Cruz del Sur II

Cruz del Sur 2 was a fantastic purchase from last summer holiday in the South of Europe when I was looking for the best mango scent. I will mention that I am a huge fan of Xerjoff fragrances and a huge mango and guava fruits lover. I love occasionally a milky, lactonic scent as long as it doesn’t turn sour on my skin. So, keeping all these in mind, here’s my two cents on Cruz del Sur 2... All these things said, you probably realise that I’m obsessed with Cruz del Sur 2. People either love it or hate it from I could gather, I am in the first category! This scent is inspired from what I can remember by Sergio Momo’s trip to Amazonian regions. Hence why it smells very tropical and exotic! And milky. Xerjoff does gourmand very well. This is the creamiest, ripest, juiciest mango possible followed closely by another two delicious tropical fruits that I adore, guava and pineapple. There’s some blackcurrants and dry fruits listed as well but they show up towards the middle of scent life. The other most prominent nuances of Cruz del Sur 2 are the milky, lactonic, warm and almost comforting ones. Like mentioned above, the milk meshes well with the exotic fruits and doesn’t turn sour on me. Not even in the summer heat. I can detect vaguely and very much in the background the flowers listed, apple blossom and the other exotic floral accents. But so soft, and maybe just to balance and cut through the sweetness of the blackcurrants, the exotic and the dried fruits. Maybe that’s why they added the violet leaves in the middle, to bring down the syrupy sweetness of the fruits because as a stand alone accent, it’s really not detectable. Without these, some might have found Cruz del Sur 2 sickly sweet and too fruity and immature smelling. I love it! The musk and cedar are grounding the composition gracefully and potentially help boosting the performance of Cruz del Sur 2. I am an over sprayer, so on me Cruz del Sur 2 lasts well. It’s not a beast scent, but it’s not performing bad. I am not sure I would want a beast scent on me during days when temperatures hit 30-40C degrees. This goes perfectly with mild warm weather and sunny days, specifically late spring and early summer days! The bottle and the whole presentation of the entire Xerjoff lineup is amazing. Luxurious, elaborate, classic, heavy and elegant are words that come to my mind when I unbox one of their creations! Case in point... I still need to get my hands on a sample of SHL God of Fire to see what is the ultimate mango scent, but this one is fantastic! I will update this when that happens.

Cruz Del Sur II is unlike most mango fragrances. I must admit, it took a full wear to fully understand it. I can see how a lot of people are completely turned off by the milk & dried fruits in the base. For me personally, I'm not turned off. I think what throws a lot of people off is this really isn't a typical tropical/pina coloda concoction. The mango here is more on the unripe side, and the juicy aspect comes from the guava & pineapple. All in all, I do really love this fragrance. Personally, I can see myself wearing this in the fall, in addition to summer (but probably not on super hot days). There's certainly a punch of depth & complexity here, which I why I think you could wear this in autumn as well. I remember watching a video where Sergio Momo was discussing how the inspiration for Cruz del Sur II came from a trip he took to the Brazilian Amazon. I've spent some of my childhood in Brasil, but not the Amazon. But I will say this, This scent does remind me of the overall scents of Brasil. Most people would associate smells such as tropical flowers and coconuts when thinking about Brasil, but no, not exactly, this is a misunderstanding on a large scale. When I think of the smells in Brasil, my mind goes more towards an earthy range, think lots of green vegetation. That's what I get from this fragrance; a magical blend of green mango, fruits, and a touch of earthiness from the violet leaf. I think Xerjoff really nailed it. I appreciate how this house produces fragrances that are more complex and challenging. There are a couple from them that I needed to give a full wear in order for me to "get it", and once I do I end up falling in complete love. If you're looking for a sweet, pina coloda-y type of mango that you'd wear to the beach this isn't it. If you're looking for a more complex mango fragrance that takes you on a magical journey then I would highly recommend this! Update: I layered this with MOAPC Tales From Zanzibar. What a magical combo. I had multiple people CHASE me to tell me I smelled so good. Sur II is more prominent and TFZ adds a little zing. Chef’s Kiss.

