Bat Edition 2020

This fragrance is daring. audacious. and S-T-I-N-K-Y. Bat’s charisma must first captivate you for you to link this scent with him, at that point you will associate it with him. It will either make you run for the hills, or you become addicted to this scent because you are addicted to his presence, at that point this scent will hypnotize you and threaten to never let you go. I must confess, I'm a victim of its hypnosis. Truly the definition of avant-garde, so jarringly unorthodox, and somehow it is not repulsive. it's undeniably pungent, but i don't dislike it, it simply reeks in a way that is almost... fascinating. There’s something primal, unsettling, and distinctly inhuman. Gritty. Otherworldly. Supernatural. Bat is overwhelmingly animalic, with its initial waft smelling nearly fecal in the sense of a rabbit hutch or a bat enclosure at the zoo. Curiously, this scent brings be back to a time when I had pet rabbits. It is infinitely better at conveying that feeling rather than the vile creation that is Zoologist's actual Rabbit. (but I do absolutely smell the guava and passionfruit.) The impression is wholly vampiric, but not in a romantic, Edward Cullen way. Edward Cullen could never come close to the power which Bat contains. Instead, it is much more like Dracula (Castlevania), or Nosferatu (movie from 1922). It is a fantasy scent grounded in reality. A true vampire, something distinctly non-human and off-putting. It is a being that has lingered too long in the darkness, its humanity all but eroded. it is visceral, unsettling, like a musty bat cave. In my opinion it has the possibility to complement a vampire cosplay, but that could also be a double-edged sword. In that case, I won't tell you to reconsider outright, but just be aware that if you're with a group of people who don't know you, they might think you skipped hygiene, especially if they don’t understand what you're aiming for. Especially since this does have a slight guano scent to it. It has the possibility to betray them as something far less mystical, just another mortal in dire need of a bath. For that reason, I did not wear this one to work. I think I would be far too embarrassed to do so myself. Regardless of the harshness I give this one in my review, this feels like an art piece more than a wearable fragrance. Not a blind buy by any means. As this one dries down, it does soften and become bearable for sure, but it does not become inherently wearable like others from this fragrance company. Bat is an unconventional, high-stakes choice. EDIT: Made a family member want to get out of the room. That's when you know this is not a blind buy!!

What an interesting and challenging perfume. The whole time I was wearing it I was riding the line trying to decide whether I would hate it or love it, but it certainly isn't boring! In the end, I think I ended up loving it despite myself, but I feel like it might be an acquired taste. It does certainly remind me of how the fruit bat enclosure at a zoo I visited smelled! Its almost as though the drydown of the fragrance follows the bat from foraging out in the forest to roosting at home in the cave. On first spray its a tropical celebration of ripe fruit and flowers and green leaves wet with rainwater. As the floral notes start to fade you get MUSK and lots of it! At first I was worried this would make it too masculine of a fragrance for me, but the musk competes with the aromatic sweetness of overripe fruit in a heady sweet mix like a bat with fruit juice running down its face. There is a urine like note, but it stays politely in the background on my skin, like going over to a friend's house that has cats but cleans frequently. This gives the impression of the bat passing into the shared space of the cave with thousands of other bats. This is a fragrance that I wouldn't mind wearing to the gym, it only smells better when you're a little sweaty. As it continues to dry down the overripe fruit and musk start to fade, but the musk is more persistent. It turns from the sweaty, very slightly fecal, dirty musk to a softer and gentler animalic fragrance. It reminds me of burying my face in a clean cat's fur, but the cat is a bat in this case. I imagine the furries must love this one. At the end of the drydown I guess I must smell like a crazy bat lady! That "animal fur" musk base note lingers a long time, and was difficult to even wash off in the shower, although it isn't unpleasant. I don't get nearly as much of the cave/dirt/mineral notes in this one as I had expected, and I'm interested to experiment with layering it with a couple sprays of Olm to emphasize that aspect more. I'm interested to compare to Night Flyer as well, I have a sample of that on the way too.

