Ebony Wood

Oh my what a surprise this was, one of the best Zara! It smells like a vampire house, one that has a mixture of both ancient and modern elements... electric guitars leaning on crimson velvet curtains, old trunks full of thousands of dusty books and shiny magazines!! A bit edgy and moody, darkly delicious! If you have watched the movie Only Lovers Left Alive by genious Jim Jarmusch, this is what I imagine Adam and Eve house in Detroit would smell like! It smells like a Squrl music piece too! It is infact a mix of spices worked in a less 90's and more modern way, just like I imagine Eve oriental-esque clothes would smell like...plus musty and humid woods like the ones of Adam's trunks and old musical instruments, tabbaco-y and mildew-y patchouli, all on a base of sweet amber that is both balsamic and a tad smoky/incensey. Morbidly sweet too...just like the tainted human blood that they can't drink no more! To go more in depth, I can say that the opening is all strong warm spices with a light touch of aromatics too; I smell cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and some pepper, all well blended, this gives quite a Christmasy feeling to the scent. The cloves are not stale at all (like many times are in some vintage compositions), cinnamon has a lukewarm temperature, nutmeg is but a sprinkle and the pepper is surely there, even though personally I don't distinguish it as being pink but with a more generic feel to it. As for the woods, they already peak through the opening and I can distinguish a musty ebony (as name and notes suggest) but also some oak and cedar, a tinge of very humid cedar. There is nothing polished about those wood, they are dry and antiqued, and smell sweet as if mellowed by an organic maturation process. There is a particular note in here which smells a bit like the musty patchouli of Zara Red Temptation Winter...can it really be patchouli? Or maybe it is some synthetic oudy note? Probably a bit of both, since I can smell the familiar earthiness of patchouli, plus its dry tabacco-y nuances, and also something oudish. In any case they smell mildew-y but in a good way! The base is all amber. It has something of labdanum (with a generic vanillic feel to it) and something of balsams, with a light medicinal touch. It is very warm and also a little smoked, but not like proper incense. Again something Christmasy and bonfire-y comes to mind. The result is extremely warm spicy and woody, but also sickly sweet...sickly in the sense that it feels a little unnatural, as if it shouldn't be so, as if this ripe effect is a consequence of a forced seasoning of the woods, that is why before I described this aspect as morbidly sweet. But, I must explain, it is extremely enjoyable, I don't mean to say that it smells bad or synthetic. Actually it is a characteristic proper of some woods and of some wines, it makes me appreciate the scent even more, there is nothing stale about it...on the contrary this gives to the scent a royally elegant character, like something an aristocratic person would be wearing in my imagination! Speaking of wines and royalty...I don't know why but this perfume smells to me exactly like the colors associated with them, from purple to wine, to scarlet and crimson to red and bordeaux. Maybe even some vein of antiqued gold and bronze. Texture is velvety and rich, and recalls to mind precious fabrics like velvet and suede. I think it is perfect for autumn and it made me nostalgic of that atmosphere....I see the color of the autumnal dead leaves...so beautiful! As for comparisons, I can say that the dry down remainds me a bit of the oriental dry down in Zara Sand Desert at Sunset. In general I find Ebony Wood more refined and nuanced but still, in terms of style, I can say it is similar to other autumnal Zara favorites, such as Rich, Warm, Addictive (minus the boozines and strong tonka), as Magnificently Dubay (but less oudy and cardamomy, and more feminine then Dubai), as Warm Black (but less tobacco-y and without the zestiness) and as Majestic Green (in Ebony Wood there is also something similar to cardamom but without its mentholated nature as it is in Majestic Green, and without its creamy sandalwood), so it still remains special to me, besides...that cloves, they are so good! A little of this dna is also present in Zara Bohemian Oud and Perpetual Oud (the last one resambles Oud Satin Mood by Kurdjan). I love what Jo Malone did with Zara, I am so enamored with this line, both the Emotions one and the others that I am reviewing each of them in great boring length; however I usually describe those perfumes as "apothecary" like in style and quality, never did I go as far as to describe them as niche like; in this case I have to agree with many other reviewers and say that indeed Ebony Wood has a niche allure about it. It is a linear scent but very nuanced and quality is good too. For a niche lover and connoisseur it won't appear so unique but if we consider this was released as an highstreet brand offer then it acquires much more value. As for its performances, it has moderate lasting power, about 5 to 6 on me, with a dry down living until the night, projection is moderate too. Ebony Wood is also a precious layering tool, I always use it when I want to add body trough woods and spice to other perfumes, specially florals and solinotes. It layers beautifully with Fleur de Patchouli from the same Zara line too. As always when reviewing this line, if you care to know my opinion on the Zara x Jo Malone Emotion Collection perfumes as a whole, here is a list of reasons I like it so much: -they have a great price for their quality which is very apothecary like, surely they smell more expensive then what you actually pay; -they are always in stock, often in promo, and offered in 10, 40 and 90 ml, with candles and cosmetics of the same scents; -you get the Jo Malone style, minimalistic yet impactful, and very photorealistic. Surely a premium experience for an highstreet brand; -they are good layering tools, many houses arose on the market with just the layering claim, Zara offers to us 9 of them at a fraction of the price and with honest quality; -good packaging and presentation, a discovery set is also sold.

