Koala Joey Edition

I know some people will be disappointed or complain about missed opportunity to include new animals to the line-up but from my experience (and I've been a fan for 7 years now), Victor never releases a flanker (if we can call it that) that doesn't outright improve (Dodo) or completely overhauls the original (Bat/Dragonfly). It is, of course, all in the nose of the sniffer. Some prefer the original Dragonfly, I much prefer the remake. Nonetheless, no one can claim they are similar to each other. It is once again the case with this new edition of Koala, the "Joey" edition. Now, I really love the original so I was eager to dig into it and the bar was set adimittedly a bit high. Now, I *do* prefer the original Koala for its barbershop-ish, dapper vibes and its eucalyptus punch. That said, I can only applaud the work of perfumer George Tedder here. The man managed to retain Koala's original DNA but make it more "cute and friendly". It really does smell like a "kiddie" version of Koala. The mimosa here is the star to my nose. Although the opening comes across as fresh, herbal and green (galbanum, most likely) and reminds of the original's DNA (much more subdued), it quickly transitions into a yellow floral, powdery mimosa bomb. I thought I didn't like mimosa but here I find it super addictive. It's not aggressive, it's rather inviting and makes you want to get cozy. It all makes sense as to why "joey", it gives me vibes of cuteness in the best possible way. The drydown gets woodier (expectedly) although I expected more animalic muskiness out of it and it didn't come across that way to me, I find the original to be more animalic. If the animalic tag worried you I really suggest you try it, it's more a green, powdery woody yellow floral than animalic. I'm having a hard time deciding which one of the two I prefer and that to me is a good sign of a successful flanker: it's not so similar to the original as to give you no reason to own it yet if you know the original you can understand the flanker better. The performance is great, I get an easy 6-8 hours and it pushes out well in the first 1-2 hours, most likely thanks to the yellow floral nature. For those guys who are afraid of florals, this might not change your mind, it is very powdery and mimosa will probably be divisive but I think it's easily unisex thanks to its green opening and woody base. This is one I would say fits more Spring but could work in cool Summer nights and early Fall. A fantastic flanker and I'm looking forward to have both Koalas, one for the colder seasons and one for the warmer ones.

The greenest, most aromatic opening I've ever smelled in a perfume. Dewy, fresh herbs on a fuzzy musk base. The Irish Spring scent as if it were made with real essential oils. I wish the top notes did not vanish so quickly though: Koala Joey smells so lush, crisp and sparkling at first (it kind of makes my mouth water actually), but it goes to this fuzzy musk very quickly and stays there for most of the wear. I wish the base was more focused on woods (or on eucalyptus for that matter). Overall a great olfactory experience but I'm not sure how I feel about wearing it out.

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite fragrances. It is so fresh and green, and the eucalyptus really comes through. It stays fresh and clean for a long time and lasts well. I like that it smells very natural and isn’t sweet at all, it doesn’t smell too “spa” like, but rather more like you are walking through the woods surrounded by eucalyptus. I get a lot of compliments on it and I think it’s a fragrance that a lot of people can enjoy, it’s very easy to wear.

Fresh, green! Something about it reminds me of fresh cut grass, which I love the smell of. It opens very grapefruit-y but more like the zest than the juice; it has a bitter quality. The spearmint and eucalyptus take over and all I think is that it's so green! The basil gives a nice aromatic spiciness, and after a few hours the scent goes more soft sandalwood and has a cozy kind of animalic quality.

I usually don't like "green" fragrances but this one is different. Not too bitter, which is how a lot of green fragrances come across to me. This is lush and verdant, with a tiny hint of mimosa powderiness. The spearmint is refreshing and natural-smelling. Had to order a bottle of this.

My review of this is going to be very similar to my review of the new Chameleon. The original Koala is in my Zoologist top five, which is a fresh, slightly medicinal, slightly musky woody green. It is super comforting and cosy. I also consider Australia to be one of my few homes, so it’s a scent that I feel very connected to. I went into my paper and skin tests with an open mind and nose. Koala (Joey Edition) opens with a massive burst of herbal green. I smiled upon first sniff because it was just so fun. You get that zesty burst of basil and sage immediately, and that basil note is really fun to smell. I don’t associate basil with koalas, but it was a wild ride. The spearmint appears very soon afterwards and the florals start showing up, and that’s where things start getting a bit boring and generic for me. That phase remains quite linear until it fades into the dry down, which is a very pleasant, musky woody green. The dry down lasts faintly for a long time, 12+ hours easily, but it does smell like a really lovely yet generic men’s body wash. So tl,dr: I like the new Koala, but I’m going to miss the original. The new one is much more smooth and seems like an easy grab-and-go to have, but I don’t go to Zoologist for those types of scents. I go to Zoologist for unusual and odd fragrances that are still super polished. The opening had me there for a second, but then the oddity faded away. I hope the unusual is not fading from the house at large because the perfume industry needs Zoologist.

