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Anyone feel this way about Davidoff's Zino?

post #1 of 20
5/25/08 at 9:12pm
Thread Starter 
After the top notes were gone, it felt like Terre d'Hermes, Unagaro II, and Jovan Sex Appeal were fighting it out for supremacy. It's got many more positive than negative reviews (here at BN and elsewhere), but I really don't find this to be an especially pleasant olfactory experience. It reminds me of one of my layering endeavors that went too far, and that brings me to the main point, which is that those who really like this frag should do a lot of experimenting with layering (assuming you own at least several different frags), right? I've come to enjoy a less complicated experience. For example, earlier today I was wearing Samba Viva, which features mint and florals prominently. The interplay between the two makes this interesting and pleasant, but trying to do lot more would be too much. So for those of you who really like Zino, is it because it's very different and a good change of pace, or do you wear it very often because you like its busyness, and find most other frags boring by comparison?
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post #2 of 20
5/25/08 at 10:06pm
I must admit I don't experience the convoluted opening you describe. I do get a huge whiff of eucalyptus, which, interestingly enough, is not listed on Zino's pyramid. (Maybe I'm smelling the clary sage?) After the somewhat "herbal medicine" opening, it dries down to a very strange and sexy fragrance of predominately sweet woods.

Zino Davidoff is often compared to Heritage Guerlain, but I find them only vaguely similar in the opening notes. I actually prefer Zino because I find it more sensual, bohemian, less "stuffy", and more individualistic than Heritage. Then again, I tend to like the fragrances that are a bit off-beat: i.e. Salvador Dali pour homme, Habit Rouge, Xeryus Rouge, to name a few. (I was disappointed that Luca Turin thinks Xeryus Rouge's composition smells "cheap." I disagree.)

PS: Heritage Guerlain's longevity is far superior to Zino Davidoff's. Heritage = about 24 hours. Zino = 6 hours for me, at best.
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post #3 of 20
5/25/08 at 10:09pm
I don't think of Zino in those terms.

It is an excellent scent but I consider it to be fairly typical of the '80s 'powerhouse' fragrance genre - nothing unduly complex or out of the ordinary for me.

You made an interesting observation about layering. Perhaps it is the decline of these classic deeper 'complex' scents and the ascendance of the lighter fresher 'transparent' scents that leaves people wanting more - so they start layering to achieve the same 'complex' effect.
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post #4 of 20
5/26/08 at 3:23am
I found Zino to be a more rich Gucci Envy,although I could be waaaay off :O
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post #5 of 20
5/26/08 at 3:39am
I agree with TwoRoads ,, I respect Zino for what it is !! I can never be without a bottle ,, It is legendary ,, there is nothing else like it . Use it for what it is Bigsly & be happy we have a creation such as this one !
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post #6 of 20
5/26/08 at 8:48am
I don't see any of those fragrances in Zino at all. To me its rich smooth tobacco and patchouli with a fresh lavender accord running through it.
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post #7 of 20
5/26/08 at 9:32am
Zino, is perfect.
Often imitated; Heritage and Escada pour Homme are just two, but it has never been equaled.
Long live ZINO!
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post #8 of 20
5/26/08 at 10:11am
Used to own this one and the extreme drydown had a definite fecal note like I just stepped in a pile of shit. It always made me check my shoes to see if I had done so...
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post #9 of 20
5/26/08 at 12:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by samplermike View Post

Used to own this one and the extreme drydown had a definite fecal note like I just stepped in a pile of shit. It always made me check my shoes to see if I had done so...

LMAO

Just goes to show that one man's masterpiece is another man's pile of shit...
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post #10 of 20
5/26/08 at 12:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by samplermike View Post

Used to own this one and the extreme drydown had a definite fecal note like I just stepped in a pile of shit. It always made me check my shoes to see if I had done so...

This way, I definitely feel a good dose of masochism. Used to own a pile-of-shit-smelling something? I wouldn't be surprised if you would add layering it with urinal cake Kouros
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post #11 of 20
5/26/08 at 12:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by samplermike View Post

Used to own this one and the extreme drydown had a definite fecal note like I just stepped in a pile of shit. It always made me check my shoes to see if I had done so...