de and tr below en This has one of the most realistic grapefruit openings I’ve ever smelled. It’s juicy, fresh, zesty—you can almost smell the bitterness of the peel as if you’ve just twisted it. I carry the bottle with me just for the opening, and I reapply it throughout the day because I enjoy it more than the base notes. On the other hand it's a soft, tender and perfectly unisex scent. Both my boyfriend and I've gotten compliments when we wear it. I personally prefer the opening on my skin, while I think the dry-down smells even better on him. It's neither a heavy perfume nor an overly spicy one like Armani Code, so it's for everyday use in my opinion, especially for men. de Es hat eine der realistischsten Grapefruit-Eröffnungen, die ich je gerochen habe. Saftig, frisch und spritzig – man kann die Bitterkeit der Schale fast riechen, als hätte man sie gerade aufgedreht. Ich trage die Flasche nur wegen der Kopfnote mit mir herum und sprühe tagsüber immer wieder nach, weil mir der Auftakt besser gefällt als die Basisnoten. Gleichzeitig ist es ein sanfter, zarter und perfekt unisexer Duft. Sowohl mein Freund als auch ich bekommen regelmäßig Komplimente, wenn wir ihn tragen. Ich liebe die Eröffnung an mir selbst, während ich finde, dass der Drydown an ihm noch besser zur Geltung kommt. Es ist weder ein schwerer noch ein übermäßig würziger Duft wie etwa Armani Code, weshalb er meiner Meinung nach absolut alltagstauglich ist – besonders für Männer. tr Bu parfüm kokladığım en gerçekçi greyfurtlu açılışa sahip. Sulu, ferah, keskin, aromatik - sanki greyfurtun kabuğunu yeni bükmüşsünüz gibi o acımsı kokuyu alabiliyorsunuz bu parfümden. Açılışını dip notalarından daha çok seviyorum, bu yüzden parfümü yanımda taşıyorum ki gün içinde tazeleyebileyim. Diğer taraftan bu parfüm yumuşak, asla ağır olmayan, hafif baharatlı, inanılmaz bir parfüm; kesinlikle unisex! Erkek arkadaşımla birlikte kullanıyoruz ve ikimizin de sıktığında iltifat aldığı bir parfüm oldu. Kendi tenimde açılışını daha çok sevsem de erkek arkadaşıma dip notalarının daha çok yakıştığını düşünüyorum. Ne Armani Code gibi çok baharatlı ne de ağır bir kokusu var, bu yüzden bilhassa erkekler için günlük kullanıma oldukça uygun buluyorum.