This is my absolute favorite Xerjoff fragrance that easily became one of my favorite fragrances in general. It's actually what I expected the highly praised Moonlight in Heaven to smell like and what I was looking for. Cruz del Sur II is an exquisite mango perfume that has a perfect blend of freshness and creaminess. It opens as an authentic fresh green mango that you just brought from store and sliced open. But it sits on skin with more creaminess, so lactonic note is very much present (but not to the extend where I would call it a mango milkshake). Some may call it overly simplistic because it doesn't change on your skin over time - what you spray is what you get. For me it's totally worth the price tag because it's such a photorealistic fresh mango scent that doesn't have even a hint of synthetic smell. I was recommended this one next to Mango Skin by Vilhelm Parfumerie but they are two vastly different mango scents. VP one was extremely artificial to my nose. Depending on season you may get a bit of variety of how Cruz del Sur II will sit on your skin. In summer it projects strictly as mango but in colder weather you will definitely be able to enjoy other fruity notes being more prominent and distinct.

Bruh, 10/10 I own over 50 fragrances currently and have had over 100. This is 100% one of the biggest compliment pullers I have. I KNOW it is expensive. But 100% worth it. Completely unisex, maybe slightly feminine leaning. It is an unreal amount of creamy? I don’t know how they even created this. Creamy? It feels like you’re wearing milk. I want to drink it. I cannot count how many times I’ve walked past this and grabbed a bottle off the shelf just to smell it as I’m walking by. It is THAT good. It’s “I’m gonna stop my day and smell this even though I’m wearing something else” good. My friend wears this and it smells different on her than me, and I’ll even ask “what are you wearing?!” And she’ll say Cruz del Sur II, and I’m like “even when it smells different, it still is fire”. Some ppl say it smells like mango smoothie. I don’t get mango at all, even though it’s the very top note on their bottle. Which maybe it’s me? Idk. But I do know is this is lactonic and the most milky, creamy scent I own. I cannot stress enough: I 👏🏿 want 👏🏿 to 👏🏿 drink 👏🏿 it. 100% can be a signature scent for either sex. 5 star.

Upon opening, this fragrance greets you with a mango-like fruity scent layered over a creamy base. It's slightly multifaceted but doesn't deviate much from its initial notes upon dry down. Not complex, but thoroughly enjoyable. I love it because it does one thing exceptionally well. My only real gripe is its performance. During the peak of summer, it projects on my skin for about 5-6 hours but doesn't radiate far, becoming a skin scent after that period. Interestingly, the note breakdown mentions cedar (likely Iso E Super) and vetiver, but I can hardly detect these when it settles. This suggests the formulation is intentionally lighter or the base is quite weak. While most of Xerjoff's fragrances are EDPs and the opening feels robust, after an hour it resembles an EDT in strength. To enhance its longevity, we might have to alter the qualities that make it so enjoyable.. possibly overshadowing the delightful mango note with heavier surrounding scents. So, even though I wish it lasted longer, it's a trade-off I'm willing to accept.

thank goodness i didn’t blind buy this 😭. i dont understand how people think that cruz del sur ii is a “realistic” mango scent, cuz it’s not. i barely get the mango and the mango here is sooo green and synthetic, i hate it! and then there’s milk that supports the green mango. a bad milk. imagine green mango dipped in a milk that has gone bad. This is the first thought that came to my mind after spraying a decant to my skin. But after a few days, i decided to give it another try. Let me tell you, i was in LOVE! It’s crazy honestly. It’s a beautiful mangoooo perfume for sure! To describe this, i think i would say a realistic mango that is almost ripe combined with milk. Delicious without being too overly sweet. There’s something green about this fragrance, i imagine the mango skin that is still green. Just.. sample it for yourself! And if you dont like it at first sniff, maybe try it in a few days, like me ahhahaha.

