Official XerJoff Appreciation Thread

This seems like a very interesting house! Its unfortunate that after checking with their official site they have no US retailers.

Do you know how much these bottles cost?

Also, thank you very much Dimitri for the excellent review!

those bottles look exquisite and the reviews, mouthwatering!

Dimi - could you compare their style with any other house that most would be familiar here?

btw, is it pronounced "jerk-off?"

I'm interested in several of their fragrances. A while back I emailed them to see if they did any samples, but I have never heard anything back. I wasn't really expecting a response, because what I've heard of their prices seems to indicate that they might be in the "if you need to sample, you can't afford it" price range. I've found that quite a lot of houses are willing to send out samples directly, so I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.

I don't know what they actually cost, though.

Kind of what I was wondering, I thought this was a gag until I read deeper. Sounds like one of the Bob & Tom fragrances.

I believe the 'X' is pronounced like a 'Z' instead therefore Xerjoff is like 'Zirh- Joff' with an emphasis on the 'J'. They are truly magnificent creations and for the money, I would prefer this line to good old Mr Christian. Have tried some of the fragrances and the cheaper bottles come in Murano glass bottles of 50 ml EDP (I think?) with an elaborate presentation box are close to 400 pounds a bottle at Harrods. I was soooooooooo close to getting a bottle of either Modoc or Dhofar (can't remember which one now) but decided not to in the end - may not be able to hold off if I am confronted with a bottle next time - they are indeed impressive both in fragrance and presentation, truly opulent and they are not afraid to flaunt it. They do make bottles carved out of crystal and quartz - don't know how much perfume they contain (not very much, I believe) - but unless there is an enormous surplus of funds, it is pure fantasy obtaining these particular bottles - just let your imagination run wild with the price .....

moderators...arrest this man

I had the pleasure of sampling some of the Shooting stars line in Roja Dove's Harrods perfumery (I think the sales assistant pronounced it Zehr-hoff) but am struggling to remember which of Shingl, Dhajala and Dhofar I admired most. Sounds like an excuse for another visit

I was wondering about how the scents themselves fared and whether or not they live up to the extremely luxurious packaging. It's good to know they can keep up.

I was drooling over your samples the first time you posted about them, and I guess I'm not surprised if they only do press samples. Maybe one day I'll get to try them in person somewhere.

Oh dear - I can't speak about the fragrances themselves, though they sound lovely, but I think visual tastes must be really different in the east these days - this is just a matter of personal taste I guess as it is directly contrary to your own assesment, but to my eyes that is *the* worst graphic design and packaging design I have ever seen!

The bottles with the greek sculpture relief heads look like fast food soft drink containers for happy meals with the garish colours, sippy-cup hats, and badly designed crests (I like the sculpture heads though) while the Xerjoff logo itself looks like an ill-concieved teenage heavy metal band logo. Even the singular X has an unappealing shape... I love quartz and crystal bottles, but it seems almost like a joke to waste those materials on these McDonalds designs! Maybe that is part of the conspicuous consumption appeal or something? The choice of backgrounds and surfaces and photography is also in extremely poor taste in my opinion! It all reeks of cheapness and lack of aesthetic sensibility.

Amouage did a great job with their wastefully expensive bottles - those make you feel like you're shelling out big money for something well crafted and refined, something hand made with centuries of tradition behind it - these bottle just scream garish conspicuous consumption and faddishness to me.

Hi, Dimitri

I`m glad that you made that Official thread of Xerjoff.
I don`t know where did you get those `official` notes, as I`ve got different pyramides in my computer.
If someone is interested, I`ll put my notes here.

As for the Murano and quartz bottles - the flacons carries about 25-35 ml. Sizes differs as they are hand-crafted. Buyer will get not only empty luxurious bottle, but also 50 ml of perfume in frosted glass refill. That`s the info I got in Moscow (Douglas-Rivoli is their Russian partner). And Xerjoff is going pretty good in Moscow - as presents to partners, to lovers and spouses, etc. New Year and Mother-Father days gives more profits, than a whole year.

