Stercus

Stercus is a fragrance that took me completely off guard—and in all the right ways. This is the first Orto Parisi scent I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing, and it has certainly left me hooked. The premise intrigued me from the start, marketed around faeces, and honestly, I expected something much more straightforward and musky—perhaps in a bad way. But what I encountered was an unexpected complexity, a fragrance that’s compelling, layered, and surprisingly pleasant to wear. It turned out to be a true crowd-pleaser. Upon first spray, I was hit with an immediate wave of bold, smoky oud. Dark, mysterious, and intense, it wasn’t the kind of BBQ smokey-ness—more of a raw, woody depth. As an oud lover, this immediately captured my attention, and I was in love. The musky, animalic qualities of the fragrance were unmistakable, adding an edge that my daily oud doesn’t possess. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this fragrance didn’t smell faecal—though I do feel it tells the story of the bodily process it’s based on. The sharp, pungent onset—this hit of musk and smoke—felt akin to the raw experience of excreting, confronting the very essence of something primal. As the fragrance began to dry down, sweet floral notes started to emerge, particularly around an hour in. Close to my wrist, I picked up on dark, fruity florals and a rose that almost had a soapy quality to it. But the oud was still the dominant player, strong and present. The smoky, animalic facets didn’t fade but instead were softened by a creamy vanilla undertone that brought a layer of richness and complexity. At this stage, the scent took on a very specific imagery for me: someone wearing a strong oud to a zoo—where the wild, animalic scents of the enclosures mingle with the depth of oud. Waste, hide, and animal musk combined with the rich, resinous oud to create something intoxicating. The sillage at this point was potent, each movement sending a fresh waft toward my nose. It was captivating. Around two hours in, the fragrance evolved once again, adding yet another layer. The leathery notes became more prominent—though it wasn’t the leather of a well-polished jacket. It had the rugged, oily scent of living animal hide. A chemical note emerged, almost like varnish or something synthetic, blending with the smoky oud and the underlying sweetness. The woodiness of cedar grew stronger, a burnt woodiness, alongside a slight sweaty undertone. This felt like the middle of the fragrance’s lifecycle, perhaps evoking the process of faeces being broken down, sanitized, and cleansed. The interplay of the chemical note, the animalic hide, and the burning wood gave the impression of transformation, of something once raw being tamed into something new. From there, the fragrance settled into a quieter phase. The smoky oud began to retreat, and the sweet, fruity florals took centre stage. Dark plum notes emerged, mingling with a powdery, almost almond-like sweetness—reminding me of baby powder, though much subtler. The animalic edge gradually faded, replaced by a soft, clean sweetness. It felt like the final stage of the cycle: the soil enriched, fertilized by the process, now ripe with rich fruits ready to be consumed, ready to start the cycle again. By 12 hours in, the scent had mostly faded from my skin. The longevity is great, but I have other ouds that last a bit longer. Still, the evolution of Stercus over the course of the day was remarkable—rich, intense, and deeply captivating. Overall, I’m completely enamored with this fragrance. The complexity is what really got me—it’s not a challenging scent to wear at all, despite its bold premise. I received multiple compliments throughout the day. Of course, I understand that this scent isn’t for everyone, as it’s a strong, rich, barnyard-animalic oud with a feral, almost masculine allure. This is a fragrance for the winter months, for the evening, for when you want to make an impression. It’s undeniably sexy, with a wild edge that softens into something intimate, sweet, and fruity. I already know I’ll be seeking out a full bottle of this.

Gualtieri is a genius. I’ve managed to test a few of his works already so I know what I’m talking about. It’s the first ever rose I’d be able to wear. It’s the first ever cinnamon I’d be able to wear. It’s COLD. And about nighttimes. And I dunno... but sounds so... young?? Seductive in some way?? Drawing, dangerous, calling. Like something about those creatures who can draw you with them into forests and caves. Creatures with sharp teeth. But they’re beautiful. And this perfume is dangerously beautiful. Oh, that creepy scene from the Chronicles of Narnia when the faun kidnapped that girl to sell her to the wolves. Such vibes. Or on the other hand - it reminds me of an old book I adored. “Ronja the robber’s daughter”. The whole book gave me the same vibe like this frag does now. As I know - Gualtieri never shares the notes of his creations. But here I can definitely smell some roses (close to those in Rammstein Rosenrot Intense but younger and more... magically alive), some animal musks (it seems that “horse stable” stuff people usually smell lol) tho they’re more synthetic here, some molecules resembling bogs (I’m not sure which ones exactly - the frag is too complex), a bit of davana or nagarmotha. And I smell cinnamon in the opening. It layers - almost dances - with the rose so well that I don’t hate this both notes here! And usually avoid roses and cinnamon in general. And with all of those notes... it’s cold. It’s cruel and lonely. It’s just a trap in a dark damp forest full of caves where stones are covered in moss. Where you can be attracted by the flowers that don’t exist in the human world. It’s about those dangerous cracks in the giant fallen trees and in the mountains’ sides you’d like to explore. It’s about old tales and legends with cruel but beautiful creatures. And it smells of some cold eternal loneliness of those. Beautiful. I want a full bottle of this xD It’s a pity it’s very intimate on me - holds very close to skin. I’d like to wear it in the crowd to make people avoid me, for sure. Maybe humans just read it as a liminal and a dangerous thing and their brain tells them it’s shit so they won’t get very curious and won’t be caught in that trap. UPD: wearing it on myself all evening I’ve noticed that it really plays. Like will-o’-the-wisps do. That rose note disappears to show the cracked dry dead wood or the coals at the entrance of the rock pit. Magical drawing flowers fade to show you the real face of the trap you’re going into. But only for a moment - to return that seductive scent back to its place to attract you. Perfection.

