Speed Legends Living on the edge

Today’s review tackles one of the absolute most feverishly hyped and highly discussed releases gripping the fragrance community right now: Speed Legends by Ex Nihilo. Widely celebrated as a pinnacle achievement in modern fresh perfumery, this creation marks my return into the avant-garde Parisian house, having previously reviewed Blue Talisman and being left disappointed. This creation showcases the niche house attempting to bottle pure adrenaline, presenting a highly contemporary, clean signature profile that feels remarkably sleek and aerodynamic on skin. It is a fragrance built entirely on a grand contrast of temperatures, striking the nose with an initially wind swept, hyper vibrant freshness before gradually settling into a deeply masculine, sophisticated warmth. Stepping into a fragrance universally hailed as an absolute contemporary masterpiece, the critical question remains whether Speed Legends can successfully justify its massive community hype and premium cost with a truly distinctive character on skin, or if its versatile, clean cut blueprint will lack the complex artistic depth expected at this tier of luxury. Let’s see if this fragrance stands as a brilliant, triumphant crown jewel of Ex Nihilo or if it is merely a beautifully marketed, hyper inflated trend. Opening: The opening is fruity, aromatic, and earthy. The primary accords I get are black currant, bergamot, clary sage, and vetiver, with the black currant and bergamot leading the introduction. The black currant kicks the fragrance off with a deep, tangy, and slightly tart dark berry facet. It serves beautifully to power the prominent fruity accord, lending a high definition, slightly sweet edge to the opening that pushes the fruity composition forward. Following directly behind it is the bergamot as a sharp, sparkling, and highly refined citrus rind, helped along in part by the mandarin for an extra kick of citrus. It infuses the opening with a bright, aromatic freshness that sets a distinctly upscale tone right out of the gate. Underneath, the clary sage introduces a crisp, clean, and intensely silver green herbal note. It takes the helm of the aromatic accord, grounding the lofty fruit and citrus accords with an icy, sophisticated botanical sharpness that keeps the fragrance feeling distinctly professional and elevated. Lastly, the vetiver rounds out the opening with a dry, woody, and distinctly earthy element. It drives the woody and earthy accords in the base of the fragrance, providing a sleek, highly structured foundation that anchors the fresh elements without ever feeling dense or heavy. There is also just a hint of vanillic sweetness humming underneath from the tonka bean. The result is a very bright, clean, and mass appealing fragrance, but one with a distinctly niche feeling earthiness that keeps it from ever feeling too designer. Dry Down: The dry down transitions into an aromatic, spicy, and woody character. The primary accords I get are clary sage, pink pepper, black currant, and vetiver, with the clary sage and pink pepper leading the composition. In the dry down, the loud citruses have evaporated off completely, leaving the clary sage to become the dominant force with a noticeably larger dose of crisp, clean, and fresh aromatics. Meanwhile, the pink pepper has surfaced as a bright and rosy spice element that delivers an instant rush of energy. It acts as the core driver for the soft spicy accord, mimicking the crisp thrill of a sudden acceleration as the very namesake of the fragrance implies. Underneath, the black currant is still present but functions strictly as a supporting note, still injecting that fruity, sweet, and tangy berry accord that sat at the front of the opening, but in a way that is far more dialed back and smoothed out. Lastly, the vetiver still resides securely in the base of the fragrance, providing that necessary woody structure but with a dry, grassy, almost smoky accord as opposed to the distinct earthiness I picked up on in the opening hours. The result is a dry down that is still enormously fresh and invigorating, but one that feels a bit more contemporary as opposed to the subtle avant-garde edge of the opening, coming across as vaguely reminiscent to me of Parfums de Marly's Sedley. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour of wear is surprisingly powerful for such a fresh, clean fragrance, and it is easily able to reach across a small room. The sillage matches that impressive presence with a very bright, yet substantial scent trail left in your wake. After about four hours on skin, the projection was still holding on strong and actively reaching out at least six feet, and the trailing scent trail was still very easily noticeable. After about seven to eight hours, the projection had drawn inward to about three to four feet, and the scent trail was noticeably lighter at this stage but remained completely perceptible to those around you. The fragrance ultimately lasted about ten to eleven hours before becoming a true skin scent, demonstrating superb technical performance for this specific type of fresh profile. When to Wear: Speed Legends shines primarily as a spring and summer fragrance, but realistically it can be worn with ease all year round, day or night. Its core identity is firmly rooted in that of a bright, fresh, and clean profile, which naturally works best in the warmer months, but it remains entirely appropriate any time of the year. This immense versatility extends perfectly into its usage cases as well, with it being suitable for nearly any conceivable occasion. Whether it is casual wear, formal wear, special occasions, or even an everyday office wear environment, Speed Legends will smell great and effortlessly fit the vibe. Blind Buy: As far as highly expensive niche fragrances go, Speed Legends actually stands as a pretty safe blind buy for most collectors. It delivers a highly appealing, ultra clean scent profile with absolutely no offensive, challenging, or polarizing aspects to it. Even for me, as someone who is not typically a massive fan of prominent vetiver notes, I was able to easily enjoy the way this fragrance behaves on skin. The only real aspect that would give pause to most people is the premium luxury price point. However, if your budget is not a major concern, this is an incredibly easy pickup. Final Verdict: If I am being completely honest, I did not start my journey with this fragrance carrying very big expectations. Before even getting my nose on it, I had these distinct, preconceived notions that it was just another influencer hyped fragrance that everyone in the community was going completely gaga for without much substance. Looking at the official note pyramid itself, absolutely nothing jumped out at me as particularly interesting or unique. Even after smelling it off a paper test strip in person, I initially thought it smelled completely fine, but it just did not strike me as anything special. It was not until after I wore it through a dedicated test on skin that it truly blossomed into the dazzling spectacle that everyone says it is. It belongs to that rare, fascinating category of masterfully blended fresh fragrances, right alongside the likes of Gentle Fluidity Silver or Louis Vuitton’s Imagination, where I cannot fully describe texturally why it is just so good, it simply is. The technical performance is deeply impressive as well, successfully defying the short longevity limits that usually plague this fresh, clean genre. All things considered, and completely turning the tide against my initial preconceived notions, I could definitely see myself proudly adding this fragrance to my collection when the time is right. It proves that true blending craft can take seemingly standard accords and elevate them into something completely intoxicating when allowed to react with human skin warmth. Tomorrow I will be turning my attention to the even more feverishly hyped, limited edition flanker to this fragrance, Speed Legends Night Drive, and this stellar experience on skin has left me incredibly excited to see what that next chapter holds. Scent: 10/10 Longevity: 8/10 Sillage: 9/10 Versatility: Very high Compliment Factor: Very high Gender: Masculine Value: Way overpriced

