its just such a pleasure to watch your reviews! youre the only reviewer i regularly watch atm and im glad to see your channel grow! about monkey special.. it smells decadent and it "pops" a lot more than most xerjoff fragrances, which tend to be too blurry or flat for me. to me a good perfume should create an aura and this one certainly does! its not for everyone and everyday, but its a great choice for young lavish hedonists and old rock stars alike.
@@johannesorth9370 wow your ‘blurry’ analogy is perfect! I feel the exact same way and it’s the reason I also like Monkey Special! Thanks for watching and commenting 🙂
Amazing that you seem to be one of the few reviewers on UA-cam, Fragrantica, etc who get the super-dominant, long-lasting passionfruit (maracuja) note in the first hour of this fragrance. I have actually worried that something might be wrong with my nose, possibly being hypersensitive to the characteristic components in passionfruit accords - or if perhaps most people have never eaten or smelled real passionfruit and therefore do not recognise the smell as such. The maracuja accord in here smells different in composition, but not in components, to the one used very prominently in Oud Maracujá. Puzzling that hardly anybody else seems to notice the very obvious passionfruit opening but raves about the patchouli, the caramel, the rum, etc. Anyway, another great review of another great fragrance. Compliments.
@@HansHase78 thanks for the comment! The passion fruit is what makes this fragrance, without it this would be just another boozy leather patchouli to be lost in the pile. The Crivelli has the same type of opening but it’s much shorter lived 👍
I think you are very good reviewer, particularly for the niche fragrances...I just love fragrances.. and have at least 150 bottles mostly niche but honestly I still don't have any signature fragrance yet...hopefully watching your vides will find me one. Thanks
Thanks for the comment! If love perfume and you are hovering at 150 bottles I have bad news for you, you probably will not find a signature; this is unless you decide to downsize all the way down and basically quit exploring outside of strip sampling.
@@SeldomlyOften Thanks for the advice..I am just addicted to perfumes..anyone says good thing here on UA-cam I just buy it and honestly the majority smell almost similar. I buy at least one perfume a month..This month alone 5.. two Clive christian, one rasasi, one Kajal, and one MMASI..Actually I like the one from MMASI..it is called NYer High Times.. Anyway I am going to watch your review and hopefully I find two perfumes for each season and the rest I am going to get rid of...so Thanks again.
I need to try this. I've been into collecting for 5+ years, but Xerjoff is a brand I haven't started exploring yet. This one calls to me, though. I love fruits with booze, and smoke so I think I would enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@SeldomlyOften yea, they are definitely pushed hard my media. There are just so many houses out there, and I don't like blind buying, so I'm working my way through slowly. When I find a house I like, I tend to explore as much of their stuff as I can before moving on to another house. Of some of the larger brands, Xerjoff (and Sospiro,) Nishane, and Frederic Malle are ones I haven't gotten to yet. People definitely tend to be surprised that I am well versed with small houses like Tauer, Sarah Baker, and Francesca Bianchi, but I've never even smelled Naxos, Musc Ravageur, or Hacivat. 😆
I think one of their issues is not disclosing/crediting perfumers all the time and the fact that they have no 'face'. It would be a more relatable brand if you would see Sergio Momo in interviews and such.
I have this and agree with your observations. I love wearing this one on nights out with my wife. Dinner, fun at the casino, concert events, etc. Great projection and longevity. It will really set you apart.
Again, appreciate your thoroughness and your skill with descriptions. Most of the things you said in praise of the house and the fragrance make me think this is probably not for me at all -- which makes your review extremely helpful! And of course I'd need to get a sample to have a real clue.
@@wagstaff6135 well, this is a weird scent, you have to really love the passion fruit paired with leather. If that sounds interesting I would give it a try but it’s far from the universally liked panty dropper it’s said to be.
@@SeldomlyOften the description "panty dropper" would be even more of a repellent, had you said it *is* that. I just already dislike Xerjoff's pricing and that common-DNA you talk about, their particular use of snythetics; and am with you on not wanting the huge "all attention on me!" cry that some of these fragrances have. Passionfruit as a note sounds fine, and I am very partial to leather actually (including some generally-considered "polarizing" leathers). I also like Tony Iommi and like the monkey pattern on the bottle. You were very thorough on all of this.
