Zafar

I purchased the Oud Stars Discovery Set, and was impressed with all 6 entries. I cannot understand how most of the fragrances included have such low ratings and bad reviews. As a few others in the collection are similar enough to fragrances I already own, I went with Zafar as the full-bottle choice. I see a lot of the typical "barnyard" oud comparisons, and in the first few minutes, Zafar does present some of that. It has a rich, damp, woody smell. You can certainly detect some hay, some fecal elements, again a damp barn of old, dilapidated wood from a bygone era, kept in check only by the smokiness of the incense, pepper, and a splash of cedar. But 20 minutes in, this is a woody fragrance of pure class. The reason I bought it is the cedar. Growing up, I encountered a few old clothing trunks. They were in rough shape, but closer to their time of creation they look to have been top shelf. The lids were domed, the inside of the lid lined with laid-in artistic prints of socialites and aristocrats from many generations ago, enjoying the luxury they were fortunate enough to be ensconced in. The walls of the trunk were constructed of cedar planks to protect the clothing inside from moths, a problem most of us have not experienced in modern times. The oils contained in the cedar may have been for that specific purpose, but that did not mean their oils could not instill bliss every time a garment was retrieved from the trunk. What does Zafar bring to the table in that regard? The cedar is strong, fresh, and neverending. The 200-year-old planks in the trunk have long lost the bite and impact of fresh cedar, but walking through a lumber yard with, yet again, damp, fresh bundles of cedar planks can recreate this quite well. And so can Zafar. But Zafar's inclusion of high-quality oud to the trunk walls may very well be a recreation of what it was like to be an aristocrat that adorned the meticulously-crafted pinnacles of those sartorial fortresses. A heavenly scent.

Zafar will forever be the scent of summer 2018. Some fragrances have the potential to mark you with their character in such a way that you become aware that your existence has been in some way shaped by their encounter. Zafar is one such fragrance to me. Working in Selfridges over the summer, opposite the Xerjoff counter, I spent most of my breaks exploring their line, but I always found myself coming back to Zafar. Zafar, meaning "victory" in Arabic, is a triumph in Oud. Every accord of this perfume is built in such a way as to highlight the complexity of real Oud, rather than take away from or simplify this material as often frustratingly occurs (especially in the rare cases where a natural quality of Oud is employed)! In the opening, Zafar greets your nose with a rich sour accord with hints of green hazelnuts, black olives (castoreum) and a cow manure-real oud. Personally I find this moment exceptionally beautiful and to my own surprise, utterly mouth-watering! Soon the incense and black pepper rise with both natural and synthetic qualities of cedarwood and vetiver along with the warm and enveloping cashmeran. The effect is powerful, animalic, triumphant, with the scent of Oud at the forefront from top to drydown - each and every other material serves the purpose of framing the Oud. Surprisingly, for such an impactful opening, Zafar settles very quickly on skin and is but a faint memory after the 6 hour mark, but I find this beautiful and reassuring - how such a presence can successfully avoid becoming obnoxious, this is a lesson! I would add that any technical approach to increasing "performance" would have diluted the art of this perfume. This perfume opened my eyes to the potential of Oud and given me the fervent desire to explore the language and culture of Middle Eastern perfumery. I now understand how a whole scent culture can revolve around one raw material. Chapeau bas to Laura Santander: truly sensational!

Black pepper is the dominant note here. It was not what I expected, but I was looking for a very spicy/ peppery fragrance a while ago. This is it for me. More recently I was looking to get a few genuine Oud fragrances. I heard Zafar was the oudiest of the Xerjoffs. I thought the oud would be more barn yard ish, like the oud in my Diptyque Oud Palao. But no, this is more the band-aid, medicinal oud. What I get is oud, lots of black pepper, cedar, some musk, and gladly a fruity, tart apple. It really needed the tart apple, to make it more pleasantly aromatic. The oud, and the black pepper make for a harsh, burning accord. After the harsh opening settles into the mid, the Oud becomes less harsh, and more barn-yardish, poopy. Zafar is very much like a favorite fragrance, Comme de Garson "Wonderwood". It is a dry woody, peppery fragrance with a similar oud note. This is Wonderwood, with the Oud note amped up, as the dominant woody note, which I like a lot. It projects strongly, and is very spicy and woody. The oud in Zafar smells just like in Wonderwood, which uses synthetic oud. So one knock I heard about Xerjoffs in general, their fragrances are very synthetic. I have my doubts about this being a genuine Oud. It also has a strong Iso E Súper, aroma chemical, like in Encre Noire. I ordered 2 Bortnikov ouds, Maximus and Lao Oud samples. I heard they have better quality barn-yard ouds like in Oud Palao. They also sell from the Bortnikoff web site, their 10 ml decant sprays for $90. Very reasonable. Rating: 7.5/10 God bless. John 3:16