Given how other zara perfume extrait versions have their own pages on fragrantica, im surprised this one doesn't, because the Ebony Wood Extrait truly is the bomb. So sorry babes, but my review here will be for the extrait version, not the og. I know only so much that I've smelled the og back in the day when it has just came out, but I wasn't convinced to buy it. Few years went by and I decided that maybe I should give into the hype a bit, so i found myself a nearly brand new discounted bottle on vinted. In my opinion the initial smell was quite pretty, but the dry down had the same annoying salty/ iodine note as BR540 (the same reason I cant stand that fragrance). So I put it away and forgot about it. A better half of a year has passed and I decided it was time to declutter some of my fragrances, and this one hot back on my radar. Gave it another try, and would you guess it? I loved it! Who knew, lol. Maybe it was maceration or something like that, but I thought this could only happen with arabic perfumes (though zara pumps out new stuff at a very similar pace, so its very likely imo that their creations could need to do some maturing too). The fragrance has definitely deepened, and while it has some sweetness to it, the coffee/ black tea (ik its not in the notes, but to me it smells a bit like that) is very present, yet without the sugary vanillic quality that some coffee or tea scents have. It's this nice, dark slightly bitter note, with the perfect amount of spiciness, that doesn't dominate the whole composition ("soft spicy" fits so well here). All in all, I have no idea if I truly did miss out by not having the OG, but the current version is very much so enjoyable in my eyes (or nose idk)

My favourite of all the Zara fragrances! I bought this fragrance on impulse when I went to Zara to try out their perfumes. I tried all of them and then tried this one because I didn't think I'd like it as I'd heard it was masculine and had coffee notes (and I am not a coffee drinker). I instantly knew I wanted to buy it. The opening notes are pink and peppery, quite feminine leaning, and the dry-down consists of warm, spicy cloves and something vaguely reminiscent of wood. It is a beautiful fragrance and I would never have guessed that it cost £29.99 at a generic high street shop. It's definitely a winter fragrance (I bought Zara's Waterlily Tea Dress Elixir for summer), but it also has a very Autumny vibe perfect for pumpkin-spice season. There is something light and fresh about it with the pink pepper, but it's not a summery kind of freshness. More like a sensual girly kick amid the masculine-leaning notes. It's a very unisex fragrance, but as a woman I love it. It would work super well for evening occasions, especially expensive dinners or a date night. You don't want to spray too much as it has great sillage and longevity (I can smell it on my pillow when I wake up in the morning), but it's hard to resist because the scent is so expensive. I've been wearing it in the daytime, too, and it works just fine :) Highly recommend! It's a gorgeous scent.

I bought this perfume as soon as I smelt it in the shop. I’d never smelt anything like it before and I honestly hadn’t had myself down as a spicy woody perfume person. In fact, I’d heard this one had coffee notes and vowed to steer clear because I really hate the smell of coffee. This not only smells divine but lasts weeks on my clothes. I sprayed some on an evening gown I wore and can still get the occasional waft of it when I open my wardrobe. It’s both very pink and very spicy, and the woody pink pepper combination gives it a scent that seems somehow both bold and complexly subtle. I get a lot of bright pink pepper in the opening, which really appeals to me, and then it is followed by something woody and comforting, like warm winter cloves and creamy spices. It’s definitely a wintery dark scent, but I’ve also worn it in the summer evening on after-dinner walks along the Mediterranean coast. It feels very luxurious and sultry in a playfully bright and feminine way. But it’s also essentially unisex, so that’s mainly just how it makes me feel as a woman. Very surprised by this as I am usually only a florals and citrus person, but I love it and would buy it again. I got the regular version and I’d like to try the elixir, but I’m a bit intimidated by the thought because the regular is already so powerful. It only really needs a couple of sprays.

