Indochine (2019)

This is a fantastic entry from Xerjoff. The oud is strong enough to make its presence known without ever taking over the composition, and is neither fecal nor animalic. It sets a beautiful woody base that is topped with a fruity, slightly boozy top of mango (which is semisweet and reminiscent of a peach note), caramel (a supporting note that adds the slightest touch of sweetness but stays in the background), and strawberry (again semisweet and jammy). The description of "caramelized" fruits is certainly a more accurate depiction of the caramel note's place in this fragrance, as it blends seamlessly with the fruit and oud to complete this olfactory experience. In my opinion, oud perfumes are generally alluring in their own unique way but this has a dirty, sexy feel throughout its wearing that really separates it from its counterparts. From the strong, attention grabbing opening to the quieter, intoxicating drydown, this really is a unique and amazing blend. The best comparison I can give this is a modernized, smoother version of the fruitier renditions of the Roja Dove Gulf Collection but even that doesnt quite do it justice. However, if you appreciate that collection then this is a cant miss fragrance. Very few fragrances immediately mesmerize me or give me a "WOW" impression but this is a surefire entry on that short list. Longevity is as expected from Xerjoff (12+ hours) and this can certainly fill a room for 3-4 hours before retreating to become a bubble of scent at about arms length for the rest of the wearing. Although oud perfumes are very rarely blind buy safe, this definitely has mass appeal and the oud is not offensive or loud enough to dismiss this as a must try before you buy. If you are experienced with oud (especially from other European luxury houses) then I believe this is a safe buy. Opening 10/10 Drydown 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Versatility 9/10 (wearable in all situations besides hot summer days) Uniqueness 10/10 Overall 10/10 (I cant find any fault large enough to rank this any lower. Truly a beautiful and hypnotizing concoction from one of the best houses on the market.)

XERJOFF: Indochine Oud Stars Collection Nose: Chris Maurice Unisex I love and respect this perfume even if it’s a synthetic mess. 😅 If I smell this when it’s too warm for this scent I hate it and I’m thinking to sell it straight away. Today when it’s-10c it treated me better. There is missing nothing and there is nothing too much - the perfume is a great strange blend of fruits, flowers, musk and oud. This opens up with a juicy fruity strawberry splash which is a little bit shampoo like and harsh first. Strawberry as a note is difficult as well to keep there after an opening but I can get a hint of it for long time and it gets better after 30 min. Flowers start to shine quickly after the opening as well but this is not rosy one even if the rose is there. Other notes are so strong that if you think this is rosy oud, it’s not. This is fruity and sweet, a little bit tropical even if those kind of notes are not listed, but definitely this is a strong scent and oud (feels very synthetic as well) is really present all the time in this. The sweet note is not sugary or syrupy one, not even from vanilla, it comes from fruits. I don’t get any Vanilla vibe from this. And what comes to the longevity: it’s eternal. This is a unique blend and maybe a little bit challenging one but not because of Oud - this can be cloying and too sweet. Somehow it’s addictive and if you like fruity ouds, you should definitely sample this! Top: Strawberry, Pink Pepper & Freesia, Brasilian Orange Middle: Muguet & Peony, Bulgarian Rose Base: Blend Of Ouds, Agarwood & Musk, Vanilla Madagascar (From Xerjoff site) Thank you for reading, I hope my review was helpful. I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles): @ninamariahperfumes It gives me a lot of motivation to write more. 🤗

Oud Stars is a Collection of Fragrances that holds a very special place in my heart, as this was the collection that made my fall truly in love with the art of perfumery, with oud, with Xerjoff. The fusion of Italian craftsmanship meets Arabic exoticism is like perfect melody to the olfactive senses, and the new born Indochine, is a scent that demands respect. The magical formula reads very mystical and aristocratic on skin, truly special. Unfolding on first blast with a very extravagant fruity accord and a mesmerizing floral bouquet. The oud in Indochine packs a slight funky punch, a certain arabian mysticism, and the overdose of freesia showcases a very sweet fruity facet, releasing aromas reminiscent of caramelized strawberry jam. Indochine is quite exotic and well nuanced, the floral arrangement is bright and awakening, with delicate white florals and just a hint of rose, as well as a slight green herbal presence. This beauty is rich in sweetness, but not sugary, more like a succulent nectar, Oud and musk frame the composition in the base, with a sensual animalic touch. Indochine lasting power is eternal, easily noticeable after 12 hours and a shower, and the projection is room filling, 4 sprays is the most I recommend. I’m highly impressed.

