xerjoff

Uden Overdose by Xerjoff

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Uden Overdose is the flanker to the rather popular Uden from Xerjoff’s Shooting Stars line of fragrances. This one was released in 2018. I finally got a sample of Overdose, after multiple attempts at ordering and being shipped the wrong thing. So, I really am glad to get to test it out.

How does Uden Overdose smell? How long does it last? Is it actually worth the price of entry?

What does Uden Overdose smell like?

Notes include: lemon, bergamot, ginger, tobacco blossom, coffee, amber, musk

Click here to try: Uden Overdose by Xerjoff

My Full Review

I am a pretty big fan of the original Uden, I bought a full bottle of it a few years ago. So, I was interested in what the Overdose version was like.

This one starts off with the same lemon note as the first, but, it is clear early on that this isn’t the same fragrance at all. It is blended with a slightly sour bergamot and the spice of ginger. It actually is a pretty big ginger kick, featured in this perfume.

What I do notice is the dryness of the tobacco blossom note. Not quite a grass or a vetiver note, but similar to some varieties of those ingredients. Smooth, but not a rich cured tobacco aroma.

I do actually understand the comparisons with Versace Dreamer. Not exact, as that is much more floral than this, but a similar vibe.

The ginger will tone down, as will the citrus. However, the citrus will stick around for the duration.

There actually is a slightly detectable coffee note at this point, but it is completely overshadowed and not nearly as strong as in Uden.

What I was expecting when I heard the name Overdose, was for the coffee to be ramped up and citrus toned down. Maybe a darker formula, but no, they went in another direction.

What is here is a citrusy tobacco blossom with a blend of amber and musk coming from the base. The amber is probably 60/40 with the musk, to my nose. This is basically what the scent is for the rest of the way.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This isn’t a particularly heavy scent, you won’t get bogged down with it. However, it does have some above average reach with how it projects. Again, nothing that’s too strong, but with a normal amount of sprays it’s very noticeable in your wake for the first few hours at least.

Then, it’s much more moderate in the 3-4 foot range from where you sprayed, until it backs in before disappearing.

For me, this Xerjoff seems to hit exactly 8 hours each time. Doesn’t appear to go any further than that, but it’s good enough for most occasions. Maybe you might want something a bit longer lasting at the price point.

Seasonally, it’s mostly going to grab attention in the spring and summer months. Though, I don’t think that it’s stuck there. I might avoid the depths of winter, but more mild days and also in autumn is just fine.

It’s a well put together scent that can work as a daily wear, even if Overdose isn’t particularly formal. I do like it going about town and more casually in the daytime, versus being something I’d reach for in the evenings.

Overall Impressions of Uden Overdose

Overall, do I like Uden Overdose? I do like it. Though, I don’t think that it is anything special, especially at the Xerjoff price point. Also, even if it has a lighter and fresher blend, I don’t think it’s better than Uden. I’m glad that I bought the original instead.

It’s a good perfume. I like the ginger. The tobacco blossom is also interesting. The performance is good enough and it’s a very wearable scent.

There’s nothing particularly bad about this fragrance. Everything is fine to quite good, but that’s a problem for me, if I’m going to be buying a Xerjoff scent.

This is one that I would test out before buying, if you’re considering it. Make sure that it’s one you’re going to want to stick with for the long haul. Most people, can skip Uden Overdose, as it’s too much money for something of this sort.

Cruz del Sur II by Xerjoff

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Cruz del Sur II is a tropical based fragrance by the high end designer, Xerjoff. This is a scent I was wanting to try for a while now, so I tested it out and have collected my thoughts on it. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is this perfume actually worth a try?

What does Cruz del Sur II Smell Like?

Notes include: mango, pineapple, apple blossom, musk, vetiver, cedar, floral notes, milk, violet leaf, and more

Click here to try: Cruz del Sur II

My Full Review

Here’s how Xerjoff describes this scent: a luxuriant journey into the tropical rainforests of South America. Characterised by the fresh and fruity top notes of mango, pineapple and apple blossom, this exotic scent opens into a blossoming heart of green leaves and floral bouquet.

Cruz del Sur II is a fragrance that I have wanted to test out for quite a while. I was hoping to find another good tropical and unisex perfume to use during the summer months and Xerjoff seemed like a brand to have a good one.

I will say, this wasn’t as unisex as I’d hoped. Definitely more of a traditionally women’s fragrance. Leans way more towards that end.

I also purchased a 10mL sprayer of Desire II by Dua, which is their inspired by scent of Cruz del Sur. Yes, it’s like 95% the same, so get that one for a cheaper price.

Anyway, on to how it smells. Cruz del Sur II opens with it’s tropical fruits on full display. Mango is going to be the strongest here, so, know that before you decide to buy.

But, the other fruits sort of combine into more of a amalgamation of aromas. What this smells like to me is a glass of orange juice infused with mango juice. Kind of sharp, but nice enough.

However, that fruit juice cocktail is then spiked with milk. Coming into testing, I was thinking that this would just be a creamy finish, much like Sunset Fantasy by Britney Spears. Just a unisex and more tropical fruit version. That Britney note is ‘frothed milk’.

Nope, it’s actually the smell of milk. Not terrible, put kind of weird, and I’m not too enthralled by Cruz II in its early stages.

But, this does begin to shift into something that is less milky and almost a vanilla/powdery undertone to it. Maybe more like a milkshake and less like a glass of milk, is a way to put it.

The orange juice like smell kind of fades. The mango comes into its own. You have some musk and non-distinct floral notes that probably give this that slight bit of powder, that I am picking up on.