First time I’ve smelt this (january 2024) in Selfridges, London on a paper strip and i really liked it. My Orto Parisi journey has started in february when i bought Bergamask. As a second bottle i blind bought Seminalis, which i imideatelly regretted and returned because I just couldn’t stand it on my skin. So this is officially my second full bottle from this house. I’ve been wearing this fragrance for the last 5 days, trying to figure out what it reminds me. At first I was sceptical because some people have been writing reviews about the poo/skanky smell on their skin etc.. But after the first few hours on my skin, i was nicely surprised that it doesn’t smell like poop at all. In the opening I mostly get sweet vanilla, oud, a little bit of leather and that animalic funk in the back that reminds me compost (but it gets really mild after few minutes). While on drydown, on my skin this gives a similar smoky almond+vanilla+leather vibe as F**king Fabulous by Tom Ford, but in a much more niche way because of oud, powdery rose and a very mild animalic accord. This is not a beast mode powerhouse fragrance. Yes, it’s very long lasting.. Yes, at the beginning the projection is strong (not enormous), but after few hours it settles and I’m catching pleasant whiffs even after 10-12+ hours. 2 of my colleagues said that they can smell the scent trail everytime i pass even after 10 hours, while doing 3 sprays on my neck in the morning. I’m glad it’s blended this way because of my office job. It also stays on clothes for very very long. I’m also glad that people can smell you even after longer period of time, but it’s not annoying for them. Great job Alessandro. 👍 Even if it’s dark and pretty heavy, it’s also sweet, powdery and perfectly wearable, but I wouldn’t recommend it to the hot temperatures. Definitely sample first because this might not be for everyone.

LOVE! This perfume is different and weird but awesome. The dry down is very si ilar to black afgano by nasomatto. It is dark, sweet, balsámic, warm and a bit smoky and animalic. I supose that stercus includes also oud, incense andba mix of different resins. The opening however is very different. The first minutes of stercus are very dirty, with a background which remember a lot to the manure smell, but without being disgusting at ant time, It is only a subtle vibe, as It happens for example un dhanal oud ruwah by rasasi. But after that It becomes esplendorous! The performance is simply great. The whole day with you. I am working at the moment un a perfume shop. I put on my wristles stercus at 7 am before leaving home, just a drop on each. At 10am i sprayed LOVE by kilian un my job and around 13pm forbbiden ganes by kilian. Even after having sprayed this two also great perfumes i could still smell stercus on my hands (the kilian ones were sprayed on my neck, arms and shirt, but not on the wristles over the orto parisi one). And now, at home being 18;30pm i can only smell a bit the kilian ones but o can feel still strong stercus around me. I camt imaginé how could It be if i was sprayed It generously (but i only had a 0?5ml free sample without sprayer). Yo sum Up this is a wonderful unisex perfume but different yo the trendy Inés so It is necessary try It before buying. This is a LOVE or haté... Scent: 8.5 Longevity: 9 Sillage: 8 Quality/price: 6 Versatility: 6 Originality: 9 Global: 9

