Niche perfume is the new mainstream. Last week I received an order of 10 "niche" fragrance samples that set me back $50. Yeah, I'm a sucker. I put a dab of each perfume on a finger before I started a painting project. As I sniffed my fingers over the next 15 minutes, I was upset to smell that most of these perfumes quickly devolved to basic Iso E Super, Cashmeran and white musk. Worst: most of them cost around $200 for 50 ml bottles! What a rip-off...and what a disappointment. The last couple of years I'm finding more interesting things for sale by mainstream/designer fragrance companies than the proliferating so-called niche brands.
On the day I did this test, only two perfumes didn't conk out after their interesting head notes faded. Today, I'll review one of them: Tyrannosaurus Rex by Zoologist.
Like its namesake, this perfume is a carnivore (I smell meat); is powerful and heavy; has a massive head(note) — smoke; and is definitely an apex predator (all the other fragrances I had arranged on my digits were devoured whole by T. Rex).
Tyrannosaurus Rex opens with prehistoric percolations — is that a soon-to-erupt volcano in the distance...a tarry, bubbling pond? Overall T. Rex smells like "landscape incense." First, I smell dry herbs but with a minty kick. The opening's main attraction is an evergreen note, charred and arranged around aromas that conjure a meaty outdoor grill-fest (scents of smoke and rare steaks). Floral notes emerge next and they're not light and airy, but dense (champaca) or boiled down to almost-caramelized flower syrup the color of molasses (osmanthus).
If you don't appreciate wood smoke, you should avoid Tyrannosaurus Rex; smoke curls through its opening and heart. The base of Tyrannosaurus Rex begins with leather (a smart segue from osmanthus to tanned hides) and ends with a vegetal/nutty musk mixing with a fantastic, sharp, buoyant sandalwood scent that lasts for hours and reminds me of a favorite bath staple (and cheap thrill): Mysore Sandal Soap. (And, no; we're not talking a delicate soap aroma here.)
Tyrannosaurus Rex has a lot going on but all its elements are dynamic and make this hulking fragrance work.
Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex Extrait de Parfum is $175 for 60 ml; a special, limited edition in a red box showing T. Rex in sunglasses on the artwork is the same price (450 were produced).
Tyrannosaurus Rex was developed by perfumer Antonio Gardoni and lists fragrance notes of bergamot, black pepper, fir, laurel leaf, neroli, nutmeg, champaca, geranium, jasmine, osmanthus, rose, ylang ylang, resins, cade, cedar, civet, frankincense, leather, patchouli, sandalwood and vanilla.
Note: top image of Tyrannosaurus Rex via Wikimedia Commons.
Thanks for the review, Kevin, it sounds intriguing. I just tried my first from this line (Moth) and that has me interested in trying more, also has a smokey note to it. I love the businesslike dinosaur, the labels on these Zoologist bottles are so charming.
Soooo agree on the labels. Love them so much!
Dorsey, really liked the recent Dodo, too.
He’s a Mafioso dinosaur!
First thing that came to mind was Clark Kent, Christopher Reeve-era, haha
Put me down for Leonard Cohen, may his memory be a blessing.
Now all I want to know is what the other eight were. 😉
Amy, you will find out slowly but surely. Ha!
I got a travel spray- blind buy- of Tyrannosaurus Rex because I’m honestly obsessed with that dino on the bottle and the label but it’s just too much for me, which is really saying a lot haha. I can handle big scents but this didn’t work for me. I liked the far drydown but the opening was overpowering. Alas, I swapped in the swapmeet so hopefully someone will get good use out of it! Glad you liked it, Kevin!
KellyC…I enjoyed it, but would only need 8 mls.
I luuuurve T-Rex and will buy a mini as soon as my sample runs out. It’s become my favorite of the Zoologist trample-all-within-its-path subset.
I have a bottle of it and I really like it and it definitely has the Antonio Gardini D&A. I have several of the original Zoologists fragrances but this one is a powerhouse.