First impression (on skin): Earthy, animalistic musk, damp grass/moss, wild, sweet, ripe, nostalgic I started my exploration of the Zoologist Collection with Bat (2020) and it was a very pleasant beginning! The first spray on skin immediately smells animal and musky - it’s almost reminiscent of going to a zoo and picking up the scent of musk from inside of the enclosures. I would say it definitely gives the impression of being in a damp, mossy bat cave at night, but there’s also that veil of sweetness layering over it that gives it a nice dynamic. It’s not a fresh, clean scent, I would more describe it as the sweetness of a ripened fruit that’s been left out for a while. It's a bit more unique and less like ordinary perfumes - which is what I lean more toward. On my skin, I definitely picked up the sweeter top notes more than when I initially sprayed it onto my jumper. I’m guessing the fabric soaked it up, leaving the base animal and wood notes to stand out more - something I’ll look out for next time. I also think it lasted longer on my clothing than it did on skin (I used 2 sprays for each). Kind of a shame, as other reviews say it lasts long overall, I unfortunately felt like it weakened on my skin faster than other perfumes and didn’t leave much of a scent trail. On my jumper, I was still smelling it the next morning, though it had faded and lost the musk, leaving a sweetness behind. I think goths and vampire-lovers could enjoy Bat. It could give the impression of a feral, vampiric creature living in caves and roaming at night, if you’re going for that sort of thing, but it would be more leaning towards realism than a fantastical/magical aspect. Overall, I think it’s a very beautiful, unique scent that evokes bat imagery and story-telling masterfully. OVERALL RATING: 3.5/5 RECOMMENDATION: Sample first Location tested: Jumper, neck and forearm Would I purchase a full bottle?: Yes

Okay when i decided to sample this i was super super excited to try this. Despite the negative reviews i was really looking forward to interpreting this as an individual and i was mainly looking for something that could be considered a challenge and something that is difficult to get behind while also retaining good smelling qualities. After spending time with this fragrance I can positively say Bat by Zoologist is just a bit boring. Much like black afgano i was looking forward to the challenging nature however i found black afgano and Bat to be quite standard. Bat to me smells like a nice kind of dark dampish cave (mainly contributed by the Hay and Soil) and thats genuinely about it. Theres nothing challenging or crazy about this cave like smell its actually very pleasant. I also decided to sample this out of pure curiosity because of the use of tropical fruits. However, in reality the fruits only very very slightly poke through and i heard reviews saying it was ripe or sweet or rotten however i get none of this, it kinda just adds an element of depth to the plain soil. I very much enjoy this fragrance i think its quite mass appealing and i dont understand the overly negative reviews as i dont think there is even much to hate on with this fragrance. I do want to buy a full bottle to add to my growing collection however im having a hard time picturing myself picking this out of my other favorite frags. ended up purchasing this like i said i dont think its that crazy or out there but its defo worth the money and will make a nice addition my review-- 8.6/10 gf rating- 4.7/10

It's amazing how well this perfume reflects the name and concept behind it! Makes me think of fruit bats snacking on ripe fruit in warm humid summer nights. The opening is fruit and a mineralic hint of damp soil, which is gorgeous if you like the smell of earth like I do. I don't usually enjoy fruity fragrances because the sweet gourmand kind are not really my thing to wear. In this one, the fruit note doesn't appear overly sweet, but nicely balanced with the soil and what I think some people have described as a hint of overripeness or even rot or compost. It smells like fruits in a tropical or subtropical forest, blending in with the other smells in the environment. And yes, there's always some decomposition going on in nature, but it's part of the appeal and not obtrusive, at least not to me. Then there's the subtle white floral coming in, which weaves nicely into the other notes. It ends up smelling warm (maybe that's the hay, like drying hay), humid, earthy with a slight mineral freshness, a little bit flowery and sensual, a little bit animalic and dirty - but dirty more as in earth, as in nature, not as in straight up excrements. I really love the fresh aspects of the fruit and mineral notes - they add a sense of still ripening fruit and cleanness a few hours after rain that make the scent great for daytime as well as nighttime. With the whole rich tropical forest vibe to it, "Bat" feels especially fitting for spring and summer. Haven't come across another fragrance that hits the "gothic summer fragrance" spot this well!

