Elephant Sanctuary Edition

This fragrance doesn't stampede. It whispers with quiet strength. Elephant Sanctuary Edition had humongous, elephant-sized footprints to follow, as the original version of Elephant was already a gargantuan accomplishment of scent. And Sanctuary has succeeded. Wildly. It earns its flowers, its floral tea notes, and a rave review. The original formulation of Elephant is beloved, but some could have perceived it as intimidating. With impressive (but, to some nostrils, oppressive) notes of tea, coconut, chocolatey cacao, and thick green leaves trampled in soil, the OG Elephant likely wasn't touted and trumpeted by everyone. I adored it. Others might have found it too heavy. Elephant Sanctuary Edition, meanwhile, is night-and-day different from its predecessor. It exists on the other side of the savanna. This is an elegant, delicate, and creamy concoction that manages to smell simultaneously fresh and ancient. It’s a paradox. Like the “white shroud of mist” promised in the description, there is something endlessly soothing and nostalgic about this fragrance. At first sniff, I immediately understood what creator Victor Wong and perfumer Natasha Cote-Mouzannar were envisioning with this composition. Notes of airy and light florals, Earl Grey tea, mate, suede, sandalwood, orris, and even an “elephant skin accord”: they’re all there, and they all herd together beautifully. Suitable for men, women, and all seasons alike, it smells like what the warm and gentle embrace of an elephant trunk might feel like - if only scent could be touch. It reminds me of something from childhood: the scent of what my curious mind thought the jungle might smell like, scribbled in shades of light brown and green crayon. The scent of imagination - something I thought I’d lost - but now lovingly tempered with adult sophistication. This is, simply put, a masterpiece. Easily one of the top ten Zoologist fragrances, it simultaneously accomplishes the deft task of making the original Elephant not feel small by comparison. Rather, it helps us to remember the OG Elephant as an energetic and rambunctious calf: a youthful, free, unfettered version of the gentle giant that it was to become. As much as I adore this brave new horizon, once the existing bottles of the original Elephant have sold out and are no longer available, I’ll still mourn the loss of Chris Bartlett’s original creation (and rest in peace to a visionary perfumer). Elephants, too, are known to mourn their dead. They revisit and touch the resting places of their herd, and they cover the remains with leaves and dirt. I’ll revisit my bottle (and backup bottle) of Mr. Bartlett's original Elephant, while being thankful that Mr. Wong and Ms. Cote-Mouzannar have left us with something so lovely in its remembrance.

I didn’t love the original Elephant at first. I thought it was too earthy and found it difficult to wear, but after a few more tries I found myself feeling incredibly grounded and at peace wearing it. It’s become a treasured fragrance in my collection. But I was really excited to try this new version as it seemed completely different (and it is) to the original in a really exciting way - and it truly is gorgeous. It is definitely easier to wear than the original, and it has a timeless essence to it. It opens with the scent of earl grey and “elephant skin” despite that being a base note. It almost smells like a new pair of expensive shoes. It is so smooth with just a touch of cool spice from the cardamom. Very unisex. But once the heart notes appear, this fragrance turns slightly feminine to me. Of the florals I get the tuberose the most, and it’s just gorgeous. Once they fade away to the dry down, it becomes a powdery, lightly floral suede. It’s oozes class and sophistication. It doesn’t last a terribly long time on my skin, but while it’s there it’s beautiful. I’d say the scent leans ever so slightly feminine to me due to how pretty the florals are in the heart, but the right man or person could absolutely pull this off. I’d say that this is a perfect compliment to the old Elephant. They co-exist as they truly are nothing alike. I’d also say this is one of the most “wearable” perfumes from the house. It’s the closest thing to a blind buy outside of Harvest Mouse that Zoologist offers. While the other two reformulations are similar enough to their originals and led me to be slightly disappointed, this one takes the concept and flips it on its head into something new and wonderful. With that said, I really don’t want further reformulations. At this point we’ve gotten at least 10, and while I understood some of them due to IFRA standards (Rhinoceros, Bat), not being the vision Victor initially wanted (Macaque), or just being plain bad (Dodo), most of the reformulations since Beaver seem confusing and are throwing fans of the house for a loop. We just want to enjoy our animals and don’t want them to go extinct.

I was really surprised by Elephant Sanctuary Edition, in the best way possible. I was a bit hesitant to order this one as I am typically not a fan of tea notes in fragrances. The fragrance opens with some soft spicy elements that quickly give way to the flowery heart notes. Some fantastic blending work here, as none of these florals jump out and hit you harder than the others. I feel like the osmanthus is doing a great job at tying the florals together. Leather is another tricky note for me, but here the suede and sandalwood are not harsh or abrasive, but soft and comforting. I do get a faintly fruity aspect to this as well, despite no fruit notes being listed. If you are looking for a fragrance that is bold or wants to hit you over the head, this is not it. If you want one that that is elegant and unique, look no further. Expertly blended. Perfectly unisex. Very wearable. Bravo!

I personally like what they did with these editions. Some are more fruity, this one has a little leather in the opening. I don’t know, the new editions are less edgy but still very interesting and wearable. They inspire nature and vacation, I was pleasantly surprised by all. Testing is recommended.

Played it safe with my first sample from Zoologist- this is lovely. Down to earth, spa-like tea and wood, gentle florals, and kind-of clean. The main adjective I would give this is soothing. Makes me want to take a long shower, put this on, and do a facemask while listening to ambient music.