I'm confused by all the reviews saying this has been discontinued? It's currently available on their website right now (however I am in the UK so maybe they have discontinued in other countries?) I LOVE this perfume so much & really hope they do not plan on discontinuing it here! Most say its a fall/winter fragrance & by looking at the notes above I see why they think this however I have been wearing it all summer and took it on my summer holidays and have loved it in the warmer climate (I would wear this all year, its such an easy reach for me). My partner constantly compliments me when I wear this and wants to nuzzle in my neck lol. To my nose there's something about this that reminds me of being outside near the sea (not a marine/beach note necessarily) but it reminds me of overcast days in the Caribbean a day or 2 after a storm when we would pick up washed up driftwood & have a bonfire by the sea- idk maybe that's just me. Anyway this is a 10/10 scent for me 8/10 longevity (performs better on clothes) - I bought the small bottle anyway so I just take it in my bag and re spritz if I need to but I rarely do. Sileage is moderate, not a skin scent but not projecting super far either

I have been wearing this for over a month straight even going through the hassle of decanting a bit to take with me on a trip. I LOVE this it’s sweet but not in a sugary cloying way. I get a lot of cloves and pink pepper and incense and for some reason grapefruit? Even though some of those aren’t listed but it’s still something I can wear every day, day or night, any occasion it’s deep but not dense. A little mysterious but also comforting. I’ve been wearing in the southern heat and it doesn’t bother a bit and I get complements all the time. I don’t know why Zara has discontinued it in doing research to try to find something similar iv seen ppl saying it smells like wood sage and sea salt???it SMELLS NOTHING LIKE WOOD SAGE AND SEA SALT!! I don’t understand how people think these smell the same because they are completely different. If anyone has any suggestions for dupes for this please let a girl know 😭 I’ve bought 5 back ups I can’t live without this stuff. Longevity is about 3 to 4 hours on skin but I can smell it on my clothes until I wash them. Silliage is not that far but I like that because I can wear it to work and not suffocate my kids and coworkers

This is a good deal imo. Dry, clean, and spicy woody with ghost notes of citrus and creaminess. Given the price and the collaboration with Jo Malone, Ebony Woods from Zara is a steal. It's funny that there are only 3 notes in this perfume because I get some citrus in the opening and a slight creaminess in the dry down. Ebony woods, overall, is a dry scent. It opens up bright with some citrus. This could possibly be coming from the ebony wood? And is smells like pine needles in the opening as well, so the initial spray is pretty fresh. Cloves can be very overpowering imo, but it is well blended in this affordable perfume. The cloves and spices come out to play about 5 min after its been sprayed. It's a light spice. It's the dry down of this perfume that is quite lovely. After about 10-15 min, the ebony wood sits on the skin along with the cloves and I also pick up a bit of creaminess. Like a hint of creaminess/nuttiness all mixed with the cloves and spices and it is quite lovely. Perfectly unisex and lovely. Projection is okay and longevity is also okay. Simple, dry, easy, clean yet unique and very sophisticated. Niche bottle from a fast fashion brand. 10/10

Ok, I love this! It's definitely in my top 5 Zara perfumes. The correct notes, according to the site for the new version in the circle bottle, are as follows: --> Top Notes: Grapefruit Pink Pepper Cypress --> Heart Notes: Rose Coffee Clove --> Base Notes: Ebony Wood Patchouli Vetiver The perfume is mysterious, dark, and sexy, yet it’s not cloying at all. While it’s clearly a scent best suited for winter or the colder months, it smells so amazing that I can easily imagine someone wearing it year-round, day or night. It would make an excellent signature scent. This fragrance is unisex, woody, and warm. The grapefruit is more fruity than citrusy, and the clove and pink pepper add such a fantastic spiciness. I don’t detect much rose—perhaps it’s more of a "vibe." There’s a subtle sourness that leans more towards rose than grapefruit, in my opinion. Similarly, the coffee note comes through as velvety and intimate, especially during the dry down. It’s not immediately obvious as coffee, but if you sniff your skin closely, you’ll catch subtle hints of it. All in all, I absolutely love this. It’s such a wonderful scent!

