Luxor by Xerjoff

The best fecal oud I’ve ever tried, though the longevity let me down. Going straight to test it was a good idea: on paper, I barely noticed cinnamon, but on skin, it was a revelation. It smells like pig manure (I know this from living in a village) with a hint of sweet cinnamon only at the start, for the first hour. It’s unpleasant for many and surprising in Xerjoff, which usually makes synthetic fruity scents. After that hour, the fecal note disappears, leaving an elegant aroma with leather, myrrh, and woods; it’s hard to find anyone who would deem it bad taste. I recommend it only to those who know oud and are looking for a step up, without buying large formats without testing it first.

With Luxor, I took a long journey and something curious happened: at first, it seemed strange to me, but years later, when I tried a Thai oud that was inspired by this, I finally understood its value. It’s powerful yet pleasant, packed with spiced leather, cinnamon, and cardamom. The tobacco and myrrh base can be strong at times, but nothing fecal. It’s elegant, sweet, and fluid—perfect for cold weather with good projection. It’s an oriental that requires patience to appreciate; you have to give it a proper try. Rating: 8/10.

I feel like I walked all the way to Luxor and came back. What a journey with this fragrance. Like others, my first impression wasn’t positive, unless it’s ‘I hate these liquid excrement positively.’ It made me think of a recluse ‘farting’ at a guard. What the hell was this? But it seems the manure does magic with the roses. Usually, I don’t enjoy leather, but this plus prepared me for a challenge. When I wore it, the poop note dissipated (like a fart in an elevator). This beast has energy and lasts all day. I ordered my ‘Caution: Toxic Gas’ sign and kept it under lock and key. Months later, the ‘assault of shit’ note was gone. Something killed the beast, perhaps air oxidation. Once sprayed a couple of times, the aroma fixed itself.

Woody and spicy, this is Luxor. It opens with a dark, animalic oud that fades to leave smoky, sweet incense. A touch of tobacco and leather gives it a rough edge, but cinnamon and cardamom soften it with incredible warmth. It smells like antique furniture and ancient Middle Eastern cities. Myrrh emerges later, ending in a dry, elegant oriental. Lasts 8 to 10 hours with moderate projection.

We ordered decants with my partner, and Luxor doesn’t just smell animalistic—it smells like a stable. It’s horrendous, with penetrating, sharp notes of feces. The worst part is that the stench never goes away; it’s very persistent. It seemed like a joke paying so much for jars filled with ‘artist excrement.’ We tested all of them at home: only one person said it smelled like a horse, while the rest felt great disgust and couldn’t get the fecal scent off their skin. Don’t buy it expecting to like it; you might impress, but it’s better to avoid it so it doesn’t look like you had a bathroom accident.

Nothing, nothing… from the very first spray, it smells like fecal oud, similar to Burgas but lighter. After an hour, that stench fades, leaving behind more pleasant notes of woods, tobacco, and leather. I sprayed one on ECI and someone openly told me I smelled bad; the two people next to me agreed too. 😅

Perfume art. Ortega y Gasset once said in ‘The Dehumanization of Art’ that an object is artistic as long as it is not real. The artist creates the work for aesthetic pleasure by detaching themselves from their own humanity. Xerjoff has achieved this level of detachment. If incense was once used to exalt the Divine, Luxor has awakened the brain’s neurotransmitters only activable by our most irrational and ethereal side. It’s not an easy fragrance, nor is it made for those who just want to smell good; just as there is no Guernica or Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring to decorate a wall or dance to in a disco. If you give it a chance and appreciate the spirituality of the incense, you’ll understand the wonderful work of art behind this blend of notes leading to ‘dehumanization.’ Artworks are expensive, and Luxor is very pricey, but thanks to its longevity and sillage, it will last you many years, even if its lack of versatility limits it to solemn occasions. Despite the prominent oud, it’s not animalic or dirty like Alexandria Oriental from the same house or the legendary The Night by Frederic Malle; the incense tames it, dominating the entire life of the scent until you shower. Its longevity is endless. A fragrance essential to know.

Pure art in a bottle. Xerjoff achieved that ‘dehumanization’ Ortega y Gasset praised: it doesn’t smell like a person, it smells like a myth. Luxor awakens the irrational part of the brain, just like sacred incense—not for the club, but for solemn moments. It’s expensive and challenging, but if you give it a chance, it will fall in love with you. The oud is tamed by the incense; it’s not dirty like other scents from the house, and it lasts forever. A masterpiece that will accompany you for years.