Uden EDP by Xerjoff

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

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. 

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

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.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.