On my skin, Koala Joey Edt is a green, herbal, spiced and woody fragrance. I get notes of bamboo and lemon at the top, galbanum, basil and cumin at the heart, sandalwood, suede and musk at the base. I dont quite recall the forgettable Koala but Joey here is a quite delectable. The bitter quality definitely detracts from its wearability, but like all things balanced, it makes it so much more unique and appealing. It dries down to a subtle sandalwood and clean musk. Scent: 8 Longevity: 6hrs Projection: 7 Versatility: 7 Originality: 8 Wearability: 7 Overall: 8 Rec Sprays: 5-6

I guess you could say like Beach Hut. But nowhere near as rich. Nonetheless, this is fantastic. I fell in love with Galbanum after wearing Le Sillage Blanc a few times. One of the more wearable fragrances from Zoologist. One of my favorites as well. If this had the performance of others from Zoologist, it would be an easy must have. For now, it will go on my list behind Tiger, Musk Deer, and Sacred Scarab. Beautiful fragrance.

@appleflavour is fully right about how sharp this is. i was expecting a soothing and soft eucalyptus, a spa-esque scent, but instead it's a harsh floral for its entire duration. the galbanum is definitely the star here and bolstered up by the mint and mimosa. it's nice but a little too masculine and bitter for my tastes. great performance as always from zoologist! overall rating: 🩷🩷🩷💔🖤 3.5/5

The original Koala was the animal munching on eucalyptus leaves just a few steps away from us, while Joey is a wildlife tour guide telling you 'koalas used to live here 100 years ago'. It’s dewy, realistic greenery—quite pretty. It’s also rather fleeting on my skin and doesn’t evoke ‘koala’ in any way.

I quite like this version of koala, however it seems to only last about 2 hours on my skin before almost disappearing. That is a real bummer!

Kind of a soapy eucalyptus spearmint grassy thing going on. Nice clean scent for hot humid days

It's kind of like a minty showergel with some fresh flowers added. There is a bit of spice in the background that reminds of Koala bit it's quite well hidden. It's not bad, but it's not enough like the original for me to be worth upgrading from sample.

*SO* green and spicier than expected. it's very fresh in a sharp, assertive way rather than a "just got out of the shower" way. honestly i feel like it stays pretty consistent through the dry down? i wanted to love this and i do get the appeal but it's too intense and masculine for my tastes. would still recommend to people who are into this scent profile but maybe not as a blind buy

So this outright replacing normal Koala?

people who saying this smell like Beach Hut are always lying with their moms.. nothing like beach hut nothing i orderd this bottle as it was compared to BH but nothing related to it even a inch its doesnt.. so basicaly this is a minty freshy and herbal kind a fragrance a very good blind buy so far i like this one more than the other new 2026 release.. has decent Longevity. maybe on my skin yes .. i will give more wearing and maybe come back again for a review .. so as for now its nothing New sorry!

This scent offers another improvement over its predecessor. Koala Joey boasts a more defined character. As expected, it’s a distinctly green fragrance evoking the image of a greenhouse filled with heavy exotic foliage. Sharp edges and camphorous undertones blend seamlessly to create a multitude of textures that mimic the visual effects of leafy vegetation. While named “Joey” the scent isn’t as “cute” as a baby koala. Instead it exudes the bold intense and sharp aroma of a greenhouse.

Koala it's a great green herbal, very very eucalyptus forward, but still incredibly well done. Elegant, amazing, breezy, herbal and magic in it's own way. Didn't expect to fall for it, but it's actually complex. it's not a "simple green fragrance" it develops beautifully. That said Eucalyptus is my mortal enemy, so i couldn't commit to a purchase. To any green minty lover, you must try this one. The drydown, exclusively on skin, is very different and interesting.

on skin: very green start which was lovely- goes back and forth from being a little dish soapy to a nice outdoorsy musky green vibe once it’s settled edit: tried this for a second time and realized that the dry down reminds me a lot of dr teals eucalyptus spearmint epsom salts when its dissolved in a bath. fine by me, i enjoy it, but i get why it can come off as too soapy and generic

I like this! I found the original koala forgettable (Although it's been a while). If you're familiar with Tsu Lange Yor, this is kind of like a combination of Sala & Pool. There's a soft fluffy floral/grassy quality that Sala has, but also the astringency of Pool. I also smell something coconuty/fig like Philosykos by Diptyque. If it lasts long enough I'd consider a bottle.