there's about three things going on in this perfume. 1) the unavoidable comparisons to black afgano. this, unfortunately, cannot be avoided and isn't necessarily a bad thing. it can mean that it's stuck in its older brother's shadow a bit, but if you look past that, it is quite an awesome scent. it's dark, it's smokey, it's funky-woody (if that's even a thing) and it's got the whole BA DNA there. if you like that, good, if you don't, it'll probably be an issue. 2) there's a second accord (aside from the BA one), and i've smelt it in a few others. i think in the versace oud perfume (or another mainstream oud offering), it's the accord struck between oud, leather and a sweet spice. it reminds me of the incense 'nag champa' in that it is a smooth, dark and smokey scent with a low-end bassey vibe to it. it works well with the black afgano vibe and leads to a subsequent third accord, if you will. 3) the lack of the weed, green high-end cannabis note (which is present in the original black afgano) makes this scent -- and the others which smell like ba in this line -- inherently different from BA. a lot of the time, i found myself sniffing my wrist and thinking "too much like ba", but the truth of the matter is that with ba that weed note either dominates or lingers annoying around for the duration. orto parisi scents thankfully don't have it. this one is worth a long, considered try. without any comparisons to anything...

Nearly everything about this fragrance is designed to draw connotations and comparisons to faecal matter. The bottle, the diarrhea themed post card, the name (latin for faeces) So you hear the talk about it, and you’d believe it to smell identical to smells in outdoor poop piles. But in the end, the fragrance doesn’t end up smelling like shit swarmed with screaming flies like one would think. The oud itself isn’t shit smelling, it’s incredibly rich, semi sweet and dark, dank. It’s paired with this aldehyde, almondy powderyness however paired with the signature Orto Parisi Musk and a touch of rose to my nose. It’s almost baby wipe smelling, but not chemical so I say baby powder. I believe this is where the comparisons to faeces arise, paired with that oud and it might give one with the untrained nose or paranoia the image of changing a nappy/diaper. But in the end, it really just doesn’t smell like actual shit, it turns out pleasant, especially when you’re blind reacting to it, out of a 1ml sample vial with zero faeces themed merchandise. Any one else without knowledge of the advertising would not come to the conclusion of faeces, no where near it. So what is it? The imagery in my mind, is sweet scented candles in the conjuring house, or a bush tent around the eucalyptus trees with this sweet scented candle before bed. Something like that. Phenomenal Projection, and Longevity. S Tier

I think one of the most underrated bottles from the brand. Stercus is a work of art that blends the nature of its materials and its theme with brilliant execution. The overall vision is one of unified contrast, as we can deduce from the limited marketing material for the fragrance: "sweetness that attracts ... animalic that offends ... end and beginning". This contrast can also been seen more broadly in the name and theme, Stercus, meaning manure, is "a natural way to fertilize the soil." Soil, being both end and beginning, where the seed sprouts and the body lies, is the great equalizer of the highest contrast we as humans encounter: life and death. And in Stercus I find both a softness and coldness. It imparts a feeling of tenderness that the nascent seed can take root in, as well as the harsh and deathly chill of the ground. Even in the material of the fragrance this contrast is apparent, with the lightest and most effervescent top note of Aldehydes, deep into the swirling darkness of Oud, the theme of unified contrast persists. Not easily worn, though I have the privilege of working a dirty job, and thus dirty scents mix nicely with the grime I encounter. This is anti-luxury perfume and one of the most unique and artistic scents I have encountered. Worth exploring as an artistic study or wearing in gentle humility.

I am a huge fan of powerful, dark scents so this one is perfect. I am going to have to disagree though with all of the people who say this is 1)a beast of a scent and 2) fecal/nasty or in any way related to the various nooks and crannies of the body. This is a powerful scent and it does last a long while but it is not a beast. It reminds me of the dark, cedar and smoke notes of Jeke which I DO have to be careful not to overapply. I get a very smooth cedar, musk, sandalwood and incense. I love it! I can easily apply a couple times to my wrists, chest and neck without worrying about overdoing it. Even though the company has overdone it with the holes/anus/feces advertising, I don't get it and believe me when I say that if it were offensive in those notes then I wouldn't be interested. Now, perhaps the most exciting part. I think I have found my replacement for the Gucci Rush that I miss so dealy. I LOVED the cedar, sandalwood and musk notes of Rush although I was always dismayed with the performance. Although Stercus is about $200 for a smaller bottle, it will WAY outperform Rush and it will please those of us here who dearly miss Rush and/or are unwilling to pay $3oo for a discontinued and weak performing scent. Don't be afraid and don't believe the fecal/hole hype!

