Zino Davidoff (1986)
by Davidoff

Zino is such an amazing fragrance. I thought it was going to be a brutal 80's powerhouse, but it's actually very modern feeling to me. If they actually marketed it I have no doubt it would be a better seller than even Cool Water. It's a rose scent that seems kind of like a modern spicy oriental in a similar style of Armani Code. Although it also seems like sort of a gourmand I guess. It has sort of a sweet and spicy vanilla-ish dry down, and that is where it seems more 80's to me than modern. If it were modern it would be much sweeter and less spicy. I don't see how people can't like it.

5th November, 2011.

Really a great fragrance that in its different and diverse stages of the complex development represents and embody a middle level between a dark and sunny fragrance, a classic sharp  citrus-lavender and a modern gourmand, a masculine green, stiff fougere and a romantic almost unisex soapy woody-vanilla. In the same vein of fragrances as the more citrusy Boucheron Pour Homme and the slightly leathery and dustier Versace L'Homme, Zino starts with a clary sage, citrus-lavender and bergamot blast with hints of rosewood and spices. This starting is a bit rough, surely sharp and green but over all is multifaceted and changeful in the way there is place for the performances of each of the protagonists. This blast is the door for the following floral development with the note of geranium placed in order to reinforce the sharpness before the following soapy attack of amber-vanilla and with a starring chord of rose-lily of the valley that features the taste of the following density. The last is introduced by the new entry in scene of a vanilla, amber and sandalwood accord that is mild, dense but never cloying cause balanced by accents of cedar, musk , moss and by an earthy-smokey link of tobacco and patchouli in the way that the final smell is oily, green, distinguished with an autoritative patchouli and mild of woods and sweet powdery tobacco. A pillar and i can't understand how could anybody write in an opposite emphatic way.

5th October, 2011.

cool, fresh, herbaceous, smoky all in one.... confident and easy to wear. it's something Connery would wear. the drydown is an exceptionally light and breezy. a masterpiece.

27th September, 2011.

I don't see how anyone can enjoy this one. Thankfully I only bought a 1oz for something like 15$. It's awful. Smells like rotten fruits/flowers/garbage. I sprayed this on the back of my hand and it nearly made me vomit. So I waited to get to the heart notes. Unfortunately they weren't any better. I was hoping for something much nicer after reading all the positive reviews. Not for me that's for sure

15th May, 2011.

Changed my mind about Zino. At first I thought it was disgustingly dark and disturbing. Now I love the sharp Lavendar note and everything that comes with it. This one really plays tricks on your nose and it's smelled different almost every time I've worn it. There's a lot going on here but Zino will not dissappoint if you give it the chance to surprise you.

30th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 30th June, 2011.)

I'm suprised about the fact that no matter how many different kind of note pyramids I've seen of this specific fragrance, none of them mentions civet or even musk. That's weird because I could swear there is civet in this scent (that is of course a one type of musk too).
It's possible that I've been fooled by the flood of indoles (ex. bergamot, jasmine), that could together, with tonka and patchouli, create that civet-like smell to my nose. Go figure.

But Zino has always appeared to me as a very animalic scent, and in this case, in a concrete meaning of the word : It has this weird and wonderful furry smell to it, which actually manages to remind me alot of the smell of cat's tummy fur after a long and hot summer day outside, running free, chasing mouses, birds and stuff.

Zino has some similarities with many other fragrances, and still it is very unique and unerringly regognizable. I admit I find the smell a bit dated when sprayed even once too much, but when reasonably applied it's actually completely timeless, sensual, classy and very masculine even though it has that sweet powder aspect with fairly lactonic drydown.

Overall I think Zino is one of those fragrances, in which' case amount of application is especially important - has to be applied very moderately.

A now discontinued masterpiece, made by two great noses : M. Almairac & P. Bourdon.

28th March, 2011.