2Gaivs I Caesar:
Tastes are different - some prefer Amouage new design, some prefer Amouage old design, and some will choose just plain Amouage tester.
I would never pay for the luxurious bottle - I prefer juice and like to wear the perfume.
BUT - if someone would present quartz bottle to me, I could not resist. I like the style, I like the design and the idea. I do not mind golden X, I like quartz and craftsmanship. It is really hard to make those flacons, and I appreciate that work.

As for the juices.
They are very different to praise every perfume by Xerjoff.
I like Homme 17-17 very much - it is true leather scent, full of birchtar and it has flowers and balms to enrich it. I do not like Femme 17-17 - oriental flowers and berries are not my cup of tea. And XXY too.
Irisss is marvellous. I got some similarities of Irisss with some iris limited edition by Christian Dior - Passage 8, if I remember correctly, from John Galliano trio (Collection Particuliere) launched 2007 year. Orris, carrot seeds absolute, etc.

From Meteorites collection I do like KOBE. But I`d never call it a bright flowery. It is very high-quality citrus cologne that goes into smoky eastern temple (my wife called it jossticks - well, patchouly, sandalwood, maybe vetiver and guaiac wood - but I never detected oud here!). And it stays very fresh all the time - and reminds me something that was with me all my life, some friend or landscape.

I do like Modoc - it`s vetiver plus orris, giving impression of paper. Maybe carnation too (but this note usually gives me feeling of soap and soar powder instead of paper).
Dhofar is close to fir-needled Yatagan, while having some spicy oriental sillage.

Casamorati line would impress everyone who like modern combination `rose+tea` and Silver Mountain Water by Creed.

As far as I know - some perfumes were made by Jacques Flori (Robertet) who made some great Etro perfumes. LT and TS wrote some respects to his work.

And some more info from PR - Robertet used some exclusive co-distillation products (Tonkiphora and Miroswellia balsams, for instance) and some fractionated natural oils (Lavender, Ylang, Patchouly, Vetiver) for those perfumes.

Also - and nobody will approve or disprove it - the perfume concentrate itself priced from 5 to 10 times more than usual perfumes. (euro per kg). So juice IS TRULY PRECIOUS (especially compared with usual luxury brands of LVMH).

I looked at the website and the bottles and the graphic design in general is a whole lot better than on the ads above, at least in my opinion. They bottles look alot more "real" and have a serious presence too them. Just goes to show that you can have a good looking product and make it look bad with crappy graphic designers!

OK, Dimitri,
Seems to me, they have different PR products - or maybe they are to change their PR materials.
My documents are old PR.

XJ 17-17 Homme
Top: Bergamot, lemon, orange, mandarin, grapefruit, caraway, tarragon, ginger.
Heart: Lavender, rose, Lisylang (Robertet fraction of Ylang oil), orris, clove.
Base: Atlas cedar, amber, australian sandalwood, vanilla, Vetiver Coeur (Robertet fraction of vetiver oil), birchtar, musk.

XJ 17-17 Elle
Top - bergamot, lily of the valley, neroli, galbanum
Heart - jasmine, rose, orris, Atlas cedar, Patchouly Coeur (Robertet fraction of patchouli oil), Lysilang (Robertet fraction of Ylang oil), leather accord, woody accord
Base - coumarin, amber, Tonkiphora Baume (Robertet codistillation product of opopanax and benjoin), musk

XJ 17-17 XXY
Top - Bergamot, grapefruit, peach
Heart - Ylang-ylang, jasmine, orris, black pepper
Base - Patchouli, vetiver, Mysore sandalwood, labdanum, vanilla, musk

XJ Irisss
Top - Carrot seeds absolute, bergamot, carnation
Heart - orris, rose, jasmine, ylang, violet leaves
Base - vetiver, Virginian cedar, benjoin, musk, frankincense.

