XJ 1861 Decas

In a fragrance line as strong and well-rounded as Xerjoff’s 1861, Decas, like its predecessors, stands out for its high quality and powerful journey it takes you through. I adore this fragrance. The opening is quite resinous and sticky, off the bat I could not smell the mandarin. Among that slightly earthy and balsamic opening, the mandarin slowly starts creeping out a few minutes in. The mandarin here is so refreshing and effervescent, you can almost feel its bubbliness. It certainly hides a bit behind the amber and resins, but its presence is undoubtedly bold. It turns what would otherwise be a winter date scent into a more playful, juicy twist that could fit in any season, any weather. Though to be honest, I could not sense the tobacco note in the beginning. As the fragrance progresses, you will definitely sense the “bubblegummy” sweetness of it. But honestly, what this fragrance really reminds me of is orange Ramune. The effervescence of the mandarin, the sweet hint of amber and vanilla, the stickiness of the resins, it really does create this candy-like refreshing beverage scent. The tuberose also creates a slightly creamy background here, but at least on my skin it was not overpowering. Don’t worry, it’s nowhere near as floral as, say, Diptyque’s Do Son. It’s like if you mixed Barq’s and Ramune together. And trust me, it is wonderful. This fragrance is very elegant. The amber and vanilla here don’t smell like other typical vanilla fragrances I’ve had. What really makes this fragrance unique is just how much the resins and mandarin elevate its linearity. Instead of being bombarded with sickly sweet notes, the very soft tobacco note (which shows its face much later in my skin) adds a slight dark twist that is so intriguing and creates a perfect (but not overpowering) contrast to the sweeter notes. The transition of a playful opening to a more mature sweet scent is done masterfully well here. This concoction of notes also means that this fragrance is truly unisex. I would find this fragrance just as sexy on a woman. As with plenty of Xerjoffs, longevity is not an issue. I’ve gone for 8+ hours with Decas on my skin and I can still smell it on me. Projection is not as loud as Erba Pura or Naxos, but it is still quite strong. I feel this fragrance wouldn’t work as well if it was much louder. And of course, the presentation and bottle design, as always, is stellar. Overall, Decas is one of my favorite pickups and I can’t wait to enjoy it more. I give it a 9/10. Only docking points because I wish the mandarin popped out earlier and the tobacco note could be a little stronger. Go get a bottle of this!

If 1 Million Parfum was sitting at a hotel bar, fresh off of a long flight and enjoying the thrill of a new city, being his fun and flirty self. And then F**king Fabulous walks in and ,dayyyyyyum does she live up to her name. Their eyes meet and the chemistry is instantaneous, after a couple rounds of libations 1 Mill whispers into FF's ear, and moments later they're in the deep throes of love making, experiencing a connection, a bond that transcends both mind and body. Arriving at the most intense climax that either has felt in years before falling g asleep in each other's arms with pillow talk of what could be. Skip to nine months later and FF can't find 1 Mill, FF feels used and dirty, confused and without the support network to provide her with the stability of raising her unwanted bastard child, she puts this baby into a basket and rings the doorbell of the house of Xerjoff to exit permanently from her unrequited and torrid love affair with 1Mill and everything that would ever remind her of him. Somehow this becomes a blessing to this sweet, fresh, and unique little bastard. This unwanted, forgotten and abandoned child has grown into a beautiful, mature, classy, sexy, and sophisticated fragrance. That's how one might describe Decas 1861.

After almost two years of pining over Decas, after a test store, I have finally purchased a bottle and I couldn’t be happier! If you’re into a creamy, very resinous, soft spicy, warm, vanilla centric perfume with strong citrusy, tobacco accents, you’ll adore Decas. It’s a perfect blend of all of these elements but it smells super approachable. Xerjoff is indeed a niche house but some of their fragrances are crowd pleasers, whether we speak about fruity fragrances, amber fragrances, fresh or aromatic fragrances, lots of them are very popular because they’re good quality, long lasting but easy to wear and understand. Which I find it is the case with Decas. More of a cold weather perfume and unisex going towards masculine side. My husband loves Decas even more than me, so don’t be scared that it has tuberose in the top notes, it’s very faint and adds a creaminess to the juice, it’s not a standout note. I don’t really notice the tuberose in this perfume! For me, Decas is an authentic ambery, resinous, balsamic, warm, gently sweetened vanilla based perfume with excellent sillage and longevity. It’s not topping Naxos, from the same collection, XJ 1861, but it’s beautifully crafted! Super thrilled to finally own a bottle in my collection.

Opens up with this warm, realistic, and almost tart mandarin with only a nuance of tobacco. I don’t get the tuberose per se. The middle part is a powder fest! If you don't like that, don't even bother checking out Decas. Luckily, that tones down as it move to the dry down and what's left is an elegant, luxurious resin-musk combo. The bourbon vanilla is very fleeting then. On me, the mandarin lasts for the entire journey of this fragrance. The orris-benzoin-oppoponax combo in the heart almost warded me off from getting Decas, but the one-of-a-kind opening has a chokehold on me. Well-blended and doesn't smell cheap whatsoever. Quite an underrated one from Xerjoff, imo. Truly a versatile one, I could see this working on anyone, anytime and anywhere, but maybe keep it minimal on ultra hot days and official settings as it could become too sweet on extreme heat and kind of playful (bcs of that slight bubblegum vibe) on formal scenes. Although I love it, I don't recommend blind-buying this. Even if you've smelled it, get a sample and live with it first. Charming, great longevity and luxurious-smelling. As usual from the house.

⭐️This composition opens with a spectacular Calabrian mandarin, Tuberose and Tobacco combo. ⭐️The middle stage of the composition is sweet, soapy and resinous with Benzoin, Opoponax and Italian Orris Root. ⭐️The base is a balanced sweet and sexy stage with Bourbon Vanilla, Resin and Musk. This fragrance is really niche in the good sense of the term and you will differentiate each stage of the composition and feel the high quality of the ingredients used. It is like if Pikovaya Dama which is one of my favorite Xerjoff fragrance and the most beautiful tuberose had a shiny golden baby.🌟🌼🌟 The combo between Iris, Tobacco and Tuberose works really well on my skin. It is an uplifting and luxurious fragrance to wear during spring and summer with a nice polo or a white shirt and khakis.🧍🏽 Projection and sillage are moderate on this one. It is more an intimate scent that will last between 4 hours and 5hours depending on your skin chemistry. I am really thankful to have this alluring creation in my little collection but I recommend you to sample it and try it on your skin before you buy because it’s a special one. 😊🤲🏽