Dear Xerjoff, I think my Zafar is BROKEN! That is all..... I love a scent challenge. I made this purchase soley because of the reputation it has acquired as being one of the most offensive fragrances created. Maybe it's not the Zafar that's broken, but my own nose. Where's the cow patty? Where's the Band-OUD? I want my own blue cheese experience! For me, it opens sharply with pepper, apple, oud and musk. Once it settles after a few minutes, it becomes an apple and (quality)OUD scent. I'd say the first hour or two are the most comforting for me. Warm... Animalic.... Slightly smokey..... Outdoorsy and organic...... WAIT A MINUTE! OK, I can actually understand the comparisons but my mind only sees(smells) it when I think about it. After a few hours, it settles to OUD mainly with some fresh apple and incense thrown in for good measure. There's also something faintly powdery trying to poke through when I put my nose to my skin but there's still no mistaking that this is an OUD fragrance... PURE HEAVEN! Will I wear Zafar out? Maybe not... I'm sure one day I'll be in one of those moods to have some fun at the expense of others with this assault on mainstream olfactory pleasures. To any Zafar "neigh"sayers, I ask that you please direct me to the farm or animal(or pile) you ran into that smelled like this so I can snuggle it closely. ***FYI...One of my all time favorite fragrances is the similarly poo-compared LM Parfums Hard Leather.... Hmmmm. Oh HUSH!! :-)

I consider myself somewhat a hardcore oud lover, the skankier, dirtier the better actually. I see oud and all logic just flies out the window so naturally I couldn't help but blind buy this fragrance due to the notoriously barnyard-y oud and while I did get what I came for, it's something else that made me stay. Let me preface this by saying Zafar is not an oud fragrance in the traditional sense. Although I do get a deliciously cheesy oud bearing hay-like and fecal qualities upon application, musk is the star player after the scent has reached its drydown - a big, fluffy powdery musk that I can never ever get enough of! Zafar is how I imagine if you take the powdery woody musk in classic men's woody aromatics, eliminate all the herbal and floral elements, add Chris Maurice's signature cheesy oud touch and then mix them altogether with a polished yet antiquated smelling cedar note. The end result is a sumptous and mellifluous woody oriental that feels beguiling rather than formulaic. While it does not project as far as the other ones in the Oud Stars line, nor does it leave as noticeable a sillage, it easily lasts a whole day on skin. A big win in my book!

Arabic for “Victory”, the simplest way to describe Zafar by Xerjoff would be to say that it smells exactly like walking into a centuries old temple in the heart of a Middle Eastern city, capturing the scent of ancient wood benches and dusty book pages that have long absorbed the spiritual aromas of burning oud wood and omani incense. The fragrance opens on a precious barnyard oud that feel powerful enough to carry the weight of the earth, conquering the infamous blue cheese animalic tone that some had referred to when describing the smell of pure oud, I personally find this portion of the development quite fascinating, but for those who tend to shy away from the rugged nature of this multifaceted material, know that once passed the commanding introduction, a victorious dry down awaits for you, as the heart of Zafar gets penetrated by a peppery green apple accord spinning around soft floral nuances that round the edges of the beast as the animalic facets of the oud begin to fade away. The ending result, a memorable Oud Star.

If you do not like middle eastern Oud fragrances then pass this up and dont waste your time because with a name like Zafar you know the oud is strong. I on the other hand I am in love with oud fragrances from the Middle East and in fact my signature scent is an oud fragrance By Frederick Malle called "The Moon". Anyway Zafar's ingredients are top notch with a lot of naturals. The Oud smells genuine and non synthetic and it aligns itself with the incense, rose, musk, pepper, cedar and flowers. That note package is often found in middle eastern fragrances because they create a familiar and loved scent. On a final note this contains Agarwood which is the most westernized and pleasant of the Ouds. If you want to smell what barnyard is like go smell some Hindi (Indian) oud. Try Oud Maktum Sawalef , That will set your nose straight. I am a fan but I do not have a full sized bottle just a sample. If you tried and hate this one and want to trade or sell yours send me a message.