(Sorry for the list not full - I`m slow interpreter & typer. I`m going to find out flash-card with the PR and copy-paste it tomorrow)

Dimitri,
Seems to me, the one and only true leather note listed in XJ 17-17 Homme is Birch Tar (somewhere from Scandinavia). They listed it in basenotes, but it sings all the time through the perfume development.
It is supported by Ylang and Florentian Orris in manner of Cuir de Russie (Chanel).
But I feel like XJ Homme is Knize Ten, a fleur de peau Keikomecheri or Etro Gomma orchestrated without any restrictions in budget. So it`s simphony instead of pop-song (sorry, K10 lovers, it is just my opinion!).

I have no need in pdf-brochure, I prefer smells, letters and numbers to pictures; but maybe it could be useful for other BNoters here?

Some of this line now being stocked by First In Fragrance and looks like they have samples available although, as expected, rather expensive.

http://www.ausliebezumduft.de/index.php?cPath=23_841

SHOOTING STARS

MALE FRAGRANCES
DHOFAR
Head note: fresh / aromatic
Bergamot, grapefruit, Lemon, Litsea Cubeba, Sage, basil, coriander

Heart note: floreal / spicy
Lavender, pine needles, laurel leaves, galbanum, jatamansi, rose absolute, orange flowers

Base note: woody / amber
Carnation, Myroswelia balsam, Australia sandalwood, patchouly heart, vanilla, amber, ciste labdano

MODOC
Head note: fresh / aromatic
Lemon, orange, artemisia

Heart note: floreal
Iris, orange flowers

Base note: woody / musky
Vetyver, vanilla absolute, Amber, Musks

UDEN
Head note: citrus
Lemon, grapefruit

Heart note: fruit / floreal
Rhum absolute, Rose, sandalwood, Guaiac wood

Base note: amber
Vanilla absolute, coffee absolute, musks

SPECIAL EDITION
KOBE
Head note: fresh / aromatic
Bergamot, Florida's orange, spanish ciste labdano

Heart note: floreal
Neroli, Paraguay's Petitgrain, Orange flowers

Base note: woody/ vanilla
Oud wood, palisanderwood (Lacanda brasillana), Siamese Benzoin, Tonka, Amber,
Styrax Absolute, Musks

FEMALE FRAGRANCES

DHAJALA
Head note: fresh / floreal
Bergamot, Orange, Galbanum, orange flowers

Heart note: floreal / spicy
Rose, Jasmine, Rose Pepper

Base note: amber
Amber, Tonkiphora balsam, Myroswelia balsam, Vanilla, Musks

SHINGL
Head note: fresh / aromatic
Bergamot, basil, anise, Davana

Heart note: Iris / woody
Rhum absolute, Iris, Patchouly, Vetyver

Base note: amber
Vanilla, Amber, Musks

ESQUEL
Head note: fresh / aromatic
Lemon, Lavender, Bergamot, Mirtle

Heart note: floreal / spicy
Orange flowers, Petitgrain citronnier, Rose absolute, Jatamansi, Lysilang, Iris, Rose pepper, Ceylon Cinnamon

Base note: woody
Patchouly heart, Vetyver heart, Tonka, Vanilla, Opoponax, Musks

SPECIAL EDITION
IBITIRA

Head note: fresh
Italian Lemon, Green Violette, Orange flowers

Heart note: floreal
Damascene Rose, White Flowers, Florence Iris, Neroli

Base note: woody/ musk
Cedarwood, Haiti Vetiver, Vanilla Bourbon, Musks

I second your comparison with Knize Ten, moon_fish. XJ Homme ist beautyfully balanced, with a subtle, nevertheless powerfull leather presence. Like a new, modern interpretation of Knize Ten?

So the question will be: to appreciate the simphony with a adequate BOSE hi-fi equipment or to listen to the pop song with a MP3 Player. Or sometimes this, sometimes that...