I've had it on for 6 hours and still no dog sh*t odor. Are you sure it was the Zino?
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post #12 of 20
5/26/08 at 2:13pm
Thread Starter 
I may have a bit of some sort of chemical sensitivity issue at this point, but what that means is I can only use one or two sprays. With Zino, I didn't feel ill (after about 3 hours of it), just irritated by the shifting smells. There is the sour citrus, the animalic floral, and the herby amber that for me was like a layering idea that sounded a lot better than it actually was. Of course my tastes might change, but now I enjoy a simpler olfactory experience. I'd be curious to hear about other frags that have a similar layering-like quality (so that I can avoid them, for the time being).
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post #13 of 20
5/26/08 at 2:17pm
I think it is a classic.

Long live the 80s power fragrances!
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post #14 of 20
5/27/08 at 7:47am
This is a complex, hard to understand/appreciate fragrance. I get the notes pretty much as described in the pyramid and I do get a strong bergamot and clary sage, followed by the rose/geranium and florals (including muguet), finished with the animalic and amber notes.
The conncetion to TdH, I think, is probably because of the dry herbal mix which I've always smelled underneath the lush florals. The animalic notes are probably responsible for the connection to UII and of course the amber and patchouli for the JSA.
To me, this is one of the most sensual fragrances out there.
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post #15 of 20
5/27/08 at 11:03am
Zino is a very fluid and intoxicating composition. No jumbled or confused drydown here. Dark and earthy from the sublime rose & patchouli accord. Has nothing to do with Terre d'Hermes' brightness and sunny disposition. I would almost go so far as to posit that Terre is confused in its drydown.
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post #16 of 20
10/13/12 at 1:35am
Resurrecting this thread bc it rocks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigsly View Post

After the top notes were gone, it felt like Terre d'Hermes, Unagaro II, and Jovan Sex Appeal were fighting it out for supremacy.

Wow! Great description. But you have to add sandalwood!

Quote:
It's got many more positive than negative reviews (here at BN and elsewhere), but I really don't find this to be an especially pleasant olfactory experience. It reminds me of one of my layering endeavors that went too far, and that brings me to the main point, which is that those who really like this frag should do a lot of experimenting with layering (assuming you own at least several different frags), right? I've come to enjoy a less complicated experience. So for those of you who really like Zino, is it because it's very different and a good change of pace, or do you wear it very often because you like its busyness, and find most other frags boring by comparison?

Definitely the latter. There is usually not enough going on in frags, or they lack the animalic depth I generally prefer.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bossa Nova View Post

I must admit I don't experience the convoluted opening you describe. I do get a huge whiff of eucalyptus, which, interestingly enough, is not listed on Zino's pyramid. (Maybe I'm smelling the clary sage?)

Yes along with lavender.

Quote:
After the somewhat "herbal medicine" opening, it dries down to a very strange and sexy fragrance of predominately sweet woods.

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Zino Davidoff is often compared to Heritage Guerlain, but I find them only vaguely similar in the opening notes. I actually prefer Zino because I find it more sensual, bohemian, less "stuffy", and more individualistic than Heritage.

Good way to put it!

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Then again, I tend to like the fragrances that are a bit off-beat: i.e. Salvador Dali pour homme, Habit Rouge, Xeryus Rouge, to name a few. (I was disappointed that Luca Turin thinks Xeryus Rouge's composition smells "cheap." I disagree.)

Afraid I'm with Mssr. Turin on that one.

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PS: Heritage Guerlain's longevity is far superior to Zino Davidoff's. Heritage = about 24 hours. Zino = 6 hours for me, at best.

Probably a reformulation issue. Zino gives me 12 hours or more.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TwoRoads View Post

It is an excellent scent but I consider it to be fairly typical of the '80s 'powerhouse' fragrance genre - nothing unduly complex or out of the ordinary for me.

I agree, though I do think it's "better" than almost all the other ones from back then.

