Excellent marketing and copy can’t stop a perfume from morphing into whatever the wearer presumes about a perfume. Zoologist Nightingale is a prime example for me. It’s a perfume inspired by Japanese spring with notes that sound dainty and delicate. Look at the bottle! It has a songbird wearing a kimono. Before wearing this, I’ve made a lot of assumptions about this fragrance. But, my assumptions are nothing like my experience with this pink juice. Nightingale is like an exaggerated, drag-like interpretation of femininity. I spray this on and I’m suddenly shaking an ostrich feather boa and wearing marabou slippers. What? It’s fun so I won’t fight it.
Nightingale opens with floral indoles and bitter citrus zest. At this stage, I’m reminded of fluffy pink powder puffs and popped bottles of champagne. It’s effervescent, energetic and unapologetically floral. It reminds me of ylang-ylang and ginger blossoms in a bouquet fit for the silver screen. The heart is a rose and violet that’s both powdery and bitter green (almost like hyacinth). It’s not just powdery in a cosmetic (i.e. French face powder) way, but it’s powdery like Turkish Delights. The florals have a raspberry nuance and the greenness sometimes comes across more like bitter orange blososm water than crushed greens. The patchouli in the fragrance suggests that this perfume will turn into a chypre…and it eventually does. The dry-down is green moss, sultry musk, PATCHOULI and a leathery oud. This oud really adds something to an otherwise “classic” chypre base.
I try to think about spring and songbirds when wearing this, but I can’t stick with that thought. I always go back to thinking of burlesque and Jayne Mansfield’s Pink Palace. It’s almost campy, but that is what is keeping this floral-chypre from being stuffy! It’s fun.
Notes listed include bergamot, lemon, saffron, Japanese plum blossom, rose, violet, ambergris, oud, frankincense, moss, sandalwood, patchouli and more. Launched in 2016. PERFUMER – Tomoo Inaba
Give Nightingale a try if you like vintage-style aldehydic florals. Or perfumes like Vero Profumo Rozy Voile d’Extrait, Chanel No. 22, Divine L’Ame Sœur, Tauer Noontide Petals and/or Rochas Mystère.
Projection and longevity are above average.
The 2 oz bottle retails for $125 at Zoologist. A travel size and samples are also available for purchase.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Burlesque floral chypre. It’s a character that wears head-to-toe pink and that’s FUN. There’s a humor to this fragrance, which I’m going to assume is intentional (I mean, it’s a brand with animals wearing people clothes). We all know that some of the best performers (and maybe even perfumes) have a sense of humor! Anyway, I really enjoy wearing it and I apologize for getting feathers all over the place.
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*Disclaimer – Sample provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Product pic from Fragrantica. Jean Idelle pic from ladychardonnaysbible.wordpress.com