Emphvtic

It happens so quickly...

By the time I ordered a bunker bottle of Baraonda during a great offer (my current one still has about 20ml left), I knew that Golden Dallah by Xerjoff wouldn’t adorn my profile as a signature scent for much longer.

As always, I want to start by saying something about the bottle and the packaging.
I like the bottle design of Baraonda the best among all Nasomattos, as the theme is captured extremely well here.
It is a woody-boozy scent, and what could be better than a cork cap to match?
The outer packaging is debatable, as it doesn’t really come across as high-quality to me. However, the idea with the travel cap has been implemented wonderfully, ensuring that you can always enjoy your Nasomattos while traveling without the risk of damaging/losing the fantastic cap.

Also worth mentioning and praising is the spray head. I own 5 Zoologist bottles, and their spray head is already impressive. Nasomatto, however, takes it up a notch. A long, lasting spray releases a very fine fragrance mist.
Incredible!

About the scent:

I am a big fan of alcohol in perfumes, so I fully enjoy the whiskey and rum notes here.
Baraonda starts with an extremely authentic whiskey note, which I have not enjoyed in any other fragrance as much as in Alessandro Gualtieri's masterpiece. Of course, there are many fragrance houses that work with rum, brandy, and whiskey, but I have yet to find a scent that conveys this note as authentically as Baraonda. Many other fragrances simply become too sweet, or the synthetic notes come through too strongly.
Nasomatto transports the wearer and those around them right into the production of the finest whiskey the world has ever seen/tasted/smelled.
Woody tones, a certain sweetness (likely coming from amber), and a slight spiciness (likely coming from ambrette) combined with the whiskey create, for me, the absolute best scent I have ever smelled. Many might perceive this combination as overwhelming, bothersome, or overly intrusive, but I fell head over heels in love with my bottle after just the first spray.

Regarding longevity and sillage, one can only say that the scent is very enduring.
I sprayed the fragrance this morning at 7:00 AM (4 sprays, including 1 spray on my sweater), and at 3:45 PM, I can still constantly perceive it.
I have heard from many that as soon as I enter a smaller room, Baraonda "fills" that room. I received this comment 13 hours after spraying.
So you get value for your money, which is why I rated the price-performance ratio accordingly.

The scent can be summarized as follows:

B oozy
A mber
R oom-filling
A mbrette
O lfactive experience
N asomatto's masterpiece
D urable
A mazing

For my part, I love this scent and wear it very gladly. Whether in the office, alone at home, or at parties (should there ever be some again ;) )

Thank you all for reading!

Since I got the bottle of Golden Dallah, a scent has crystallized in my collection that can and will push Oud Wood Intense off its highly coveted Signature throne. I don't think I need to emphasize again that the two fragrances are not similar, as they are two completely different scents.

First of all, I want to talk about the presentation from Xerjoff.

Whether in the more affordable collection like "Join The Club" or the more expensive "Oud Stars" collection, of which I own Alexandria III, Shunkoin & More than Words, an above-average quality is consistently displayed.
The bottle comes beautifully packaged in a cardboard box adorned with details, inside which lies a box covered in dark red artificial leather. When you open this, the fragrance is protected by a silk-like paper.
The bottles from the "Coffee Break" collection feature a wonderfully chosen red-black gradient, with the bottle becoming darker towards the bottom. Plus, the golden details and the massive golden metal cap... A dream!

After this long intro, let's finally get to the scent.

As soon as you free the fragrance from its bottle, you are almost enveloped by many different spices, and from a certain distance, you can already catch a whiff of cocoa, hazelnut & coffee.
Unfortunately, I can't pick out the spices individually, and guessing doesn't really help either.
In my opinion, the fragrance does not undergo a significant transformation. The spices fade away after about 20 minutes, and Golden Dallah now reveals its true self.
The combination of a note of incense (by no means churchy-smelling incense!), roasted coffee, and the well-known rose-oud duo truly leaves me speechless.
The incense, together with the coffee, creates a scent reminiscent of perhaps slightly over-roasted coffee beans, resulting in a breathtaking fragrance. I don't think I need to tell anyone that rose and oud make a strong team.
I personally don't really perceive amber here. At most, it is very, very far in the background.
The base of hazelnut, cocoa & tonka is always present and underscores this wonderful composition, although I can only slightly perceive the tonka bean after several hours.

There is nothing to complain about regarding the longevity of the fragrance, and thus Xerjoff extends my daily coffee break to nearly 9 hours. The sillage should not be underestimated with this scent, and Golden Dallah should be dosed carefully. In my opinion, for the first 2 hours, it radiates like plutonium. By the 6th hour, it becomes quieter and afterwards can only be perceived in close proximity.

For me, this fragrance is always an experience, and I don't regret a cent I've invested in it.

Thus, Oud Wood Intense unfortunately has to make room for a new fragrance after just about 4 months.

Thank you all for reading, and if you're looking for a gourmand, unique, and long-lasting coffee scent, you should definitely try Golden Dallah!

After having tested 13 Zoologist fragrances and already having 2 in my collection, today I am dedicating myself to the octopus.

First of all, I must say that I am not a fan of aquatic scents. However, this one intrigued me so much due to its reviews that I had to test it.

Regarding the design of the bottle, Zoologist truly demonstrates above-average quality, which is naturally reflected in the price. The bottle of the squid somehow brings back "Pirates of the Caribbean" vibes for me. Even though Davy Jones doesn't look anything like the image, I still can't help but think of it.

