Uden by Xerjoff

It’s extremely similar to Chanel Allure Homme Sport Edition Blanche. If you know the Chanel one, you know it’s citrusy but with a sweetness that pushes it toward pastry; this goes in the same direction but with much less sugar, keeping the citrus fresh and making it feel more like fresh lemon caramel. The previous description is very rough, just to give an idea. It’s a much more refined perfume than a simple lemon caramel, with many hidden nuances to prove it. Plus, the ingredient quality and note composition are excellent. It’s really worth trying, as it’s not your typical citrus.

After buying Xerjoff, I was gifted a sample of Uden; I was curious but didn’t imagine its scent, though it wasn’t alien to some of its supposed similarities. The aroma highlights the quality of the notes, which are perceived with great realism, though I can’t isolate all the declared ones. The opening is citrusy, but from the start, there’s a fantastic woody base that serves as a tray for the citrus. The bergamot is wonderful, mature, and creamy; the citrus isn’t bitter but tends toward sweetness, matching perfectly with the woody base and other sweet traces. That initial woody base persists and grows as a very real, elegant vanilla appears, which doesn’t lean toward candied but stays on the thin line between edible sweet and the pod itself. Overall, we have a citrus fragrance with a first phase that stays on the mature, candied side but loses consistency over hours, unlike the deep woody base of guaiac wood and the vanilla that, along with the musk, provides the strength to last all day. I’ve omitted some declared components because they’re barely perceptible to my nose—the rum and coffee, plus the rose or ambergris; the first is very fleeting as it blends with the guaiac base to add strength, and the last gets lost in favor of the vanilla and Xerjoff’s potent musk. In short, we have a citrus, woody, and vanilla fragrance that isn’t explosive but enjoys very good performance. It’s not a perfume that stands out, but it’s always present, with more than good longevity and a pleasant trail from the bubble it creates around us. It’s like an Edition Blanche of Chanel taken to a higher level with fewer lemon nuances and more wood; it also has some Wood and Spices by Montale vibes but less dry and with much more body. Its use is very varied as it suits any climate, and although it’s more serious than the previously mentioned ones, it would be a great signature perfume if not for the high price, which means you have to be careful with its use unless you don’t care. It’s the typical perfume I wouldn’t mind wearing on my wedding day or at an important event, but if I were a millionaire, I’d wear it daily; undoubtedly, it’s the perfume I’ve liked most so far, even if it’s not a surprising scent or one with the difficulty or challenge usually expected of niche perfumes.

A friend graciously allowed me not only to try it but to debut it, so I can’t help but comment that the presentation is fantastic and adds to the experience. It’s the first time I’ve had the impression of smelling three distinct (dessert-like) phases perfectly identifiable to me. A very citrusy opening that reminds me of a lemon tart, but without harshness or synthetic aromas, something more ‘for adults’ due to the bitterness from the bergamot and the alcoholic note of the rum. Later, it evolves, and we have vanilla custard, a note that will accompany it until the end, gaining more prominence, to finish with a sort of rice pudding with extra vanilla that slightly cloy me. It hasn’t disgusted me, but in my humble opinion, and even valuing the quality of the components and the almost gastronomic experience, it’s not one of my favorites (most likely due to the general lack of interest I have in desserts). P.S. Finally, things of life, it found a place in the collection courtesy of the aforementioned friend again.