Temptalia

Xerjoff Naxos Perfume Review

Christine — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Xerjoff Naxos Eau de Parfum opened with a sweet mix of citrus blossoms and lavender sprigs that were swept up in a air of cinnamon and honey, so the lavender never read medicinal. While the notes were readily discernible, they were more diffused after a half hour and through the fourth hour. The dry down was mostly honeyed vanilla with a hint lavender.

Naxos Notes

It is described as as “steeped in heritage but with a contemporary twist” that is “classically Italian.”

top notes: Bergamot, lemon, lavender
heart notes: Honey, cinnamon, cashmere
base notes: Tobacco leaf, tonka beans, vanilla

What does Naxos Smell Like?

It opened up with a sweet, floral bouquet of lemony florals and lavender blowing in the wind with wafts of cinnamon-spiced honey that drizzled across the florals. It was almost cake-like in its sweetness, though more of a perfume and floral-heavy composition than truly representative of cake. The lavender was never medicinal, and it was particularly well-woven with the lemon and bergamot that it added of spring airiness without being strikingly like lavender.

After 20 minutes, Naxos was more diffused, hazy like a veil of lemon-lavender and soft, golden honey. It continued to grow hazier, not so much muddled, just diffused and gauzy with the notes still discernible enough. After four hours, spiced vanilla and its accompanying sweetness melted into the honey and diminished the intensity of the lemon-lavender accord. The drydown, which appeared nearer to the sixth hour, was mostly honey-vanilla with a hint of lavender.

Longevity

It lasted for seven hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate for the first two hours before dropping closer to the body and the skin, respectively.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Naxos is available for $275/50ml.

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Naxos Samples

We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.

Where to Buy

Xerjoff Naxos Perfume Review

Xerjoff Pikovaya Dama Perfume Review

Christine — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Xerjoff Pikovaya Dama Eau de Parfum opens with sweet, fizzy citrus that made me think of a higher-end take on lemon-lime soda. The iris added a creamy, powdery element with aromatic woods that followed, which tended to mute the effervescent quality after an hour. The drydown is lightly spiced, vanilla-woods.

Pikovaya Dama Notes

It is described as being inspired by the novel Pikovaya Dama and use “luscious notes of romantic floral” that “mingle with vibrant citrus and a deep musky base.”

top notes: Calabrian bergamot, neroli
heart notes: Turkish iris, coriander, Moroccan atlas cedar
base notes: Ceylon sandalwood, patchouli, musk, bourbon vanilla

What does Pikovaya Dama Smell Like?

It opened with a burst of sweet, citrus blossoms and a touch of darker, bitter citrus peel that was swiftly blanketed by fizzy pop–it had that zing of carbonation with a slightly, more diluted syrupy sweetness. It evoked lemon-lime soda, just more refined and not as sweet as the actual drink. The effervescent, sweet citrus was light and airy, not weighed down by its sugary content.

About 30 minutes into development, there was a whisper of creamy, slightly powdery, iris in the background. Fifteen minutes later, warm, aromatic woods arrived and most of the effervescence dissipated at this point. The sweetness was darker, chewier, lightly spiced, which gave the fragrance more body and made it headier, though not as heavy as it could be.

The musk joined the base notes after about an hour and a half hour of wear, further making the fragrance seem more diffused and heady. The muskiness became less prominent after three hours, and the vanilla was stronger, sweeter in the drydown.

Longevity

It lasted for five hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first hour of wear.

Personal Notes

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

Availability

Pikovaya Dama is available for $275/50ml.

Pikovaya Dama Samples

We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.

Where to Buy

Xerjoff Pikovaya Dama Perfume Review

Xerjoff Golden Moka Perfume Review

Christine — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Xerjoff Golden Moka Eau de Parfum starts with tangier, zestier citrus fruits that quickly sweeten but have a green undercurrent that mitigates them from getting to be cloyingly sweet. There was a jammier rose that was hard to detect individually but rounded things out. The drydown was more ambered and resinous but the sweeter citrus lingered noticeably. Coffee, not so much; at least not as a definable note, possibly as something that gave body to the overall fragrance but it really didn’t show up for me!

It’s described, in brief, by Xerjoff as an “explosion of rich coffee and enlivening citrus.” Here are the notes:

top notes: blood orange, mandarin, lemon
heart notes: coffee absolute, rose absolute, Cambodian oud, amber
base notes: incense, labdanum, green accord

It opened with bitter citrus, their juice dripping down a cutting board they were that sharp and vibrant. The mandarin came last in the citrus trio, which added orange sweetness but not enough to entirely overtake the sharpness of lemon. Their leaves discarded nearby, still fresh and green but in the distance. A soft, jammy rose added more sweetness and body to the fragrance after five minutes.