I've been wanting to make a post ever since this thread was posted. Finally came around to it LoL!
I bought two Xerjoff's from Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie last summer. The presentation boxes with the perfume were 400 pounds and had an actual piece of meteorite. Their refills (50ml EDP) were 95 pounds. I got the refills The first one I bought was Uden. First of all it's very masculine, bought it immediately grabbed my attention. It has bitter topnotes, probably from the grapefruit, and a lemony-vanilla drydown. Come to think of it now, it has an incredible likeness to Habit Rouge Sport. But I found myself not liking it after a couple of months and I find it now very generic. So I gave it to my dad (his favorite frag is Allure Homme Sport) so he like it without a doubt
The other perfume I bought was Dhajala. I'm sniffing it now, and it shares a strong resemblance to Uden, but with a feminine twist. The bitter topnotes are still there but it changes somewhere during the midnotes to a fresh oriental. I don't like it as much as though.
These two Xerjoff's are decent, but they're nothing special. In fact, they bordering on generic. Unfortunately, that ended my interest in the brand

EDIT: Uden is a near dead-ringer for Sculpture (one of my most hated frags!)

Meanwhile, in London, Clive Christian is revisiting his tag line of "The World's Most Expensive Perfume."

Though I'm sure if he put his juices in gold and diamond-encrusted cases, he can regain the title!

2scent
About Dhajala. I found it as strong feminine perfume, exactly like you described: fresh oriental.
I`d say - vibrating fresh but nevertheless sweet ambery oriental - while it does not smells like classic, it surely cannot be just a humble wallflower trying to disappear from the sight.

So how is the packaging in regards to these scents... specifically the meteorite collection. Also, refills were mentioned above. Are these bottles refillable and are the refills in face 95 pounds. I am going to paris and than london next week and will finally get a chance to go to Harrods and the roja dove boutique and try these. I cant wait.

is the strength of the scents EDT, EDP or Parfum?

I 've been meaning to ask for a long time..... Can any fragrance be worth that kind of money or is it just a russin nouveau riche thing?

most of them exceed what I've earned in the past four years as a student!

They're all WAY too much.

I've sampled the Casamorati range and to be honest, their longevity wasn't that great. I only got a couple of hours max out of "Mefisto" and "Fiori d'Ulivo"

Why would a perfumeur sell his perfume with pretty bottles and inflate the price so much that even perfume lovers are frightend off? Do you even care about being a perfumeur and people loving your art, or not.

It´s like publish or perish and in case the publishing bit is scared you make sure you publish but still immunize yourself to critique by inflating the price so much a lot of people won´t be able to get their hands on it.

I believe that`s skin chemistry issue.
My EDP decants of Mefisto and Fiori d`Ulivo gives me about usual longevity - 6-8 hours.

Price and marketing are different with every brand.
For niche and selective brands the price is usually higher, as they are not advertised and they have not massive buyers.

Critique immunity made by prohibitively high price? Tell about it to Cadillac and Cartier )))))))

I got a chance to try these at harrods last week. Really nice scents and really nice bottles and presentations. I ended up buying the full presentation of Kobe which was around £370. Pricey...yes. But it smelled really nice and will make a nice rare addition to my collection. Very good quality scents I must say. Pleased with my purchases.

Is the name a joke? XXY is representative of the genetic disease Klinefelter's Syndrome. I think that was a poor choice. What else should it mean?

nevermind.

well, it is not a joke
Nobody could predict all the negative connotations - Ibitira does not sound good in Russian, for example.
Anyway, here XXY (as in Boss frags) means that the scent is devoted to androgyne, either man and woman, referring to a ancient Greek legend of beautiful Hermafrodit.

I finally got to visit Harrods for the first time and purchased 3 scents. Uden and Modoc from the shooting stars collection. I bought the Kobe full presentation bottle via the internet on First in fragrance. That was $570. Well worth it. These really are amazing scents. I also got to try and received samples of Iriss, home and XXY from the really expensive line and those are absolutely amazing. They are expensive samples to be sure but at least you get 2.5ml of them. This is a really fascinating line and am really happy to be able to have 3 of them. The full presentation bottles of the shooting stars scents are amazing. Beautiful boxes, and equally beautiful caps made of heavy solid brass.