Alllllllright! Class is im session... Cubaknow said this was nothing special... You guys watched a bunch of the other fragrance reviewers hype it up...so what's the verdict? Round of applause for Jordi Fernandez! I saw the comparisons on this saying sultani and amiri smells like this. I own both. There is some truth to this. Amiri which smells like middle eastern fabric softener or dryer sheets and doesn't last longer than 6 hours but smells divine sits at the base of this scent. On top of this sits fractured components of bright citrus blended to perfection with a light vetiver and sage. This is slightly spiced. A total year round scent but just saying that it is inoffensive is diminutive. It is understated. Imagine you're at a black tie event. Everyone is in black and white with the perfunctory tie, shined shoes. Regal. The dress code was strict on color and on style so you had your tuxedo tailored with precision and hung in a vacuum sealed back until the big day. And you followed the dress code to the tee, but if someone looks close they'll notice your jacket lightly shimmers and what lines the inside of both the jacket and pants is a concoction of soft red velvet for your pleasure. It's in the imperceptibility of how well blended; complex in orchestration yet simple in delivery. Yes you will smell good. People that like perfume will ask what this is because its not like like anything specific for western noses but it smells good. It's refined. It lasts. I own both blue talisman scents. I prefer both for a time when im a little playful, a little more carefree and casual. This one? This is boardroom, black-tie for the person that doesn't want to shout but still stands out. Jordin Fernandez has had quite the run. I suggest people pay attention to his catalogue. Also to anyone reading this that like my recommendations, likes bold scents that help you stand out, there is a new comer in town: the street scent. With frags like black mamba, charmpagne, coffee in paris...2026 is about to be FRESH! Overall rating: 4.5/5

