Official XerJoff Appreciation Thread - Page 3

Am I the only one who notices the resemblance between Dhofar and Jil Sander Man Pure (original) / Scent 79 for Men ?

The Casamorati range is now also available at First in Fragrance
http://www.ausliebezumduft.de/advanc...morati&x=0&y=0

I purchased the special edition Verona 010 from Xerjof e-Boutique, as it sounds promising. Did somebody have the chance to try this?

I have it. It is a gourmand scent. Sweet. It has a blood orange note to cut the sweetness. It very nice if you like sweet scents. The bottle is beautiful

I have sampled quite a few XerJoff fragrances and want to share my impressions on them.
All my reviews are in german, so I translated them with google. I know this isn't the best way to translate something, but the most easy

Shooting Stars: http://translate.google.de/translate...n&hl=&ie=UTF-8
XJ 17/17: http://translate.google.de/translate...%2Ftag%2F17%2F
Casamorati 1888: http://translate.google.de/translate...Fcasamorati%2F

Now I am planning to buy a XerJoff fragrance, but I'm not shure wich one is the best for me. I am very picky, when it comes to fragrances. But I think I will go for a bottle of Uden. It's gorgeous. I will support XerJoff as much as I can. In germany, hardly anyone knows about these amazing fragrances.

Great Reviews Sasuke! Uden is the #1 seller so far here in the USA. Its such an amazing scent.

Yesterday I was in Douglas (Novosibirsk, Russia) - and SA told me that the Casamorati BIG HIT is MEPHISTO.
They sell all the stock of it, while Bouquet Ideale, Fiero, Fiori d`Ulivo still on shelves.
That`s one city statistics.

Hey, XerJoff guys, how are these scents when it comes to the presence of "natural" vs. synthetic elements? How do they compare in this way with Creed(s) and others? Thanks.

I can see why Uden is the #1 seller. It has a really comforting scent and the top notes are strange (in a positive way). I think the special thing about Uden is, that the perfumer used a molecule that smells fresh and blue (almost sporty) and blended it with all these delicious notes, such as rum, coffee, vanilla and an amazing sandalwood. I've never smelled a blend like this before!

Anyway, I have a question: Do you know what a 100 ml Uden with gift box will cost? I only know the price for the 50 ml gift box.

Your best sending an e-mail to Sergio at momo@xerjoff.com or e-mail about-xj@xerjoff.com

Uden is fantastic, I love it as well as Nio, Kobe and Fiero. I also like Mefisto, but it doesn't last long on me unfortunately.

I already sent an e-mail to XerJoff, but they do not answer, maybe I have to wait a few more days? Last month I asked them for samples and I received them very quick... But now I don't get any reaction from them.

I really like Mefisto, too. It smells pretty natural and on my skin it lasts surprisingly long.
Fiero is not my cup of tea! It's to herbal and spicy for my taste. Kobe is quite nice, but not as great as Uden or Oesel!

First in Fragrance based in Germany now sell Xerjoff Uden, although they only show the 50ml on their site.
You could give them a call, as I'm certain they would be able to order the 100ml size for you.

http://www.ausliebezumduft.de/kosmet...oducts_id=5238

Please, anyone...

If you could guide me to my first four or five Xerjoffs to sample. No gender preference.
I just want as good sampling to begin with.

I had the delightful opportunity to smell the Xerjoff samples that are currently circulating. I feel so grateful to have gotten a chance to get to know these cost-prohibitive scents personally and privately. Thank you, cello! After me, it will go to Un profumo affetuoso.

I have chosen to post my impressions of the line here on the men's forum thread, since I enjoyed the 'masculine' offerings quite a bit more than the 'feminine' ones.

I should mention, I found that many of the Xerjoff fragrances smelled almost exactly like other scents I knew, which are very good scents, yet not very popular... in almost every instance. I wonderif there isn't a method of safe derivation in place, by which they can ensure scent-success and not being discovered both. Odd. I'll mention all of the 'inspiration' scents I recognised while smelling the line, for the sake of money-saving alternatives for any Xerjoff fans.

I shall start with the Casamorati 1888 line, since I feel these represent the best Xerjoff has to offer.

Casamorati 1888 Mephisto - Categorically my favorite Xerjoff. Reminiscent of Amouages Ciel Man, a complex, light and soapy floral for men. I even like the drydown, which is a solid, soft santal and vanilla. Very, very good, but is it as good as Ciel Man, which costs less? Not quite. Ciel Man is considerably smoother, more 'unmistakable', has WAY more sillage, and lasts quite a while longer. 8.5 out of 10.

