Chameleon

Upon first applying, I was surprised how powdery it smelled, but also with a somewhat uplifting floral. It smells at least right now like a powdery violet with ylang-ylang. It did feel a bit 'vintage' almost, which I wasn't expecting, and I was a little worried. After a couple minutes, I smell some mango come through, but it isn't a super sweet fruitiness. It's just like a normal, almost green, mango scent. I can smell this strongly within about 3" of my skin, but it's much lighter past there on me. 5 minutes later and it starts to smell salty, sandy, and like cashmere. This smells now 'beachy' but lush and I imagine a little hidden tropical cove. There's a breeze carrying a scent of tropical plants and fruits. This certainly is like a chameleon's environment and wish I could just relax in that scenery I imagine. It's by no means a heavy sunscreen-y coconut, but an unsweetened coconut starts to come through as well. 10 minutes later, the saffron and clove I believe give it a bit of an earthiness too, completing the picture of the environment here. Overall though, if I pull myself back, it does have an encompassing powdery tropical fruity floral-ness to it still. It's also sitting very close to the skin. Perhaps it'd expand more in higher heat and humidity. 30 minutes later and it's a really nice, fresh, warm woody scent, but again, tropical. I still imagine being on a small beach you might have found on the edge of an island somewhere, recumbent and relaxed. It's very smooth and "easy" to wear. There is a slight undertone of vanilla, as well. It's also become more of a softer skin scent. 45 minutes later and it's a lot more sweet, resinous, woody, yet still lighter and fresher. When I move around, I also get whiffs of this popping up as well, so a decent sillage. I'll see how long this lasts. I didn't see this as terrible masculine or feminine leaning. There were moments I felt it ticked more towards the masculine side, and moments I felt it ticked more towards the feminine side, so I would have to I guess say this really is pretty unisex for a tropical scent. So far I've enjoyed this fragrance, and as just about all Zoologist fragrances have done, has taken me on an interesting, and in this case delightful, journey. 3 hours later and it's still going decently strong on my skin. It doesn't project though randomly as much as it did before, but it does sometimes here and there. It's a lot more sweet now, perhaps from the vanilla, and maybe some slight fruitiness, and a touch of woodiness. 5 hours later and on one arm, I can't smell this anymore really, but on the other one, which I applied slightly more on, it's a light woody vanilla skin scent. 6 hours later and it's basically gone.

‘Chameleon’ is a fruity and floral scent in an almost syrup-y way. The first time I wore this I knew it reminded me of something, but I couldn’t say what, but now I know; Lovehearts candy! For me, the ylang-ylang is very prominent, and so is the lemon and violet leaf that makes that loveheart powder shine through. What I do not get is the aquatic note, or if I do, I only get that kind of sea breeze in tropical climate. I do understand the reviews that claim this to be cloying, but... I like that about this one? Tropical weather is often a bit cloying, isn’t it? Even though this one is very fruity and sweet, it is not juvenile in any way. It is exiting and very well blended! My first wear was in the middle of December, and second wear was in late April, and it surprisingly worked well in both temperatures. I can imagine that this during summer would be magical. And now, whilst wearing this in early July I can confirm; It is still amazing. All the notes are very well blended, and it is difficult to pick them apart, but they all just work in unison to create this unique sweet tropical candy. And that candy effect continues on in the drydown. The powdery aspect disappears in time for a creamy woody sandalwood, and it gets slightly musky in a clean way. A lot of the citrus from the top has disappeared as well, but the ylang-ylang is still there. Though, the ylang-ylang has gone from a cloying one to a sophisticated one. The scent itself is laying very comfortable and feminine on my skin, and it is actually one I will consider buying a full bottle of.

Chameleon is one of my most-worn fragrances this summer. This is an abundant ylang scent that takes me on an imaginary journey to Madagascar. The complex and vibrant opening captures the environment beautiful chameleons live in. I’m greeted with the freshness of citruses, sharp greenness from violet leaves, a whiff of spicy pink pepper, and some yummy star fruits and mangos. I can also smell the sea breeze, adding in some saltiness and an oceanic touch. As the artwork on the label shows, ylang-ylang is the star of the show here. To me, the smell of ylang is already multi-faceted like a chameleon. It’s sweet, creamy, fruity, and narcotic, but also a bit medicinal and animalic. Here, accompanied by frangipani and jasmine, the ylang is tamed, welcoming, and rather clean, but still stays true to itself. The Chameleon here is a vegetarian, and it’s having a feast of star-fruits, mangos, and coconuts. I enjoy the tropical exotic fruity-floral scent at this stage, which smells like a glass of semi-sweet yummy fruit milkshake. As the chameleon finishes the meal, the scent shifts from a fruity floral to woody vanilla. The muskiness and earthiness of cashmeran and the sweet base of vanilla sandalwood become more prominent. The unique creature then changes color and blends into nature again. Chameleon is one of the more wearable Zoologist perfumes, and I appreciate them putting out such a beautiful ylang fragrance. It’s perfect to wear on hot and humid summer days, and it boosts my mood nearly every time I wear it!

