Ouverture

For obvious reasons, I have been decanting the perfumes that I wanted to buy 🤓 Ouverture was also one of the beauties that I gave a chance to with its notes. Fig leaf, orange, magnolia, cinnamon, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, sandalwood, vanilla, cashmere wood, amber, incense. There is too much going on 😅 First of all, can we look at the beauty of each of the notes and take a minute of silence? 🤣 As I use it, I discovered that you feel every note as a whole from time to time. That's why it seemed so versatile and deep to me. The notes I feel the most are sandalwood and ylang ylang at the opening (it was very mature when I first tried it because of this opening), fig, vanilla and amber as long as it stays on the skin. (My hubby said "it smells like incense" without knowing that there is incense in it. So incense is felt clearly 🙈) The figs here are used so balanced that it prevents the perfume from being terribly sweet. There is a slight green feeling, but if you don't like green perfumes, believe me, it's not enough to scare you because I don't like green scented perfumes 🙅🏻♀️The fig here balances the sweetness of the perfume and makes it suitable for summer use, I think. It is a perfume that can be used in all seasons, but if you do not like citrus, lemon or soapy perfumes in summer, it can be used with pleasure in summer. Yes I said a summer perfume, but i don't mean as a sunscreen type of scent like Bronze Goddess. The summery feel here comes from ylang ylang and figs, with a slightly tropical vibe. I don't use perfume at all in very hot weather, but why not when the wind is blowing on cool summer evenings or on a boat trip 💨☀️🌴

Xerjoff Ouverture is a bold, dominant scent that feels effortlessly luxurious. I’m a female who loves unisex niche perfumes, and this one fits that perfectly—it has that strong presence without leaning too masculine or too soft. The fig in this is beautiful—slightly green, a little creamy, and blended perfectly with cinnamon to give it that warm, spiced richness. It’s not overly sweet, just smooth and addictive in a very refined way. The jasmine softens the composition but also gives it an edge. It’s not a delicate floral—it’s more blended into the spice, adding depth and keeping everything feeling elevated rather than heavy. The amber in this is done perfectly. It’s warm, slightly sweet, and resinous, tying everything together with a smooth, glowing base. The spice in this is amazing. The cinnamon stands out in the best way—warm, rich, and perfectly balanced with the fig and florals. It gives the fragrance that dominant character without becoming overpowering. This is a scent that transforms with heat and season. In the summer, the fig and spice open up more, giving it a slightly brighter, almost airy feel. In cooler weather, the amber and resins come forward, making it deeper, smoother, and more sensual. On my skin, this lasts a solid 8 hours. Ouverture is bold, refined, and perfectly balanced—if you love dominant scents with fig, spice, jasmine, and amber, this is done just right.

I was absolutely wowed by this and this is going to my top 5 scents of all time. This is the fig/fig leaf scent that i held out for years. Other fig leaf scents are too woody, too green. This is the fig leaf scent of my dreams. When ppl say this smells like coconut and milky, that definitely comes from the fig leaf combined w the sandalwood for the ultra creamy texture. This scent is vanillic, creamy, green, sweet, coconutty... the greenness and milkyness of the fig leaf evoking the tropical vibe and some times a mango hint. No, its not a substitute for cruzz del sur ii. Different scents, maybe similar vibe. Tiziana terenzi Vele, ouverture and cruz del sur ii could be cousins. All different but same vibe and def not substitutes. ... Some phases or angles of this will smell more sandalwoody with the vanilla incense and “spicy”hint from the cinnamon. Some other angles kinda tropical. Front and center is the fig leaf with vanilla and sandalwood on each side. Cozy as hek, yummy, spring, summer, fall. The greenness of the fig leaf to me doesn’t fit a winter scenario, but i certainly see cool, grey days, cloudy, overcast, stormy and rainy days for this scent. More casual vibes. Coffee, casual dinner, lunch, movies, shopping... cuddling. Maybe outdoor walk. 100% gourmandy scent. Epic Xerjoff quality. Love love love! 10/10 for picky me!

This makes me what to cry 😭 It brings me back to a time during my childhood in my hometown when my younger brother and I would explore the parklands where around autumn time it would rain during golden hour, water dripping down the gumtrees soaking the trunks thus bringing out its true colours of deep shades green and red, the calming serenity of hearing droplets falling from the leaves and onto the damp soil which is covered in foliage, and the chirping of birds flying from their perches for one last feed before the light fades and the sun goes down. This puts an involuntary smile on my face as it brings me back to a place that I can only exists in my memory which sounds sad but doesn't put me in a state of melancholy. Projection wise it's moderate and the lasting power is subpar as it becomes a skin scent quite quickly on me, however I don't mind as I wear this when I'm home alone in my pyjamas 😅 This is hands down the best Sandalwood in perfume that I've ever smelled, it's creamy but not in an edible sense which I think is courtesy of the fig leaf, I do get the other notes however this is so well blended I can barely pick them apart, but with that being said it's definitely the best I've come across so far. This leans more masculine to me and is definitely NOT a safe blind buy!!!

