XXX Charcoal

This has a very close similarity to Supreme Leather by Ralph Lauren (not exactly like it); the Saffron and Elemi on the opening is what grants it the comparison. That dry graphite and black pepper being complimented by the saffron and elemi is really nice 🤌🏼 there’s this woody Oud-ish note that’s right in the middle of everything; it’s not a harsh or strong Oud but a nice lingering soft blender of the sharp and warm from the other notes. Niche quality no doubt! This is for sure a warm/fresh spicy, fall/winter fragrance! I’ll edit this post in a day or two with my oof-rating system 🫡 so far it’s a solid 10 in my book. ⚠️EDIT 03/10/23: (my ratings)⚠️ Scent: 10 oofs -In my honest opinion; it smells like it should only be worn by someone who dresses and looks sharp. Dressed in black and gray in both casual and business attire. No slacking, no bullshit. All business but still friendly and approachable. That visual and description I just gave came to my mind from the smell of sharp metallics and “woods”, softened by the saffron and resinous elemi. I’m not too sure what that new molecule used smells like but I’m assuming it’s what gives it the distinct Oud-ish middle. Overall, the scent intimidates but in a none aggressive way. Longevity: 6 oofs -it didn’t last too long maybe 5-6 hours on my skin but I did go to the gym in between so it’s somewhat okay. It did last 8ish hours on clothes though. Sillage: 6 oofs -it didn’t radiate off my skin as much as I wanted, it’s probably my skin, idk. Its sillage is okay if you want something not-so abrasive.

XXX CHARCOAL will garner comments from few. It is an interesting scent. A metallic, cool and damp soil, mineral, inky smell. Synthetic but at the same time natural and earthy/musky. Backed by a strong black peppery floral note. There’s a crisp clean airiness to it all. The fragrance is the same from beginning to end. There’s nothing that develops over time. It quickly becomes a skin scent that stays for 4-5 hours, then undetectable. I find the scent familiar, and somewhat comforting. It reminds me of an old, well used fine arts classroom/studio. Metal cans and bins holding years worth of charcoal, graphite pencils, oil pastels. Stacks of papers, boxes of mat board. Rolls of canvas, well used art palettes and brushes. Rulers, x-acto knives, and other metal tools scattered about. Shelves overflowing with bottles of inks, tubes of paints, cans of glues and pastes. Raw untreated concrete floors. Stools, tables, easels made of metal and pressed wood. A stained utility sink with a damp rag hanging over the side.

What I get is simple saffron-y/pepper-y incense in the top, smoky cedar in the heart and a soft (non-lemony) elemi in the base. Moderate performance on my skin. Nothing thrilling or unique, but very well done. Not bottle worthy at full retail price imho, but when it'll show up at online discounters, this one will probably become a serious competitor in the woody incense dept. Good job, Zegna!

A remarkable blend of pepper, saffron, graphite, and ozonic minerals that evoke the thermodynamic energy of anthracite. Charcoal captures the very essence of coal, smoldering metals, and artificial smoke. It strikes me as a sophisticated, avant-garde elixir that showcases Zegna’s artistic craftsmanship and true potential when utilizing refined synthetics and molecules.

I have been testing this, as it was the 1 that stood out from the 3 perfumes in the collection. I'm falling in love with it and I think I will get a full bottle over the next few days. It is a very unique scent and there's a sweet element that's a cool contrast to the main notes and the name.

This is really intriguing! You can literally pick up the graphite and pepper. There is also a certain earthy tone that I’m getting from it. All in all I’d say this is a very pleasant and wearable fragrance. It’s unique compared to what I’m used to wearing.

After testing this yesterday, I had to get a full bottle today. I'm really enjoying this perfume. It is an alluring scent. I'll write a review after a month or so!