@@wagstaff6135 I was obviously poking some fun at the list names these days. Terrible stuff. Stay tuned for my next Xerjoff video, I’m pretty much going to be leaving everything Chris Maurice behind.
@@SeldomlyOften Yes yes, "panty dropper" was clearly poking fun -- I got you clearly! The only full bottle of I have of Xerjoff is Nio, which is a useful summer fragrance, but even at discounters prices, I'm not sure I'd give a second look nowadays.
Enjoyed the video 👍I love this fragrance. I wore it to my company Christmas party and had so much fun getting whiffs of myself. We went out after and it felt perfect. It didn't seem harsh to me but very sexy.
Agreed. Just tried Starlight because it is recommended for the fall season... interesting opening but the drydown is linear so I am still on the hunt for something I love. I own La Capitale b/c of the hype and want to try Cavour I and Ivory Route. Thank you for the great review.
Great channel, you know your stuff. By the way, talking about evening scents, what do you like to wear on hot summer nights? Maybe a topic for another video?
@@LeoR4U summer nights, where I live, are pretty fresh so I feel comfortable to wear a lot of stuff. Lately I’ve been wearing Cafe Tabac by Aedes de Venustas 👍 I’m thinking about integrating some sort of list videos in between the usual reviews, I just want to do it the right way.
I got this for my birthday and I already worn it to a wedding - an outside autumn wedding. Everything you say is true especially if there's a little bit of wind outside, this stuff travels in the air like an F-16. I used 5 sprays, that's a little bit over the board, but I only did it because I knew I will not spend time indoors, otherwise 2 sprays would have been enough. Another fragrance that I caught in the air from someone else - and it smelled really magical - was Carlisle from PDM, that stuff on a cold day...I can't describe how good it was. All of this changed today when I just received a cold weather fragrance that it's hard for me to explain in words: Dior Homme Parfum, this is simply...unparalelled. Going back to Toni Iommy...I think I will always have a bottle in my collection - mainly for the fact that my wife won't shut up about it on how good it smells in the air, she loves it 😍 Thanks for the review.
@@LeprechaunSeeker thanks for the comment about your experience. I feel that events like weddings is where you can really pull out the big guns without much worry 😊 Gonna try Dior Parfum soon 💪
I think the cap is meant to represent a fountain pen's head, as the fragrances are made to create memories, hence the writing metaphor... as if you were writing a diary.
@@ayywolf this was an assumption from The Niche Fragrance Collector, I like that one a lot. I heard/read somewhere that it’s a pharaoh head since Xerjoff is from Torino and Torino is famous for its Egyptian artifacts.
Bruh. They just delivered my package this morning on this. 😂. A lot of strong rum note in the beginning. Caught me off guard. But the dry down is where this shines.
@@yupsureok1778 I actually really like the harsh punchy opening. The drydown is similar to other Xerjoff fragrances. Do you think you could pull this off in public?
Totally agree with you in Xerjoffs drydown. Their openings are awesome but their drydowns are bland. Probably bought 30 samples from them, nothing made me go wow i have to buy this asap. Maybe torino 21 and naxos but not for those prices. Also nio gave me a massive headache so...yea...Only one in my to buy list is mefisto gentiluomo so far. Will sample this when the weather gets a bit cooler here :)
@@ognjencorovic Cool! I also tend to follow perfume channels that I have similar taste with. That way it’s easier to know what to expect. For example, as much as I enjoy watching Justin Copeland, our tastes are completely different so I need to take his recommendations lightly.
Solid release, performance is great. I will put it in the same chategory as red tobacco, carlisle and triumph of baccus. Not mindblowing to me but good. Can be worn any season without problem
I feel that this is way weirder than those you mentioned, those play it way safer with compositions that don't really screech. Agree on the seasonality :)
@@amaterasublack3519 Monkey Special smells NOTHING like Grand Soir. They are as a far as can be fragrance design wise. One is a flashy, loud and strange release, the other is a classic, elegant and understated perfume.
Tommy Iommi is just the clone with a twist of the clone of the clone of the clone of Ambre Narguile. It is what it is...and the list of clones is shameless and long, as Oajan, Angel's Share, and on and on.