Quote:
You made an interesting observation about layering. Perhaps it is the decline of these classic deeper 'complex' scents and the ascendance of the lighter fresher 'transparent' scents that leaves people wanting more - so they start layering to achieve the same 'complex' effect.

I have never heard of that theory before. Very interesting!

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Originally Posted by Anthony87 View Post

I found Zino to be a more rich Gucci Envy,although I could be waaaay off :O

Nope dude. I see where you're coming from. Envy eschews the old-school civet in favor of modern ginger and white musk. Nice stuff!

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Originally Posted by scentimus View Post

I don't see any of those fragrances in Zino at all. To me its rich smooth tobacco and patchouli with a fresh lavender accord running through it.

It's that too!

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Originally Posted by Kevin Guyer View Post

Zino, is perfect.
Often imitated; Heritage and Escada pour Homme are just two, but it has never been equaled.
Long live ZINO!

Well put!

I'm concerned Escada has dihydromyrcenol so I've avoided it...

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Originally Posted by samplermike View Post

Used to own this one and the extreme drydown had a definite fecal note like I just stepped in a pile of shit. It always made me check my shoes to see if I had done so...

Aka civet.

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Originally Posted by knightowl View Post

LMAO

Just goes to show that one man's masterpiece is another man's pile of shit...

Amen. (No, not A*Men.)

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Originally Posted by Bigsly View Post

I may have a bit of some sort of chemical sensitivity issue at this point, but what that means is I can only use one or two sprays. With Zino, I didn't feel ill (after about 3 hours of it), just irritated by the shifting smells. There is the sour citrus, the animalic floral, and the herby amber that for me was like a layering idea that sounded a lot better than it actually was. Of course my tastes might change, but now I enjoy a simpler olfactory experience. I'd be curious to hear about other frags that have a similar layering-like quality (so that I can avoid them, for the time being).

Love that description again! "sour citrus, the animalic floral, and the herby amber" ... yes!

How has your opinion of Zino changed since you wrote that four years ago dude?

Quote:
Originally Posted by petruccijc View Post

I think it is a classic.

Long live the 80s power fragrances!

Of course Joe gets it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Renaissance_Man View Post

This is a complex, hard to understand/appreciate fragrance. I get the notes pretty much as described in the pyramid and I do get a strong bergamot and clary sage, followed by the rose/geranium and florals (including muguet), finished with the animalic and amber notes.

Agree completely about the accord breakdown. Is it that hard to understand though? Oh yeah, it did get discontinued...

Quote:
The conncetion to TdH, I think, is probably because of the dry herbal mix which I've always smelled underneath the lush florals. The animalic notes are probably responsible for the connection to UII and of course the amber and patchouli for the JSA.
To me, this is one of the most sensual fragrances out there.

Those crisp dry aromatics, resins and woods are what bring the rich sandal, civet, musk and vanilla accord into balance.

Quote:
Originally Posted by manicboy View Post

Zino is a very fluid and intoxicating composition. No jumbled or confused drydown here. Dark and earthy from the sublime rose & patchouli accord. Has nothing to do with Terre d'Hermes' brightness and sunny disposition. I would almost go so far as to posit that Terre is confused in its drydown.

Or invisible... Iso E tends to have that effect.
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post #17 of 20
10/13/12 at 6:02am
Never got bored or even slightly disappointed by this scent, it is, to me, the epitome of mature, luxurious and elegant powerhouse, and yes, while a certain similarity with IUngaro II and even, marginally, TDH is perceptible, but even more with Guerlain Heritage, also mentioned on this thread.
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post #18 of 20
10/13/12 at 6:06am
Thread Starter 
Yes, that is my opinion of the new version, which has little if any sandalwood (at least relative to my vintage bottle). I have documented my Zino odyssey in my Fragrantica review of it, for those interested.
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post #19 of 20
10/13/12 at 6:14am
Carven Homme is another fragrance that has some similarities to Zino. Carven Homme is also compared to Gucci Envy.
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post #20 of 20
10/13/12 at 7:02am
A classic IMO.
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