Filomena…it IS the biggest one from Zoologist so far.
This is such a bad ass fragrance! And I dont use that description often.
To me it feels like a Mad Max Fury Road-like apocalyptic world but in the tropics. If that makes any sense at all. 😀
If I finish my sample I probably need a travel spray.
Bad ass or badass? (Not a native speaker here)
Btw Elephant was also quite nice, but it has a very different vibe!
Jiji, PS…and Camel is the one I put on my ‘buy’ list.
I havent tried Camel yet. The description/notes sound intriguing though!
Jiji, yes…it makes sense!
A “landscape incense” sounds very interesting!
Jalapeno: usually I experience landscape incense in dry spaces…mountainous places in autumn or in the desert. Hope you can sniff it.
I haven’t sniffed this yet – so many new perfumes, so little time – but I wanted to say that I totally agree with your assessment of the niche perfume landscape. If you don’t have direct access to sniff and have to buy samples, it’s a rough landscape to navigate, lots of meh.
I so agree….a few years ago reviewing perfume was a major hobby/interest for me. It was exciting and with each sample was a genuine possibility of discovering a real work of perfume artistry. Unfortunately after spending quite a lot on new samples I’ve given up. Very generic same cashmeran woodsy toomuchvanilla yukkiness!
I like a couple of niche house – Oriza Legrand and Sultan Pasha Attars. I alternate my selection from these two plus a couple of vintage bottles of Guerlain Mitsouko and Shalimar and that’s it. I have a hundred or so samples which are ok but nothing to shout about. And Kevin an interesting point about mainstream is that occasionally I’ll buy a bottle usually at a knockdown price and splash away. Our local Aldi store does a great copy of Chanel no5…..I wear that to do housework and cook. At £6.99 (under $10) what a bargain! Smells great!
Kate: my main fragrance diet is older fragrances/old favorites, too…and many I’ve been able to find a great prices. I should do my housework in vintage Joy! HA!
MMKinPA: truly, overwhelming on the meh.
I have pretty much stopped buying samples (except scents that have gotten strongly positive reviews from people whose taste corresponds with mine) for the same reason you describe. So much dreck out there for big $$$. Fortunately I can smell Zoologist at a local shop in Montréal, Etiket, no need to buy samples. I will give it a sniff in the coming month.
cazaubon: I can go LOOOOOOOOONG stretches without sample buys…but then I’m weak, happy on too much booze and hit BUY.
This fragrance rocks! I came to it not that fully aware of the perfumers overall style (before T-Rex his only other fragrance I’d smelled was Cologne Reloaded which I *loved*!) and so smelling T-Rex was a WIN for me on so many counts: 1) A great Gardoni fragrance, 2) A great smoke scent (I’m a sucker for a well done smoke note), 3) There is something ‘spicy’ in the middle of the smoke and accords that says ‘cinnamon’ to my nose and makes my toes curl in delight. It’s the perfect ‘phantom’ spice note and 4) It’s from a line that I’m just starting to really admire (wanna try Bat, loved Civet, am just starting to sample Dodo, wanna try Hyrax, wanna try Elephant…ok I’ll stop now)
Mike: it was the sandalwood in this one that made my toes curl. Bat’s a great fragrance and was the first one I tried from the line.
You make me wanna try this mike. I have only tried Civet and Hummingbird..Hummingbird ended up being one of my most fave scents ever to hit the nostrils
I feel ya on the niche musk puff stuff kevin..I too am becoming more interested in main stream. I ordered samples from Kilian and all were let downs especially the Good Girl Gone Bad Extreme ugh…since the EL take over they discontinued great scents and come out with mostly meh releases imo. I expect more for the price point. I would buy 100 main streams before GGGBE. I thought for sure I would like at least one out of the sample pack..in the end..I just liked the packaging.
Kevin, I might be willing to pay you for a list of the ones that failed! 😉