@@MrLanarana huh, never seen it like that, a ton of leather and the passion fruit opening is quite different. AS being heavily inspired by the Hermes I completely agree
its just such a pleasure to watch your reviews!
youre the only reviewer i regularly watch atm and im glad to see your channel grow!
about monkey special.. it smells decadent and it "pops" a lot more than most xerjoff fragrances, which tend to be too blurry or flat for me. to me a good perfume should create an aura and this one certainly does! its not for everyone and everyday, but its a great choice for young lavish hedonists and old rock stars alike.
@@johannesorth9370 wow your ‘blurry’ analogy is perfect! I feel the exact same way and it’s the reason I also like Monkey Special!
Thanks for watching and commenting 🙂
best reviews in the space, brother.
@@PwnageEngage thanks, much appreappreciated 🙂
I just bought it, after watching your review 😊
@@rupesigogo hopefully it lives up to the review!!
Amazing that you seem to be one of the few reviewers on UA-cam, Fragrantica, etc who get the super-dominant, long-lasting passionfruit (maracuja) note in the first hour of this fragrance. I have actually worried that something might be wrong with my nose, possibly being hypersensitive to the characteristic components in passionfruit accords - or if perhaps most people have never eaten or smelled real passionfruit and therefore do not recognise the smell as such.
The maracuja accord in here smells different in composition, but not in components, to the one used very prominently in Oud Maracujá. Puzzling that hardly anybody else seems to notice the very obvious passionfruit opening but raves about the patchouli, the caramel, the rum, etc.
Anyway, another great review of another great fragrance. Compliments.
@@HansHase78 thanks for the comment! The passion fruit is what makes this fragrance, without it this would be just another boozy leather patchouli to be lost in the pile.
The Crivelli has the same type of opening but it’s much shorter lived 👍
I think you are very good reviewer, particularly for the niche fragrances...I just love fragrances.. and have at least 150 bottles mostly niche but honestly I still don't have any signature fragrance yet...hopefully watching your vides will find me one. Thanks
Thanks for the comment! If love perfume and you are hovering at 150 bottles I have bad news for you, you probably will not find a signature; this is unless you decide to downsize all the way down and basically quit exploring outside of strip sampling.
@@SeldomlyOften Thanks for the advice..I am just addicted to perfumes..anyone says good thing here on UA-cam I just buy it and honestly the majority smell almost similar. I buy at least one perfume a month..This month alone 5.. two Clive christian, one rasasi, one Kajal, and one MMASI..Actually I like the one from MMASI..it is called NYer High Times..
Anyway I am going to watch your review and hopefully I find two perfumes for each season and the rest I am going to get rid of...so Thanks again.
I need to try this. I've been into collecting for 5+ years, but Xerjoff is a brand I haven't started exploring yet. This one calls to me, though. I love fruits with booze, and smoke so I think I would enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Wow, 5+ years no Xerjoff yet? I'm not saying you are missing out or anything, it's just that it's a strongly pushed brand by media
@SeldomlyOften yea, they are definitely pushed hard my media. There are just so many houses out there, and I don't like blind buying, so I'm working my way through slowly. When I find a house I like, I tend to explore as much of their stuff as I can before moving on to another house. Of some of the larger brands, Xerjoff (and Sospiro,) Nishane, and Frederic Malle are ones I haven't gotten to yet. People definitely tend to be surprised that I am well versed with small houses like Tauer, Sarah Baker, and Francesca Bianchi, but I've never even smelled Naxos, Musc Ravageur, or Hacivat. 😆
@@boogiedaddy3434 Good on you! People are surprised when I say I never smelled most mainstream designers!
I agree with everything you said about the brand . Pumping out fragrances every 5 minutes says it all
Great review
I think one of their issues is not disclosing/crediting perfumers all the time and the fact that they have no 'face'. It would be a more relatable brand if you would see Sergio Momo in interviews and such.
I have this and agree with your observations. I love wearing this one on nights out with my wife. Dinner, fun at the casino, concert events, etc. Great projection and longevity. It will really set you apart.
@@silverfox311 it’s unique for sure and really good for ‘fun’ occasions 👍
Again, appreciate your thoroughness and your skill with descriptions. Most of the things you said in praise of the house and the fragrance make me think this is probably not for me at all -- which makes your review extremely helpful! And of course I'd need to get a sample to have a real clue.