Green unripe mango with milk, quite sweet and very feminine. I love how lifelike it smells and that it's not sunscreeny. Good longevity, at least 8h on skin. The strength of it can be deceiving in the beginning, so tread lightly when deciding to spray more! It comes and goes in waves. It somehow gets even stronger when it has dried down completely as it gets a bit sweeter. Perfect for spring, but probably cloying for me in the summer. I'm going to try and report back. Edit: I went ahead and wore it to the beach as we are in the middle of a springtime heatwave. It was about 27°C in the sun, and almost no wind. I was overwhelmed and really wanted to wash it off after about half an hour. I probably suffocated other people besides myself too. While wearable in the summer, it's definitely not for the hot sunny days. I'm very much looking forward to trying it in the fall and winter though!

Well, based on the very divided reviews, I must agree with emcat30 and say that it is obviously NOT a blind buy and you have to try it first:if you are not a gourmand-lover or do not love ,,milky notes" this is not for you.For me it startet heavenly with a mix of unripe mango and guava and some ananas, I sprayed it on and went shopping and was literally surronded by this milky-fruity sweet cloud for almost 2 hours.It NEVER became ,,rotten" or ,,rancid" on my skin and NEVER got me gagging.My only complaint is that after 2 hours it became a sweet musky skin scent, but it lasted very long like that.So I agree again with emcat30:when it works it WORKS! Update summer 2025:I wore it again, before spraying it on I applied a body cream with mango and the Sol de Janeiro body mist Cheirosa 62 and the combination was lovely:maybe it will help those on whose skin it turns sour

I simply don ́t have words to describe this scent.. this is such a good summer fragrance, my favourite one in this summer and probably it will be always in my collection. Tropical guava, mango and flowers, very good longevity. In the opening I can almost smell something aquatic in it (watery notes, but not seawater, nothing salty in there), and that makes it for me very wearable in the heat. I can ́t smell any milk (especially not spoiled milk). Also I don ́t think there is anything similar to Erba Pura, I hate Erba Pura, but this one is love fro me. Would like to say to those people, who are complaining - buy a fragrance directly from Xerjoff or from reputable retailers, because you don ́t actually know, are you smelling the original xerjoff, if you buy a bottle from gray market or from someone you don ́t know.

Fragrance Journal Entry #80 Whether or not you like this fragrance i think entirely depends on your skin chemistry. For some people the lactonic note in this comes across "sour", so i don't blame them for despising this scent. On the otherhand (like me) this fragrance comes off as a juicy mango smoothie, i know that may seem like something you wouldn't want to smell like but for me personally i wear this leisurely for my own enjoyment...a "guilty pleasure" if you will. Something completely out of the box. I'd say get a sample as it's quite expensive. Overall it's really high quality and long lasting and who knows you might enjoy it as much as i do! Don't be fooled by the voting this is unisex and men can rock this. Rating: 8.2/10 Blind Buy Safe? NO

PARADISE in a bottle!!! This smells so damn unique, close to a bowl of a tropical fruit salad, but much more than that. It doesn't project only the aroma, but it projects the whole vibe. Super special vibe. A vibe of joy, contentment, happiness, satisfaction, nirvana, inner peace... When i smell it as if i can see a bunch of bright colors - yellow, orange, green... Without exaggerating, it transports you to a whole new world. And that's why I call it PARADISE. It's a summer, gourmand fragrance, suitable for mature ladies. Not a safe blind buy especially for men because of its uniqueness, it doesn't mean that if it smells like paradise it's everyone's cup of tea. My favorite at the moment ❤️