Managed to get my hands on a sample recently! I was immediately excited to see a combination of florals, tropical notes, together with sea salt, woodsy notes and even opoponax (love the opoponax in Interlude Man). What a gorgeous scent! It's floral, it's tropical without straying into the cloying sweetness of tropical fruits. It's dry (not aquatic despite the sea notes). The florals are definetly unisex and yet still profound. There is ylang ylang here, and it's noticeable (and amazing, but I know not everyone loves that). The note of coconut as listed is perhaps not as much a clean coconut, but more of an idea of coconuttyness- if that makes sence. I think that is good because it stops the scent from smelling like a sun lotion. The creator Daniel Pescio also succeeded to imitate the smell of salty, sun-kissed skin, and I think that in some part comes from the cashmeran. It creates this warmness to the scent that while intended to be tropical and summery conceptually, it still totally works for the other three seasons. The performance is good, I would say average - maybe 7-8 hours until it fades. The top notes does not last super long unfortunately, but the essence and spirit of Zoologist (the soul of the house, noticeable in the super long lasting musky base notes) is still almost as strong as for instance Bat. I'm still on the fence if I enjoy those notes but hey, the first 7-8 hours are fantastic.

This one makes me smile. Reminds me SO MUCH of walking off the plane into a tropical country and being slapped in the face with that thick wall of humidity; palm trees, bananas, sun screen, baking tarmac, the distant promise of salty shores all mingling in the air. Maybe this isn't very relatable to people already in warmer climates, but being from the drizzly & dull UK... this ignites such pleasant scent memories! Especially as I haven't been able to afford to go abroad for quite a long time now. Plus, the name 'Chameleon' is truly fitting. Looking through these reviews people are giving such wildly different interpretations! I barely get the salty/marine notes at all, yet it's at the forefront for many. Personally I get a HUGE blast of banana and the ylang ylang, frangipani, coconut and jasmine mingling in the background. I guess maybe the violet leaf and/or star fruit too? Something is giving this a strong "green" vibe. Fruity, tropical, creamy with lots of luscious green foliage. I'm a big fan, I just don't know how often I'd reach for this -- I'm only ever in the mood to apply this on hot days and uh... we don't get a lot of that here LOL. I know for sure if I decide to commit it'll be to the travel size and not a full bottle. (Edit: I did indeed spring for the travel size in the end!)

I don’t know what it is, but every time I write a review on here about something that I just adore I get a little bit nervous. I actually get chills when I smell this. It’s just so amazing. It’s WARM like brown skin in the sun. It MELTS like coconut oil outside in the salty breeze. It’s SMOOTH and flowery with those tropical plumeria and ylang, musk, and juicy tropical fruit. All of this has been done before in a million scents but this one is different. All of those herbal notes of clove, opoponax, and vetiver are giving it depth of interest. A lot of people are saying they are smelling something synthetic which I think is probably the skin accord and the cashmeran which can come across that way to some people. But, I happen to love both of those notes. The real stand out notes are the yellow florals, coconut, skin, and sea. The rest are minor player’s but they are crucial to this fragrance making it lush and thick like a jungle. They also make it unique like all of the fragrances from this house. I mean you KNOW where you are when you smell this fragrance. You can just picture the gorgeous resort on the edge of a jungle on a secluded coast of a foreign island. But not a heavily toured island like Hawaii or anywhere traditional. This is Madagascar. It’s unique.

sooo lovely!!! VERY ylang forward/ylw floral - super tropical. @1st spray a fleeting aldehyde or sharp floral? (all other times I sampled didn’t get this note at all lol just sweet beautiful tropical floral fruity coconut frangi, ylang, then more so, w powdery dry down. LOVELY!) but then immediately I pick up on the mango, saffron, frangipani, star fruit, coconut lending to SUPER tropical summery vibes and just a very lovely yellow floral w some cashmeran woody softness that gives it a creamy sun lotion feeling that I’m absolutely IN LOVE with!!! fruitiness, jasmine, violet, pepper, citrus, salt, sea, musk, vanilla. Label art Chameleon in a Hawaiian shirt, holo rainbow border also appropriate. Very impressive. def agree w @OctopusMessiah, it does smell how a femme Hawaiian shirt looks! Feel like there’s some mimosa or a powdery sweet dry down w the hints of wood, vanilla musk, amber. An EDP, and performs like like most Zoologist (lasts forever !). Perfect for summer. Im obsessed w ylang & ANYTHING floral, tropical, sweet etc. the more floral the better lol - I would definitely get a fb of this - like immediately. Not picking up on any skank, baby lotion/diaper, piss or public bathroom etc either.

