Mini Reviews – Xerjoff, Frederic Malle

Xerjoff – Naxos – Sicily in a bottle or headache in a bottle? 6/10

Naxos was released in 2015 as part of a trio of scents honouring Italy’s 150 years of unification. The other two in the line are 1861 Renaissance and 1861 Zefiro. At the time of writing, a new scent, Decas, has joined the trio. Unfortunately, I’ve not yet tried that one.

Naxos is one of those scents that pops up often if you ask someone their favorite Xerjoff. A sweet concoction revolving around vanilla, honey, tonka, cinnamon, and tobacco. Sadly, on my skin, it often feels sticky and cloying. I sometimes feel like scrubbing it off, but I enjoy the scent on other occasions. It’s an enigma. I think the aromatic nuances of the lavender save it from being a total scrubber. Naxos isn’t something I’d buy, but I can see why it is so beloved. Those gourmand notes are always crowd-pleasers. I only wish it wasn’t so suffocatingly sweet and candy-like to the point of being headache-inducing.

Naxos has excellent longevity and projection, lasting well over 10 hours and projecting strongly for 4 of those. It’s hard to recommend it, though, as I can rattle off so many other scents that do this sweet, honeyed tobacco thing so well. Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford, Tabac Rouge by Phaedon, Fourreau Noir/Chergui by Serge Lutens, The Odd Fellow’s Bouquet by Atkinson’s, and Pure Havane by Mugler are all viable alternatives.

Most comparisons link Naxos with Pure Havane. A comparison I feel is a bit of an overreach. Pure Havane is heavier, sweeter with cherry nuances, and lacks the aromatic and floral effects of Naxos. Having said all that, I prefer Pure Havane to Naxos. I’m a fully-fledged Mugler fanboy; what can I say. Naxos is worth a try if you like this genre, though.

Frederic Malle – Rose & Cuir – A rose like no other – 8.5/10

Rose and Cuir is an intriguing release that baffled me on first impressions. My advice would be to leave your expectations at the door when sampling this one.

The rose and leather are not prominent features, at least early on. Instead, a hefty dose of geranium with its aromatic and rosy nuances plays the starring role. Black currant lends a tangy, minty feel to proceedings. The leather (IsoButyl Quinoline) becomes more evident as it drys down, and I could see it being a little too heavy for some. However, for mine, it doesn’t overwhelm the composition as It mixes with green, smoky vetiver in the base, which gives Rose and Cuir an almost earthy, ashy bitterness.

The scent is beautifully balanced and still retains a transparent effect, thanks to the fresher notes. Some rose lovers do not like this one, as it is more of a faded impression of a rose and unlike any other rose that Malle has released. I’m a fan, however, and it’s a worthy addition to their impressive rose collection. Lovely work from Jean-Claude Ellena. 

Have you tried these fragrances? Do you have a favourite rose or tobacco/vanilla scent?

Note: Bottle images courtesy of Fragrantica.