Evening Safari Drive

IMPORTANT: if you buy this or any of Zara refillable bottles please adjust them tight to avoid leakage. Do this and there will be no problem! Tried yesterday. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! In a few words, this is a camphorated vanilla with strong woodiness and creamy sandalwood. This screams "I am a sophisticated, elegant person, but I can live in the moment. Follow me and I'll show you!". It opens with the aromatic aspects of the eucalypt and cypress, quite green but in a more dark elegant way... for which I give thanks to cypress, this note always elevates when it's present. From the start you can feel that they are blended so well in the composition...they don't scream and scratch, what I mean is that the opening notes don't have that "nose spray" quality that many cheap aromatic/foresty fragrances may have. I found similar good elements in one of the Zara Forest line too (the Sacred Green Forest one). Vanilla starts to appear after just minutes and it is worked here to become almost a camphorated vanilla, balsamic but done in a really elegant and niche way. The scent is also powdery in a sense, like a mentholated vanillic talc, but a very expensive one that may be produced by an obscure niche family buisness in the mountains of Romenia. Beautiful. The balsamic/camphor/conifer aspect is never lost, it persist even on the dry down, so if you don't like eucalypt and similar then don't go for it. What happens next is that a huge dose of cedar starts to come through which gives the perfume a strong warm woodiness, thogheter with sandalwood the blend becomes creamy. Warm and very creamy! Dry down goes on like this for quite a while but in the final stage sandalwood prevails as the star. It is only now that I see some resemblance to Santal 33 or better yet to Zara Energetically New York (or the woody aspect of Versace Black Crystal, even). At this point the sandalwood used by Zara results almost lactonic and a bit "coconutty" (as per usual with Zara choice of sandalwood, or when they mix sandalwood and cardamom). I like this perfume very much. I would say it is quite unisex, maybe a tad masculine leaning; the warmth (or "sweetness" if you prefer) in here is more merit of the woods then the vanilla so it is meant to be unisex. In my experience very few women tend to wear scent that have aromatic balsamic notes so I don't expect that many of us will wear this (at least where I live) but if you give this to a female public that buys and wears niche composition then yes...they will not be disappointed. I for one will be wearing this in Autumn for sure! Longevity and sillage are quite good, last for about six hours on me, with moderate projection. Dry down is exquisite and lasts much longer! Edit: the tonka in here is grounding versus the usually sweet cumarin that Zara tends to use (see for instance Violette Blossom). It almost gives an earthy vibe but it is very very subtle.

Most people seem to like the smell of wood in all its forms. Living wood, chemically treated wood, burning wood, wet wood, and, yes, wood that has been cut into tiny pieces we call sawdust. While scent in general is a very subjective sense, the smell of sawdust seems very appealing, even to the point of creating a scented cologne of sawdust. But what makes this unlikely substance so appealing? Why does sawdust smell so good? Most likely it’s simply because we like the smell of wood in general, and sawdust is just small pieces of wood. Evening Safari Drive captures the essence of the lumberjack lifestyle and the scent of freshly cut wood and shavings. It doesn’t smell exactly like a lumber mill, but pretty close. In the beginning, there is a blast of fresh, green, dry woody accord with a camphoraceous nuance. I bet the balmy eucalyptus and the resinous cypress together create such a wonderful aroma, a forest-like woodiness. Right off the bat, the essence makes me think of Santal 33 EAU DE PARFUM. The papery cedar and milky sandalwoods in the underground are pretty similar in the two fragrances. Let the initial burst calm down, and a powdery, smoky and balmy tinge oozes. The iris dry root is dusty, more earthy than buttery, with no lipstick-like. Besides, I feel the presence of resinous, rubbery-like olibanum. It grows and grows, and its smokiness blends with the woodiness. Iris and incense's role is significant, as they provide the powdery and waxy backdrop that makes this scent so sensational. Side by side, Evening Safari Drive deviates from Santal 33 and takes a different route. When the dry-down comes, the brittle dryness of the cedar and smooth creaminess of the sandal duo shines and takes the stage. They are well-balanced and support the powderiness of brown tonka beans and black vanilla pods with a smoking woods alloy. My skin amplifies the woods, to which it added a final brief touch of musk to enliven the whole while the spicy beans and pods do not steal the show. After many hours, and even days after, what is left on the blotter is a pungent pencil shaving of redolence, sawdust with smoky and dusty tinges. It’s definitely woody, it’s definitely unisex, and it’s definitely aromatherapy-like in the way it makes you feel. It’s calming, it’s warming, and it’s comforting. Its sillage is discrete, but it has considerable staying power. Seasonally, it suits both spring and fall days, evenings, and nights. Ultimately, are Santal 33 and this the same? Probably not, but they have the same vibe if you want something similar without breaking the bank. I'm basing my review on a bottle I've owned since April 2023.

