Zilla

Zilla is loud in the best way. Lemon, neroli, civet, and gardenia sound like they shouldn't get along, sharp citrus butting up against a rich, slightly feral animalic note and a lush white floral, but that tension is exactly the point. This one bites first and softens second.

It opens sour and sharp, lemon and grapefruit heart practically crackling against each other (but lemon wins this time), with grey pine sneaking in for a slight green edge. Then civet drops in and changes everything. The way the civet blends with the citrus is perfection, giving that bright sourness a slightly dirty undercurrent that keeps the opening incredibly addicting. Rose otto adds lift and dimension to the scent. Gardenia Enfluerage is extremely different to its absolute counterpart being more sharp and tart while still remaining floral is extremely unique. As well as a White Ambergris tincture being the entire carrier of this scent.

The heart is where the sharpness starts to round out. Neroli picks up bitter-green and citrusy but softer, while litsea cubeba keeps a lemony brightness alive without letting it go flat. Rosewood and jade wood ease in with a smooth, polished woodiness, and a floral accord ties the whole middle together, letting the gardenia from the top live rather than disappearing too fast.

This is where Zilla earns its fall credentials. Papua oud and cedar atlas build a real woody depth in the base, costus root adds a slightly animalic richness, and sichuan pepper gives the whole drydown a tingling spice. This base is what gives this sharp, sour, fresh fragrance the staying power to actually work once the temperature drops, the citrus doesn't fade into nothing.

The special ingredients used in this blend keeps the citruses alive throughout the wear instead of them fading instantly. Lemon Heart and Grapefruit Heart were specially distilled to allow the citruses to last from first spray until the end of the night.