I did but he wasn't there. Only marcel was there who was really a great guy. They really take their time with you over there. Never in a hurry.

This line really is great. Irisss is an iris lovers dream. I think it may be one of the best I have ever smelled.

Iris is probably my favorite note EVER How would you describe it...

metallic, cold and powdery like Iris Silver Mist
citrusy, dry and powdery like Iris Bleu Gris
powdery as HELL like Teint de Neige
aldehydic, powdery fruity like Iris Poude
or gourmandy like Iris Ganache
???

I think you covered it really well Scent!!!! This Xerjoff Irisss has so many things going on with it. Its crazy. Just like you wrote , its the best of all the above put into one scent. With a price tag of all those combined too!! It starts off sharp and metallic and than blends into the softest milkiest scent ever. Absolutely stunning!

Anyone know when the Xerjoff Casamorati line will be released. Also, can any one of our wonderful basenoters who have tried it, please expand just a tiny bit more on your impressions of these two Casamorati scents and how they smell, especially them mens. Thanks!

Thank you very much Dimitri!. I really hope you do a blog entry on this cause this is such a rare line that I think everyone really needs to explore. Their scents are amazing and i hope you can enlighten us all more on their line! Thanks!!

Can anyone of you Xerjoff-lovin guys tell me how large are the samples at first-in-fragrance are, and can we order the juice without the presentation (specifically Irisss)?

Hi Scent.

The samples at first in fragrance for all Xerjoff scents are 2.5 ml spray samples. And they arrive in 10 days.

In regards to the prices, the scents that can be purchased without the presentations are the meteorite collection. They are known as the refills. These can be purchased from Harrods Roja Dove boutique. I am not sure if FIF sells just the scent refills. They come in a normal small box like any other scent and have no cap and they are £95 . The full presentation comes in an amazing wooden box with the cap as seen above and a really nice leather band that wraps vertically on the bottle itself. When you buy the refill, you just take off the cap and the leather band and put it on the new refill bottle. I bought the refills of Modoc and Uden and the full presentation of the Kobe scent and it came with a red alligator leather band on it.

Regarding the expensive 17/17 scents like Irisss and Homme and XXY, these do come in just the refill bottles which are very expensive. Roja dove told me that they are £600 for 35ml. But if you buy the the Irisss and XXY in the large murano bottles, each one is hand blown and also with the bottle you get 3 x 50ml refills. Priced at £1200.

Roja dove takes orders over the phone and they ship very fast!

I hope this helps!!

Thanks cairomerta!!! I already knew about the meteorite collection. I was in Roja Dove in December myself and purchased two of the refills. I am so envious of your full presentation of Kobe! I hope you enjoy it in good health
I think I'll go with an Irisss sample first and if I do enjoy it, I'll just order more. That 1200 pound bottle sure sounds tempting though (180 of Parfum )
Time will tell...time will tell

Actually it is only 150ml total as the bottle comes empty. You get the 3 x 50ml of perfume on the side. Still a good amount of pure perfume for sure though!!!

Oh...well then I'm not going to buy it!!! LOOOOL!!!

I`d say that Irisss is close to Iris Silver Mist and Hiris - it`s cold, carrot seed, camphor smell - but the closest relative could be Passage #6 Iris from Christian Dior Collection Particuliere (sp?)
I`m sure if you like orris note - you`ll love it!

As far as I know, Casamorati line was launched in London - but now is taken back as bottles made from faience appears to be leaking through tiny cracks.
Now XJ is going to relaunch it with glass bottles - in September, I believe.

(Contact me if you want to test it so much that will swap for it)

Hi Moonfish. When did they release Passage #6?!?!?! I tested 4, 8 and 9 in April in Paris, but didn't hear about the Iris. UGH! So much too keep up with these days !!!
Oh, and how does it smell like?

Sorry, scent, for the wrong number.
Sure I meant #8 from the line - the orris, violet and heliotrope one.
Shame on me.

I`m glad you tested it - so you could make a decision.