A fragrance with a name that might leave you perplexed. And here, only starting from the name, you can get an idea of the creation. As you know, the Orto Parisi collection is binded to Alessandro Gualtieri's childhood memories, specifically to the period of his childhood spent in his grandfather's "garden", in Puglia, Italy. Smells that are still in his mind, and that he wanted to paint through perfumes. To fertilize the fields, manure was used (hence Stercus), an element that generated with the aromas of fruit, earth and other, very extreme olfactory contrasts. But let us also remember the symbology that we find behind the name "Stercus": everything ends here, but as it ends, it is nourished and then reborn. In this creation we find the animalic part, yes, but made soft, sweet, accompanied by (at least to my nose) resinous, woody and slightly leathery aromas. I would even dare to say gourmand, reminiscent of a sweet liqueur. Obviously she made me fall in love, try it because it's really worth it. I would always use it, it is already on the wishlist and the urgency of having it has made it pass among the fragrances next to purchase. "The Sower" by Vincent Van Gogh.

I know this isn't the most appropriate time to say this, but everything does truly happen for a reason. I love almond fragrances. I had no idea Stercus was an almond fragrance! Wow. I am impressed. Now I know that I should not have said everything happens for a reason in reference to something so trivial. Full stop. Other things were happening in my personal life as I was sampling Stercus for the first time. It was kind of serendipitous. A multitude of positive things all happened at once and lead me to this fragrance at the end. Of course other things happened as well but I'd rather focus on fragrance since we are on the fragrance website after all. This is probably the best style of an almond fragrance that I've had in a very long time. This is art. That is honestly the best way I can describe it. It rides the line effortlessly. The Goldilocks of the Smoky Mountains. Whenever I become excited for no apparent reason, I know I am out wearing something special. That is what is happening right now. It's very hard to explain but I know there are people out there who understand exactly what I'm saying. This is gold.

I bought Stercus after reading the review below by NOSEYBODY. It is EXCEEDINGLY rare for me to buy a perfume based on anyone's review, but the descriptiveness was so intriguing and peculiar that I simply had to try it. So I blind bought it. And let me just say, NOSEYBODY said everything that needs to be said about this scent. It may be the first review where every single observation and descriptor is completely accurate. I was also pleasantly surprised by how wearable Stercus is. It is, first and foremost, an olfactory work of art, but it isn't offensive per se. It is just primal, taboo, and oh-so-familiar. It's the most long-lasting fragrance I own, too. I smell it days afterward on surfaces that have merely touched my scented clothing or skin. It's like intrusive thoughts of carnal pleasures that show up days or weeks after the encounter that created those memories. For me, Stercus receives a rare 10/10. Bravo to perfumer Alessandro Gaultieri for his astounding artistic skills in creating this masterpiece.

The cap is the only thing that smells like shßt! Well, I see the Black Afgano association with more than half of the offerings of Orto Parisi. But here it's only in the opening, and very soon after spraying, the Afgano ghost is blurred by an amazing woods compination and you have to be careful at that stage if you're judging the perfume or if you are trying it for the first time, do not sniff it close to your nose, let the air bring you what it is magically evolving into! Yeah! Alessandro is a marketing expert. He's not targeting the average user, at all. That sh*t of a smell people associate with the fragrance is all delusional to my nose, because after all, the fragrance is called Sh*t and visually marketed with sh*t. I truly don't pick that, specially for that I judge perfumes as I previously mentioned, quite generally. No close sniffing. That is for you who's reading these comments to get a better idea whether to buy it or not! It does not smell like Afgano, nor does it smell like scheiße. Promise.

Olfactory experience that deserves devoted attention: the great master Alessandro Gualtieri, who I personally consider a great artist of smell, the Caravaggio of world perfumery. With the extraordinary Stercus fragrance, Gualtieri has expertly highlighted that there are no unpleasant and inhuman odors, but rather odors, vaguely organic moods that are damned human, realistic, absolutely natural and everyday, odors that can repel many but attract and attract many others. Human beings have lived with their visceral moods since birth and, through education and social convention, are led to demonize and deny their origins, and often to relegate their biological nature as dirty. Smells considered unpleasant often also generate life...Stercus is a work of olfactory art, an alchemical blend that contains largely fecal/animal notes immersed in a melodious blaze: woody, floral and sweet, rare and precious. An olfactory experience that will arouse a great emotion in each of us. Absolute masterpiece.

Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 9/10 Sillage: 7/10 Bottle: 8/10 Batch: Uknown This perfume smells divine! It has an animalic yet dark leather and woody smell to it, with a dry, earthy, and masculine sweetness to it. It’s hard to describe, I can’t pick out any specific notes but from the reviewers down below mentioned tobacco, leather, and ambergris, I can see where that earthy and animalic smell comes from. It is very well blended and smells very different than anything I own and anything I smelled in stores. It is a bit challenging but those who appreciate the more creative perfumes will like this one. Not for everyone. I got a small sample from a perfume store that sells niche brands and wearing that little 2ml, and despite being such a small amount, it is very strong. I can imagine this living for maybe 7-8 hours but we will see as the day unfolds. Lasted the entire day off of just a 2ML sample