Casamorati 1888 - Fiero - If I were caused to buy one scent from this line, or rather offered-for-free one scent from Xeroff, it might be this one. A strikingly-sophisticated barbershop fougere, based on lavender, with a warm and lasting, civety base. This one smells to me like a perfected, or made-with-finer-ingredients version of YSL Pour Homme. I mentioned I'd choose it, as I'd like to smell it on my boyfriend.

Casamorati 1888 - Fiore d'Ulivo - This starts off very intense, and not entirely pleasant, but many of these scents require a wait, I have discovered. I am reminded of the tonic-fruity opening of PdN's Fig Tea. Which I like well enough. As it develops, it becomes a sort-of peachy osmanthus-floral, with no other obvious notes, much like Fig Tea in fact, but not quite as subtle. It's lovely enough, and I'd likely wear it if I had it, on my osmanthus-vibe days... but I much much prefer TDC's Osmanthus, which I feel is the paragon of this genre. 8 out of 10.

Casamorati 1888 - Bouquet Ideale - Here I am in the territory of disgust. This is a joss-stick scent, which emulates the very powdery, floral, saccharin variety of incense -- those which I associate with lesser, discount incense brands, and typically feel ill around. I am a lover of good incense scents, though, but those that are spicy and elegant. This is not one. Vulgar and CLOYING. 2 out of 10.

X 1771 XXY - This is my favorite of the X 1771 line, a rather generic, but well-done powdery men's scent, in the vein of Amouage's Gold Man. It's drydown is a little too simple, I feel, and after about twenty minutes it seems to have lost its mojo. Nonetheless, it's a good use of powder, and I appreciate it. But Gold Man 'has it all over' this: more charisma AND greater sillage and longevity, for FAR less money. 8 out of 10.

X 1771 Iriss - This is a quite impressive, salty iris scent, which immediately struck my fancy. I found it incredibly similar to Delrae's Mythique, and again not quite as nice. But more importantly, not nearly as lasting. This scent literally disappeared in five minutes. 6 out of 10, 2 points subtracted due to dismal longevity.

X 1771 Elle - A very syrupy, sticky fruit scent with no discernible character or direction. The drydown was wet diapers, and frankly unpleasant. 4.5 out of 10.

X 1771 Homme - GROSS! This blunt 'leather' shoots for the tanning solution rather than the leather itself. And its both caustic, and revolting. Gentlemen, buy any other leather. It occurs to me it's a more-obnoxious, angrier 'version' of Domenico Caraceni 1881. 2 out of 10

Shooting Stars - Kobe - A manly, sort-of classical sharp-citrus, very reminiscent of Accqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta. Derivative. Banal. 6.5 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Uden - A very beautiful, camphorous-yet-sweet fougere. How I love a fougere that can be worn easily by women. This one is almost divine, and dries down sexy-spicy, almost Oriental. The problem is it smells dangerously close to Paco Rabanne's magnificent Tenere. Which can be found for some 25USD on ebay. 8.5 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Dhofar - An excellent, animalic citrus, with a nice, soapy, herbal aspect, and an daring overload of cumin. Oh, dear! This is quite simply Eau d'Hermes. 8 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Nio - Annick Goutal does cardamon. A very bright, heady, quirky, tart, citric cypress-chypre, with a strong cardamon note on top. However the cardamon fades almost instantly and all that's left is Eau d'Hadrien. 8 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Lua - A thick pineapple-and-chocolate fruity-Oriental. Almost exactly like Balenciaga's discontinued beauty Talisman. But Talisman is smoother, and less canned-pineapple-smelling. And even though it's pricey nowadays, it's a fraction of the cost of Nio.
8.25 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Oroville Tobacco - This one is oh so good. And I cannot think of a thing like it. A floor-polish wood scent with a natural, raw tobacco note. I am thinking of the yummy floor wax the British National Trust uses, which contains beeswax and orange oil. Medicinal in a very evocative way. Wearable? I really don't know. 8.25 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Dhajala - Angel. Nothing more, nothing less. 5 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Ibitra - Another glorious beauty... at first. A metallic, sumptuous Amouage Gold Woman smell-alike. But rockier, with discernible notes competing for attention. And ultimately drying down to nothing but vanilla and powder. All the magic was gone in a mere hour. Young perfumery student attempts to forge Amouage Gold Woman, and fails. 7 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Shingl - Well, I had shingles. Twice. And I never want to relive that nightmare, but I smelled it anyway. Oh GOD!! It's truly a an olfactory ode to the agony of shingles! It's utterly intolerable! A horrifyingly-medicinal cherry liqueur scent, like the more vile cough syrups I have had. Oh wait! Does this actually CURE shingles? Then it's worth the money! 1 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Modoc - A retro-vibe India-inspired santal scent, of nice quality. If I wanted a santal fragrance and this cost under 80USD, I'd choose it. 7 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Esquel - Have you ever smelled vintage Bal a Versailles? Xerjoff hopes you haven't. Well, it's good anyway... just like it used tobe. A very studious replica. 8 out of 10.