Thankfully this became available to a worldwide audience through Xerjoff Universe. It is listed as a exclusive and I really have been entranced by its mysticism of caramelized fruity accords enveloped by Oud. This is a special one even only after a few wearings. Comfortable at work and a daily driver which projects a joyous cloud of strawberry, mango elegance. Very polished and refined. Thank you Sergio for this gem.

I hate it when people get 2 5ml testers and think they know about frags plus to me if you don't like this your skin chemistry is off it smells so sweet on my skin I love it

A luscious Oriental gourmand from Xerjoff, this simply constructed scent is a real treat for those into fruity scents. The perfume opens with notes of mango, strawberry and caramel. These notes stay throughout the length of the perfume. The heart has a nice Assam (non barnyard) Oud and as the perfume settles one can detect musky notes. The perfume is unisex (slight feminine leaning) with tremendous sillage, projection and longevity. Overall, one of the weaker but still complimentary addition to the superb Oud Stars line. Enjoy!

When I was new into perfumes, I asked what indolic meant. It was described to me as “poopy”. I never really understood how it translated into scent until this. Somehow, my nose can’t take this combination of fruit and oud the way others seem to be enjoying. To me this smells like when you eat too much fruit, and it runs through you a little to fast. I’m sorry for the graphic description, but I’ve tried this several times now from my sample, and it’s repulsive to me. All the more for those who like it.

Is a pass for me, a bit like baraonda da nasomatto but less boozy and more sour. I really feel that a lot of big houses and some of the wanna be, are just making scents with good presentation and ok smell, give to the you tube reviewers to hype up and charge an arm for the scent. Edit: I had to revisit that again, the dry down is way better than the opening after an hour or two this change, and the longevity is incredible but for me still not a bottle worth

I've blind-bought this as a part of the discovery set, thinking that I'm purchasing the original (older) Indochine from 2013, but got this version. As other have already mentioned, it has a very distinct smell, which is unfortunately not for me. If anyone (based in Europe) would like to purchase a 15ml (minus two sprays) discovery bottle, in its original box, reach out to me!

I got the official 2ml tester of this and I was let down. I sprayed it onto my wrist and it smelt very dirty, and for me looking for a more fruity summer scent it did not fit the criteria. It smelled a little too developed for my age and it also did not smell like oud at all more of a cedar notes in my opinion. I really wanted to like this but it let me down. 3/10

Sour mango, plastic strawberry and spoiled/fermented/boozy fruit. Not much else. Faint fecal oud detectable right at the beginning, but fades fast. Decent performance. Overall, a very bizarre scent. I can see someone liking it, but I imagine to passerby’s it would smell like you’re home-brewing some undrinkable swill in your bathtub.

Strawberry jelly with an animalistic, crumbly note and musty. Tremendous longevity and sillage. If the amount sprayed on, if the intensity is too high, the perfume is a headache candidate. However, it depends on who you are. Fragrance: 5/10, Longevity: 9/10, Sillage: 8/10.

Do you like craft beer? This opens with a waft of hoppy geranium. The fruits come across as esters produced during the process of brewing ale. I would dub this one “India Pale Ale.”

Wow...I was not prepared for the fecal smell. This is my first fecal oud experience and it is not pleasant. This smells like fruity poop. I can’t wear this in public. I’m not going to return this fragrance. I’m going to wear this fragrance when I have to be in close contact with a person I don’t like.

The poop smell is real. Smells like walking into a department store bathroom. I can't imagine ever wanting to be near someone who smelled like this but, to each their own I suppose. Definitely sample before buying!