Not for everyone, but i absolutely love this stunning timeless crazy creation. LOVE. The name states it clearly: smells like feces. And its just the first approach or opening that smells like literall ass, it immediately open bossily to all the layers so you will be able to appreciate the rest. Sublime mind teaser. If you're patient your nose will smell all the rest ij dry down. As a woman, I've been wearing this bomb for years layered with other sweater vanilla and men go mad, mad I tell you! But you've got to make sure you are alone when you first spray it hahah :) and never in your life, if you are a woman, more then one spray in literally a couple of selected strategic spots. Another genial fragrance by Alessandro Gualtieri. Ps projection and sillage are monstrous as any other fragrance by him ( Ortoparisi or Nasomatto) . What an amazing gift 🎁 for those who appreciate it

Lol @"Stercus"..this was much adieu about nothing. Theres nothing offensive about this whatsoever . Just a silky smooth, slightly sweet very mild oud. Its hard to believe all the hullabaloo was about such a tepid oud. I like it though. Everything here is so well blended that it just comes at you as one big smooth seamless "hiss" (like the sound) of a fragrance. It almost just smells like warm, slightly sweet atmosphere, rather than a fragrance on your skin, even though theres clearly a very perceptable fragrance. Nothing stands out and pops you in the face as offputting or overpowering or jarring. Probably will end up liking it alot, since this is right up my alley. Especially if the musk continues to dial itself down. Right now, this is easily a 7.8/10 out of the gate, and rapidly climbing. Edit: 8.5/10 Edit: 9.3/10 .. might have to get a backup bottle of this.

I adore most of the Orto Parisi collection, but this one is simply revolting. Reminds me of an old lady who accidentally shat her pants—a cloying sweet rose mixed with splattered diarrhea. Slightly more manageable in the dry-down, but I’ve tried it a few times and can’t wait to wash it off every time. Good for pranking your buddies, I suppose. Update: Stercus has been a real journey for me. I hated it enough to immediately give me first 1 ml sample away. After becoming more familiar with Indian oud over the past year, however, I decided to come back for round two, and my impressions have now changed completely. What first smelled like a repulsive mix of feces and rose has now become an almost gourmand experience of nutty vanilla, bitter almond, and suede. So, so good, though it would be tough to pull off in warmer weather. Gualtieri strikes again.

I am in love with this perfume! It is so beautiful and the marketing is brilliant. I sampled this in cooler day and in the heat, I prefer it in a cooler day rather than the heat. There is indeed smell of an ass but that is only at the start which fades away in 15-30 minutes and it turns into a stunning oud-sweet scent. I am very very happy that the rose in this is tame to my nose because I despise oud and rose combination, so cliche, boring and overpowering that takes away from the joy of smelling other notes. And the ass smell for some strange reason turned me on, weird but I will take it. Any perfume that makes me feel something deserves to be bought. Note: There is a difference between the smell of ass and smell of shit, in case people think this smells like farts or shit - it doesn't. It just smells like ass (1 day old worn underwear maybe?).

It is a mystery to me to understand the toll this perfume takes. Of course, the fragrance itself is decidedly masculine, it has complexity and personality. But unless I have totally lost my sense of smell, its projection and persistence are ridiculous. Furthermore, considering that it is a niche perfume and a perfume extract. Everything would be fine, in short. Except that to feel it on myself, I can spray liters of it, as if it were a dupe, and I can barely feel it. And after an hour of exaggerating I have to repeat the crazy process. And I repeat: nepurre media projection. Colony persistence. Will I have gotten a bad batch? Am I carrying the symptoms of long covid that have deprived me of my sense of smell? Too bad if you make me feel like Megamare... for me it's so powerful that I almost can't wear it... CONCLUSION Stercus.... never again!

This juice is somewhere between Black Afgano and a few dark delights from Kilian and Gualtieri. It’s giving: mysterious forest, sweet shadows, and just enough weird to keep you sniffing. Imagine woody, earthy layers dipped in balsamic syrup with a whisper of almond and vanilla—not the bakery kind, but more like “I-shouldn’t-want-to-eat-this-but-I-do” kind of delicious. I usually side-eye almond in perfumes, but here? Chef’s kiss. It’s blended very smoothly. It's cozy but edgy, slightly gourmet but not your average cookie-cutter gourmand. It’s one of those scents that defies description—you just gotta sniff it to get it. Longevity? Insane. 10+ hours and it’s still hanging around. Best worn in cold weather. Not your everyday spritz, but when you do wear it... heads will turn. A weirdo masterpiece. And I mean that as the highest compliment.