Shooting Stars Oesel - A really good masculine here. A galbanum-rich, soapy chypre, very much like Creed's Erolfa. But this time, the Xerjoff is the smoother, the more wearable and the more artful. I am inclined to compare it to Eau Illuminee from Delrae, which is another improved Erolfa. They are quite competitive, the Xerjoff winning by a hair, due to ingredient quality. But the Delrae is much cheaper. 8 out of 10.


My impressions of the house as a whole:

Ingredient Quality - A
Scent Quality - A-/B+
Originality - D
Design - C
Price Justification - F-
Promise - C

Thanks for the reviews Hillaire. I agree quite closely with your overall breakdown of the house, although I'd give a few of the scents a price justification of a D - the more unique offerings, of course.

There were a few comparisons you made that just baffled me, though.

Oesel like Erolfa? I just don't get that at all. To me, the sweet vanilla, light woods (cedar, mostly), orange blossom, jasmine and other floral notes over a semi-fougere base leaves Oesel smelling almost *exactly* like Fleur du Male. It tones down that damned synthetic cedar that is featured fairly prominently in FdM (that same nasty cedar/neroli accord that is in Rochas Lui, ugh), and overall smells more refined and luxurious, but other than that, it shares about 95% of its DNA with Fleur du Male.

Also, while I can see the comparison between Mephisto and Ciel Man, I think a closer comparsion is Mephisto and Silver Mountain Water. They both feature that smooth, cold, "freezer air" smooth musky note, and share a lot of other elements of composition. I do agree, however, that out of the two Ciel Man is the more interesting composition.

You should retest IriSSs, too. You're either anosmic to an ingredient or were suffering some pretty bad olfactory fatigue. While the longevity on it is not excellent, it definitely lasts a good 6 hours or more.

Hillaire, yours seem to be some of the most critical (but also detailed) assessments of this line. (Mind you, I cannot have a different opinion, didn't sample anything from the line yet!)

I am just curious about two things: I noticed, beyond the general criticism, you grading the ingredients with an A. Are these ingredients different/"expensive-smelling"/better only than designer fragrances or also than other niche houses - Amouage, Creed - with reputation for expensive ingredients?

How "natural" do they smell to you?

If these fragrances would have cost less, would your reviews have been less critical?

Darn, that's three things. (-:

I'm not Hillaire, but I'll take a stab at answering that with the idea that the more opinions you get, the better:

How natural do these smell? Very. At first, that is. Kobe starts with one of the most natural orange/petitgrain/orange blossom accords I've ever come across, making even Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier's Pour Le Jeune Homme smell, if not synthetic, relatively 'cheap' in comparison. IriSSs features a very nice orris butter (paired with its old acquaintance, carrot seed) note. They almost all start out smelling very very natural. I'd say they smell as natural as the best Creeds and in a sense 'purer' than many Amouage, who are often very densely blended. Actually, in many ways they smell more natural than Amouage and even the best of Creed, but, there is a problem that I've found with many of them.

I don't feel the 'naturalness' extends into the base very well, and almost across the board I felt a sharp, divisive transitional point between a natural opening and the synthetic framework that supported them. Unfortunately, the framework is (often) not fleshed out enough, which makes that transition very noticeable, bumpy, and consequently - to my nose - made the often nice (read: pleasant and decent) bases actually seem far less competent than they actually were. In other words, the openings set the bar too high for the following act.

It is in this way that I feel that both Creed and Amouage come across as being more coherent and subsequently 'better' in regards to composition. Creed does the natural, refined, british thing better than anyone. Silver Mountain Water, for instance, has more uniformity in its quality than does the very similar Mefisto by Xerjoff, even if Mefisto actually does smell far more natural for the first 1/3 of its duration. So too with the Amouage's. Many of them are loaded up with synthetics, and really only use the naturals to flesh out the synthetic skeleton. No different in theory than the Xerjoff approach, except that Amouage tends to flesh out every element of the skeleton from opening to base, and is careful not to make the opening far exceed the base in terms of quality and feel.

I don't know if this is because Xerjoff top-loaded the fragrances so they'd sell based on amazing initial impressions, but I think it might be, especially given their penchant for making scents "similar but better" than many other well known, popular scents.

Sculpture, excellent, thoughtful post - thanks for taking the time.

