Majestic Green

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! This one was a surprise, I was expecting something more green instead here we go with the sweet "coconut" feel again! The only greenness here is given by cardamom. I like the scent, I like all the collection and I think it's worth it, especially for the price (although the prices of those were also incremented from 22,95€ to 25,95€ in only two weeks from their launch). To describe it in few words I would say this is a spicy warm vanilla with a lactonic nuance and a solid woody creamy dry down. It's a round and comforting smell that makes me think of Autumn, a memory came back to me, made me remember of an old prestigious library in Bologna, where I used to read esoteric books, and the many spiced latte I drank in a bar near the place! Now, to go more in depth: in the opening we have a tad bit of aromatic and citrusy notes that quickly give space to black pepper; this black pepper is quite gentle and very well blended with vanilla and cardamom, which adds a touch of mentholated spicy freshness that you can smell all the way through to the heart of the perfume. The pepper doesn't overpower the others components, the two spices are equally important and the effect is elegant and unisex. In this mid stage vanilla makes his entry and you can really feel the fresh spices being hugged by it. It is not a overly sweet vanilla...although, at a certain point (when we are close to the start of the dry down), the vanilla starts to take fruity/coconutty connotations. It does not feel cheap (in that vanillina/body spray kinda of way) and the sweetness is moderate. I think the "coconutty" facet may be merit of the sandalwood....waiting to come out of the shadows. Infact, that is just what happens next in the dry down: the nutty spicy vanilla blends now quite organically in to true sandalwood and cedar. Another creamy woody dimension is added to the smell. There is a mild lactonic aspect to it, while the cedar is creamy yet a little dry at the same time. It doesn't seam to me that one wood prevails over the other (like happens in the dry down of Zara Evening Safari Drive), they go hand in hand here and, as I was saying before about the spice, the result is quite equilibrated and well adjusted. The spicyness never goes away but in the dry down there is a little twist about it since the spices leave their "freshness" behind for a very warm new identity. The spices you smell at this stage are so warm. The final closing, that part of the dry down that is just skin scent, lasts a while and it is ambery, warm and balsamic. Infact a little of that balsam smokiness is felt in all the mid stage, to be precise. This last part of the dry down has a sweet, powdery and balsamic feel to it (like a mix of flowers, heliotropin and benzoin); I can't understand if it is benzoin or opoponax that I smell, very beautiful... but it really is the fading stage. Another good one from Zara, unisex, last at least 5 hours, with dry down lingering much more. For the price you can not go wrong with it! My favorites from the collection still remain Magnificent Black and Regal White. EDIT: that "coconut", nutty impression is given by cardamom mixed with sandalwood (so not a fruity vanilla per se); those two togheter, specially in Zara perfumes, always give a "coconut" feel to the fragrances, at least that is how my nose reads it! As for comparisons, the spiciness of the dry down recalls a bit the mid stage of Zara Warm Black. I heard some reviewer compare it to Santal 33 and similar it's not an apt comparison, probably they made that thought based just on reading the notes, since they are two worlds apart, this is so much warm and vanillic. That final part of dry down, the balsamic accord, is similar to aspects of Chopard Casmir, Morris Batik or Tesori d'Oriente Mirra.

