XJ 1861 Naxos

I've been on a bit of a roll lately in reviewing fragrances that are in my top five ever. Ombre Nomade and Brioni EDP Intense both got a write-up from me recently, and today it is high time I ticked another one of my absolute all timers off the list: Xerjoff's stellar, legendary Naxos. It is one that gets better and better the more you smell it, the longer it stays on you. We all know the accords by now. Bergamot and a short-lived but very fresh lemony accord with lavender in the top, sweetened with honey in the heart. The base is a quite rich, very heavy vanilla and tonka bean bedrock turned a little creamy with cashmeran and given a bit more life with the addition of some tobacco leaf. It isnt smoky cigarettes or wet, cloying tobacco plants but a very refined leafy smell akin to smelling the top of a fresh packet of cigarettes. This works well with the sweetness and cinnamon in the heart. There isn't any mentioned in the notes but there is something holding this together that polishes everything up into a gleam. There are no rough edges here. I have a feeling there is some Ambroxin in this, just helping homogenise it all. You always have this sense throughout that Naxos is incredibly well put together, everything just works with everything else. That is what Naxos is supposed to be. It is a very refined, super high quality fragrance for people who are very well put together and assured in what they do. I very much enjoy wearing Naxos and it is "my" kind of fragrance in that it is rich, sweet and quite heavy. Unlike a lot of other fragrances I have that are rich and heavy I find Naxos is universally wearable and lends itself equally well to casual shorts and t-shirt days as it does to formal suited and booted occasions. It is an extremely accomplished shorts/smart jeans, polo shirt and loafers choice I would say. I've layered this with some Sunday Cologne by Byredo or Colonia il Profumo by AdP over the top in the past and it goes a bit more citrusy and dynamic, but retains the beguiling sweetness and richness. Its sillage is a sweet lavender and creamy cinnamon once the citruses in the top have dried down, that is very distinctive and easy to spot. The lavender grows in prominence as Naxos stays with you. Performance is 9-12 hours easily and it will stay for weeks on clothes. Another thing peculiar to Naxos is how it changes character if you over-spray it. You can do one on the neck and one on each wrist and it is understated, addictive and very classy. You can two on either side of the neck, a couple on the chest, one on the head and two on each wrist and it becomes this very powerful, confident and bold version of itself that dominates rooms. You can do all that layered over Erba Pura and it becomes something that will conquer planets. There is never a bad time or wrong occasion to wear Naxos. Oddly, it is a fragrance that I absolutely love but have never once gotten even one compliment on. When you consider the weird and wonderful fragrances Ive worn over the years that have gotten compliments, this is a bit strange. But we don't wear fragrances for compliments do we? I get enough enjoyment out of smelling like this to not have to worry about what others think of Naxos. Three Word Summary: Italian All Round. Scent - 10/10 Drydown - 7/10 Sillage - 9/10 Bottle/packaging - 9/10 Performance - 9/10 44/50

It's my first review. It's not due to the power of Naxos. I'm just bored right now. I know, it's long. I'll do better. So I stoped by Scentbar LA to get some summer juice. The nice lady working there gave me a sample of Naxos. I wore a few dabs to a Whole Foods during a warm July day and was leaving a trail of good smells down each aisle but it may have been too potent for the Venice Beach noses. I really liked the blend so I bought a bottle (at Saks, don't tell Luckyscent). I've have been living with it for a week so here is my expert opinion. Presentation: The presentation, if you give a shit about that sorta thing, is A++. It came in a white box labeled Naxos, inside that box was a cooler red, white and green box and inside that box was a dope leather case and beautiful bottle. Note Break Down: You've got the notes list so I won't tell you I found some secret unlisted note. Who cares anyway, it smells f-n amazing. I'm originally from North Carolina (tobacco country) so I can say that the tobacco note is legit and amped up a bit. All the other notes smell realistic and well placed. Compliment Factor: Will it get you compliments? Yup. Will it get you laid (seems to be what some mean by "compliments" on here)? Probably not. No cologne alone can do that. Take a shower, be confident, smell good, wear clean pressed clothes and ask questions about the person you're interested in. Or be ridiculously good looking. Even then, I still shower daily. Occasions: Whatever works for your MOJO. I would wear it again to run errands, just not mid day in July in LA. I have an office that I sometimes visit. When I do, I might spray one to the chest (I wear a suit) and one on my wrists. No need to choke out the staff. I personally won't spray more than 4 shots when going out on the town but to each their own. Value: Excellent (for some). It's $250 per bottle but it's 3.4 oz. Many designer frags are $100+ for a 1.7 ouncer. That said, if you're living the broke life (no shame, I've been there) then you're better off buying something like Dolce and Gabbna The One EDP on the gray market and using the other $200 on bills, groceries, magic beans, etc. Comparisons: I also found a new bottle of Pure Havane 3 weeks ago and bought it to comp the two. My comparison is this. Michael Jordan is an NBA Hall of Fame shooting guard, so is Reggie Miller. Reggie Miller is no Naxos. Overall: I don't expect women to chase me down because I'm wearing Naxos. My non fraghead friends don't give three shits that I'm wearing Naxos. I won't wake up a better person because I'm wearing Naxos. But, I'm glad I've got Naxos on the team. It's a Hall of Famer.