Now I am curious to sniff a couple of these babies on my own, which I'll probably do soon.

[QUOTE=Hillaire;1889126]I had the delightful opportunity to smell the Xerjoff samples that are currently circulating. I feel so grateful to have gotten a chance to get to know these cost-prohibitive scents personally and privately. Thank you, cello! After me, it will go to Un profumo affetuoso.

/QUOTE]


Dear Hillaire,
your reviews are simply great and I love the fact that you draw comparisons to other scents/houses -
I can't wait to smell the samples myself!
Saw some of the attractive bottles in Italy recently, but have not yet come across them in Germany where I live (only spotted them ONLINE at Aus Liebe zum Duft. de).

I should say that it sounds like I really came down on the Xerjoffs in my last post, but quality-wise, I think they are up there with the best of the best. Their formulas are a bit safe and sometimes a bit derivative, and the bases were, as I mentioned, often not good enough in the sense that a seamless transition from top to bottom was possible, but all of that being said, Xerjoff's worst is better than many houses best.

I think too, that a lot of it will come down to stylistic preferences. I really love the dense and thick style of Amouage's blending because they do it with such finesse (in contrast I find Montale's dense and thick blending nauseating because of its lack of finesse). Some really like the Creed approach while others are just as happy or happier with cheaper alternatives that may project more or last longer. Who am I to say either of them are wrong? The Xerjoffs do have a house style and if you love it, you'll likely find a lot of FBW fragrances in their lineup. If you don't love it, or even only just like it, as I do, you may find yourself thinking a bottle or two would be nice but never be able to justify the prices.

I think that's the only other thing that I can say against them. Often times at that price point, people want the ultimate in luxury - something I think Amouage realizes and capitalizes on well (which is why they were wise to drop Arcus and Cirrus from their lineup!). A lot of the Xerjoffs are less bombastic and ostentatious by design. There's nothing wrong with that at all, but I think many here would balk at paying $350 for a "like a designer but better" type of scent. It's just the nature of the beast, I guess. It's like those black metal bands that get shunned for actually having a top notch production rather than recording in the middle of a moonlit forest with an old four track they found at a pawn store. Of course I guess the difference is, Xerjoff IS charging a lot more for their product. Maybe a better analogy would be this: Would you pay $120 for a blu-ray disc, for a movie that can also be found on DVD? for $20 (given that Xerjoff is about 6 times the price of most designers). For some, the picture quality and sound quality is worth it. For others, it isn't. And others would if they could but just can't afford it. Xerjoff is a blu-ray disc in a DVD economy.

Don't mean to clutter the forum with "me too" posts, but yet another good one, Sculpture.

Don't worry about being unfair, "Xerjoff's worst is better than many houses best"... "quality-wise, I think they are up there with the best of the best" is more than enough of an incentive for people interested in fine fragrances to give it a fair and unbiased try.

Thanks for your insights.

+1.

I, too cannot think of a better qualification than the above two from Sculpture. I wish I had said it all so diplomatically, as apparently I came off pretty harsh.

To answer your question, Addict, if Xerjoff fragrances cost say... what Nicolai scents cost, and came in unpretentious packaging, I'd tout (and likely recommend it) it as an 'preisswert', lovely, very natural, and classics-honoring, if-unoriginal house. I'd no doubt warn about the drydowns coming on too quickly and being rather dull, though.

That's kind of why I 'broke down' my assessment at the end of my 'reviews'. I wanted to emphasize the fine ingredients really stood out and that the scents were also mostly quite nice. I don't even have a huge problem with the emulation of some older, fine scents. Especially the ones that are discontinued. But for the price tag, I simply want much more...the sort of uniqueness and depth and smoothness I perceive from most of the Amouage line.

Thanks, Hillaire, I guess I have to smell them for myself... ( :

I loved your Homage review... but you don't want to offer us a Tribute one... )-:
:
While a relative beginner to Amouage, the only one I really liked so far was Homage... I know I am not original about it, but I really think they hit the pot there... and you describe it well...

as for the "regular" EdP line... meh...

Thanks!
I couldn't write one for Tribute then, as the Tribute scent was not added until very recently; it's on my agenda!

Has anybody tested the "Verona 010" fragrance by XerJoff. I love gourmand fragrances and the notes sound delicious! But unfortunately there are no samples available and it is limited. Can anyone describe the fragrance? Please let me know if the jasmine in Verona 010 is too animalic, because I don't like animalic jasmine in perfumes

Verona 101 is a very nice scent. If you like gourmand than this is for you. It has the vanilla and burnt caramel notes but also has this wonderful blood orange note that cuts the sweetness. Also there is an almond and licorice blend that is really great. It also lasts a very long time. The jasmine is not animalic at all and just provides a nice floral counterpart to the scent. Its very subtle jasmine.