Zafar may be considered a gateway drug to the hard stuff. It has the same earthy, fecal richness of an unadulterated Indian oud, but it is balanced skilfully with complementary notes of musk and pepper. There are two main phases to Zafar, each enjoyable in its own right. The opening twenty minutes is an intoxicatingly pleasant effect of sweet, moist rotten wood such as you might associate with the earthy decomposition of a rainforest tree stump. One can easily detect animalic notes of Indian oud, musk, and civet, along with faint peppery and fruity notes. Gradually Cambodian oud emerges and strikes an accord with the musk and pepper to achieve the dry down, which is an immaculately smooth, dry, and slightly powdery antique wood. This lasts four to six hours with modest projection. I have received several compliments on Zafar. It is not the monster of legend but a scent of refinement. Scent: 10/10 Originality: 6/10 Sillage: arm’s length Longevity: 4-6 hours

An incredibly changeable fragrance! It opens earthy-woody with some animalic notes. One can smell real oud in a remarkable concentration. Many can perceive this animalic note as too strong. But it’s definitely too early to form an opinion since this is not the essence of the fragrance. After approximately half an hour this rampaging oud begins to settle down, and one can smell some fresh notes. Just at this time fine woods and incense begins to appear and getting stronger over time. Finally, vetiver takes over. The development proceeds smoothly and fluently (the characteristic of all Xerjoffs imo). When you are a fan of oud, you will truly enjoy this remarkable development! Highly recommended in my opinion!

Zafar opens up on my skin with a beautiful sweet peppery-apple flowery accord while the Oud and Cedar are sending subtle nice waves who’s trying to take the command but the fresh accords are starting to blend beautifully with the base creating one of the best fragrance that Xerjoff has to offer. I am really shocked about the ratings. If you don’t understand Oud or you are a beginner, you are not going to understand this fragrance so this one will not be for you. Those with years of sniffing Oud or Oriental perfumes will find Zafar being a lightweight beautiful summer fragrance. I really love Zafar and many other Xerjoff’s Oud stars. Enjoy! This is Beautiful stuff!

I purchased and reviewed this last Winter. My smell wasn't back yet from covid. So I appreciated the strong projection. Now my smell is almost back, and I'm really liking this alot. I always wanted to have a great pepper fragrance. The black pepper is great here, as it's balanced with the green apple freshness. This reminds me of Wonder Wood fragrance. Oud, woods and very spicy. But this is so much nicer. The fresh apple brightens it up. The floral are in the background, but just smooth out the otherwise strong medicinal Oud and pepper. This is crisp enough to wear in warmer weather, except hot Summer perhaps not.

Smoky Oud perfection with an unfairly notorious reputation . This amazing combination of oud and pepper sweetened by a lovely green apple note is something that just has to be experienced to be believed. The Laotian Oud makes for a slightly indolent opening which very quickly fades away to reveal the gorgeous middle eastern tapestry that reveals the above mentioned pepper, green apple and other slight notes such as vetiver, rose, neroli, and incense. With the right patience, it must be experienced it in its full glory from its striking smoky slight skanky opening to peppery middle to its sweet drydown. Amazing!

this is the elite in the plethora of 'ouds' out there. deep DEEP wood that only sweetens slightly with time on skin, then the (frank?)incense mingles so beautifully and convincingly. this is a heavy hitter that suddenly bails on the party about four hours; it literally just disappears, whicis strange from such an assertive scent. expensive but also trés authentic, which i wouldn't exactly say about some other in the uber-posh 'ouds' (you know who you are :) the packaging is xerjoff rococo. wonderful juice; if you can afford it. thankfully i got this as a gift from avant garde perfumista friend - sweet!

Unadulterated Indian Oud. Smells like zoo, ranch with a touch of green-est. Not for newcomers but can absolutely be an entry perfume for hobbyists that are exploring oud scents. Would give it a 7/10 simply because there are other perfumes that smells somewhat similar, and the opening to its drydown wasn't too non-linear for me. Sillage is moderate and longevity is pretty good!

This has a strong Oud right from the start. I was hesitant in purchasing at first but after browsing around for a bit (half hour) it turned into a beautiful musky wood with a little sweetness to it and a faint powder note and all this mixes in wonderfully. Purchased : Feb/2022

God save us all from the Zafar's opening. The same as with Dahn Oudh Al Shams Ajmal or Banat ... raw oud, horse stable as some would say. It needed some time to settle and then ... f suprise! Very nice,almost elegant scent. Alpha men OO of steel needed to pull this one out.

the initial blast of skanky oud assaults your nostrils at first, then the most incredible spicy/balmy saffron/rose/oud combo guides you into bliss, nice and expensive!

Ouverture basse cour pommes après c’est le vetiver et le cèdre qui prennent le relais, très agréable à porter il est unique je n’ai jamais senti une telle odeur

Really good woody Oud bottle. I really like it. Like it says up top fresh spicy, oudy and woodsy. I agree!

This is the boss in Xerjoff gang 🥰