Opening is syrupy fruits. Drydown is where it starts to smell heavenly on my skin. Like you're drinking a mango milkshake, and the milky frothy mustache you forget to wipe off gets semi dry, and you catch whiffs of it. First lactonic scent I've smelled and I absolutely love how it develops on my skin. To describe it in one sentence, mango milkshake with a picked flower placed over top. Like a drink you'd see on Instagram, with the caption " take me back ". Performance on my skin is 12 hours. The one drawback however, is I don't see a situation where I'd wanna smell like a mango milkshake, sadly, the only thing preventing me from purchasing a full bottle. 8.5/10

ok so i just smelled this fragrance for the first time today and it is absolutely the best thing ive ever smelled. i usually gravitate towards warm florals but i just wanted to smell some xerjoffs that i hadn't before and this made me stop in my tracks. the opening is comparable to biting into the most delicious mango you've ever tasted in your life and it's so luxurious and rich-smelling without being too realistic of a mango. it dries down to an amazing sweet scent that you can still smell pretty well after a few hours. i am not exaggerating when i say my nose is blessed after experiencing this pure delight of a fragrance. i genuinely will never be the same.

Nose Note #868 I can't name anything that's remotely close to this. Just a special super creamy more than moderately sweet thing. Definitely feminine, I can barely pull this off. The fruit note is not realistic mango or guava, it's a complex fruit accord. But man, what a special thing. It's very strong and I can't quite imagine wearing this in the summer, but I'll see. Very satisfyingly strong. Projection is OK, better than average. Price is a bit steep, a typical Xerjoff price. I hope it gets duped just like Pikovaya Dama, but I can't hope for a close clone. These things are just too good. 8.9/10, love at first spray

Okay hear me out - I know this is very niche but this smells exactly like a bar at a remote resort somewhere tropical. Specifically, it reminds me of a resort I’ve been to in Belize and I mean it smells exactly like it, in the absolute best way. THIS is photorealistic guava done beautifully - it almost leans on the savory side with a slight coconut/buttery milk and dried fruit. I love it I love it I love it it’s such a unique fruit scent, it’s everything people have described. It smells like a tropical oasis with all the funkiness that comes with it.

At first it had a very similar smell to Xerjoff's Muse and had a floral feel to it which was a bit off putting for a gourmet lover like me and definitely made me think 'okay, it will find a new home with someone else,' HOWEVER the dry down was stunning and made me forget all about its sins. I get the lactonic accord most people agree on and personally, the creamy sweetness in this fragrance completely captivates. It's way better than I expected and I can confidently say it's my best blind buy by far. Love, love, love.

The only fruity scent that delivered its promise to me. As a mango lover, forget all the other scents, especially mango skin (which smell like green unripped herbal mango, not juicy mouthering mango like this scent). They got nothing on Cruz Del Sur II. It's got a slighty milk tone that gives it a mango smoothie aroma , nothing too lactonic though. I personally love it. In my top 3, I just can't wear it during winter time. Too bad it's so expensive, I have to buy samples and decants. A girl gotta do what she gotta do.

I finally bought a precious bottle! Realistic mango opening, I love this part every time! Then it gets tropical fruity, then turns to dried fruit on a wooden chopping board. Lovely. 10/10 if you want to smell tropical for 10minutes, then have sweet, fruity, woody skin scent rest of the time. Perfect for me. I love the opening but don't want to smell like that all day. Since I'm testing them together, this reminds of Aventus without that sharp metal edge of pineapple, Cruz del Sur Ii is just smooth.

Currently I have a 2ml tester of Cruz del Sur II. I originally bought it for my gf to try. While she does like it, I fell in love with this fragrance. It smells like a fruity mango milkshake, but not overly sweet. The dry down is great, I smell woody dried fruits with a creamy milkshake vibe. It does lean feminine, so the ultra insecure male probably won’t like this. However, if you are confident and want to smell great, this is a must buy. I can’t wait to get my full bottle.

One of my favorite tropical fruity fragrances. It’s creamy mango, with a slight amount of tartness. It’s definitely lactonic but it doesn’t go sour on my skin. The mango smells fresh, slightly underripe so it avoids being cloying. There are other tropical elements but this is so well blended it is hard for me to pick anything out without thinking hard. It’s slightly feminine leaning because of the fruity sweetness but I could see a man pulling it off easily.