Macaque Yuzu Edition

Incensy sandalwood with a tiny bit of citrus at top. Interesting.

It was considerably cooler today than it has been for several weeks (rainy, overcast), so I decided to take this for a spin. I was/am still a little confused, as the card says “Fuji Apple Edition”, but the spray vial itself says “Yuzu Edition” on it. Strange mix-up, but let’s roll with it... Holy juniper berries! That’s all I smell at the opening. After that sharp blast, then some other notes come out to play. The orange becomes far more prominent about an hour in. As it begins to drydown, it reminds me a lot of Koala... I wonder what their shared notes are? According to Fragrantica, the only shared notes are oakmoss and sandalwood. Perhaps my nose is pulling parallels between the Hinoki wood in Macaque and the pine in Koala. Based solely on written pyramid alone, I would think I would like Macaque more than Koala, but I’m surprised after sniffing that I don’t. The resins listed (myrrh, frankincense, labdanum) that I was hoping to be distinct and noticeable were more of a soft accord. Longevity is up there with the best of them, easily detectable for a solid 9-10 hours. Projection is moderate, staying at arm's length for a good 8-9 hours, before finally turning into a skin scent in the last two hours. In terms of Zoologist rankings, I like Macaque more than I like Chameleon. Although I tend to lean towards more unisex scents, I find Macaque to be less interesting than Koala. I find Hummingbird to be far more distinctive and unique. Speaking of uniqueness, I think I’d actually switch my old ranking based on that factor, and bump Elephant just above Panda, and put Macaque behind those two. Current Ranking: Beaver > Sloth > Koala > Hummingbird > Elephant > Panda > Macaque (Yuzu) > Chameleon > Nightingale

Ooh, this one is really pretty special! A blend of actually really pretty strong notes in their own right.. citrus.. green.. pines and sandalwood.. the smokeyness of oriental.. but they absolutely come alive together to become this vibrant, joyous fragrance! I can pick out most of the notes, I don't find any one of them particularly overbearing, it lasts for absolutely ages on me, and although I would say this leans a bit masculine, I do wear it .. and feel just amazing tbh. It is absolutely a 'marmite' scent (you'll love it or hate) and it is a proper high end price point, so I'd sample first, regardless.. but I really recommend that you do, it is wonderful!

Compared to the Fuji Apple edition, Macaque Yuzu edition is less fruity, less sweet and more woody and "classic". I got a sample of both versions and the apple one stood out a ton more! This newer version has nothing to do with the original, which was a bit off-putting and hard to wear confidently. This one is very wearable but still has that Zoologist quirkiness to it. I can smell hinoki woods, oakmoss and a mellow sourness from the yuzu that actually doesn't come off exactly citrusy. The dry-down is quite different from the Fuji Apple edition: this one dries down to a very mossy and woody scent, whereas the apple one keeps its fruity sweetness all the way till the end, which I find more appealing and interesting.

Fresh green aromatics with a spritz of citrus and a sort of watery, kinda waxiness to it with incense. Like a snuffed forest-scented candle. If not for the note breakdown I would suspect white florals, maybe lily with a hint of neroli, but I guess it's just the hinoki wood and juniper with their most uplifting facets highlighted. The yuzu and orange are so faint as to be mostly indistinct, which is disappointing as I came for the yuzu but it's still overall pleasant. Clean but not soapy. Soft projection for 2hr at best, longevity 6-8hr.