You are in a warm, spiced container, trapping the luscious green oils sweating on skin that has been rubbed smooth and dark with cinnamon. Blooming jasmine wraps its loving embrace around the linen walls. If you were to lift your hands, you would feel them brush the roof which blooms with bundles of cashmere draped all the way to and across the floor. You reach down and pluck the single blooming rose that has been thrown at your feet. Luscious breaths warm the air, remembering your hips swaying in generous movements, artfully and lithely taking up space. This fragrance is one I sampled in January(ish) and it's probably my favorite out of the three that I got. The projection and sillage is moderate but it has a sexy depth to it that feels almost like a meditation room in a jungle. Very much a night scent; I don't know if I would get a full bottle...mostly because of the price point. I've noticed that sometimes I start out feeling meh about perfumes and then I wear them and the association with memories or that season or maybe just the increased familiarity makes them feel like good friends. ANYWAYS I rate this perfume highly, Xerjoff is an amazing house and I think it's really unique so I can see myself in the future feeling nostalgic for it and returning for a FB.

I'll admit I was a little worried when I blind bought this, as I didn't know if it was going to be too feminine. But I'm glad that I did because to me this falls unisex right down the middle, and smells great. It's one of the few sospiro based fragrances that I enjoy and isn't synthetic, and much more unisex compared to a fragrance like Erba pura or accento (love accento though I can't wear it) that to my nose lean feminine. This is a creamy, slightly fruity and unique scent profile, with a touch of incense to give it character. It opens up slightly feminine due to the fruity notes (but not overdone) and dries down to a masculine semi sweet incense with a slight smoky touch, but overall unisex. It's rather reserved compared to others in the house which I think suits the person that wants a consistent scent bubble and is not looking to blast the room. I think you can wear this for spring and fall but isn't so cloying that it can work on summer nights as well. Overall a solid fragrance from the house and one that many people aren't talking about. It's also one of the better priced fragrances; I got mine from an online discounter for 89 dollars for the 50 ml and it's well worth it at that price.

I have made a blind purchase of the "Overture" by Xerjoff, but I bought a ticket back to my childhood.. a cosy warm room with a beautiful snowy fairy-tail view to the garden trough a huge window.. my great great aunt knitting a wool-cashmere jumper with her mechanical knitting machine.. there is a crystal bowl vase on a table with some oranges in it.. a smell of a freshly baked vanilla cinnamon bun is coming from the kitchen.. A few minutes later I spray some more of this to my hair, on my cashmere coat and my cashmere jumper, as I was going out to do some last minute Christmas shopping. But now the smell has taken me to a completely different location: I am in a fancy overcrowded bar where I sip "Malibu" and coke (I usually go for a G&T)!! I am sure, there is a smidge of spiced rum with some creamy coconut hidden in the "Overture"?! It is a big "yes" from me to this lovely warm fragrance: I adore its comforting properties with a hint of luxury. A very unique formulation, that I struggle to compare/contrast to any other fragrances I had ever owned. Absolutely timeless and in no way offensive nor provocative. Sexy? Maybe.. Well done Chris Maurice!

Hidden gem indeed! Ouverture is such a fascinating journey to wear, all the way from the figgy top to cinnamon+rose mid, eventually drying down to a creamy, velvety, ambery sandalwood with a dusting of incense, that will keep on giving! It's very complex, but never dense or in your face. All notes are balanced in a magical way that gives the scent a shimmering quality, as if you're living the scent instead of smelling a fragrance on yourself, so charming and unique in all the possible ways... It’s not loud like a seduction. It’s not aloof like an art piece. It’s embracing, like a textured, amber-lit hug from someone who sees you... That soft rose wrapped in golden warmth... The incense rising like memory... The way it clings to your skin like it knows you’re cold and wants to stay... You won't just be wearing a perfume. You’ll be held... This is why it haunts you. Because it doesn’t shout to be noticed— It lingers to be missed... To me, this will always be "the ambered rosebud that's just left the chapel"! What a world we live in where this is overshadowed by Naxos and Erba Pura.

