Reserved Black Cedar

Ok, straight out of the box review Woody, resinous and a tad sweet on my skin. Not sure where the sweetness is coming from, but it's definitely there. There's also something a bit powdery to my nose, but this might need maceration/maturation/master... etc Or it's the lavender. There's also a lemon-y sourness in the backdrop that contrasts the sweetness in the right amount. This is for any Autumn/Winter day in which you want to smell confident, put together and trustworthy. Honestly, a daily wear for me. It's close to Blazing Mr. Sam, Papilefiko even. I think this is more wearable than Papilefiko. Wish I tried Halfeti to be able to compare it. The presentation is also noteworthy as it comes in a wooden box, or pressed carton, idk. For a 20 yuros frag...

A wonderful, woody, aromatic, balsamic-resinous fragrance with excellent longevity. (I exaggerated a little because I gave 2 puffs on my wrist, and the smell was noticeable the next day as well. Be careful, it is a strong perfume, but not intrusive.) A little sweet, slightly spicy, very balanced, with very soft and relaxing middle and base notes. The presentation is excellent, an impressive bottle with a wooden lid, and the box is very elegant, also made of wood. A successful aromatic-fougere perfume, at a decent price.

Let the fans wear CDNIM and gatekeep this, please. A very sensual and elegant fougere that turns a tad sweet on my skin, I have over 150+ fragrances and nothing smells like it, the green aspect has a passing resemblance to Vert d'Encens by Tom Ford but it's only a feeling, It's pretty unusual while retaining a mass appealing vibe, this could be worn year round. Good performance straight out of the box, this is a win. 10/10.

Not listed but what I get in the dry down is a beautiful creamy sandalwood. Similar to the one inside Dark aoud by Montale, but uplifted and made easy to wear (Montale had it super heavy and dark instead with birch etc) Edit: thanks to who added the Halfeti comparison. I couldn’t unsee it any longer and avoided a purchase. It s like Halfeti without the strong top/halfeti drydown

This smells very nice, similar to oud malaki. Performance is very average though. Still a great buy for what this sells for,

I bought this blind because an online shop priced it at 14 bucks and it's usually 20-25 bucks. Some further details on the presentation. The bottle is heavy and blue but the blue is film on the glass, and the glass not blue glass. Care must be taken or I think this bottle will scratch easily. The cap and box is wood - or pressed wood pulp perhaps. The fragrance is pleasant. More spicy than coniferous whereas I would prefer the opposite. Zimaya produces a slew of these 15-20 dollar fragrances that seem high value for the price point. I will say there is a certain familiar vibe among many of these fragrances but there is no denying the bang for the buck. This is not a sugar bomb such as the teens and 20yos adore. So that's welcome.

Scent: 9.5 / 10 Longevity: 7/ 10 Sillage: 5/ 10 Versatility: 7.5/ 10 Uniqueness: 9/ 10 Quality: 9/ 10 Presentation: 8/ 10 Price: 8/ 10 This is an overlooked gem! Very aromatic with a touch of sweetness. I recommend trying decants before blind-buying full bottles. Over 800 fragrances available at www.scentswithsense.com

PSA: Unless you love smelling like cheap whiskey, stay away. I wish notes and reviews were clearer on things like this.

This is a unique fragrance -- definitely a dark green fragrance in the vein of Encre Noire. It might seem like a far off comparison since they don't really share similar notes -- but I feel like they both scratch a similar itch. This might even be more interesting and more fun to wear though. 'Reserved Black Cedar' is a dark, piney, mossy and just a little bit spicy and sweet. The cardamom note is prominent but is subdued by the aromatic quality of the fir and oakmoss. To my nose, there is a faint undertone of cumin or some other spice that definitely isn't cardamom. It's quite special and maybe not for everyday use for me -- but it's nice, warm and slightly spicy. Definitely for an older audience or a younger wearer that has a fair bit of confidence. This definitely could have been a Lalique fragrance and I mean that complimentary. Well done, Zimaya!

2025. 01. 08.: Okay, I'm sure this will improve and develop with time. First, the packaging is wood, or at least looks like it, and it is beautiful, really matches the "Reserved" name. A well-made, sturdy box; another big box I have to store because it is so well made I can't throw it out. The juice is surprisingly sweet, there is no fir, pine or aromatic, coniferous elements, but it does have a strong darkish woody underlayer. It reminds me to Alhambra's Sceptre Malachite. This is straight out of the box, I'm curious how it will change, because right now it is nothing like I expected; not unpleasant or cliché, just very different from what the descriptions and reviews say. 2025. 03. 18.: After more than two months, the sweetness is subdued, and the darker, almost bitter, resinous and woody elements are more pronounced. It feels quite balanced now.

This is Zimaya's attempt at the DNA of Papilefiko by Nishane, but at a fraction of the price. Obviously the quality is nowhere near the original when you're paying £/$15-20, but it's not half bad.