I have to say, I actually really love this one. It's a extremely well blended, natural fragrance that creates a mental image that brings me back to cherished memories and exceeded any expectations. The soil accord is the most prominent note that lasts throughout the fragrance's life. It's a damp cave kind of smell that conjures images of an expansive cave with stalagmites, stalactites and hidden chambers. It really does take me back to my experiences spelunking and cave diving, which is amazing. This is combined, in the opening, with guava, passion fruit and a hint of fig. These fruits offer a more juicy top, although not too fresh but slightly mouth watering. This is where I prefer it from the previous version, which for me, was a bit too sweet with the banana and leaned toward becoming overwhelming (although still great). There's also a noticeable hay note that carries to the mid. The mid is also where I get a subtle musk and leather. Finally, in the drydown, the musk and cave is what remains in a surprisingly cozy mix. Other notes I get, on occasion, are hints of pepper in the opening, and oakmoss and smoke further on. When Bat got discontinued, I was disappointed that I was left without a bottle and just a travel atomiser. This has definetly been a pleasant surprise to see myself liking this Bat more. P.S. sorry if this review is a bit incoherent and all over the place.

Forget what anyone who tells you that this smells like “pee”, “poop”, or whatever other excrement tells you. They don’t have working noses. This scent is an amazing, dark fragrance, extremely wearable, and inoffensive. In fact, my sister who made fun of me for buying a fragrance called “Bat” liked it a lot when I wore it. She didn’t know what I was wearing. She could tell I was wearing something but she described it as “a really good smelling perfume”. I got this because of the polarizing reviews and the fact that “soil tincture” as a top note. In fact, I don’t smell soil or even fruit. I get a somewhat metallic scent on first spray, mixed with something else. I really can’t describe it besides that it’s dark, mature, and a little bright(?) (maybe that’s the fruit). Anyway, it just keeps opening up and in the dry down is leathery and deep. I feel like I’ve spent the night driving around in an expensive car and wearing dark wool. Idk this scent is just a hit for me. You won’t smell like anyone else—and you won’t smell bad. It’s quite strong so a little goes a long way. I still smell it on my clothes days after wearing it. Perfect night time fragrance. I’d agree with people who say it leans masculine but you can definitely wear this as a woman if you’re not the type who loves those sweet/floral scents

Just to lay it out there, I will say this is a masterpiece. Bat 2020 doesn't get the love it deserves, in our fragrance world dominated by caramel and spun sugar. I love those sweet smells too, but sometimes I long for something deeper and more complex. It's true that syrupy summer fruit dominates the top of this perfume, but the true heart of Bat is petrichor, or the smell of the earth after it rains. How many perfumes can be described like that? This is a perfume about nature and abundance, and that which creates life and things slowly meeting their end. While I can see the poetic humor of saying it smells like the Home Depot garden center (I salute the writing there) it's a bit unfair. The moment I smelled this I knew this was my lifetime signature scent. Sure I will try other things, but I will return to this again and again. So, get a sample. Prepare for wet stone and flowers that tickle your nose at night. It's not a massive projector. The flower scent mixes with the fruit over time, and it all flits by your nose throughout the day, making you ask "what is that?" This is what it feels like when a bat flies by you on a summer evening, after the sun has just set. I wear Bat for me, when I want to ground myself in all that makes me who I am. If you love the smell of rain, you will love this.