Outside of that, there is really only a little bit of wood popping through. Mango, the fruits toned down, the milky/vanilla/powder, and some musk.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, you do get a bold start here, nice scent trail, and a projection that emanates from the skin. This will diminish over the span of between 1-2 hours. Yet, for most of the wear this is solidly above average and not just an intimate scent bubble. 

The longevity is pretty good here. It goes over 8 hours on my skin, maybe up to 9 hours at its best. It’s solid and it doesn’t just fall off quickly. 

Seasonally, this is mostly a summer scent, and the tail end of springtime. A mango infused milky aroma, doesn’t really do much for you in the dead of winter.

This is more of a fun and casual wear. It’s not formal, not really sexy, just playful and can be pleasant to be around. A well put together fruity aroma, that has energy and a delicious kind of quality to it.

Not the most versatile perfume out there, but still has its uses.

 

Overall Impressions of Cruz del Sur II

Overall, do I like Cruz del Sur II? I like the dry down aspect of it. The opening isn’t terrible, it just feels kind of off. The mango is nice, the mix of the guava and other notes, less so. That milk? Not for me.

The performance is good and this is a scent that has plenty of fans who love that tropical vibe. I myself, enjoy tropical scents quite a lot. I’m disappointed that this wasn’t really all that unisex and am not enthralled with the fragrance itself. It still has its charms, though.

Is it blind buy worthy? No. Actually, as I said the comparable ‘Desire II’ by Dua smells nearly identical to Cruz del Sur II. As such, it makes way more sense to save your money and get that instead, if you really want to try out this type of mango mix. Performance on that, is actually better too.

 

Uden EDP by Xerjoff

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Uden is a fairly popular fragrance from the Italian luxury brand, Xerjoff. More exactly, its Shooting Stars collection Yet, in many ways I think that it gets overshadowed by other perfumes in the company’s extensive line. I grabbed a few small samples of this fragrance, to try it out and see whether or not it spoke to me. How does it smell? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Uden by Xerjoff Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, grapefruit, rum, sandalwood, rose, vanilla, coffee, guaiac wood and musk

Click here to try: Uden from Saks Fifth Avenue

uden xerjoff review

My Full Review

Before I get into my review, let’s see how Xerjoff describes it: Uden opens to the nose like a surging wave, with sea spray and a bright marine breeze bringing the senses to life. Hitting top notes of zesty lemon and grapefruit, the citrus character of this fougere fragrance travels to a bright heart of rose, sandalwood and rum.

I first wanted to try Uden, due to its comparisons with Chanel’s Allure Home Edition Blanche. I really enjoyed the lemon and vanilla blend in that, so, Uden absolutely had to be on my list.

The comparisons are pretty obvious, early on. But, they will end up in different places, and Uden is the better of the two. The Chanel can too often disappoint with its performance.

The initial blast of lemon and grapefruit is pretty sharp and intense. I know, some folks don’t like lemon colognes, but when done well, it is one of my favorites. This is one of those.

That opening citrus will calm down and the blend will become sweeter, fresher, and spicier. Rum, is the first note to let itself be known, alongside that vanilla creaminess.

Now, rum and citrus isn’t always great together, see: Bvlgari Man in Black Cologne. But, with this Xerjoff, the additional vanilla and coffee bring a sweetness and creaminess to the mix which is just delightful.

That citrus sharpness will calm down dramatically. In the mix, will come the woody notes. Oud and sandalwood. To my nose, the latter is the stronger of the two. Again, I love a good pairing of that with vanilla and the lemon top.

Sweet vanilla, boozy woods is basically the finish with Uden. Really quite beautiful and a pleasure to pick up hints of when the fragrance begins to fade.

Update: In my own bottle, the sandalwood really stands out in the latter stages. A bit different from the sample, but the blend is still magnificent.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty moderate. Initially, you will get some good projection from Uden, but it will sit pretty close to the skin for the rest of the wear. Not a complete best, but with a decent amount of sprays its solid.

Better than Chanel Blanche, anyway.

The longevity is pretty good. Somewhere in the 7-9 hour range, on my skin. It kind of fluctuates in that range, but mainly sticks to the lower end of the spectrum. Which for this price, is kind of a disappointment. 

xerjoff perfume

Seasonally, this is more geared toward autumn or spring, in my opinion. It does have a heaviness that makes it too much for the daytime in summer, but I had good results with it in the evening.

A high level of heat and humidity is something you’d want to avoid with this Xerjoff perfume.

It’s also a unisex fragrance that can realistically be worn by anyone. Probably leans masculine with the rum note, but not really too much in either direction. 

This can be worn in a variety of situations. Maybe avoid really formal outings, if you don’t want that rum note to make it seem like you’ve been drinking.

Overall Impressions of Uden

xerjoff meteorite stars

Do I like this fragrance? It’s one of my personal favorites. So, yeah. Is it for everyone? Probably not.

I love a good vanilla and citrus scent and this is among the best that I’ve encountered. If that’s not your thing, you can pass on Uden. If it sounds somewhat intriguing to you, I’d track down a sample, to see how you enjoy it.

Personally, I think that this is a masterpiece. The smell is just outstanding. It took everything that I liked about the Chanel fragrance and made it better. Plus, it goes in its own direction. The rum and coffee really help to set it apart.

Additionally, it’s not as dry with the vetiver. Much creamier and the citrus notes are great here.

The performance is good. Not elite, but I don’t have too many complaints about it. But, the scent is so delightful to me, that I do with that it kept going on and on.

As of now, I haven’t splurged on a full bottle, but it is definitely on the list of one that I want for my own collection. It’s just pricey. 

Update: I finally bought my full bottle, with the help of some credits and a discount code. As you can see, the presentation from Xerjoff is pretty elaborate and I got my own meteorite pieces, for the Shooting Stars collection.