Golden Moka was warm, fruity, and sweet with green undertones that kept it from being cloyingly sweet, but it was definitely sweeter within a few minutes of application than I would have guessed by the description and list of notes! The green undertone strengthened and ran through the fragrance after a half hour, and a soft, smoky incense and amber duo became the new undercurrent.

There were minor shifts in the middle where the greenness slowly but surely was subsumed by golden resins, warm and sweet, with a hint of fruity-something-rather that amplified the overall feel of sweetness and tamped down any spice. The drydown was lightly fruity, sweet, and ambered.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for seven hours until it was a skin-scent and about 10 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within two hours of wear.

Personal Thoughts

It was too sweetly fruity in a way that felt unnatural, so it wasn’t something I ended up loving, but it was by no means difficult to wear! I also would want to get the coffee note out of a scent that’s supposed to have it!

Available Sizes

50ml for $235
0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

LuckyScent

Xerjoff Golden Moka Perfume Review

Xerjoff Nio Perfume Review

Christine — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Xerjoff Nio Eau de Parfum begins with an intense, peppery dose of zesty citrus that becomes more floral over time; initially, citrus-floral and then slightly tempered with the white floral of jasmine. The woods were more apparent in the drydown and melded with the soft, slightly sweet and citrus florals.

It is described as a “woody aromatic” that as “top notes of bergamot, rose pepper and nutmeg” with an “earthy heart of jasmine and green leaves” over “cedar wood, guaiac wood, and amber” base notes.

top notes: bergamot, Tunisian neroli, rose pepper, nutmeg
heart notes: jasmine, green leaves
base notes: guaiac wood, cedarwood, Haitian vetiver

Scent Development

It opened with bright, fresh, and zesty citrus–lemon peel, orange blossoms, and a peppery kick that made the composition a little sharper and less floral. Behind it all was a wall of lush, green vines with jasmine blooms waiting to be exposed. Within five minutes, Nio sweetened in its floralcy but was still full of zest, light white florals, and dense greenery.

Nutmeg made an appearance about 15 minutes into the development of Nio–slightly spicy and earthy, which paved the way for woody facets to come through at the 45-minute mark. Aromatic woods appeared and became a more noticeable part of the composition through the drydown, though the fragrance wans’t particularly long-wearing on me. I found that the drydown ended up around the four-hour mark and was a soft, citrus floral and wood blurriness with subtle floral sweetness.

Application

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for eight hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within two hours.

Available Sizes

50ml for $275
0.7ml sample for $7

Where to Buy

Scent Split

Xerjoff Nio Perfume Review

Xerjoff Starlight Perfume Review

Christine — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Xerjoff Starlight Eau de Parfum includes warm, winter spices with a creamy, almond heart that gives way to golden amber and aromatic cedarwood. The journey was fluid and more linear with the clove and cinnamon being more dominant against both almond and amber for about half the wear.

It is described as having “warming spices” with “flaming balsamic accords.” Here are the notes:

top notes: bergamot, cardamom
heart notes: almond, clove, cinnamon
base notes: amber, cedarwood

Scent Development

It opened with a sweet burst of clove and cinnamon, warm and spicy, with zesty bergamot in the background. Then fresh cardamom joined the fray with its slight bite and green quality. Almond added a creamy, nuttiness and a suggestion of cherry after 10 minutes. It was a warm, spicy mix of light citrus and creamy almond with the beginning stages of golden amber, resinous and warm.

Starlight remained warm and spicy but became more resinous with rich amber and drier cedarwood, though I found the clove and cinnamon were still quite intense. After two hours, the cinnamon and clove finally diminished and dropped to a whisper, blending in with the amber and cedarwood while the almond was vague, creamy nuttiness against spiced, dry woods with rich resins.

Any shifts were few and far between for the reminder of the wear, merely weakening and softening over time, while the drydown highlighted the amber with the cedarwood weakening and going into the background.

Application

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for eight hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with both dropping closer after three hours.

Personal Thoughts

I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I feel like I’ve smelled this type of composition before, and I have had a similar reaction – good but not to the point where I fell totally in love with it and had to have a bottle.

Available Sizes

50ml for $275
0.7ml sample for $7

Where to Buy

Xerjoff Starlight Perfume Review

Xerjoff More Than Words Perfume Review

Christine — Thu, 19 May 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Xerjoff More Than Words Eau de Parfum is primarily a sweet, jammy rose and moderately animalic oud fragrance. The composition sweetens with resinous notes and lightly spiced woody notes in the middle and drydown phases, but it was a fairly linear progression overall, so if you like the first hour, you’ll probably enjoy the remainder of the fragrance’s wear!

More than Words Notes

Though the brand has tried to keep the notes secret, here are what retailers list them as… oud, fruity notes, floral notes, ambery notes, ambergris, woody notes, olibanum, and labdanum. It is supposed to inspired by a “secret club of writers and poets.”