I blind purchased this from the XerJoff website (along with Luxor which is amazing) and according to the batch code, it was made about a month prior. I do believe in fragrances developing with age to some extent, so I will surely be keeping a watch on this. Initial impressions are that it's good and not great. The first test spray after the bottle arrived hit me with almost pure strawberry. It was nice, as matherneconno pointed out, smelling more of a slightly sweet but well-defined strawberry note rather than an overwhelming cloud of sweet notes. Mango was present faintly in the background but I got mostly strawberry. Several hours later, still trying to figure the scent out, I sprayed again on my shirt before going to pick up a package and these 2-3 sprays presented a strong wave of musk. It was very soapy and I'd have to say even unpleasant. The strawberry was still there, and a little bit of mango, but no oud or caramel. Even as I arrived at the store and walked in, I could easily smell the inescapable musk and strawberry, and I imagine it left an enormous trail behing me as well. The third time I wore it on skin, and it was a little more tame. The musk and fruits were blending better, and after about 20 minutes the oud could be noticeably detected. But it wasn't a strong, pungent oud like you'd find in Zafar or Ceylon from the same Oud Stars line, or in a Spirit of Dubai fragrance. It was more of an old, dry wooden chest scent. Nice, but I could certainly take a stronger shot of oud in this one. This morning is my fourth time wearing, on skin and shirt, and it's about the same. First 20 minutes are strong musky strawberry and mango, except after drying down a little this time, the oud is more present, and seems to be dancing back and forth with the caramel notes while the musk and fruits spectate. I've tried the entire Oud Stars line, owning 5, and this certainly isn't my favorite, but that doesn't make it a bad scent. It's different, and takes some time to get to know. Comparisons to Roja's Gulf Collection, of which I also own 3, are unfounded and nowhere close to accurate (at least with Indochine being 1 month old). The Gulf Collection is so masterfully blended and I was hoping for something similar but Indochine isn't quite there. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would of course be its most similar counterpart but where Roja Dove wins the battle in elegance, Chris Maurice has won the battle of strength. Indochine is a beast!

Some of these reviews.... how to say you're a rookie without saying you're a rookie. I agree with Olympe & Josef - there's minimal oud here if any. Indochine opens sweet & fruity with hints of mild darkness & booziness. At first I got more strawberry in the air, but up-close, it is absolutely dominated by tropical tones, and dries down to a tropical fruity accord mostly as well (with sweetness to support). Actually smells really nice, more of a spring-fall-winter fragrance than a summer one. Doesn't really smell anything like any of the other popular mango scents that come to mind (God of Fire, Mango Skin, Gaya etc). Sillage and longevity... I'd say Indochine opens with strong sillage, eventually going moderate; longevity on skin is on the lower end of long-lasting toward 8 hours. It's a pretty interesting scent as a whole, value is a tad so-and-so at 50ml for €250. Scent is very much unisex, but considering that most owners of Erba Pura & God of Fire are male, it is likely that this will also be majority owned by men.

This is an absolutely unbeatable oud. The oud is complimented perfectly with the very fruity mango and strawberry. I don't find it sickly sweet either like other ouds from Xerjoff (Mamaluk). One issue I have with some very sweet scents is that they just smell "sweet" not like their sweet notes. This you can distinctly smell the mango in, strawberry is a bit tough, but its there. If you enjoy ouds, but also gourmands, this truly should be on your shelf. Love it Could still smell this on my wrist the next morning too. What a beast

I agree with Olympe. No scent of oud at all. Which is too bad, because it's a VERY sweet and heavy creation. I'm not much for layering, but experimented a bit with Indochine. Tried to layer it with an Ensar oil and then with Gao. And yes, if the alleged oud in this was in balance with all the fruit, it would be an interesting creation. Without it, it's a very fruity feminine scent.

All I can say is...wow ! It sneaks up on me and just make me go: daaaamn this one is really good. I was a bit skeptical becasue I just wanted to have all the Oud Stars perfumes in my colleciton and didn't really like the idea of this beeing fruity...oh was I wrong! It's sweet but not that kind of sweetness and the Oud is present but not really dominant. I really like this one.