Edit: I was a tad harsh about this one. It’s grown on me, however it depends on my mood. It’s not a wearable perfume for all occasions - it’s a personal scent. The lipsticky feel now smells more like charcoal that I often find in cosmetics, shampoo etc and vaguely like charcoal I might throw into a cast iron stove. It’s a sophisticated and complex smell however I definitely think it’s a try before you buy. As I said I have a strange attraction to it and performance is on par for price. Original : Wow! I blind bought this and Vertigris as a special from David Jones (Sydneys’ Harrods) and received a bunch of freebies and also the third one in the series as sample. I bought them purely on the marketing and notes. Well, a bit disappointing. Charcoal is the more interesting. It starts out with a weird red fruitiness which quickly fades and turns into basically a synthetic lipstick base vaguely reminiscent of BDKs Rouge Smoking (though RS is a much better scent that even I’d wear despite the feminine bias) - or more so a crayon like Durgas Amber Teutonic which also didn’t work for me as it in no way comforted me to wear it - I guess it reminded me of the closet with vinyl floors with all the art gear back in pre school - yeah, not sure it’s my thing to wear... At a stretch I guess I’d go with the marketing and I find this scent strangely weird as a novelty - that and the fact I got a nice leather bag means I won’t return it but for the normal price this is fairly underwhelming and nothing but a marketing gimmick.

The Zegna Triple Stitch range is an interesting exercise in blending traditional materials (here, black pepper, saffron and some resinous elemi) with edgy aroma chemicals (here, norlimbanol). What emerges from this bit of mad scientist laboratory play is a very interesting, yet approachably unchallenging fragrance. The saffron note in the top is amplified by the spicy black pepper. The heart continues the pepper note and gives it a resin-tinged warmth. But it is the woody, slightly animalic norlimbanol that is the star here. This scent is at once bright and warm. It is woody but also ambery. Really interesting stuff! The graphite note that joins the scent at the late stage of the heart gives the fragrance it's name, I assume, and adds a mineral note that is fascinating and unexpected given the way the fragrance progresses up to the emergence of the graphite. It is all easy to like and sufficiently atypical to avoid being boring. I like this fragrance quite a bit. The presentation is pretty cool, to my eyes, with the glossy, almost chrome looking bottle with its melty, Dali-esque appearance suggesting that things inside the bottle are not ordinary. I happen to like the look, but I can see how some will find it cheesy. Try to sample these triple stitch fragrances if you can. They are well worth considering it you are bored by the usual men's designer fare. Recommended.

Wow! I blind bought this and Vertigris as a special from David Jones (Sydneys’ Harrods) and received a bunch of freebies and also the third one in the series as sample. I bought them purely on the marketing and notes. Well, a bit disappointing. Charcoal is the more interesting. It starts out with a weird red fruitiness which quickly fades and turns into basically a synthetic lipstick base vaguely reminiscent of BDKs Rouge Smoking (though RS is a much better scent that even I’d wear despite the feminine bias) - or more so a crayon like Durgas Amber Teutonic which also didn’t work for me as it in no way comforted me to wear it - I guess it reminded me of the closet with vinyl floors with all the art gear back in pre school - yeah, not sure it’s my thing to wear... At a stretch I guess I’d go with the marketing and I find this scent strangely weird as a novelty - that and the fact I got a nice leather bag means I won’t return it but for the normal price this is fairly underwhelming and nothing but a marketing gimmick...

Very strong metallic charcoal earthy scent Not my style makes me nauseous Very strong and masculine, definitely for the older generation.

Not an instinctive "go to" from my collection but once on, it's a rather charming fragrance with a very acceptable sillage and longevity for the price. I voted similarities to Antidote and Black cedarwood & J as they are in the same olfactory bracket, sophisticated and somewhat exotic (good blend of western and Eastern accords) I look forward to see how this shapes up in summer temperatures. Edit: Layered with Oud Wood, it nearly give me wood!

First impression is it reminds me of a more refined Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir with the ethereal lightness of an EDT concentration. In my mild climate I could see this being really good in Autumn/Winter, in that it gives a darker, inky vibe like Encre Noir but doesn't have to cut through harsh cold weather and layered clothes. There is a spicy warmth to it, giving it a similar type of duality to TF ombre leather black with the raspberry note.

I think I'm a bit of an outlier, in that I can't pick out any of the listed notes– certainly not graphite. But still, this is surprisingly nice! It makes me think of cola, especially an artisanal or homemade version. There's spice, a sort of coolness reminiscent of cardamom, and a dry leather/woody base. I didn't think this would be a keeper for me, but it might just be.

Beyond devastated this is discontinued. If there is anything similar or any dupes out there please please let me know.

Really cool use of charcoal here. I actually really like it. Unfortunately it doesn't last on my skin at all.

Smells like zaharoff pour homme at what I assume is a way cheaper price.

Smells like metallic peppery oud in a kind of fresh way. Very modern.