Decant review: Naxos’ opening comes in with a fresh, sweet lavender that feels airy and smooth right away. There’s citrus present but it stays in the background, more for lift than anything distinct. What stands out early (compared to my previous wears... maceration??) is how quickly a light tobacco presence shows up, blending into the sweetness rather than sitting apart. Within the first hour or so, the sweetness clearly turns into a syrupy honey—rich and slightly floral, giving it that true honey character. There’s also a subtle resinous edge early on that adds a bit of texture without disrupting the overall smoothness. As it moves into the mid, the honey warms up and becomes the core, while the tobacco blends into it and gives it a slight edge and depth. The lavender stays present longer than expected, continuing to keep things airy and controlled despite the richness of the honey. Around the second hour, a bit of cinnamon starts to come through on the edges, adding a soft spice that helps define the scent without overpowering it. At the same time, the tobacco begins to dry out slightly, creating a balanced contrast between the golden sweetness and a more textured, slightly dry backbone. Into the drydown, the honey and lavender fade back but never fully disappear, and a creamy vanilla starts to take over as the main body. This develops into a cinnamon-vanilla core wrapped in a dry tobacco layer, where the tobacco adds structure and keeps the sweetness from becoming too soft or generic. Even several hours in, it doesn’t turn into a typical vanilla-tonka drydown... there are still traces of the earlier honey and lavender that give it more character. It gradually softens into a lighter version of this profile but stays surprisingly present even at eight hours, maintaining that mix of vanilla, light spice, and dry tobacco with a subtle echo of its opening. Compared to the dupes, it really does stand on its own. The balance of the notes and how even top notes remain well into the Drydown is impressive. It is light and airy despite how sweet it is at times. You could wear this anytime except for the dead of summer. It smells like springtime to me. I would’ve liked more tobacco and a touch more cinnamon in the mid, but I’m really nit picking here. 9.5/10

2016 greece, that is what is reminding me of, though i have never been there. The luxury in a bottle. Xerjoff Naxos. When i tried Naxos for the first time, it hit me with 2016 summer greece vibes, maldives, bali, thailand, every other tropical place on earth. This is what it feels like when you buy Naxos or at least when you try it for the first time. You are not just buying a fragrance, you are buying a memento, you are buying a tropical scent that is going to fill you with moments that you have never gone to these tropical places, luxury hotels, places etc. In my opinion this is a very versatile scent despite why the people voted so much for winter, it is a versatile all year round scent, i can rock it everywhere i go if i was a rich man. Long lasting scent, will last you 12 hours or more, but i think you should spray 2-3 times per side if you want great performance. It is very unisex, women could easily wear this too. Sillage is strong, a loud fragrance which i approve of, if you do not like loud and sweet frags, this ain't for you. Price is more than fair, for me ok means fair, let's be real if you loved this scent and you preferred this specific blend over most parfums out there, would you buy it? for me this fragrance feels too real which is insane how great this fragrance is, real honey, real tobacco, real vanilla, real citrus, everything screams quality here, thus i called it: Luxury in a bottle, for this kind of quality and performance i am not surprised at the price. Overall: 10/10, i really love everything about this fragrance simply cause it transports you to a place you never been before and it works, this is truly a great scent, a scent that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime.

I don't know that there is another fragrance out there that is so versatile, and yet so original. There are a lot of fragrances that work all 4 seasons, but they tend to be dull and uninspiring. There are also a lot of unconventional and interesting fragrances, but they tend to limit occasions to wear them by their nature. Naxos is the rare, dare I say unique, beast that is both at the same time. I can not thing of a single bit of weather, or a single occasion, in which it would be inappropriate to wear it. It is also just so interesting. It has so many notes during its evolution. The smell is intoxicating. It is sweet. It would be cloying, if it weren't for the spices, lavender, and citrus. Each of those balances the honey and tonka at different moments. I never notice the lavender and citrus at the same time. They seem to trade off their turns to keep the sweetness grounded. It is really just so well blended. I never get tired of it. Performance is fantastic. It would say it projects for 4-5 hours. It is a skin scent for 12. It gets constant compliments. By far my most complimented all-rounder (I have had more for gourmands in the winter, for example Via Cavor I gets raves, but it is far less versatile). If you get it on discounters, a 100ml bottle can be had for under $175 USD in the US. I can't think of a better value.