Noble Palo Santo

This is the best release by Zara in 2019 by far, followed by Ambar Ego and Grey Soul. This is an extremely masculine and elegant fragrance which reminds me of Acqua di Gio and Aventus (yeah, both of them at the same time) in terms of vibe and smell. Could be pulled off by any guy who considers himself a gentleman over the age of 25. Gives kind of a settled, calm and interesting touch. The opening is extremely intense, almost toxic, and has an enormous projection during the opening which lasts more than 2 hours. It will be a long time until this becomes a skin scent. The orange and woodiness are extremely noticeable. It was actually what impressed me the most. I got into a local Zara store with the idea of getting For Him, but ended up picking this one after I sprayed it on my wrist and coat. Could smell it after a day, which is really strange in Zara fragrances, as most of you know. Definitely pick this one while it is still around. Having smelled the other ones from this "collection" (Sublime Cedar, Raw Vetiver, Fresh Sandalwood...) this to me stood out the most, and could perfectly compete with a top designer fragrance. If you've ever smelled any Massimo Dutti fragrance this is kind of similar. Man in an elegant suit kind of vibe. There is also a citrusy vibe that you get right after the opening that has that Aventus vibe, which I really love and is the cherry on top of this gem. I'm glad Zara has focused so much on longevity and elegance, which to me are two essential features of their clothes that were lacking in the perfume department lately. 9/10.

Last year I reviewed the first batch, you can see it scrolling down. Just giving everyone that might be interested a heads up. The 2020 100 ml composition is different from the 2019 one which came in a 120 ml bottle. The new one lasts almost the same on skin, but the sillage is much lower, sitting close to skin pretty much 5 minutes after spraying. Also the peppery notes have been toned down quite a bit, leaving a woodiness that's very subtle but elegant. I think the vibe of the fragrance has been more refined overall and the new price fits the DNA scent much more. The 2019 bottle is quite more noticeable and maybe lasts a bit longer, but the peppery notes are much more present along with the palo santo. It's a little pungent to the nose at first spray, and that feeling lasts longer than the new composition. It was still a good deal at 19,95 euros, but maybe it kind of seems "more right" in the new format in my opinion. To sum it all up, if you really care about the longevity and sillage of a fragrance don't buy the new batch, but rather try to find the 120ml bottle. If you want a very nice and elegant, woodsy fragrance, get the newer one at a cheaper price, and get two bottles. I really think it is worth it.

The notes on the box state : Kumquat, Lemon, Bergamot, Incense, Black Pepper, Black Leather, Palo Santo, Mountain Moss, Crisp Amber. This has a very fresh and zesty opening, very smooth and soothing. It's a really nice and comforting smell. I love burning palo santo and even though I can't really make out that note that much here, the overall sense of calm and serenity that i get after buring some is evoked in me with this perfume. Very happy to have it in my rotation. Mine has been macerating for more than 3 years now and thanks to this it’s become quite a lingering scent . Zara’s perfumes tend to get stronger by macerating . I've been doing a deep dive in zara's offerings and I'm happy to say that they have been giving us some lovely scents, even though that they sometimes relabel a same scent with an other name.

There is now a 2020 version in a new bottle style and it smells the exact same as the 2019 version and at a lower price point of $17.90 USD. I do not get any Aventus or Vibrant Leather vibe from this. I get an initial blast of a kumquat and bergamot that very quickly takes a backseat to the main star, palo santo, which is an interesting exotic woodsy note that isn't used too often in modern perfumery. The drydown is palo santo and pepper. From my experience, both the 2019 and 2020 versions have subpar performance with very weak sillage but average longevity. Overall, a good and unique scent at a price too good to pass up. Official notes: kumquat, lemon zest, bergamot, incense, black pepper, black leather, palo santo, mountain moss, crisp amber. Scent: 7.5/10 Longevity: 6.5/10 Sillage: 2/10 Uniqueness: 7/10

what a magic surprise, this is a really strong release. the pepper is a bit tingly at first especially smelt up close but let it subside and the drydown is where this scent comes alive. the pepper mellows out and melds beautifully into the unique scent of palo santo wood and an infusion of citrus, which lifts the whole composition with much needed freshness. only tested it out today but performance on my wrist is very positive 8hrs later and its a strong skin scent zara did really well here