant scent progression of Zefiro.
This ethereal character ensures that the cinnamon note transitions so subtly into an incense note that one hardly notices it. One only realizes at a certain point that one can no longer perceive cinnamon; otherwise, the fragrance seems to remain linear. Incense clearly represents the most important note of Zefiro, and everything else is ultimately tailored to the incense note. It appears very high-quality, soft-resinous, and, compared to classic incenses like "Cardinal" or "Avignon," is above average smoky. In my perception, this is primarily due to the woody accompanying notes of cinnamon and oud, which keep Zefiro from becoming too resinous-ethereal and "sauna-like." This, however, makes me perceive the fragrance as somewhat "more ecclesiastical" than, for example, "Cardinal," which always triggers a distinct sauna association for me.
In the further course, Zefiro achieves the feat of a maximally subtle transition once again: woody-smoky, yet very gentle oud joins in and integrates so excellently into the fragrance that one initially hardly notices it again. This incense-oud combination lasts surprisingly long and ensures (despite all gentleness) that Zefiro remains a full-bodied fragrance until the end and does not leave just a sweet, indefinable residue after a few hours.
The triad of cinnamon-incense-oud (with a clear emphasis on incense) thus forms the defining framework of the fragrance. That this does not reinvent the wheel goes without saying, but what is made of it is all the more astonishing: Despite these seemingly dark and heavy notes, Zefiro remains bright, very airy, and above all extraordinarily soft in character. This is primarily thanks to the other fragrance notes, which, alongside cinnamon, incense, and oud, never stand out directly but significantly shape the character of the fragrance. Honey and iris are particularly noteworthy here, playing a role over long stretches of the fragrance progression. Honey ensures that Zefiro never appears "gray" or off-puttingly smoky, but always has a warm, "golden" appearance without becoming noticeably sweet. Iris makes the fragrance exceptionally noble and velvety soft and accessible. The incense never comes across as harsh, and even the biggest oud skeptics need not fear Zefiro. Instead of an oriental steam hammer, one gets golden Italian velvet to spray on.
Since Zefiro retains this character throughout the entire fragrance progression, it appears very linear at first glance, without actually being so. If you spray it again after a few hours, you notice how much the fragrance has changed. The individual notes interlock so perfectly in the fragrance progression and maintain the character of the fragrance that, despite its constant change, you feel like you are wearing a linear fragrance.
Zefiro combines its rather "niche" incense character with absolutely everyday wearability. With its golden-velvety and more European than oriental appearance, it does not offend people without a particular affinity for niche fragrances, without becoming arbitrary. Its application range is very broad: Zefiro fits almost all occasions from casual to very formal and is wearable in every season, perhaps with the exception of high summer. It also boasts a great longevity of about 10 hours with a pleasantly subtle sillage.
For me personally, Zefiro is the most beautiful incense fragrance I have encountered so far. Not least because of its everyday wearability, it has almost automatically and without conscious decision become my signature scent. As such, it has accompanied me for over two years now, and as long as it exists, it will likely continue to do so.
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5 Comments
You can practically smell the fragrance 👌🏽