Dodo

I keep coming back to that one. I don't know that I'll ever get a full bottle, but the sample I bought sure is getting a workout! I must preface this by saying that I am not, as a rule, a big fan of fougères. A lot of them give me headaches, and those that don't I usually don't like on my skin: they have a tendency to turn weirdly sour, to the point where I end up smelling like food that's gone bad. I also don't love litchi in perfumes: every time I've come across the note, it was either too artificial and sweet, or too watery and floral. In other words, Dodo was a tough sell. But I figured no-one ever got anywhere by being close-minded, and so I got a sample anyway. I have to say - I'm very glad I did! Dodo is very odd, that's for sure. The fougère DNA is present and recognizable, but showcased in ways that are, let's say, unorthodox. The fragrance opens on a juicy blast of litchi (which is spectacularly realistic) with a side of lime zest. After that fruity opening, Dodo quickly becomes greener, in a cool, windswept way that reminds me more of a Nordic forest than a jungle. The ambergris begins to unfold, bringing in a salty tinge that feels like a gust of wind from the ocean. I was very impressed by this: I could almost see the beach, and the woods, and the crashing waves. The presence of the dodo itself, to me, translates as "things left behind": a musky, animalic trail that puts me in mind of an abandoned nest. I know at that point I'm probably falling victim to marketing, but this is genuinely what it feels like. The "dirty bird cage" and "rats' nest" comments made me laugh because I saw exactly what they were alluding to. What's showcased here is the smell of a place where an animal has lived and from which it's now gone, rather than the smell of the animal itself. I like it, because I think it makes sense (the dodo being the archetypal extinct species) but I see how it could be very gross to others. Some days, I myself have a little bit of trouble with it. In short, your mileage may vary, and vary a lot. It's definitely a very interesting release, and I think it works amazingly as an olfactive representation of the dodo. Maybe this is one of these perfumes you might find easier to approach as "art you can smell" rather than as a cosmetic product. It's also very much worth seeking out for that gorgeous litchi note in the opening, even though it fades fast.

This is a review from a full bottle with a 2019 batch code and the packaging listing Joseph DeLapp as the perfumer. Most of the reviews below appear to be written by reviewers in the thrall of marketing copy. More than any other fragrance of the thousands I have smelled and the thousandish I own and have paid for with my own money, this is closest to EROLFA from CREED. What does that mean? It means this is a gorgeous, airy, tropical island-evoking ambergris-centered fragrance that presents itself like a breeze hitting an ocean beach. Gorgeous, airy, gossamer, light-filled. The "animalic" accords are clearly created with green resins against the backdrop of the fresh ambergris accord. This is not the "smells like oysters" ambergris -- this is clean, fresh. Against the resins this does suggest something animalic and manly, but only in that 1980s masculine fougere way that fragrances that used a hint of Animalis captive did (and resins). This reads like a cousin of EROLFA (not a brother), and if someone told you Pierre Bourdon drafted this as a Millisime Imperiale flanker for the summer it would be hard to argue with. It is gossamer. A perfect fragrance for 90-degree days in humidity. The opening is gorgeous: the raspberry (not like candy, much more tart) and litchi are pronounced, and what the marketing calls "lime" is there as a supporting player (but that may be an artifact of blending). The balsam fir is very muted. It is present throughout but never steals the show. The main player is the island ambergris. If this perfume were released by Tom Ford as "Monaco Mist" or by CREED as "EROLFA Legere" the simply beauty of this fragrance would be appreciated and the only critiques would come from the lot of reviewers that think every fragrance should last four days with 30 feet of projection or it is trash. This smells less like a birdcage and more like what Robin Williams' character must have worn walking through South Beach in The Birdcage. A definite thumbs up!

After discovering Bee a few months ago, I’ve had zero luck finding another Zoologist creation that works for me. I like Hummingbird and Squid, but I didn’t fall in love with either. Many others were far too synthetic on my skin—Dragonfly, Chameleon, Panda and Elephant I'm looking at you. After reading some bad reviews and noticing the low grade here on Fragrantica, my world has been turned upside down; I place the blame squarely on the wonderful, lush, exotic forest that is Dodo. This one wasn’t even on my radar, it was a freebie that was thrown in on another order. Yesterday I wore Dodo for the first time. I didn’t pick up on a pee smell, in fact no civet, fecal or skank to be found. I don’t even smell the ambergris — natural or synthetic. Instead I’m transported to a tropical destination, with lush fronds, creamy fruits and bouquets of fresh flowers. Dodo is unbelievable, very close to nature, and makes me think the Zoologist carded sample I’m testing is from the “new” reformulated composition. I can’t be sure but I am determined to find out. Great performance from this odd bird too. I can’t believe I’m hearing myself say, I’m on the hunt for a Dodo. And discovering this beauty makes me want to sample the rest of Zoologist’s offerings.

My very first Zoologist! I've been stalking them from afar and so excited to finally get some samples. I love this more than I expected to. It's multilayered and fascinating— if some fragrances are a poem or a single line of lyrics, this one is like rich prose, the first chapter of an epic fantasy that unfolds in a forest on a secret isle. The mossy, ferny, clean damp rocks accord it opens with is so lovely. It's like the essence of being in the shade on a hot day, lounging under a fruit tree and hiding from the heat. I'm wearing it during a late summer heat wave in California and it's the perfect refreshing scent that doesn't become too heavy in the heat. I love that I can smell the lychee too, although my first thought was "magic fruits" lol. There's something enchanting about this. My partner was surprised when I said this fragrance was named Dodo and said "I imagine a dodo doesn't smell as good as this." Touché.

This perfume is a MASTERPIECE and I will tell you why: I’m a painter and my muse is the Dodo bird. Its spirit resurrected my creative spark in my 30s when I thought it was long gone. And whatever you may think of the original formulation in terms of an “attractive” scent, I do believe that the original perfumer tapped into something very special. I believe he channeled this iconic bird in a visceral way no one has done before. If you want to experience this iconic bird in a more interactive way than staring at a painting or fake stuffed specimen this scent does just that. You may not find it pretty but it is transportive and feels alive- for that it I give it every star in the universe. This bird mattered and I hope Joseph Delapp reads this someday and knows he accomplished the near impossible task of giving this bird some life again.