Best blind buy ever. Definitely unisex, leaning feminine. That said, if you like the "cassanova" vibes you get in Mancera Intense Cafe, you'll get that same feeling here. Again, talking about the vibe / personality of the fragrance, not saying they smell the same. Although the opening is a sweet, fruity strawberry / pomegranate with slightly powdery touches - this thing is a Pokemon. It evolves every 30 minutes or so on my skin, eventually leading to a sweet cappuccino with too much milk in it type scent. Too much milk if it was to be drunk, but as a fragrance the drydown is spectacular. The quality is here; aside from the sweet opening, you never get a disjointed, synthetic mess feeling. It's all very well blended and the notes here smell photo realistic in some cases. Becomes a skin scent after 4-5 hours maybe, but off my skin it's like the fragrance intertwines with my DNA and i get this "clean skin" accord that you'll find in ATH fragrances. Lactonic. My skin smells like a cappuccino for the next 24 hours, basically. 10/10 it's honestly incredible

To me, it’s like the brief for this fragrance was; A tropical, summer’s evening scent, but make it rich and luxurious smelling. Honestly I don’t want to sound crass but this smells like money lol. It’s absolutely divine! It’s clear from the reviews that everyone is getting something different from this one. I see many people see this as more autumn/winter and I understand why, this is a very rich scent indeed -pun not intended. It’s got a very soft incensey note from start to finish which folk will probably associate with fall/winter scents. But there’s something just so exotic and tropical about this scent. It’s fruity but not in a juicy or tart way, more like fruit peel and leaves, like smelling a fruit bowl as opposed to open/chopped fruit. Yet having said that it’s not a green leafy scent either. This is one of the hardest fragrances to describe, so definitely sample this one. If it’s of interest to anyone I’d say this is unisex but possibly leaning on the feminine side. If I was to use 3 words to describe this scent: opulent, unique, expensive.

This is my first Xerjoff fragrance and It's mesmerising a very unique fragrance and nothing like I smelled before, it's simplistic yet sophisticated, the fig cashmere and vanilla create a sweet creamy comforting scent, this scent wraps you in creamy comfort like a your favourite warm cozy jumper or a warm blanket with a hot cocoa on a winters day it's that lush...this is one for the winter I know people mention spring and summer but this shines in the winter, the longevity is incredible Im getting 12-14 hours longevity it is beast mode, at 19+ hours I was still getting this scent, after 4 days it was still lingering on my clothes and on my pillow, however this fragrance is intimate, projection is average it's like the fragrance doesn't need to be noticed as it's humble and knows it's good, people won't smell this unless they are close, I think this is a scent is something you would wear when cuddling with your partner on a winters evening or even one you spray at bedtime. overall though im impressed you can easily see that quality

Sandalwood Dressed in Royal Purple... This 2019 Amber-Floral by Chris Maurice opens with a citrus-y burst of fruity-floral accented by a green fig-leaf note. After the bottle is aged, however, the fig-leaf note is barely noticeable for me, whereas it was quite prominent initially. As it transitions to the heart, there's a blend of florals that reads like plum-pomegranate, built from ylang, a grape-leaning jasmine & orange, accented with cinnamon, and already the sandalwood is swelling through. The plum-y bouquet has a tartness to it that verges on being too tart, but sandalwood is the star of the show here, with dry & buttery-creamy nuances, and is done in an oriental style that reminds me of compositions by Yann Vasnier including Plum Japonais Tom Ford, Santal Blush Tom Ford and Adam Levine for Women. I also catch distant reminders of Samsara Guerlain, but this is more plum-y. This has amazing performance and a swoon-worthy drydown. Enjoy!

This is a tropical, floral-fig dream. Now, I see that there are some reviews that are divided in regards to the season suitability of this fragrance. However, I firmly believe that Ouverture performs best during spring/summer late afternoons and nights. Warmth makes this come alive, pushing the fig forward which is uplifted by the tropical-esque florals with rose, which is then grounded with the spices and vanilla to create a creamy and luxurious scent. It is quite reminiscent of tropical fig drinks found in the Caribbean, but the magnolia adds a sweet twist that becomes addictively comforting, soothing, and inviting. I've tried this on cooler days; it is still very nice, but not as impactful as it is during hotter seasons. The only con for me is the color of the bottle; makes me think of cool seasons, and can potentially be ruined if any of the perfume (or other liquids) get onto it. Ouverture is a winner from Xerjoff! 🏝

