Trying New Scents #1 | Zoologist Camel

The first spray was a bit of a shock. Where to start. This was my first experience with Zoologist and it was intense. The first and only scent that came forth was barnyard. My grandparents owned a farm with cows and this was the scent I smelled daily when leaving the house.

I will be honest. Animalic scents are not for me. I don't really understand them, but I tend to like gourmands, vanilla, amber and florals. I am trying new fragrances to branch out, though my love for vanilla will always be strong. I used to have a vanilla oil with a hint of smoke. It was beautiful and when I walked into a room, everyone knew I was there--it was my signature. Because of that, I want vanilla in everything. Camel claims to have vanilla as a base note, but it never came through with my chemistry. Only barnyard.

After an hour, the petting zoo had a hint of frankincense. Somewhat better, but the barnyard was always lurking. 4-5 hours later, it was only a skin scent, but the barn scent lingered. The other notes never presented themselves.

Interestingly enough, I did find on clothing alone, it was more palatable leaning more towards a
sweet fruity scent with spice, but on my skin: animal and gothic church.Very interesting to see what body chemistry will do.

This wasn't the greatest journey for me, but on a journey, I was sent. This reminded me of the time I went to Prague and passed a petting zoo. The scent is very specific. Imagine if you will a petting zoo or perhaps cows being herded past a beautiful gothic church on the outskirts of a smaller town. The animals are allowed to chew the grass surrounding the church. As the service ends, the heavy, ornate doors swing open as the parishioners exit the church followed by the rich scent of frankincense. The two odors combine: frankincense and bovine.  This is the essence of Camel on my body chemistry. Yeah, not the best.

I have heard some people who used this perfume were greeted with rich spices and sweet fruit. This was never my experience. This shows the importance of chemistry and how amazingly different we are. Unfortunately, mine failed me with Camel.

So, in the end. Camel was a pass and will not be joining my collection. Sadly, it went back into the depths of my sample box where it will remain for a long while.