I noticed a few similar notes shared with Commodity Book, and came into possession of both fragrances so wanted to give a comparison. Both remind me of being in a lush evergreen forest, surrounded by green conifers and woods, they're almost relaxing. Evening Safari Drive is a sandalwood fragrance, supported by some sturdy forest woods (cedar) and green conifers (cypress), with a whisper of eucalyptus that develops somewhat in the first hour. Book blooms open with a generous bouquet of eucalyptus, which does somewhat mellow on wear, and is supported by green conifers with a whisper of sandalwood and cedar in the base. Overall, they are very similar compositions and to simplify, Evening Safari Drive leads with slightly powdered sandalwood whilst Book leads with a eucalyptus that is almost essential-oil like. For the first 30 minutes they smell the most different, but as they dry down the leading notes subdue and they become more similar. They are both unisex if not a touch masculine, but if you are a female and like unisex scents you would be at home wearing them. They both sit fairly close to the skin unless overspraying and both have moderate longevity. I would say they are equal in all these aspects. Evening Safari Drive is not the typical fleeting Zara scent, it performs respectably. For most people, I would say just choose one - it's really just deciding if you want more sandalwood or more eucalyptus. But considering the RRP difference is £100? I would just go with Evening Safari Drive. Tl;dr: ESD: Sandalwood > Dark green and woods > Eucalyptus Book: Eucalyptus > Dark green and woods > Sandalwood

Very weak performance and generic sandalwood smell , nice but not something unique or even strong. The freshness of the Eucalyptus and Cypress is very short lived as it goes into the sandalwood quite fast , which is a pity because these 2 notes gave it a somewhat interesting opening . The cedar note is also very subtle. As this all dissipates, it really smells like any other sandalwood creation by Zara like those that Jo Malone created (Energetically New York ) Edit :20/02/2024 This has been macerating for three months more now and the Eucalyptus and Cypress notes are way more present and longer lasting than three months ago, and the ceder note has been improved too. It also seems to be more complex than in the beginning so a very nice evolution. Will have to see if the has improved in its longevity Zara perfumes really need to macerate longer in order to become more potent. Often they have only been in the bottle for a couple of months when sold in the shop, so patience is the name of the game to really give an opinion on really these perfumes.

Nice and simple but somehow also well rounded sandalwood scent. Does make me wonder if I'm just smelling javanol on steroids here—I've never smelled the pure material—in the same way ambroxan seems to be the real star of Sunrise On The Red Sand Dunes. But like Sunrise this is really well done. Keeps on smelling good all the way down and the sandalwood is always front and center. For € 26, I'd have grabbed this without thinking twice if I could get my hands on it, and probably will should it pop up again. I only tried it from a tester once that was left out by mistake in a Zara that had no remaining stock, and haven't seen it since. They are taking fast fashion a bit far with these 2023 series, it's a joke that the box has instructions on how to refill the bottle when the fragrances are deleted from the catalog faster than you can empty one. Going to seek out some more of Mylène Alran's work because she's going two for two with these Zaras.

I was finally able to track and get this one in 2025 after dillydallying and missing out on it 2 years ago. This is probably on of the best Zara fragrances i have tried. Its nothing revolutionary or overly complex, but for the price this is perfect at what it does. A chic, minimalist scent with decent longevity (great on clothes), it is a soft, creamy sandalwood scent with sweetness from vanilla and a slight herbaceous twist from the eucalyptus. It evokes some characteristics of quite a few fragrances that are sandalwood based to me like Gris Charnel or By Kilian Sacredwood. If you were to describe the fragrance as a vibe it would be the current trendy elevated minimalist vibe you see in fashion, tones of cream, beige, white, clean lines and solid colors. A scent that is more than comparable to a bunch of fragrances that charge 300+ dollars.