Now to what you are probably all here for. The scent!
After the first spray, I detect a lot of incense, pepper, salty notes, and a hint of ink. However, the scent is anything but an unpleasant, fishy aquatic. No!
It brings a very pleasant sweetness to my nose, and the incense keeps all the notes that could become unpleasant in excess very well in check.
The benzoin and amber, of course, ensure that the animalic aspect is not neglected. However, for me, it is definitely not an animalic fragrance, as it absolutely does not smell like a fish market or anything similar.

Squid is one of the most wearable Zoologists alongside Camel, as all the notes are perfectly balanced. It remains consistently salty, but not overly so. Squid is a very mystical scent, where the theme has been implemented more than perfectly. It smells like the sea.
Not like summer, sun, beach-sea (as Soleil Blanc does, for example). But like the sea from "Pirates of the Caribbean." The octopus rises from the depths and pulls the ship along with its crew.
Due to the ink, it always reminds me of my first tattoo appointment and the fear I had of getting under the needle.

Initially, I had Oud Mineralè on my wish list and suspected that the two would be similar. After my test, I can say that they are two completely different fragrances with no similarities. While Oud Mineralè was more of a salty, seaweed wave with a gentle breeze for me, Squid is a warm, spicy aquatic that knows how to showcase its strengths and convinced me from the very first second.

The longevity is about 6-7 hours, and the sillage is absolutely fine. It is not a complete showstopper that puts others in their place, but you will be noticed. Especially due to the unique scent composition.

In conclusion, it can be said that Squid is really very, very complex, but that does not mean it is not suitable for beginners. On the contrary. The scent is a perfect entry into the animalic house from Canada. Definitely worth testing!

Thank you all for reading!

P.S.: I just ordered a full bottle.

I have already tested Camel, Elephant, Moth, Bee & Bat from Zooloist, and Rhinoceros was the fragrance I found the hardest to rate. I simply enjoy Camel and Bee from the opening to the dry down. I couldn't really connect with Elephant, Moth & Bat.

The rhinoceros doesn't immediately appeal to you. I had to test it several times because I initially found it very repulsive. In short: You have to give it several chances and not run straight to the sink if you don't like the opening.

When I received my sample, I only smelled disinfectant and strong, smoky leather. I put the sample back in the cupboard and focused on other samples.
Recently, however, I sprayed the rhinoceros on my wrist and eventually around my neck. I received consistently negative feedback from everyone I showed the fragrance to, but I just couldn't let it go.

The top note is really extremely intrusive and clears you out of the way from nowhere. The mix of powerful rum and citrusy bergamot makes you gasp for air. However, it is by no means unpleasant or even disgusting to my nose.

The fragrance gradually becomes drier and settles in the room. Heavy and always perceptible.
Now and then, you can catch a slight breeze of smoky sand that picks up the theme of the rhinoceros and transports you to the blazing heat of the savannah with a gentle wind. The leather base is always present and resonates for many hours.

Just imagine a rhinoceros crashing through your front door and settling into your old leather armchair in front of the fireplace, demanding a glass of whisky from you and lighting up a thick Cuba cigar.

After about 10 hours, the rhinoceros seems to have exhausted itself and lies down to sleep. By then, many hours have passed during which the fragrance becomes drier.
The base then essentially consists of the dusty sand of the desert and the smoky breath of the behemoth.

It is absolutely understandable if you can't relate to this composition; however, for me, it is perfectly executed and simply top-notch. It is an exceptional fragrance. A scent that takes no prisoners. Either you like it or you stay out of my way.

In the meantime, a bottle of the 2014 edition is on its way to me (thankfully, I managed to get one) and I am very curious about what this year's reissue will offer.

First of all: This is absolutely not a dig at the "real" Fucking Fabulous. I love it.

Oud Wood Intense was initially one of those fragrances that never played a role for me. It was simply too expensive and not special enough. Well, I was wrong; it has since become my signature scent.

Before my time on Parfumo, I assumed it simply smelled like Oud Wood, just with better performance.
After I filled my perfume cabinet properly in 2020, I thought I should finally test the Intense version.
So I ordered a sample and let myself be enchanted.

For the test: It was a warm summer day (around 28° Celsius) and I was with my girlfriend in the local perfumery, strolling through the old town of my hometown. After showing her all the Tom Ford fragrances and her falling in love with Orchid Soleil, we went for ice cream.
Oud Wood Intense was closely following me, and I was constantly aware of it.
Even the people in the perfumery asked me what I was wearing.
Oud Wood Intense has a maximum of 5% Oud Wood DNA. The rest is incredibly hard to put into words. Unique. Balsamic. Heavy. Simply special.

About the scent: One does not necessarily think of Tom Fords from the Oud line as truly authentic Oud fragrances, which is absolutely justified. However, Oud Wood Intense definitely heads in an oriental and almost authentic Oud direction. It is much darker and, well, almost a bit dirty. The leathery base note, which is constantly noticeable, is not as tamed as that of Tuscan Leather. I would describe it as rough and edgy. All in all, it blends wonderfully with the bittersweet cypress. The scent is extremely complex and unique. For me, it actually fits better in the warm season, as it brings a slight coolness with it.

Regarding sillage and longevity: Intense is genuinely serious here. The scent lasts easily all day on the skin and on clothes for weeks. With its high projection, 3-4 sprays are sufficient. I also wear it in the office and am super satisfied with it. (My colleagues are too, by the way :D)

Overall, Oud Wood Intense is a slightly dirty and multifaceted fragrance. If Tom Ford doesn't come to mind, one could rename it to "Fucking Fabulous" and perhaps rename that to, well... maybe "Almond Leather"? It definitely deserves its own name.

Thank you all for reading! Definitely test it if you’re into this kind of thing and don’t let the label "Oud Wood" throw you off.