I am testing some Xerjoff's these days and I am mightily impressed by the quality of these fragrances... I also find them more original than some of our more distinguished and nose-savvy BaseNoters. Overall an extremely high quality house which has something to say and much to offer.

I gave Dhofar another wearing the other day and was thoroughly enjoying it - despite it's fairly prominent carnation note (which I typically dislike). About 10 hours later I went to lay down with my girlfriend and she asked me if I had gotten a new deodorant as it was rather strong. Nope, still wearing the same unscented deodorant as always. It was the Dhofar.

After she made that comment I couldn't escape the association - the drydown of Dhofar does kind of smell like "generic men's deodorant" with even a hit of the armpit aroma (perhaps provided by the spikenard/jatamansi, an oil that definitely has a bit of funk going on). It's not bad, not at all, but it smells so close to that generic deodorant aroma that it was a bit discomforting. It's a shame as I really love the earlier phases of the scent.

I really like Dhofars classic gentleman perfume composition too. To me it is very masculine and bold. I love the Lavender and the pine opening immensely.

Hi, SoS, one can only hope, for the sake of the illustrious and never lascivious standards of this august gathering, that you mean "lay down" not in a biblical sense... (just kidding)

Let's say that, imho, if one can get a good number of hours of really wonderful top/middle notes, one can reapply/wash/change things afterwards.

Appreciating as always your insights etc.

Thank you, that sounds amazing! I love all the notes that you mentioned. As a gourmand lover, I think I should order Verona as long as it's available. The XerJoff E-boutique says, they are only 41 left. I have to hurry now ;-)

41 left? That's what they said about 2 months ago... Purchased a bottle - and my wife is wearing it with pleasure. Vanille, sweet and pleasing, strong projection and long lasting.

Have worn Uden today. Very pleasant, natural yet elegant-smelling... a bit like you'd come out of a five star coffee shop if you know what I mean - (-:

Im sure they dont have an accurate updated real time count of this but I know they are very limited and people love it.

Verona sounds incredible!

I wore XXY to work yesterday and it was absolutely fabulous. It has a certain tartness to it, perhaps from the bergamot, but was rooted in a creamy ylang ylang, what seemed like a berry note of some sort, and a gorgeous leathery base with a prickly patchouli. This is my favorite of the XJ 17/17 line. Though I really love Homme for that gorgeous leather scent that it is, XXY is something I could wear every day for a week and still love it at the end (that says a lot for me... I rarely even go 2 days of the same! )

I received a whole bunch of XerJoff samples several days ago (courtesey of Hillaire) and I am afraid I can't hail them...-
to me, they are rather disappointing. I can find much more originality and creativity in other houses - even Montale is more daring and fascinating, let alone Amouage or L'Histoire de Parfums.
I absolutely hated the attempt at marketing the scents as "perfumes for the the selected" (citing from their Russian texts).
Obviously, they try to satisfy some posh Russian audience of "nouveau riche" perfume connoisseurs.
Citing again from their text:
Irisss - to be worn with confidence by those who are refined and distinguisehd in life".
So - nothing for the lower classes...

Brief (more or less negative! SORRY!!!) reviews of the samples I tried:

Dhofar:
a feeble copy of "Jicky" with flowery overtones of rosebuds on the verge of decay.
Awful.

Kobe
- has a very citrussy start reminiscent of grandma's worst Kölnisch Wasser and then morphs into something faintly smelling of schnaps mixed with dried lemon. Not worth any attention.

Fiori d'ulivo
-a flowery little number, unimpressive. Creed's Spring Flowers spring to my mind. Fiori is not in the least memorable.

Shingl -
a copy of YSL "Yvresse" with sour-metallic overtones.

Esquel
soft, pastel-coloured Fougere... totally hackneyed.

Modoc
Incense and smoke - Messe de Minuit by Etro revisited - an ambiance perfume.

Oesel
Dismal attempt at using lilac and chevrefeuille - resulting in one fine, dissonant mess. A flowery bouquet of rare unpleasantness.

Bouquet Ideale
Very pretentious name for a scent which is by no means ideal, unless you are a lover of carnations dumped into a lavatory.

Uden
Classic, masculine fragrance, oscilliating between soapy and aromatic overtones. I think I have smelt this before about 500 times...

Fiero
borrows almost everything from Eau Sauvage. Go and get Eau Sauvage.