This is outstanding.. So different and unique from anything else I own. Warm, rich, cozy and comforting. The ebony wood is perfectly smooth and woody. Together with the cloves it creates the most creamy, spicy and sweet fragrance. It's sweet in a dark soft woodsy way not eatible gourmand. It has almost like an artifical sweetener note. The pink pepper is briefly taking part in the background which is great cause sometimes I can't really handle too strong pink peppar. I also pick up slightly burnt sugar, soft spearmint and cinnamon. Think of a Christmas chewing gum, spearmint tea or toothpaste, this is exactly what it would smell like! Not all Zara perfumes perform amazingly, but this one can handle up to 6+ hours of wear. Great sillage and projection! Definitely unisex. Great for layering since it's quite linear. Very fall/winter appropriate but I would still wear it all year around since it's not too heavy on the spices. On a rainy day this would be beautiful! To sum it up I think it smells like a classy sensual high-end perfume.

Opening with a sweet warm spicy, menthol-alike, creamy woody scent with a hint of smokiness and green in the background. After 5-10 minutes, the fragrance settles down, it kinda smells like old-school men shaving cream. Though the scent is still very modern, natural and unique. In door with the AC, it smells very therapeutic, warm yet fresh, very pleasing to my nose. I live in tropical climate, so wearing it under hot sun, the fragrance projects in the air a bubble of a very creamy slightly spicy woody scent, very pleasing and elegant. I went into a coffee shop to do some of my work and people were sniffing at my scent trail like crazy. The sillage is moderate, and it is obviously not a long-lasting scent, I got only 4-5 hours on my clothes over-sprayed. I got two 90-ml bottles on sale in Hong Kong for just 30$, what a steal for such a beautiful unique scent, I hope that Zara won’t discontinue this fragrance in the near future! 🥰

I am pleasantly surprised by this! It indeed smells a bit spicy and woody but there is nothing sharp about it. Luckily the pepper doesn't ruin it for me, it is actually sort of a sweet pepper if that makes sense. Funnily enough it also smells kinda fresh but it doesn't clash with the wood. Someone said they smell cherry in it and now I totally get that vibe too. I don't know why but my first thought was a fizzy drink, like Cherry Coca Cola 😅 I have a little mini size of the new round bottle and enjoy it, however, I would probably not buy a full bottle for myself because it seems a bit difficult to wear for me. Maybe if you are someone more outgoing this fragrance has a place to shine. I need to test it further. Day 2: OK I could not wait to put this on today so maybe I like it more than I thought? Day 3: After receiving 2 comments on it and craving it again I will actually buy a full bottle 😍 this turned into love very quickly.

This fragrance is probably one of the best affordable scents I've ever tried. It smells so much more expensive than it is and it projects and lasts! It's a compliment getter and often people can't believe it's Zara perfume. I wouldn't either. I find the opening being pretty strong on a grapefruit and cypress note but it has an underlying sweetness which makes it so delicate and delightful. It's warm and bright but subtle and incredibly sophisticated. I don't really get a lot of coffee (and I was really surprised to see this note). To me this smells more like a sweet citrusy black tea with a balanced woodiness from patchouli and vetiver in the base that are not that detectable to the nose but they definitely pull the foundation together adding more complexity to the scent. I have a newer bottle (bought 1-2 years ago), so not sure about an older formula, but I certainly think I'd repurchase this again!

By far the best blind buy. I bought into the hype and it didn't disappoint! It's so unique and like nothing I've ever smelled. Everybody talks about it but I just couldn't imagine it, and then when I got it, I understand what others are saying. It really is spicy, deep, sweet and woody. It's addictive, especially in the dry down. I layer it with Armaf Club de Nuit for women (dupe of Coco Mademoiselle) and it made it BETTER. Armaf CDN Women by itself can get a little too overwhelming but with Ebony Wood, it became something I can wear without feeling like I've had enough. I want to see what else I can layer it with! Edit to add: this perfume is rated quite unsuitable for summer, and most people say it's best for Fall and Winter. Well, I can tell you as someone who lives in hot tropical Malaysia, you absolutely can. It performs well even when it's hot, and never feels cloying.

