Aaron Levine by Zara

The opening is clean and evolves into a pleasant sandalwood. The longevity, compared to Zara perfumes, is much better, I’d say it’s normal for a designer, between 4 and 6 hours stretching it a lot. It’s the most expensive perfume from Zara, you can tell. On the web it’s gradually selling out, and the moment will come when it disappears and we’ll miss those 40ml. 9 out of 10. A success.

Aaron Levine x Zara has pleasantly surprised me. It’s not the typical commercial mall fragrance; there’s a real artistic proposal behind this bottle. The opening: It starts with a vibrant, very refreshing citrus explosion. The grapefruit is exceptionally well done: it’s natural, fizzy, and has that acidic touch that awakens the senses immediately. It’s, without a doubt, one of the cleanest openings I’ve tried from the brand lately. The drydown (The real surprise): What starts as a harmless citrus evolves into something much more complex and dark. In the drydown, the fragrance makes a 180-degree turn: very pronounced bitter notes appear, with an almost animalic nuance that brings an unexpected texture and character. This evolution gives a depth that borders on niche perfumery, moving completely away from the generic. Performance and price: Although the price for 100ml is somewhat higher than what Zara has accustomed us to, the quality of the composition justifies the investment. You feel an “elevated” fragrance, with its own identity that doesn’t try to clone anyone. A solid, surprising option with a lot of personality. If you’re looking for something that breaks the linearity of traditional citrus and you like drydowns with character, this is a must-buy.

The most horrible perfume I’ve ever tried. It’s super oily, like the fraiché ones, but the smell is unbearable, and the worst part is that it doesn’t come off even when you wash it with soap. It’s honestly been a while since I smelled something so disgusting.

Hello, this is my first review right after registering on Fragrantica. In this case, I think Zara, with this perfume that belongs to the drop launched with designer Aaron Levine, is going more for a designer perfume with a price that would be around 40 or 50 euros per 100ml, rather than the budget fragrances it has been releasing until now. That difference shows in the quality of the perfume; it’s on the level of any perfume you can find in perfumeries like Druni or Primor.

SCENT: The perfume starts with citrus, and it reminded me of the citrus in Italian-style perfumes. I don’t know why, but it reminded me of the ones in Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme. After 20 or 30 minutes it moves to orange blossom, which I think is a very, very noticeable note and of very good quality. After 1 or 2 hours, I don’t remember exactly, it starts to blend with something a bit more incensed, but very subtle; it just gives it a little touch. Toward the end, at 5 or 6 hours, a balsamic smell is added, and this time it does take over the perfume more. At that point, the perfume is noticeable if you smell close to the skin, but not right on the skin. To finish, an ambroxan remains. It starts soft, with a very, very slight reminiscence of orange blossom that eventually goes away, leaving only a less special ambroxan.

LONGEVITY: While I’m writing this review, it can still be felt right on the skin, and 20 hours have passed since I applied it very lightly to my hand. It seemed to me that, with its olfactory profile, it has good longevity. It’s not a beast mode, but it’s on par with many designer fresh scents. It will last you a workday, for sure. Or at least, on my skin.

CONCLUSION: I’m not a professional; I’ve only been following perfumes for 2 years, so I can’t really detect the qualities or originality. On the website it shows as sold out, but some stores still have it. In my case, it’s exactly what I was looking for: a white floral citrus leaning masculine. It’s a scent that reminds me of my homeland and I love it, so it fit like a glove. It also has the plus of having an incensed balsamic base, which is something I love in perfumes. I recommend it. In my case, as I said, it’s everything I was looking for, but I’m aware that it’s not a perfume that’s going to change anyone’s life.

The opening is clean and evolves into a pleasant sandalwood, the longevity, compared to Zara’s perfumes, is much better, I’d say it’s normal for designer, between 4 and 6 hours stretching it. It’s Zara’s most expensive perfume, you can tell. On the website it’s selling out and the time will come when it disappears and we’ll miss those 40ml. 9 out of 10. A hit.