Homme
Nice citrussy start followed by a very strong leather-note massacrating all the other fine ingredients...like clove or lavender. Smells as if the doctor in charge of your ward mixed the desinfectant with his traditional English leather Eau de Cologne.
Get Tabac Original instead and save 95% of your money.

See my more positive reviews in the next post...

My favourites from the line:

LUA
a warm composition with almonds and a pwdery, musky touch. Pleasant.

Xerjoff 17/17 Elle
a multi-layered floral in the style of the older and now discontinued Patou fragrances. Elegant and refined.

Oroville
convincing because of the originality of the tobacco-jasmine-carnation accord. Really enjoyed that one.

Ibitira
Good! In the spirit of Shalimar... a fine scent with a warm, powdery vaniila base.
NIO
The greenest scent in the line. Freshly cut grass with lemony overtones and a touch of hay. Outdoorsy and straight-forward.
Memorable.

XXY
a light woody amber, transparent in structure. Very pleasant.

Mefisto
unimpressive - in spite of its name. Neither develish nor edgy - on the contrary- a well-balanced, green floral. Pleasant, of course, good raw materials- but methinks: Where have I smelt this before? Devoid of any originality. I do expect MORE from such an expensive scent.

And last - not least:
Irisss -
a transparent, high-quality Iris done in the musky-opaque style. GOOD!

On the package, it says Irisss is supposed to be "worn with confidence by those who are refined and distinguished in life".
I probably can't pull this one off... not distinguished enough. It is percisely this kind of commercial blurp which I find off-putting - and I can see that is is aimed at the Xerjoff audience of "New Russians" (therefore the Russian translations on the samples which read even worse than the English text...- it is all about being chosen, selected, distinguished and discerning.)
My simple motto is: Trust your nose, not the price-tag!
Therefore, this line is nothing I would ever recommend to anybody but a millionaire.

Samples will go the UK tomorrow! The more opinions, the better!

I was surprised by the quality of some of the scents in the line. Many featured some very expensive natural ingredients. Particularly their Iris and Orris absolutes are top notch.

I think Fiore D'Olivo would be excellent on a woman, although the citrus/fruit notes up top don't smell worth the price tag, they're very "Un Jardin", but the floral notes here are very appealing.

Fiero was very retro appealing to me at first, but the drydown was too retro, I was hoping for a fresher heart and base, as this base smells like a premium version of some popular 80's masculine i have smelled often. If anyone knows it, I'd like to know.


These were the two which came close for me:

Kobe - Don't know why more aren't pointing out how much natural Orris absolute this has in it. It's quite good, but too powdery for me still. Essentially a more citrusy, and less powdery version of Amouage Reflection with more orange blossom. A very good unisex scent.

Mefisto - Many compare to SMW, and while they're right, it's closer to Montale's Bois Fruite, and closer still to, Creed's "Magical Scent" blend of SMW, GIT, and ZMP. If anyone has smelled Creed's SMW, ZMP, Kiton Black, and either Davidoff's Good Life, Profumum Ichnusa, Hermes Jardin Mediterranae, or Diptyque's Philosykos, they will know all the prominent accords in Mefisto. It has some of the sheer/powdery fig used in the davidoff/diptyque/hermes/profumum, some of the synthetic violet leaf used in Kiton Black, and an overall impression alot like SMW and Bois Fruite. I for one, am left wanting more wood from the composition. A very good scent, better than SMW in many aspects, but not worth retail, which seems the only option for current purchase. If Xerjoff sold the 75ml for $100usd or so, I'd buy it, but not for $297

As for the packaging and presentations. I place little value on the full presentations. they seem very "Sprockets turtleneck" in their uncertain artistic intent. However, I think the boxes and bottles for the Casamorati line are spectacular. Especially the murals on the boxes are beautiful.

Homme remains my absolute favourite from this house, I just wish they had refill bottles or something for a 1/3 of the price.

They do, don't they? Check parfumsraffy and look at the very bottom of the bottles listing for Homme.

Has anyone ever purchased a refill??????

UPA.... Thank you for your candor. I am only a fan of a few offerings from the line as well. I was very interested to read your associations to other scents. I think you were on the money.

But MOSTLY I find your ad copy translations from the Russian very interesting, and very disconcerting.

I am also categorically put off by snob-appeal advertising, which somehow (and I am shocked by the blatancy in those words you shared!) implies the parvenu are somehow more 'noble' and/or 'deserving' than the less fortunate...

It infuriates me, actually... and rousts my little inner punk rocker.


But I will concede to being swayed by snob appeal campaigns that appeal to my discernment... I mean, what can I say ?

Dear Hillaire,
we seem to share the same little punk rocker...