I tested four days ago and I can’t stop craving for it. It’s so delicious. Opening is a little citrusy and I like that. In the middle, reminds me Burberry London Men. I love B. London, my husband wears. But I can’t because it’s too masculine for me. Ebony Wood is unisex with more fruity, slightly sweet and soo long lasting. Omg! How many fragrance can I buy?! Is this a addiction? Edit: Today I tested again. I accept that opening is a little weird. It’s like two different fragrance. First one is very citrusy and lots of grapefruit in it. But not bad. Very juicy fresh grapefruit. Then second one, after the grapefruit cloud disappears, is sweet fresh spicy. I can swear that I smell honey note in it, but I can’t prove:)) I like it a lot. I bought this one and the Fashionably London aaand Red Zara Temptation Sandalwood 😻 Probably I’ll buy Amber Fever in the Winter.

This is a wonderful, underrated fragrance. It has the uniqueness and quality of a Jo Malone-branded fragrance, but with much higher performance. It lasts all day, 8-12 hours easy. I get a warm, woody mix of vanilla, cloves and amber. It works perfectly in cooler weather. It's a unisex fragrance; I'm an expat man who lives in Japan and I love wearing this. A niche-like perfume at a Zara price. If it were in a Jo Malone bottle it would be four times more expensive. Don't sleep on the others in this line as well, such as Amalfi Sunray (sweet neroli). Sadly, this seems to be on its way out. It's no longer on the shelves here in Tokyo. You'd better pick up an extra bottle while it's still cheap. I did. Update: Just saw that this whole line was re-introduced at Zara with new bottles. I have no idea how they perform, but it's nice to know you can get it cheap again.

Wow. I am truly so impressed with this fragrance (I have the new, round-bottle version).This scent is pretty complex and unique, especially for the price point. There a definite citrus note that accompanies a spicy, fruity, woody base. This is a surprisingly sexy scent (but not overpowering or offensive) to me, which I think is thanks to the pink pepper. I loooooooovvvvveeee fragrances with pink pepper notes and I find that to be the most relevant note (but may also just be the note I like the most). Projection and staying power and both really great and I will come back and update with my thoughts after I wear it a bit more. **Update: Sprayed this again and wore it on its own and I feel like I have identified what was so familiar about initial citrus smell here: it smells like Brisk Lemon iced tea (on the initial spray and dry-down)! Personally, I LOVE it.

The first time I wore this I sprayed it on my clothes. Clean, warm woody fragrance at first but it dried down to smell really masculine and cologney to me. I decided it wasn’t really for me and thought I’d stick to using it as a layering fragrance to add depth to sweeter perfumes. But THEN. I sprayed on just my skin before I went to the gym one day. And man oh man. It evolved into such a beautiful, sweet, my skin but better scent. Woody, sweet, creamy, and a little peppery. Honestly this is now rivalling some of my other favourite skin scents now and might become my new daily light scent for the office. It sits really close to your skin and is a great gym scent too. My only complaint is the bottle. The label on mine came all wrinkled, and the sprayer is broken. But I guess you can’t expect much with cheap Zara scents.

Men seem to like this one. Both my father and partner have commented positively when I’ve worn it and neither event happens often. This feels like a fall or Christmas candle by itself: dark woody, spicy, and fruity. True notes don’t really develop but they don’t really need to if you like the opening. One note that I don’t think is discussed enough is the pink pepper which keeps this from being too dour and adds and releaving brightness. It may also be contributing to the red fruit smell I get even though it’s not described in the notes. I’ve had success layering this with Glossier You (since they share the pink pepper note) and it adds a welcome soapiness that would allow this to be worn in warmer weather and, to me, smells like the much loved Sultana of Soap by Lush.

I made an account just to review this. This is the most beautiful scent you will ever smell on a human being. Let me set the scene: its early fall, its chilly enough to wear a nice knit and no jacket so you take a nice shower and put on a very inoffensive lotion, you get dressed in a really nice comfy outfit and you put this perfume on, life is good. It smells like a really expensive and clean soap, its a warm but not overly hot scent and it mixes differently with different body scent. One spray is enough to last days on your clothes and the more it sits the more beautiful it becomes. Just a warning tho if you like boring sexy smexy vanilla bs perfumes this is gonna come off as too spicy at first. Overall my favorite perfume of all time, a true beauty.