Unexpectedly delightful. I received this as a sample with a perfume order, and I can say that I am not disappointed. This is a truly delightful olfactory experience from the Zoologist line. The opening is a lush green floral with a hint of fruit and a deep yet subtle spiciness. As the scent evolves, the fruity spice morphs into a beautiful floral incense bouquet reminiscent of high dollar incense from India. This perfume perfectly captures a lush tropical jungle/rainforest where one might indeed find a chameleon. A very wearable scent especially for hot summer days as this perfume really seems to sing and unfold in the heat. I like that this perfume is not too fruit forward or too floral tropical. So it is not predictable, and it is not your mother’s tropical themed scent. It leans more towards the green foliage spectrum with that hit of incense spice accord. I will have to admit this one took me by surprise as I had not planned on sampling it as it seemed rather boring. Let me assure you, this is not a boring perfume. I am contemplating a full bottle purchase of this one. This perfume would be perfect for daily wear during the heat of summer.

Having owed/sampled all zoologists, to me this is THE BEST offering from the house. And without doubt one of the top three fragrances in my collection of almost a hundred niche bottles, and a countless number i have owned/sampled. As a guy who loves floral perfume, this one is just so different from the usual floral fragrance. The green floral in the beginning translates into a combination of ylangylang and frangipani, with the creamy coconut and some salt bringing in some marine feelings. I dont get any animalic smell from this at all. It doesnt portray chameleons, but rather the environment they live in. So dont worry if you dislike other zoologist perfumes due to their animalic smell - this one doesnt have any. While i can see why some perceived it as having suntan oil smell, to me it doesnt. Both longevity and sillage are pretty decent on my skin, even compare to other zoologists. Simply incredible. Along with frederic malle le parfum de therese and diptyque l'ombre, this is one of the three fragrances i cant live without. ITS THAT GOOD.

I am a lover of tropical fragrances . For me this is a no brainer it brings a whole different vibe to it , the flowers are different but unmistakably tropical . I can smell the sea in the background . Im trying not to write an over the top review but I can really see here how the chameleon has been captured. Its diet , environment and its own smell . I have kept reptiles and that low dry musk is there in the background , with the flowers up front and the fruit at centre. As a profile of the animal this wins , but also as a wearable scent . It has a slight soapy quality in the flowers which makes it smoother than the other tropicals in my collection , it is also blended to perfection. It feels so fresh and new to me I can't stop reaching for it. For the summer days , but also for bed to relax. If you are a lover of tropical scents , try this . Your summer collection is not complete without it. It is the Ying to coconut fizzs yang . A beautiful scent , I cannot stop smelling it . Understated perfection mixed with high quality ingredients.

Stunning. Very intense when first sprayed, but chills out within a couple minutes. Luscious and juicy tropical fruits with boat loads of ylang and frangipani- mostly ylang. This scent made me realize I do in fact like ylang lol it just usually starts by smelling like cat pee then turns into a a beautiful soft creamy yellow floral. That is the case also here. Becomes a smooth and creamy banana ylang backed by rich soil and thick glossy leaves dripping with exotic fruit juices. A bit powdery I see where people are getting cherry but that lasts for just a second before the rush of fruit becomes distinctly tropical. This is strong so I don't know if I'd get a huge bottle but if I found a travel size I'd buy it for sure. It's really gorgeous, wearable but feels like a colorful rain forest fruit and flower parade which might be a bit flamboyant for every day wear (for me). This scent has really gotten me curious about exploring tropical florals and testing more zoologist. If anyone is nervous about them, try hummingbird first then this

One of the most nostalgic scents from my childhood is Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion, and for ages I’ve wanted to find a sweet-floral-coconut scent that pinged that scent memory in a more elegant and sophisticated way. This is that scent. This is what I wanted Moonlight in Heaven to be, but instead of evoking a soft evening indigo and warm rice pudding, Chameleon is like the brilliant greens and aquas of tropical seas under the midday sun. It opens with a deliciously pure monoi gardenia note, and ripens into an amalgam of coconut, banana, tropical flowers, salt, sea air, and just enough gently blended spices to add some warmth. Love love love for the summer. One caveat since I first purchased a dab sample and then a full bottle: no matter how many times Inspray from the bottle, it doesn’t have the same staying power as the dab sample. When sprayed it wears very close to the skin after about 30 minutes. But on fabric, I can go back and smell it days later.