I think I cannot stomach this stuff because I lived in Russia for a while and was involved in several welfare projects. The money you spend on one of those posh bottles is more than the average Russian babushka's pension per month.

Like you - I am always willing to make concessions and I also fall for pricey scents - if I find them attractive.
But XerJoff does not have this certain "je ne sais quoi" to make me want to spend all that money.

When I went to the Guerlain Boutique on Champs d'Elysées three weeks ago, I had so many illuminating olfactory moments and spend some money there, too. The Guerlain stuff is so much better than the average XerJoff - and "only" half the price.... - even for "Les Exclusif".

oo still a little too pricey. They used to have the shooting star range in refills at Harrods but they took that range out and they only cost £90 a bottle back then!!!.

dble post---!.

Yesterday, I ordered Verona 010 at the XerJoff e-Boutique. After the checkout process, I was redirected to the website, were the payment methods showed up. But there was no PayPal option. Now I'm really confused, because the website says, you can pay via paypal. And at the moment I can't pay with credit card. I wrote an e-mail to XerJoff, but they do not answer. What should I do? Should I wait for an answer or write another e-mail? Can I cancel my order, if they do not answer?

Did you send an e-mail to Sergio at momo@xerjoff.com He may be in America at the moment, but they definitely always answer an e-mail and are one of the most helpful companies I've ever come across. If there are problems on the website with PayPal, they'll certainly give you the PayPal e-mail address, so you can send payment that way. Give them time to reply

Going through some samples from the Shooting Star line these past few weeks. To be fair these dab samplers were just enough to offer me some first impressions, certainly not enough for full wearings or more detailed musings.

Uden
Excellent 1st hour with its scintillating blend of citrus, fruit & florals over musky woods interspersed with a boozy rum note. Marine fougere? The overall effect does convey a certain salty sea breeziness about it so I can buy into this idea. The rapid progression towards coffee, amber & vanilla reminded me somewhat of Yohji Homme. The drydown may wear a little too thin for me but I can see why this could be a bestseller.

Nio
Already one of my favorites. Beautifully rendered neroli gives way to a charming blend of woods, greens & just the right amount of spice. Classy Mediterranean-styled EDC after my own heart.

Dhofar
One of the more original offerings. A classic masculine in the vein of Eau Sauvage given a Middle Eastern makeover. Soapy, earthy, spicy. Alas, a little too 'traditional-mature' for my tastes. But I can probably rock it in 10 years.

Modoc
Understated elegance in a bottle but nothing groundbreaking. Probably too smooth for its own good. Flies under the radar of powerfrag & sillage lovers. I'd like a little more personality if I'm spending this much on a single fragrance.

Kobe
Fabulous 20 minutes with neroli, petitgrain & citrus peels. Unfortunately Kobe fizzled out with a flat tonka & amber base, the resins were far too subdued imo and there was nothing that could pass for 'oud'. I suspect this is a frag that needs to be liberally applied before it shines but right now, I'm left disappointed.

Tobacco Oroville
Orange flower, carnation & tobacco? Weird combo but I actually find the dissonance very interesting. Enough to wear it? Yes. But FB?? I'm not too sure - the jury is still out.

** will continue with samples of Lua, Oesel, Ibitra, Esquel, Shingl & Dhajala **

Anyway, after trying these 6, I found myself in agreement with many of the earlier assessments. Quality-wise, the Xerjoffs do offer some of the finest or most natural-smelling ingredients I've smelled in a fragrance. But lasting power is just about average on my skin (5-6 hours) and judging by the rather 'safe' compositions, they seem designed to please the more affluent but not necessarily fragrance-savvy customer. That's a pretty good move imo, putting it at least a couple of rungs above Bond No.9. And there is an 'understated style' element in Xerjoffs that sits well with me. But I'm not too crazy about its pricing nor its packaging; am I the only one who finds the Casamoratti bottles absolutely ghastly?

Xerjoff XJ 17/17 Homme

I tested this one today from a dab sample.

This has been one of the weirdest fragrance experiences to date for me.
The opening is absolutely beautiful. Rich, with citrus and a certain freshness. Something slightly sweet with a leather undertone. Delicious. Perfectly balanced.

Exactly one minute later, the richness and freshness fades dramatically. The balance is totally destroyed and all you get is a dramatic and agressive, very masculine leather. It reminded me instantly of Knize Ten. Although Homme is a bit rounder, less agressive in the early stages.

After one hour the leather gets a little bit softer, because of some flowers. It's very faint, but enough to soften up the leather. It's a hard to describe kind of freshness.
But after three hours it's almost exactly Knize Ten. There is still a litle difference ofcourse, but it's not like night and day.