Absolutely not worth the price if you're looking for a straight up tool. This is, to me, a self-gift type of purchase when you either collect the brand or want to splurge. Top level quality for a rather familiar scent profile that I doubt would ever offend anyone that wears it or smells it in the air. Clean - absolutely clean - fresh and lightly sweet aromatic masculine fragrance for any age. Daily driver to the gym, work, school, or even going to bed - this will take the heat with excellence and will refresh you even more in cooler weather. HOWEVER, I don't feel inclined at all to wear this in the evening or even out and about in the cold, but certainly can be worn then. Fragrances like GFS and Cypress & Grapevine cover the same basis as this, with the MFK option being a bit more mature and even "silver" smelling if that even makes sense (brilliantly named, btw). Performs sufficiently for about 4-5 hours but very soft after then - knowing my skin is actually great for longevity and not so much for projection. On clothes the longevity gets stretched to even beyond 8-9 hours with soft detectability. Honestly, 5h is ideal for me. This is a fantastic "hospital" fragrance or even for close encounters, not in a sexy way but working in close quarters with the public, etc.

This is a super classy everyday scent for a man. Crisp clean, subtle sweetness from tonka, Cold, slight powder, herbal, aromatic, citrus. These are all things I feel and smell from this fragrance. This is a moderate performer, but the sillage is amazing. As others have pointed out, this is the type of scent that you just don't look at the price and buy, or give yourself as a gift. Yes, it is overpriced, but at the same time, it's worth it. This is better than Platinum Egoiste, and could replace it in your collection. It's miles ahead of MFK GFS, which, once it dries, just smells like all the other ambroxan soap bombs in the MFK collection. Sultani is up there, but it isn't this. The same goes for Loewe Cobolt, which is good, but it falls a little short in terms of execution compared to Speed Legends (also is a lot greener). I would suggest getting a 5ml and wearing it multiple times to get the full experience. Edit: It saddens me to update this, but it turns powdery on my skin. I really dislike powdery fragrances. Its from the Tonka. Sample, sample, sample, guys. 10/10 frag, but make sure to give it a test run on skin before committing.

I love this scent so much - it’s the quintessential men’s “clean guy” cologne. BUT I just got a decant of Loewe 7 Cobalt, which is significantly cheaper, and it does smell similar. Speed Legends is slightly more smooth in both the opening and dry down, thus to me, better and more unique. Cobalt 7 is slightly spicier and sharper, but still pretty close and I’d say most people wouldn’t know you’re wearing different fragrances if you interchanged them daily. I will still wear Speed Legends frequently (it’s fresh, clean, smooth, professional, masculine) but I don’t think I’ll repurchase it if 7 Cobalt is still being made...it’s very good, lasts just as long, has its own character that separates it from the other herby/spicy freshies out there like Green Irish Tweed and Gentle Fluidity Silver, and ultimately, so much cheaper. Speed Legends - 9.3/10 Loewe 7 Cobalt - 9.1/10.

After testing my sample for a few months and getting to know this scent I finally realized what it reminds me of. This to me is similar to Sultani by Arabian Oud. Just more aromatic and less sweet. This is by no means a clone either and I'm not sure if they even drew inspiration from each other, might just be a coincidence. But they do have the same vibe to me. I love this scent but since it's so similar to Sultani I think I'll pass on it since the same situations I'd wear this is when I'd wear Sultani. Also since price isn't a factor since they go for around the same, scent wise I prefer Sultani because it has a sparkling nature to it where Speed Legends is more smooth and airy (but still just as amazing). Had I found this before Sultani I definitely would have bought a bottle

I was deciding between this and the new Christian Provenzano Crystal Musk, they are similar. I chose to get Ex Nihilo Speed Legends Living On The Edge. This is a great daily wear, work fragrance, signature scent option. It is bright like a beautiful newly painted luxury automobile shining in the sun, metallic like the bold, strong body and frame of a race car, sharp like a fast sports car and linear like a car racing at high speed. The pink pepper, black currant and clary sage are dominant and create a juniper / gin and tonic accord. I love that. This is really, really good and it grows on you big time. This can be worn any season at any time for any activity. I highly recommend this. Its high Fragrantica score is justified in my opinion. 9/10 and a Fragrantica score of 4.45

Sharp, fresh, airy, and addictive. The main characters here are sage and vetiver, while pink pepper and blackcurrant adding some depth. Speed Legends is very simple, almost linear through out its life but very very pleasant and addictive, giving those kind of 90's old school scent but done better. This is not a weak scent by any means. Longevity is excellent 10-12 hours on my skin, however silage is on low-moderate side (perfect for office environment). Many compare this to sultani and diwan, I still prefer Speed Legends over those 2, not that they are not good but both give some Middle-Eastern vibe which I'm not a fan of. Full retail price is very steep, but I managed to get good deal from discounter so price point is not issue for me. 8.5/10

