Xerjoff
Xerjoff
8.2k votes
Best for
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Cinnamon dominates but arrives tempered by rosemary's green bite and lavender's aromatic sweetness, with Bulgarian rose adding an almost jammy richness that prevents the spice from becoming abrasive. There's immediate warmth here, but also complexity—the interplay between culinary spice and classical perfumery creates an intriguing duality that draws you back for another sniff.
As the opening theatrics subside, lily of the valley emerges with its characteristic green soapiness, creating an unexpected freshness that contrasts beautifully against the remaining cinnamon warmth. Cedar provides woody structure whilst a whisper of apple adds subtle fruited sweetness, preventing the composition from becoming too heavy or linear as it settles into its stride.
The base is pure comfort—vanilla and tonka bean create an enveloping sweetness that never crosses into cloying territory, thanks to cashmeran's musky woods and ambroxan's clean, almost saline quality. What remains is warm, intimate, and thoroughly skin-like: a powdery-sweet haze with woody undertones that clings close and lasts seemingly forever, the kind of scent that leaves traces on your coat collar days later.
Alexandria II is an exercise in controlled opulence, a fragrance that takes the warm spice template and elevates it through sheer quality of materials and deft blending. The opening salvo of cinnamon doesn't arrive as the sharp, Red Hots sweetness you might expect—instead, Chris Maurice has woven it with Bulgarian rose and lavender, creating something simultaneously baroque and restrained. This is cinnamon softened by petals, given aromatic lift by herbal elements that prevent it from becoming cloying. As the composition unfolds, the heart reveals an unexpected interplay: lily of the valley's green, almost soapy freshness cuts through the sweetness whilst cedar provides structural backbone. That flash of apple adds a subtle fruited quality without veering into gourmand territory.
The base is where Alexandria II reveals its true character—vanilla and tonka bean create a plush foundation, but the inclusion of cashmeran and ambroxan prevents it from becoming just another sweet woods fragrance. Instead, you get musky depth and a diffusive, almost mineral quality that adds intrigue. This is for the man who appreciates the finer things but doesn't need to shout about them—worn during cooler months, evening affairs, perhaps that important dinner where confidence matters more than flash. The performance is exceptional: this projects with authority for hours before settling into an intimate skin scent that lingers through the following day. It's unashamedly crowd-pleasing, yet crafted with enough sophistication to satisfy those who've smelled everything twice.
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4.0/5 (28.0k)