@@wagstaff6135 well, this is a weird scent, you have to really love the passion fruit paired with leather. If that sounds interesting I would give it a try but it’s far from the universally liked panty dropper it’s said to be.
@@SeldomlyOften the description "panty dropper" would be even more of a repellent, had you said it *is* that. I just already dislike Xerjoff's pricing and that common-DNA you talk about, their particular use of snythetics; and am with you on not wanting the huge "all attention on me!" cry that some of these fragrances have. Passionfruit as a note sounds fine, and I am very partial to leather actually (including some generally-considered "polarizing" leathers). I also like Tony Iommi and like the monkey pattern on the bottle. You were very thorough on all of this.
@@wagstaff6135 I was obviously poking some fun at the list names these days. Terrible stuff.
Stay tuned for my next Xerjoff video, I’m pretty much going to be leaving everything Chris Maurice behind.
@@SeldomlyOften Yes yes, "panty dropper" was clearly poking fun -- I got you clearly! The only full bottle of I have of Xerjoff is Nio, which is a useful summer fragrance, but even at discounters prices, I'm not sure I'd give a second look nowadays.
@@wagstaff6135 Xerjoff is a little overhyped, overpriced and not unique enough. I recently got 1888 perfumed by hero Karine V. S., it’s pretty great.
Great vid. Want to try it. I have Nio and have been enjoying it this summer.
@@orosz4001 definitely worth trying!
Great and fair review Dan. Sounds like an oversprayer. 🤣 Kidding! 😵
Definitely overspray friendly :D
Yeah, I do have to admit I think it's a cool scent. Is it my favorite? Far from being that :)
Fragcomm's most prolific commenter 💪
@@legoguru3000 I like the community aspect of all this. I'm not here for the monologue :)
Enjoyed the video 👍I love this fragrance. I wore it to my company Christmas party and had so much fun getting whiffs of myself. We went out after and it felt perfect. It didn't seem harsh to me but very sexy.
Thank you for the comment! Your description fits the use case perfectly! It’s a fun, social fragrance with vibes of good times and coming together ❤️
I was so waiting for this one❤
You have this one? What's your opinion on it?
Agreed. Just tried Starlight because it is recommended for the fall season... interesting opening but the drydown is linear so I am still on the hunt for something I love. I own La Capitale b/c of the hype and want to try Cavour I and Ivory Route. Thank you for the great review.
@@Eloisescents0309 you should look into the non Chris Maurice Xerjoff frags, obviously depending on taste. A lot of them are breath of fresh air 😉
@@SeldomlyOften ok great I will. Btw if you haven't discovered the house of Thameen London, take a look. I am extremely impressed :)
@@Eloisescents0309 I have a discovery set I still need to get to, I'll do that on camera in the new video style ;)
@@SeldomlyOften great can't wait to hear your thoughts
Loved this review and I love this fragrance 🥰 just subscribed ✨ I didn’t even notice it came with a pick until you said something 😅
@@jlbeauty.reviews thanks for joining the club ❤️
Took me a while to see the pic as well 😅
10/10 for sure. Niche version of Black orchid
@@thatguy-sp9vv it’s really good and super unique in the modern frag space! Highly recommended 👍
Great channel, you know your stuff. By the way, talking about evening scents, what do you like to wear on hot summer nights? Maybe a topic for another video?
@@LeoR4U summer nights, where I live, are pretty fresh so I feel comfortable to wear a lot of stuff. Lately I’ve been wearing Cafe Tabac by Aedes de Venustas 👍
I’m thinking about integrating some sort of list videos in between the usual reviews, I just want to do it the right way.
I got this for my birthday and I already worn it to a wedding - an outside autumn wedding. Everything you say is true especially if there's a little bit of wind outside, this stuff travels in the air like an F-16. I used 5 sprays, that's a little bit over the board, but I only did it because I knew I will not spend time indoors, otherwise 2 sprays would have been enough. Another fragrance that I caught in the air from someone else - and it smelled really magical - was Carlisle from PDM, that stuff on a cold day...I can't describe how good it was. All of this changed today when I just received a cold weather fragrance that it's hard for me to explain in words: Dior Homme Parfum, this is simply...unparalelled. Going back to Toni Iommy...I think I will always have a bottle in my collection - mainly for the fact that my wife won't shut up about it on how good it smells in the air, she loves it 😍 Thanks for the review.