Many people believe that chameleons change color to blend in, but in reality it is their mood that causes the changes. In fact, physical reactions take place in their skin linked to the emotions they feel, and it is these that cause the livery to change. Chameleon wants is inspired by two aspects : first of all it is a tribute to Madagascar and its immense biodiversity , made up of innumerable animal and vegetable species ; secondly it wants to represent the mutability of the chameleon itself through a fragrance with many facets. I can say that green, citrusy notes with floral and marine hints stand out on my skin: it's not easy to describe everything, I find it a very, very rich composition. The drydown is soft and woody. Basically I really like it and it ended up in my wishlist (which gets longer and longer). I would always use it, especially in the warmer seasons. Exceptional durability and trail. “Chameleon” painted by Franz Marc

I had to delete the old review and write a completly new, because i could't assume how polarizing this scent could it be, and i can't get why, i really dont get any dirtynes or animalistic from it. For me, this is the most beautiful fragrance from the house of Zoo, which reminds me on Lalibela from Memo Paris. Chameleon is about heavenly florals/creamines and fruits, it is full of tropical airy seductive character. As we are realized Chameleon isn't a safe fragrance, while i can't recommend it for "sensitive" noses or rookies in this world, but im still convinced this can be a real treat for all truly flowers enthusiasts. Maybe it would sounds funny, but is close to beast mode in therm of performances, which makes me like it just even more!

I have been wearing this off and on all summer since I got a travel spray. This is so unique to my nose it has taken me a while to understand what I am smelling. This is what I smell regardless of notes listed for this perfume. It opens mouthwatering with lime and woods but there is an undercurrent of a osmanthus like, custardy, creamy, banana taffy sweetness. It doesn't smell like a real natural banana, but the smell of a banana candy. I have some ylang ylang perfumes but not like this one. The dry down is soft, powdery woody and I love it so much. Performance is really the only issue and I want a bottle so bad, but this is a drawback for me. I carry my travel sprayer in my purse and respray all day long. Oh man, this is really a good one!

it is suuper heavy on ylang-ylang, it adds this clean and marine vibe to it. It also has it's tropical and fruity side too, but the marine feeling is really sensible which i really like it. It also has a bright lemon smell in the first sniff, and as it dries down you'll get some florals too. On the drydown it sliiightly has this weird, smooth animalic smell. Which don't get me wrong, it's not bad and it's super smooth, i think it's bc of the Skin note. It's not that sensible and i don't think it'd disgust anyone. The chamelon picture in the bottle resembles the smell perfectly, a really chill colorful dude (or a chamelon) who likes his tropical vacations and the times where he just relaxes on the side of the beach. 9/10

Chameleon opens fruity... very different indeed from traditional Zoologist's perfumes. Ylang-ylang and carambola dominate the opening, which is loud (briefly) and very sweet. In the dry down it gets woodsy with vanilla in the background, and the coconut note gives this a creaminess that is really nice. Even though Chameleon is sweet and fruity, I can detect what I call the "Zoologist DNA" in the background, and it's very elegant in the dry down. On my skin, it has a longevity of about 7 hours (less than others from Zoologist), with a moderate sillage in the first couple of hours, then becoming an intimate scent bubble. This is probably one of the easiest Zoologist to wear, and a good introduction to this perfume house.

Mm, delicious beach and holiday vibes. So far what impresses me the most about Zoologist perfumes is that they smell almost always exactly like the notes say they should. This is delicious tropical fruits, coconut sunscreen, ice cream and citrusy cocktails at a beach. My only nitpick would be that it doesn't change or surprise much, as a Chameleon probably should. Personally, I would remove coconut (because immediately only one thought... "sunscreen") and add more zesty spicy components. Maybe even a bit of leather, since this perfume is supposed to represent a reptile... But honestly what do I know. I am no perfumer. Great tropical fragrance. Uplifting and perfect for summer.

It's a fluffy, airy, banana candy smelling Ylang Ylang, frangipani and coconut that is very well blended, not too floral, not too sweet, not too coconut, just right. It's like banana laffy taffy and tropical flavored Lifesavers that I love but less sweet and more airy yellow tropical florals and sunshine. I don't care if it's not that complex it smells bright and happy on me and is a great mood booster. It's also sweet without being cloying which is not the easiest thing to manage. Also finally there is a perfume with a coconut note that I don't hate, it melds in with the other notes seamlessly and doesn't smell like sun tan lotion or toasted macaroons.

Everyone LOVES THIS Sweet tropical, ambery and woody. I have a pre-realise bottle and this smells like the bedt things in the jungle. Fruit, gardenia, fangipani, Ylang-ylag. Maybe the best Ylang fragrance EVER. Great Value for the price. It lasts 24hours on my skin. WITH amazing projection the first 2 hours BUT afterwards only a skin scent. Could wear it to the office/work/school. I got a lot of compliments and positive comments on this. Ratings Smell 10/10 Performance 9/10 Value 10/10 Price 8/10 (not that expensive raw materials but i mean that’s why it is the cheapest Zoologist) Ovr 9,25 AMAZING hot weather fragrance!!️