Majestic Green is part of four perfumes in the ZARA Fragrance Series N° 01 collection, a select line signed by leading master perfumers. And that’s what amazed me most at the first test, for its aroma is so unsettling compared to its name, everything but green. I would have expected a herbaceous slap in the face, full of leaves, bushes, and saps, but no. Fabrice Pellegrin gives us a disturbing dark vanilla served on a woody carpet wrapped in a super dose of spice and citrus. It is not particularly complex, yet its structures offer some delightful contrasts and exciting transitions. Majestic Green has an output mainly composed of bright citrus and mild spices. The first notes that expand in the air and reach my nostrils are the intense ones of black pepper with a tinge of waxy lemon, both the zest and juice. It almost looks like I’m slicing a ripe lemon sprinkled with freshly ground pepper. It’s creamy, buttery, and slightly sweet with intense tart lemon flavour—like a curd, a creamy lemon version of jam. If I smell it close, too close, my nose itches, and I feel like sneezing. But I can’t help but smell it. In the background, there is a balsamic and mentholated tone, that of green cardamom, so fresh, submissive, and not impertinent. The lemony facet blends perfectly with the spicy cardamom, and the cardamom’s aromatic aspect provides freshness to the whole composition. Once the initial spicy shimmer fades, the smokiness deepens considerably. The cedar adds a dryness without exacerbating the chip look, but the smokiness prevails. The composition maintains a delicate balance between sweetness and smokiness, with neither dominating. Frankincense is not explicitly mentioned; however, a pleasant-smelling incense lingers after some time and gives a hint of smoke. I want the incense note to be more pronounced. Slow, slow, now the vanilla extract slowly comes to life and emerges from the base. Until now, the vanilla was barely silent and didn’t show itself until the dry-down, which is gorgeous. It is a sweet and creamy bourbon vanilla, but spicy and not like that used in sweets and puddings. Hence, Mr. Pellegrin added super creamy sandalwood to the sweet, powdery vanilla as if that weren’t enough. At this point, the perfume took a completely different direction. The sharp tartness and initial spiciness have given way to an amber, powdery, enveloping sweetness. It has a slightly smoky and almost syrupy taste. The scent is subtle and sweet but not overly sweet. The creamy look of the woods mixes impeccably with vanilla, resulting in an exquisite suede feel. It’s satisfyingly vanillic and wealthy while still feeling light as a feather. The only drawback of Majestic Green is its longevity. I get about half a day on my skin and a little more on clothes. It is a fragrance suitable for the in-between seasons, assuming you live where four seasons occur. It is a little weak for winter but delicate for summer evenings and nights, where enormous potency with a fiery scent trail is irrelevant. Majestic Green was, and still is, an outstanding discovery. I'm basing my opinion on a bottle I have owned since March 2023.

UPDATE: Yes this is completely a Xerjoff Italica dupe. I tested it against Italica yesterday and there is 90-95% similarity. I actually like Majestic Green better though! Italica is just a little too sweet where it is almost nausea-inducing (cloyingly sweet). MG has cut that with some freshness which uplifts the fragrance. So basically everything I didn't enjoy about Italica has been changed to make this a 10/10 fragrance. And it doesn't smell like a "Zara" perfume. It's not like it doesn't smell as good, in terms of quality. It is niche quality. It's honestly a steal! And right now it's on sale - seriously go snatch it up if you want a better version of Italica... I wore it yesterday and the scent bubble is addictive. Also, just want to mention that I see people comparing this to Lira (not Italica) and I have to say they're wrong. I also have a sample of Lira and while Italica & Lira do have sooooome similarities to eachother - they are not the same at all. And MG most definitely is closer to Italica. I know it doesn't list almond or milk, but it must be the cardamom that is giving that vibe.

This is gorgeous. On first spray it’s such an intense, spicy lemon zest, somehow? I mean an almost foody, intensely literal experience of scraping through lemon rind, when you get the little dollops of lemon juice stuck on your skin, and maybe you’re standing next to an open spice cabinet. I love lemon, so this is definitely not a deal breaker for me! It was a pleasant surprise actually. Dries down to a beautiful earthy vanilla, warm and gritty cardamom, and a little bit of sweet sandalwood. Lasts much longer than anything else I’ve ever tried from Zara as well - I get whiffs of the spicy vanilla like eight hours after application. A wonderful and surprising choice if you’re into a dark, not overly sweet vanilla - and if you like a slightly tangy lemonpeel smell, even though I can’t find anything about a lemon note in this I swear it’s in there!

The opening notes of this perfume are divine , peppery with a smooth herbal undertone of cardamom and vanilla that are right there present too. The cedar comes through later on, mixed with the sandalwood which gives off a lovely creamy scent-bubble . It’s not a loud nor very projecting perfume , but very nice nonetheless Edit: 08/02/2024 : This is quite a strong perfume , especially the peppery opening, in the beginning. When I go out and take the tram, after having sprayed this on me before leaving the house, people are sneezing from the peppery opening note of this divine creation . It's longer lasting then in the beginning, I suppose the maceration is the cause and/or the colder temperatures I'm wearing it in now. 15/11/25: it’s still one of my favorites that Zara brought out in the last years . It really shines in colder/ wetter weather