Xerjoff is an Italian brand making very exclusive fragrances. High quality raw materials, rare precious essences and the modern techniques are used to create the perfumes. Sculptured in quartz bottles, embellished with gold and hand made wooden boxes make the dignified packing for those fragrances. More about the brand itself you can read on their website, on Dimitri’s Sorcery of Scent blog or on basenotes.
What’s the reality behind the marketing myths and legends? I was lucky to get three samples from Xerjoff 17/17 series from moon_fish. Here are my short first impressions.
XXY
Unisex woody-amber fragrance. Well, to me it’s more an exotic peach jam with white flowers of jasmine (and I can recognize a kind of white floral gardenia-tuberose-jasmine complex there) and a nice black pepper twist. Served on patchouli leaves. I’d describe it in terms of tasty, yummy or delicious rather than in olfactory terms. It’s properly made and seem to contain plenty of modern exotic aromachemicals, especially musks (oh yeah, musks are cool nowadays), but I’d prefer it in “jam” or “confiture” concentration rather than eau de parfum. It would be perfect as a thin layer on buttered bread by high tea. But this is the way fragrance opens on my skin. Reading other reviews I understand that it can also open with its herbal side (that is not pronounced on my skin) and being less sweet and eatable. After the peach jam stadium the fragrance becomes more dry and more serious. I recognize the woody base sweetened with musks and resins as components of amber accord. To my nose the resins are extensions to the sweetness of tropical flowers and they don’t fall together making the amber accord – I don’t smell amber there unless I search for it. It’s a nice fragrance and I’d probably wear it, but not for the price it’s sold. The theme it’s build around is also not new. I’ve heard it so many times. Was it Guess Suede? Or One Million Dollar? Or… well – you can find something pretty similar and less expensive almost in any perfumery.
Elle
A floral oriental fragrance for her. Well, this is another one I’d prefer in “jam” concentration. Was it made by perfumer? Or by flavorist? Anyway… it’s delicious and dangerous at the same time as I might love to eat the one who wears it. It’s a perfect cherry jam or even bonbon with a cherry and rum filling. The note of cherry to me arises from a combination of bitter almond note and fruits. And there are a lot of other fruits there – pineapple, mango, strawberry, cherry – just name it and take a sniff and you’ll find it there. Those are tricks of the modern aromachemicals I guess. Probably the fruits are supposed to be just the fruity notes of tropical flowers, but they definitely live their own lives here. The fragrance is nice and lovely and has all chances to succeed (especially among their target group), but the theme again is not new – I guess Lolita Lempicka or any Angel clone would give me similar impression for less money.
Homme
Now we are talking. It’s a different kind of pleasure than smelling fruity delight. Homme is all about leather. Rough and very dominant. Shoe leather with a strong accent of shoe polish in combination with a frosty menthol note on the top. It’s everywhere and it’s almost linear. Although, leather becomes softer and warmer when a note of cumin comes to join. Leather is accompanied with herbal accord that sounds almost like a fougére. Herbs almost substitute the floral heart here – guys don’t smell like flowers. It’s very masculine and a tough one – for real guys with balls. To be honest I do like leather scents and birch tar just too much to give this fragrance a good judgment. I have to admit that there is too much birch tar and too little support to fill it in and develop to a balanced accord. But I just love “that much” of raw birch tar. Try if you dare. And if you are not prepared to pay that much, don’t worry, Knize Ten is still the best and affordable.
What’s the reality behind the marketing myths and legends? I was lucky to get three samples from Xerjoff 17/17 series from moon_fish. Here are my short first impressions.
XXY
Unisex woody-amber fragrance. Well, to me it’s more an exotic peach jam with white flowers of jasmine (and I can recognize a kind of white floral gardenia-tuberose-jasmine complex there) and a nice black pepper twist. Served on patchouli leaves. I’d describe it in terms of tasty, yummy or delicious rather than in olfactory terms. It’s properly made and seem to contain plenty of modern exotic aromachemicals, especially musks (oh yeah, musks are cool nowadays), but I’d prefer it in “jam” or “confiture” concentration rather than eau de parfum. It would be perfect as a thin layer on buttered bread by high tea. But this is the way fragrance opens on my skin. Reading other reviews I understand that it can also open with its herbal side (that is not pronounced on my skin) and being less sweet and eatable. After the peach jam stadium the fragrance becomes more dry and more serious. I recognize the woody base sweetened with musks and resins as components of amber accord. To my nose the resins are extensions to the sweetness of tropical flowers and they don’t fall together making the amber accord – I don’t smell amber there unless I search for it. It’s a nice fragrance and I’d probably wear it, but not for the price it’s sold. The theme it’s build around is also not new. I’ve heard it so many times. Was it Guess Suede? Or One Million Dollar? Or… well – you can find something pretty similar and less expensive almost in any perfumery.
Elle
A floral oriental fragrance for her. Well, this is another one I’d prefer in “jam” concentration. Was it made by perfumer? Or by flavorist? Anyway… it’s delicious and dangerous at the same time as I might love to eat the one who wears it. It’s a perfect cherry jam or even bonbon with a cherry and rum filling. The note of cherry to me arises from a combination of bitter almond note and fruits. And there are a lot of other fruits there – pineapple, mango, strawberry, cherry – just name it and take a sniff and you’ll find it there. Those are tricks of the modern aromachemicals I guess. Probably the fruits are supposed to be just the fruity notes of tropical flowers, but they definitely live their own lives here. The fragrance is nice and lovely and has all chances to succeed (especially among their target group), but the theme again is not new – I guess Lolita Lempicka or any Angel clone would give me similar impression for less money.
Homme
Now we are talking. It’s a different kind of pleasure than smelling fruity delight. Homme is all about leather. Rough and very dominant. Shoe leather with a strong accent of shoe polish in combination with a frosty menthol note on the top. It’s everywhere and it’s almost linear. Although, leather becomes softer and warmer when a note of cumin comes to join. Leather is accompanied with herbal accord that sounds almost like a fougére. Herbs almost substitute the floral heart here – guys don’t smell like flowers. It’s very masculine and a tough one – for real guys with balls. To be honest I do like leather scents and birch tar just too much to give this fragrance a good judgment. I have to admit that there is too much birch tar and too little support to fill it in and develop to a balanced accord. But I just love “that much” of raw birch tar. Try if you dare. And if you are not prepared to pay that much, don’t worry, Knize Ten is still the best and affordable.
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2 opmerkingen:
good morning to you, AromaX!
So you like birch tar? even if it comes in heavy doses?
On this line: I totally agree with you when it comes to the Knize Ten: Birch tar heaven on earth. Enjoy your day, may it be smoky...
Good morning to you too, Andy!
Yes, Andy and I still remember your wise words "if you can smell it, than it's already too much" :o) But... personal preferences don't want to listen to the "aesthetic rules". I often want to add some birch tar to the "leather fragrances" (never done it so far :o)
A smoky day? Hmmmm... let it be BBQ! Have a nice day too.
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