What does More than Words Smell Like?

It opened with sweet and sour fruits–I detected hints of apple, rhubarb, and possibly lemon–against a soft, jammy rose. For the first 30 minutes or so, More Than Words was bright, fruity, and sweet with rose, and then facets of oud started to emerge–at first, just slightly animalic but it grew in its strength, becoming more animalic while a salty undertone came through against the oud.

Most of the wear was quite linear, which is never a bad thing so long as one enjoys the note structure to begin with, and I found that the oud was more animalic initially, especially as the labdanum brought a leather note with it, but from the third hour through the drydown in the sixth hour, the oud became less and less animalic. This occurred as the fragrance became more resinous, woodier, and slightly spiced with the fruitiness softening while the rose continued to bloom.

Longevity

It lasted for eight hours until it was a skin-scent and about 16 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate but it was surprisingly intense and long-lasting as a skin scent.

Testing Methodology

Availability

More than Words is available for $120/100ml.

More than Words Samples

We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.

Where to Buy

LuckyScent

Xerjoff More Than Words Perfume Review

Xerjoff Cruz del Sur II Perfume Review

Christine — Wed, 18 May 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Xerjoff Cruz del Sur II Eau de Parfum is a mix of tropical fruits with a greener apple that often dominated for the first hour but the pineapple and mango, along with musk and floral aspects, were the stars from there. The base was musky, slightly woody, and it wasn’t until the drydown that it was more noticeable, but the fruity notes were in play for the entirety of the journey.

It is described as having “fresh and fruity top notes” with a heart of “green leaves and floral bouquet” that sits on a base of “earthy cedar wood and musk.” Here are the notes:

top notes: mango, pineapple, apple blossom
heart notes: floral bouquet
base notes: cedarwood, musk

Scent Development

Sweet, ripened mango coupled with tangy pineapple opened the perfume, and then crisp green apple blended the mango and pineapple together, giving the effect of tropical fruit cocktail boosted with apple juice. It was sweet, fruity, and fairly intense (to the point where the sweetness of the fruits felt less realistic). From there, the battle began between the apple and mango/pineapple duo with the apple winning and being the most prominent fruit note.

As the “floral bouquet” unfurled at the 20-minute mark, it lightened the sweetness coming from the fruits, while there was a milky quality that added a creaminess to the composition, which pulled and stretched the notes and created more of a haze of sweet, tropical fruits and soft apple with a backdrop of florals.

After three hours of wear, the base turned creamy, musky, and smoother with aromatic cedarwood coming through, but the sweet fruits still were quite present. It was closer to the drydown, which was nearer to the fifth hour, that the fruity notes were quieter and drifted over a musky, woody base.

Application

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for six hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate for the first three hours.

Personal Thoughts

The fruit notes were overly ripened to me, which tends to give the impression of something synthetically sweet – I like these types of notes to retain more of a photorealistic feel and smell. This was more like the middle and drydown phases for me, which was when I enjoyed the fragrance the most!

Available Sizes

50ml for $275
0.7ml sample for $7

Where to Buy

LuckyScent

Xerjoff Cruz del Sur II Perfume Review

Xerjoff Amber Star Perfume Review

Christine — Wed, 04 May 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Xerjoff Amber Star Eau de Parfum opens with intensely spiced ambery woods before rich resins and a kiss of vanilla join. I found that there was a drier, almost leather-like undertone with a soft, salty-musky quality that was short-lived but there in the early moments. The ylang-ylang added an airiness to it with its soft floral feel. Over time, the sandalwood, benzoin, and vanilla intensified, while the amber varied in its intensity throughout the development. The drydown was blurrier with a mix of vanilla and woods.

This scent is, apparently, only available bundled with another Xerjoff fragrance (Star Musk), which is an interesting choice given how pricey a single bottle is, let alone two of them!

Here are the notes:

top notes: ambergris, ylang-ylang, cedar
heart notes: myrrh, guaiac wood, Gurjan balsam
base notes: vanilla, benzoin, opoponax, sandalwood

It was sharp, spiced amber, and woody in its first minute before it filled with rich, balsamic resins and a hint of vanilla. There was a subtle, drier, almost leathery undertone against a wisp of saltiness gave the scent a cooler feel. Soft ylang-ylang added a breezy, sweet floral quality in the background. The benzoin slowly layered over the amber, enriching it and deepening the sweetness while amping up the vanilla quotient.

An hour in, a soft, creamy sandalwood merged with the vanillic benzoin, lending a smooth base for the lightly spiced amber and benzoin to sit upon. The amber returned and grew in its intensity between the second and third owner–dark and golden, spiced and woody. The drydown was rich vanilla and blurry woods.

Application

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.