Scent is subjective, so always test before you buy... But this is worth the test! This was an immediate love for me. I'm a HUGE fan of soil tincture notes, with Lizz Lopez's Earthworm being one of my signature scents. (Not on Fragrantica sadly) This gives me a blast of cold, sticky, wet soil mixed with delicious tropical fruits. This has an essence of sweet smokiness to it in the background throughout that just creates a beautifully warm depth. As it continues to dry down the wet soil becomes an earthy vetiver/oakmossy sweet scent, with all the other notes somehow mingling together harmoniously. I get a hint of leather, but again... It works perfectly with the rest of the composition. I truly feel like I'm somewhere in the middle of a tropical forest with wild fruits all around, and I'm diving deep within a damp cave, little sky puppies hanging out all around, and there's a small fire at the entrance of the cave in the distance. I don't get any harsh mineral notes, nothing overly animalic, and I think this is easily wearable year round. This has incredible protection, with two sprays lasting me 8-10 hours. A beautifully blended masterpiece, and truly unique. This is a top 3 for life, and the adorable bat on the front makes it my most favorite bottle. 🦇

'Bat (2020)' is a work of art and extremely unique. I'm not going to compare this too much with the original 2015 release, simply because it's not attempting to be the original at all. This fragrance is not a reformulation; it's a "reimagining." The two are completely different from each other, and this is a new interpretation of a bat's environment from another perspective. I will say however, that I much prefer this current interpretation and find it to be more wearable. I love the story that Prin Lomros captured here: it really smells as if you're deep in a rainforest cave surrounded by bats eating fruit. The scent is definitely not for everyone; it's weird and out-of-the-box, but I personally find it to be enjoyable and oddly addictive. It opens up quite fruity with the added guava note. The fruits smell very realistic, but not fresh. It's almost as if they're overripe after being placed into the bat cave, and are now sitting in the soil. The fruity earthiness is most prominent, with the mineral notes leaving an almost menthol/medicinal touch in the background (this disappears after a while).

I disagree with a lot of the reviews I see online for this fragrance. It does not necessarily smell fruity to me. Maybe fig and guava notes, somewhat, but I don't get the banana, animalic, or soil sort of smell at all. What I get from this fragrance is a more mineral, dark and sultry sort of smell, especially for the first couple hours after spraying it. I also get lush green notes, like a forest canopy. It's mysterious, bizarre, and enigmatic, just like how the description says. Both my brother and I agree that it's even kind of ominous, smelling it is similar to the feeling you get from fear or adrenaline. However, after the dry-down, it's warmer and softer. That is when the fruity notes do come out, but to me, it almost smells somewhat similar to hay or leather. That's when I would actually consider it unisex; but overall, I would say it definitely leans masculine. My friends compared it to men's cologne. It's mass-appealing, it's definitely pleasant. My new signature scent

Both version of Bat (2015 and 2020)—the first one as Night Flyer by Olympic Orchids since 2020—share the same profile or direction, but they are still different: while the old one is very earthy in a damp "moldy" (at first) and resinous way, the latest version aims towards a more mineral earth accord, which I think comes also from the pebbles note. When it come to the fruity notes, they are also different but similar at the same time: in Bat 2020, the guava and passion fruit stand out; meanwhile, in Bat 2015 (or Night Flyer), it's the banana followed by fig the most noticeable. However, in both cases, the fruits smell ripe to overripe. Now, the other ingredients, like the hay and the blooming jasmine in the 2020 version, and the resins, leather and sandalwood in the original, are what makes the difference more pronounced. In terms of performance, I found the 2020 version to last significantly longer than the original.

This is the most interesting, and dare I say beautiful, jasmine I've ever worn. It's definitely not for everyone, but I am in love with it. I'm ashamed to admit that jasmine, as well as rose, is a note that I tend to like the idea of more than I actually like wearing. There's always something just not quite right about it: too green, too tropical, too indolic, not indolic enough, etc. With Bat 2020, there's something about the combination of moist (lush overripe fruits, wet soil) and dry (hay, vetiver, woods) that creates the perfect stage for jasmine. On my skin, Bat 2020 is a mouth-watering dirty jasmine with juicy guava, fig, soil, and woods. The image of the bat's cave is perfect for this fragrance - a dark paradise. Bat 2020 feels like a distillation of the forbidden fruit: mysterious, slightly off-putting, yet strangely alluring and irresistible.