After six hours the leather seems to fade and the leather and flowers seem to get more into balance again. Now in this stage I also smell something woody.

All in all, this fragrance seems to fluctuate between an agressive masculine leather fragrance and a more rounder, slightly floral concoction. It tries to walk that line, like a rope dancer, but fails to hold his balance. Although there are florals, it is by no means feminine, the composition stays masculine all the way.

The ingredients are from a very high quality. Good longevity. It's the first time I'm actually getting sillage from applying fragrance from a dab sample to my arm. It's not a sillage monster, but the whafts come over as very pure and high quality. If you spray this fragrance, it will probably be very strong though.

Xerjoff XJ Shooting Stars - Kobe

Described by Xerjoff as a sensual woody citrus for men.

And boy are they right. A lot of fragrances are described by the manufacturers as sexy and sensual. Most of the times, it's not the case. But in this case with Kobe, Xerjoff is not lying.

I was overwhelmed and arroused by the topnotes. The citrus in this one is absolutely sparkling and vibrant. Very realistic and clear. Sensual like no other. This is easily the best citrus I have ever smelled. This makes Acqua di Parma (I only tested Colonia Intense so far) smell synthetic. The citrus zests smell absolutely wonderful and very real.

Kobe shares the same sexyness as Dolce & Gabanna pour Homme. I looked up the fragrance pyramid and compared it with the notes in the description of Kobe, and quite some notes do match. But make no mistake about it. Kobe is far superior. This is the more refined and luxurious version of D&G PH. It's his better educated brother.

When Kobe dries down the citrus fades, although not as fast as you might think.
After some hours it gets sweeter, and gives almost the same sweet vibe as (the reformulated) Chergui by Serge Lutens. From the head to the basenotes there seems to be a nice tobacco note, which would explain why it smells like D&G PH. And why it smells slightly like Chergui in the drydown.

If the price wouldn't be so high, I would buy it immediately.
Great for a romantic date. Great for partying.

Watch out if you are a young guy wearing this to parties. Young girls love citrus on men. If they will smell this on you, they might bite your nipples.

I can't see any Xerjoff refills on their website her http://www.parfumsraffy.com/xerjoff/...ragrances.html

Can you please post a link?

Just click into any of the 17/17s... it's the listing right above samples:
http://www.parfumsraffy.com/xerjoff/xerjoff-homme.html

Thanks....but is there any such thing as 'refills' for the 'Shooting star' range?

Nope, just on the 17/17, because those are hand blown and crafted bottles that are one of a kind, so I guess it's just for those not wanting the artwork with it.

Today I finally received V010 by XerJoff Dominique Salvo of XerJoff and Cairomerta were really kind and helped me during the whole process (there were technical problems at the eBoutique). I never experienced such helpful, friendly and patient staff at any fragrance company before

The fragrance is heaven! It is very sweet, refined and made with high quality ingredients. In the beginning, there is also a fruity orange-note and I can detect a faint herbal lavender. V010 is strong, longlasting and has tremendous sillage. You only need 2 or 3 light sprays and you will smell FOREVER. These were my first impressions, I will write a detailed review later. And while I was writing this, I kept smelling my wrist...

I was curious to try this Italian niche line that lately got a lot of atention here and on the blogs. I have to thank you the generous cairomerta from Xerjoff from the samples!
I`m starting my scented trip to this brand by Oroville. Picked it because of the promised tobacco note, in the hope of a fresh tobacco fragrance. It`s not that kind of fragrance, but i`m really liking what i see. My overall impression of Oroville is of a vintage formula adequated to materials available today. Seems like a masculine spicy fragrance which you don`t see anymore - full of contrasts. The opening is very short on my skin, a slightly fruity and urinous combination of chamomile and sage. The sage is not as urinous as the one you found in Jules, but it reminded me of Jules at the opening. Then, the scent fastly goes to what seems a very italian citrus aroma, and then suddenly on me it`s all about carnation and tobacco. The carnation is more evident, and it`s the kind of carnation that you see in masculines from the 80s, that liqueurish and dark carnation melted perfectly with the tobacco aroma. After some moments the sage seems to join the carnation and tobacco. After two hours it`s a skin scent on me, with some musk and just a trace of the bitterness from galbanum. The scent seems to project a vanilla that i cannot detect by myself, since my mom told me, when i entered at the car to go to work, that she was smelling a fruity aroma (i imagine that she was refering to the citrus flowers) and some vanilla. I get the citrus part, but the vanilla scapes from me. The overall balance is of an aromatic spicy fragrance of citrus and musky accents, that may sound intense at the beginning but is skinscent after some hours. I really liked it, but i wished it had more sillage.