Speed Legends is honestly one of the classiest masculine fragrances I've ever smelled. It reminds me Loewe 7 Cobalt, GFS, and Prada L'Homme, but with a smoother and more luxurious feel. It's fresh, clean, and incredibly refined Its not the most unique fragrance out there, but the blend quality is outstanding and everything smells premium. The bottle is gorgeous, the performance is really good on my skin, and its one of those scents you can wear anywhere. My only issue is the price. It's expensive, and while the scent and quality are amazing, I don't think it does quite enough to justify the retail price. Still, if you're looking for a clean, sophisticated, masculine fragrance and you have a LOT of money, this one is hard to beat.

This was love at first sniff. I was a bit dubious about Ex Nihilo as a brand because Blue Talisman is all that seems to be mentioned. This however, is just another level. It’s reminiscent to me of the original Fahrenheit, in that it’s smooth with a hint of gasoline in it, but in a creamy way. Not sure if that makes sense, but try it and you will understand. I can almost smell violet leaf in it, but it’s not an official note. This projects exceptionally well with a big sillage trail. The longevity is an easy 10 hours on my skin. In the deep dry down, the sage is definitely forward leading and the blend with the other notes is flawless. For me, this is signature scent worthy.

Genuinely one of the most clean smelling scents I have in my collection. It almost smells like irish spring but in the best way possible. I got this yesterday and it’s already in my top 3 easily. People complain about it being basic for the price which may be somewhat true but this smells expensive and performs like a $300 fragrance. This thing last damn near eternally on my skin personally. I applied it at 5:00pm yesterday and could still clearly smell it on my wrist the next day at 8:00am. 100% worth picking up. I would say this is blind but safe if you’re looking for that. Stunning scent.

This is a scent I’ve been wanting to try for a while, finally got a sample and it grew on me a lot. Glad I finally own a bottle of this. Yes it’s a simple DNA but its simplicity done in the highest form. The blend quality is immaculate and I could easily wear this everyday. I even tried getting Moncler Sunrise Pour Homme as an alternative but they’re night and day in terms of quality and scent. Had to get this instead. Yes it’s pricy for what it is, but I’m at a point in my life where I appreciate quality over owning hundreds of bottles/clones. 9/10

This fragrance grew on me so fast. The more time i spent with it the more I fell in love with it. It's phenomenal in every way. Spectacular performance, longevity, sillage and projection. This is art in a bottle. I'm becoming a massive fan of Jordie Fernandez. Everything he touches turns to gold. I'm so eager to try the other falcons of this one. Especially Night Drive. Do yourself a huge favor and get your snot-locker on this one ASAP!

I’ve got a few daily’s that I wear a lot but this one takes number 1 for sure. Lasts on me pretty much the whole day and I find it to be uplifting and elegant at the same time. It’s a soft and subtle scent, doesn’t come off as loud and in your face to me. Checks off all my boxes for a daily driver, except its high price tag of $350. But I’d probably still buy again.

What else is there to say? What a masterpiece!! One of the most refined gentleman scents there is. Not everyone wants a challenging scent. This is a simple everyday scent done to perfection. I’d happily pay for what they are asking, but then again I’m not a brokie. Quality over quantity

Initially, I was not a huge fan of this scent but it kinda later grew on me. Now that I own a bottle of this, i feel this can potentially be my signature scent of all time - very gentlemanly and unique. I am currently enjoying having this in my collection. Initial Rating: 9.5 / 10

If I could only have one cologne for the rest of my life...it would be this one. It's clean, it's fresh, it's slightly masculine, and it's perfect for every day, for every occasion. This is 100% blind buy safe and I would highly recommend to every guy out there.

Signature worthy and a modern day masterpiece. Very versatile and sophisticated. Similar in profile to Amiri and Sultani from Arabian Oud, but smoother, slightly more aromatic and refined. Masculine leaning. Shukran Habibi!

This is the crispest scent I've ever tried. Not necessarily fresh, just crisp, like mountain air. It's so elegant and clean and sexy all at once. This is signature scent worthy and the best from Ex Nihilo in my opinion.

Yes. Perfect warm weather daily driver. My favorite Ex Nihilo offering. I agree with all the pros listed above. Feel like a million $ wearing this.