From "maybe the first Zoologist I don't like" to a full bottle within few days. The description of Bat is actually spot-on. Picture yourself visting the caves where the bats live. Water drops fall down from cold stone, dampening your clothes while you walk on dusty soil pathways deeper into the darkness of their habitat. The high humidity evaporates your perfume as it mixes with the smell of ripe fruits that are scattered all over the floor. I get minerals, soil, fig and some yellow florals. The dry down is a slightly figgy, woody and musky scent. There's definitely some incense but more so in the background. Weird, comfortable, sophisticated and personal. I can't stop wearing it at the moment. The wet fig reminds me of The Noir 29, which I also own. Longevity is good and sillage is on the moderate side. Wearable for all seasons I think.

Reviewing again - some years ago, I think the 2015 version and the 2020 version didn’t have separate entries yet, and so I reviewed the 2020 version that had just come out under the old page. It’s worth a re-review. I found this perfume challenging at first. It was alternately gorgeous and off-putting to me, seeming to change with each sniff. It has become one of my all-time favorites now. I purchased a full bottle, and I reach for it all the time. Less so now because I live with a partner who HATES it, but if I’m going out with friends I’ll still wear it. For me, it conjures an orchard at night: ripe juicy fruit and flowers, dark damp soil, maybe a farm nearby with animals and hay... My partner says it smells like compost rotting in a leather bag. Do what you will with that 😂

It smells kind of like a pear that has been laying around for too long, a hint of dried plum, maybe. As if the fruit is so old it started producing alcohol on the surface. The smell is addicting, out of everything zoologist has to offer not only is that one of the more wearable scents, but it's extremely unique. I've never smelt anything like it so far. Cause most scents can be categorized into a certain group, "woody, flowery, sweet, ozonic" etc.. But here, it smells very mature and manly without that woody note, something that I've not seen pulled off by any fragrance to this date. Definitely my favorite zoologist scent if it weren't for the OG Dodo. I recommend getting a tester as this smell is quite strong and you might not like smelling like overripe and sweet fruit.

In the bottle it smells like humid over-ripe fruit - exactly like the bat house at my local zoo. On my skin it's warm slightly humid hay, like the feed room at a stable, followed by menthol similar to Vicks vaporub, and warm, damp wood shavings. Having grown up with horses, and always loved the smell of the feed room/hayloft/damp wood shaving bedding in the stable when mucking out, I find this scent comforting and really nice to keep sniffing on myself. The vetiver, leather, and oakmoss come through on the dry down more, with the menthol note fading away. Overall it's warm, comforting fragrance, a bit different to the norm but nothing too whacky. I really love it for colder days but think it might be a bit much in the heat.

I really enjoy the smell of this one, it is quite unique and not off putting. The only problem i have to this one is that im not sure where you can were it. In the beginning this smell earthy and humid, like a cave in a tropical area. For me the earthiness is overpowering and i dont smell other notes very well, maybe a little bit of fruits. In the middle, earthy notes fade a little bit and this perfume transition from bat cave to bat food. I start to smell more the overriped tropical fruits. LIn the end i start to smell more the animalic note which remind me of a bat in a good way. Longevity 12h for me with good projection for 4h.

On both paper and skin it smells like earth and tropical fruits. I didn't expect to love this as much as i do. It's not giving any 'gothic' vibes so if you're looking for that from all the tiktok perfume videos, this is a pass. It's like a fruit cave. However i'm literally addicted to it and i kind of wish i had the opportunity to smell the 2015 version too. I'd even say this version is a safe blind buy if you know what to expect. The sillage is a bit underwhelming for the price. I feel like a dog sniffing my own arm every 5 minutes, 10/10 i'll just spray it on clothes next time.

Hello, My full bottle just came in and I test it. This fragrance is magic and unique. I don't know why so much hate on it. On youtube I've never found a good review about this one. But believe me that is worth buying a full bottle. For me was a blind buy, and don't regret. On my skin is kinda fresh with a smell of dry/rotten fruits with a smooth soil, excrements (but smells very good in a kinda addictive way). I've heard that you will feel like in a cave and I feel the same. It gives you a fresh, positive vibe. This will be my spring/summer scent.