This one was my favourite from this collection It really reminds me of Gris Charnel but it's definitely less sweet and slightly more woody/green I would say it's 70% dupe of Gris For this price I think it's a really great fragrance perfect for autumn and winter so hopefully Zara will hold this one for little longer then other fragrances. Definitely smells waaaaay more expensive then it really is !

Very nice woody fragrance. The deep drydown is mostly a creamy and slightly sweet sandalwood. Lots of cedar and sandalwood in the heart. The opening is a tad green (eucalyptus and cypress) but not too much. It smells more of the woods in a forest than the leaves. The creamy sweet sandalwood scent that remains on the skin is beautiful, soft and warm

Full-bodied creamy sandalwood with green woody accents that lean aromatherapeutic. Dries down powdery as the green notes taper off, wish they lasted a little longer. Best in spring and autumn, would work in winter too. Needs to be reapplied to last all day, sits a little under arms' length.

this is a lot more expensive smelling than the price tag. i was very critical of this one when i purchased it, but after having it for a month it transformed. the performance is a lot better, the milky creamy notes comes through with a strong, sensual sandalwood. 8.5/10

Pretty 'boring' on its own but perfect for layering with your vanilla/coffee/chocolate/tobacco fragrances to give them clean and elegant sandalwood facet. H&M Santalum is the more interesting/richer cheapie sandalwood but that one is also discontinued.

I picked it up at Zara today, when i tested, and immediately got thrown 20 years back, when i usted to rock the discontinued Gucci Rush men, and boy i was so right,i just checked, the two share most of the notes, so just for that, i bought it!

I get instantly reminded of Pasha de Cartier or Le Labo's Santal 33. Very pleasant scent profile, probably one of my favorites from the whole collection.

I really like the other three fragrances from last year's Zara series, so I also wanted to try Evening Safari Drive. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get this perfume on sale last summer and then it was withdrawn along with Full Moon Over the Desert and as it turned out, Evening Safari Drive was the hardest to get. Finally, after almost a year, I managed to get it. This fragrance gives me ambivalent feelings and I must admit that compared to the other compositions in the series, Evening Safari Drive stands out a bit from the rest, although it is still quite a good scent. It opens with a green, coniferous note of cypress accompanied by camphor eucalyptus, which fades quite quickly. Almost immediately, the star of the composition welcomes you, i.e. sandalwood, similar to that known from Santal 33 or Energetically New York, where connotations with dill are quite clear. I rarely associate sandalwood with pickled cucumbers and dill, but here, to my surprise, I smell pickles, pickles and similar food inventions. Something else bothers me, sometimes I have the impression that in Evening Safari Drive I smell something sour and stale, which I sometimes feel from people in the summer when their body sweats a lot and they are wearing the same clothes - the sour smell of a sweaty body or clothes that were on such a body. Fortunately, it does not last long and as the composition evolves, this note disappears. This may be due to the fact that this fragrance has the same sandal as in Energetically New York, but not so bright and fresh, but more like dirty, creamy, darker and warmer. It is primarily a sandal-cedar composition, the duo of sandalwood and cedar plays the main violin here and it is an overall pleasant and calm mixture. Vanilla and tonka add a little more warmth and light sweetness to the base. I think this fragrance will work best in autumn, it has such a calmness and shimmers with shades of gray and cream. Longevity is not bad for Zara, the scent lasts about 6 hours on the skin. It is not a scent that screams with a loud projection, it is clearly subdued from the beginning. In the first 2 hours it spreads moderately and then it is close to the skin. Evening Safari Drive is a good fragrance overall, but as I mentioned, my least favorite from this series. This just goes to show how great this series was. 8/10

There is indeed a pickle smell to it but only immediately after you got noseblind by another sweeter fragrance first (like a Dior Homme Intense, in my case it's Zara 9.0 or For Him Metal 😛). Especially pickles on a butter sandwich with sausage that my slavic grandma would make and you wouldn't wanna smell like those, would you? 😂 So maybe if you show up at a club filled with people wearing Dior Homme-ish perfumes, then you would smell like a pickle-sausage sandwich, I don't know? Other than that it's delicious and you don't get the pickles at all! Oddly enough, I didn't get that impression with the S4ND4LW00D one, which is blamed for being cucumbery.