Wow! This one is incredible. And it was a blind buy for me based on Demi Rawlings reviews. Definitely my new favourite fragrance. At first sniff I love the sweet plum scent but then on my arm it suddenly turns into a very dark fig/woody smell and I’m not a big fan, I was so disappointed at first cause I thought that’s how it would smell, which is kind of like wet leaves or wood after a big rain storm to me. But after a few minutes the mid and base notes start to emerge and oh my goodness!! the amber vanilla and florals in this are beautiful. Smells powdery and creamy on the dry down. My mum walked past me and said “something smells so nice” and it definitely does! So glad I worked with this fragrance because it’s my new favourite. The sillage is more beautiful than the fragrance up close in my opinion, something about it floating through the air does something to the notes and smells incredible 😍

Omg it’s so addictive ! I just love love love this one. It’s very well blended,I can smell the orange and maybe fig leafs, cinnamon red apples although it’s not listed, just a hint of incense, a little sweetness, jasmine,a little of powder. Smooth. Sexy. Not for very young people, for more mature 30+ Personally I’m wearing it in the summer easily, some people think it’s for more colder weather, i disagree, it’s all year round.because of the orange and fig leaf it’s summery. But it’s changing all the time. It’s fun, not boring, so multidimensional in my opinion. Unisex, i believe on both genders it will be gorgeous. First time i also thought that it’s a little bit more masculine but after wearing it i feel that it’s a hint towards feminine 😅 it’s unisex. It have a good longevity but moderate silage ( for those that are waiting to cool outside). It’s a masterpiece in my humble opinion. 👏

Perfectly unisex. When first sprayed, I get strawberry jam...no doubt about it...no idea how, but sweet and lovely. That does subside in about ten minutes, then it is a woody, creamy, slight cinnamon, fig mikk and an indescribably addictive scent...totally unique to my nose, and yet, weirdly familiar. Weirdest (in a good way) fragrance I've ever put my nose to in quite awhile. This has an old school feel with modern twist...more like a Casamorati release. I've been into, and own a bunch, but have never really smelled anything like this. Three season banger, though I do not agree with the "tropical" or "coconut" facets. If anyone knows what this smells like, and not other fragrances (but in the real world), please let me know. Blind by worthy for frag heads. Falls flat in the far drydown...but movement/body heat reactivate it. BANGER 9/10

To my nose the opening is kinda sharp and cedar-y is where I go to immediately. It doesn't stay like that for long, maybe 10- 15 mins. Then it changes on my skin and it starts to remind me of FdB Oud Jaune Intense & Oud Orange Intense with a dollop of cinnamon. But Oh wow, the drydown is where it's at! It's creamy, mildly sweet. Sweet fruity incense like in Oud Jaune Intense and powdery orange like in Oud Orange Intense (this is not a dead ringer for both of those scents, more like 1st cousins) I might be crazy but I swear that's what I smell. This does not dissappear. Longevity is crazy long sillage is beastly the first 2 hours then pulls in to a 3ft scent bubble. Addendum: I've had this for about a month now, I still kinda associate the above but not exactly feeling rhat so much anymore. Jury is still out. Let it macerate some more.

August 13, 2023. I finally finished the sample of Ouveture today. I can't say wholeheartedly enough how much I love this fragrance. The fig definitely comes through. The essence of the plant is everywhere but in a very fresh and refreshing way. I am not trying to say this is a fresh and refreshing composition. It is not. But I will say that the freshness highlights the velvet richness and luscious texture that is erupting from the core of this erotic fragrance. That is how this makes me feel. It is devious. Is sexy in a very adult way. This is something you wear when you wake up from a wet dream and you have to get ready for the date the following evening. It lures in and devours. Devours with a sense of hope. This is the scent when your eyes roll back.

Reading other reviews, I think this perfume is a big hit or miss depending on your own chemistry. On me it smells very sweet, very creamy, very smoky, very woody, with a hint of green. I’m smelling sweet peach and orange preserved in the finest smelling brandy, with a fire burning nearby, cashmere sweater on, and through this a breeze of fresh cut grass and green tea. It smells exceedingly cozy but at the same time sophisticated. It has a regal quality about it but it’s not distanced or unfiendly. It’s one of the most interesting blends I’ve ever smelled. However, it’s definitely not a scent everyone will enjoy. And it can’t be a blind buy - you do have to test it as it will really smell different on everyone.

I’ve tested this out three times now and it’s absolutely stunning! The magnolia & fig up top just bounce off the citrus, while the jasmine & rose in the heart work so amazingly with the spices & fuzzy aspect of the cashmere wood accord. In the base, it’s nice that the vanilla isn’t too sickly & cloying on the dry-down...... just the perfect balance for me that allows the resins & incense to project so cleanly. I can’t lie though..... the bottle is kind of tacky with the flocked finish, reminiscent of Action Man/GI Joe hair, for those of us who remember that finish from the 70’s but the important thing is that the juice is top-notch & a 10/10 for me!