@@LeprechaunSeeker thanks for the comment about your experience. I feel that events like weddings is where you can really pull out the big guns without much worry 😊
Gonna try Dior Parfum soon 💪
@@SeldomlyOften looking forward to the video 😊
I think the cap is meant to represent a fountain pen's head, as the fragrances are made to create memories, hence the writing metaphor... as if you were writing a diary.
@@ayywolf this was an assumption from The Niche Fragrance Collector, I like that one a lot. I heard/read somewhere that it’s a pharaoh head since Xerjoff is from Torino and Torino is famous for its Egyptian artifacts.
@@SeldomlyOften yes, exactly, I heard it from Marcello, I think they both make sense
Bruh. They just delivered my package this morning on this. 😂. A lot of strong rum note in the beginning. Caught me off guard. But the dry down is where this shines.
@@yupsureok1778 I actually really like the harsh punchy opening. The drydown is similar to other Xerjoff fragrances. Do you think you could pull this off in public?
@@SeldomlyOften definitely can pull this off in public as soon as it cools down here in Cali. Currently temps in the 90’s.
Nice one!
@@rupesigogo thanks!
Great review. Can you do a comparison video for Xerjoff’s nio and torino 21. I’m curious to know what are your thoughts for these 2 fragrances😁
@@lauanson8219 never tried Nio, I’ll try to get a sample!
Best brand ever.
What your favorite from the brand?
@@SeldomlyOften Alexandria II > Naxos > Monkey Special > 40 Knots >Torino 21 > Mefisto
Totally agree with you in Xerjoffs drydown. Their openings are awesome but their drydowns are bland. Probably bought 30 samples from them, nothing made me go wow i have to buy this asap. Maybe torino 21 and naxos but not for those prices. Also nio gave me a massive headache so...yea...Only one in my to buy list is mefisto gentiluomo so far. Will sample this when the weather gets a bit cooler here :)
Thanks for the report! Definitely strong fragrances that are tailored to a younger audience with the sweetness.
We must have a very similar taste as 90% of perfumes you review I also have.
@@ognjencorovic Cool! I also tend to follow perfume channels that I have similar taste with. That way it’s easier to know what to expect. For example, as much as I enjoy watching Justin Copeland, our tastes are completely different so I need to take his recommendations lightly.
Solid release, performance is great. I will put it in the same chategory as red tobacco, carlisle and triumph of baccus. Not mindblowing to me but good. Can be worn any season without problem
Do you have grand soir? If yes, what do you choose, grand soir or iommi
I feel that this is way weirder than those you mentioned, those play it way safer with compositions that don't really screech. Agree on the seasonality :)
@@amaterasublack3519 Monkey Special smells NOTHING like Grand Soir. They are as a far as can be fragrance design wise. One is a flashy, loud and strange release, the other is a classic, elegant and understated perfume.
@@amaterasublack3519 they have nothing in common, grand soir is way safer haha
@@SeldomlyOften yes they are completely different, just wanna say they do wear similar dna. Btw i prefer monkey special over them
Hey brother please do a review on oud maracuja by maison crivelli
I have a decant of it and will cover it soon :)
Can you try Xerjoff Ouverture ?
I'll try to get my hands on a sample :)
Tommy Iommi is just the clone with a twist of the clone of the clone of the clone of Ambre Narguile. It is what it is...and the list of clones is shameless and long, as Oajan, Angel's Share, and on and on.
@@MrLanarana huh, never seen it like that, a ton of leather and the passion fruit opening is quite different. AS being heavily inspired by the Hermes I completely agree
@@SeldomlyOftenbtw Oajan is my favourite of the long list of clones 😅
incensy, cloying and has a weird banana thing
@@josephl6289 it’s definitely not a light scent 😅
Weird that you get incense, not a hugely prominent note to my nose!
Yeah it smells like a banana brownie to me 😂
Hey @SeldomlyOften can you review Hypnotizing Fire by The Harmonist
@@EJM-Essentials I actually happen to have a 10ml decant I’m going to use for a first impression video pretty soon 👍
@@SeldomlyOften nice which one? Edp or Parfum? In other line, have you been try Arabesque from The Merchant of Venice??? That one is great
@@EJM-Essentials no idea actually, didn’t even know there were variants.