Just tested this in Zara; and it's my favourite out if the 4 in this line. Opening is green and inky, which I belive is due to the Cypress and Eucalyptus; but the top fades away pretty quick and it starts settling in the dry down into a sweet and super creamy sandalwood and cedar accord, with tons of tonka and vanilla in the background. Absolutely impressed with this one. I tried the other 2 in this line and this one seems to be lasting the longest in twrms of longevity.

I have a bottle with a box of Evening Safari Drive. I gave it a try 3 times and I like it but I have decided to let it go. I am open to sell or swap. Let me know. USA only.

@Chichi2109 I bought a decant a while ago. Unfortunately I couldn't find a whole bottle. I can't buy this anywhere.

Probably my favourite in this collection. A nice soft woody cedar with a creamy "coconutty" sandalwood finish.

If you miss this one, give 909 EDP a shot.

Just tried it in Zara. This fragrance is instant headache. It smells like some insect repellent in my skin. Not sure why as it has good comments. Try on your skin before considering purchase. Definitely would smell better on a man, not unisex.

I went to the store to try this Zara collection but only this fragrance and Full Moon Over the Desert were available. The latter is a leather-based perfume and, unfortunately, I don't like how Zara handles this note. It reminds me of True Leather, also from Zara, but perhaps more pleasant and sweet. Returning to the subject at hand, Evening Safari Drive did seem like a nice perfume to me. It opens with some aromatic conifers and settles like a sandalwood that, indeed, reminds me a lot, as some reviews on Youtube have already pointed out, of Santal 33. In its background it seems sweeter to me. It has a moderate-noticeable sillage and lasts on my skin for at least 8 hours. I won't buy it because I have quite a few sandalwood perfumes in my collection right now, but I think it's very nice and I think lovers of woody perfumes will love it. Scent 7.5/10 Duration 8(+?)/10 Sillage 8/10 Quality/price 8.5/10 Versatility 7/10 Packaging 7.5/10 Would I buy again? I did not buy it

Completely Unisex, especially "safe" if you are into the above mentioned "Reminds Me Of" fragrances. This is another good one in the collection. An easy reach sandalwood (+ other woods lol) fragrance, similar vibe as Santal 33... I do get a tiny bit of that Eucalyptus in the background giving this a fresh forest vibe with the cypress - but done lightly - this is heavier on the sandalwood than anything. And then you have a LITTLE bit of vanilla & tonka, which adds a little sweetness and makes this one addicting to me with the other notes. This is not a huge component of this, so I wouldn't go into this expecting to experience a Vanilla/Tonka based fragrance. But it is certainly there and adds to the composition. Perfectly Unisex and not overdone. I absolutely love this. If you told me this was $180 from a niche brand I would believe that. This is done well.

This fragrance definitely has some similarities to other Sandalwood-forward fragrances. It's not a dupe to Santal 33 or Gris Charnel though. The closest fragrance to it would be Santalum by h&m, especially the dry down. The opening smells very harsh though and can smell low-key off putting that's why I didn't purchase it.

Im trying to find it on zara website but unfortunately it seems like it’s discontinued. Now zara remove their new collection quickly, this one was released in 2023 ( i read some reviews about it on August) and now it’s completely disappeared. Not sure they will bring it back in the future.

It smells decent but don’t expect it to be on par with Tam Dao, Santal 33 or Gris Charnel. It smells like those three mixed together and diluted with acetone, it has a solvent like smell in all phases. I actually like that, it reminds me of art school.

Some note in this puts me off, despite initially loving it. I think I must be sensitive to this one component, which stops me being able to enjoy the fragrance now. Practically full bottle available in Europe. PM if interested.

Performance is perfect. Smell is hard to describe.. it has something that reasemblances DNA of CH VIP 212 and cola in the drydown. Just as Ebony Wood, this one is pretty unique, pleasant and makes you wanna smell it more

I once layered BR540 and Santal 33, the result was close to this. The mentioned fragrances smell better on their own.

Bdk Gris charnel ... shame just found it when I got a FB Gris 😂- Zara doesn’t last as long though. But very identical

Awesome...it's smells like Sports car club by Penhaligons ... performance is great on this one

@tracershy : can u let me know where you found this? It’s on their website anymore

Very interesting scent - reminds me of Juliette has a gun - Lili Fantasy 🤔