YETI

The beast is in your face! This is quite challenging and complex so let's start from the beginning. The opening is damn strong and quite challenging, the beast is already there, in front of you! Reading the notes and seeing "thai oud" I was expecting a non aggressive oud, yes animalic but with the tipical honey and green facets with an hint of sweetness, but it is not the case, this oud is animalic and aggressive, straight up cheesy and sweaty (not blue cheese, more Alps cheese, fontina, emmental like), expecially on the mouillette, with some green facets that are axalted by the aromatic spices. Around the beast which is the center of the opening we have the smell of its forest, resins, greeness and some sort of humid soil smell (probably some oakmoss). This can be challenging if you are not used to oud scents expecially on paper, on skin it is less aggressive (at least on me, but I can wear very animalic things without resulting offensive or too harsh somehow, miracles of skin chemestry I suppose). At this stage the fragrance is roaring, very projecting, defusing, loud. After some time the wild animalic part starts to tone down, the yeti is gone without killing you apparently and the forest takes the main stage. This forest is both green and earthy, there is for sure some vetiver even if not listed and a big dose or fir resin that gives the perfume its balsamic green characteristic feeling. During the drydown the whole thing turns softer and woody, a very aromatic woodyness, with a slight hint of sweetness due probably to javanol, yet it remains a very original composition which doesn't remind me of nothing else I tryed so far. On this stage of the evolution the fragrance is less defusive and tends to stay closer to your body until it becomes almost a skin scent after about six seven hours (the beast is gone and you are finally safe...maybe). I must admit that I'm liking it a lot, and it is so original that is hard to me to categorize it and suggest some practicalities for it. It is green, but it is not a freshy, it is woody but it is not warm, probably if it fits your style you can wear it whenever you want, in whatever season. For me it requires a certain elegance in the dressing because I like the contrast in wearing elegant suits wearing a such animalic wierd fragrance, and it is for sure not an easy everyday grab, nonetheless the quality of material is high and the concept is very intriguing so I suggest you to at least sample it, it is worth the experience and maybe you will find the companionship of this wierd beast pleasant.

Fabulous new release from Rajesh and Maxim. As you might expect from the name, the scent is equal parts cold and animalic (like a yeti), initially opening with a fresh, frosty, piney character, which gives way to spicey, oud-y nuances as the scent develops. Rajesh’s compositions always do a good job of portraying their subject matter, and this one is no exception. It also contains a couple of notes I’d never smelled before, including Sugandha Kokila, which I’ve recently learned from a handy Google search is a “therapeutic essential oil steam-distilled from the dried berries of a Himalayan evergreen tree, primarily in Nepal,” as well as Valerian Root, which apparently is lending the scent its earthy, almost fuzzy je ne sais quoi. There’s a familiarity to the blending style here, so if you’re a fan of these collaborations in general, this certainly won’t disappoint, but where I think it truly shines is in its balance of wearability and unconventionality. While fragrances like Sheherezade or Santa Sangre land in the territory of pure indulgent wearability and scents like Sleepy Hollow, Aranyaka, and Haxan play more into the experimental, daring side of things, Yeti is very much the best of both worlds. It’s not so audacious or head-turning that it couldn’t be worked into day-to-day life, but you do definitely get some intrigue from the oud, and the valerian root provides a welcome curve ball that keeps the fragrance interesting for its duration. This is a great option for those looking for a refreshing but decidedly out-of-the-box scent that doesn’t lean into aquatic territory. For those inexperienced with oud and valerian root, sampling first to confirm those particular notes are up your alley wouldn’t be a bad move, but the blending here is top notch, and ingredient quality is excellent as well. Big fan of this one.

Smelled this in a store in Mexico City and left without it. Huge mistake. Went back and the store was closed. Flew to NYC the next day and found a bottle there. Not joking. This thing is cold and wild and animalic from the first spray. There's a pepper in here called Timur pepper that I had never heard of before and it opens like nothing else I own. Electric is the only word. And underneath it from the jump there's this earthy almost feral quality that just stays the whole time. The heart is Himalayan fir and oakmoss and black tea and it smells like being somewhere enormous and cold and serious. The base is where it gets really interesting. Spikenard and valerian and this rare Himalayan berry called Sugandha Kokila and Thai oud. It sounds insane. It works completely. This was made by Maksim Bortnikoff and Rajesh Balkrishnan who is literally a health economics professor with almost 300 published academic papers who makes perfume because he loves it. That detail kills me every time. Nearly all natural materials. Incredible longevity. Animalic as hell. Not for everyone but completely for me. One of my favorites right now.

Maksim Perfume’s Yeti, created by Maxim Bortnikoff and Rajesh Balakrishnan, is absolutely phenomenal. These two masters collaborated on the masterpiece Oud Indochine previously and have done stellar work here too. Wearing this feels like charging through a frozen Siberian forest in pursuit of the Yeti itself — crashing into towering fir trees, brushing through juniper thickets, and getting covered in fresh, sticky sap. But this isn’t just any forest. Somehow, hidden among the fir and moss, there are trees with oud sap adding this dark, noble edge that takes the whole composition to another level. It’s deeply foresty: rich fir, crisp juniper, resinous facets, and earthy oakmoss all wrapped around a beautifully smoky oud backbone. That oud doesn’t overpower; it elevates everything, adding depth, sophistication, and just enough darkness to make the scent feel wild and majestic. Performance is classic high-tier Maksim: excellent projection and outstanding longevity. This is bold, atmospheric, and incredibly well executed. 10/10.

Yeti is a new scent from Maksim perfumes, created by Maxim Bortnikoff and veteran perfumer Rajesh Balakrishnan. I really love this one. I find it is extremely versatile, and can be worn by anyone, at any time of the year, and for any occasion. It may lean slightly towards male, however. The notes are the best of all worlds and have a bit of every category, and are blended perfectly to work in complete synergy. It creates a mood for the wearer and his or her surroundings. Yeti is the is the perfect name, as it conjures up visions of an alpine forest. It's spicy, earthy, foresty, crisp and has just the right amount of animalic qualities. If you close ypur eyes, you can smell the fir trees and the crisp alpine air. Two thumbs up from me on this one. I would definitely recommend it. The longevity and projection are both well above average as well.