Koala

if you google what the definition of the "Proust effect" is, you will be presented with the following, "The Proust effect, also known as the Proust phenomenon or Proustian memory, refers to the phenomenon where a sensory experience, particularly a smell, can trigger a vivid and involuntary recall of a past event, often accompanied by strong emotions". This fragrance is exactly that, I remember the first time I encountered zoologist on my fragrance journey, in Philly, months ago; I didn't expect to fall in love with this fragrance based off the notes, but I did, and it was instant. I'm rather young (17 on august 13th) so I don't have extensive memories of the 2000s or even early 2010s, so I'll try my best to retell this memory for Fragrantica, and smell koala while typing this to get myself closer to it. 2012, middle of the jersey summer, AC on full blast, fans on the porch, hoodies past 9pm. It was my first summer living in the house I spent most of my life growing up in, and my mother made 4 year old me a dish of cut up watermelon (among other things but I can't exactly recall what they are). I've always been very attentive of smells I've come across throughout my childhood, and the moment i laid my nose on koala, I was instantly transported back to this. The smell of sitting outside, drinking tea with too much honey (on account of being 4 years old), the Fleetwood Mac Rumors LP playing on the ipod speaker we always kept on the porch, a slight breeze, and the shade from the beating sun. This fragrance made it apparent in my mind for the first time that things like the "Proust effect" are even possible through fragrance, and that perfumery is an art form. Since the first time I smelled koala, I've purchased 2 2ml samples (which are both nearly empty) and recently a full bottle, I waited to write this review until I had enough time to process how my brain perceived it, this fragrance even inspired me to start self teaching perfumery and hopefully create Proust effects of my own. This is (as of now, and hopefully the far foreseeable future) the greatest fragrance that has ever been created, no exaggeration, no sponsors. Thank you so much to Spyros Drosopoulos, the mastermind who constructed this fragrance in the first place, and especially to Victor Wong, the man who made it all possible. If you haven't gotten your nose on this fragrance yet, PLEASE (and i can not stress this enough), PLEASE do so. This is art. Performance is amazing on my skin, 10-12 hours easy, beautifully blended fresh eucalyptus and menthol with honey, tea and the vibe of sitting under a tree in the summertime, strong presence in the air, amazing bottle, amazing price. 11/10 P.S this fragrance really made me realize how much I love koalas :)

Koala is the newest release from the house of Zoologist and is exclusive to the webstore, not available through the boutiques that carry the rest of the line. The subtitle “Eucalyptus Sunshine” seems especially appropriate, as the fragrance is bright and fresh with a playful use of eucalyptus but I’m pleased that it does not go overboard on the eucalyptus, a note that I find overpowering at times and sometimes a bit more evocative of room fragrances than personal fragrances. In Koala, the eucalyptus is part of an ensemble that also includes “menthol honey gumdrops,” a note that acknowledges some of the sweetness but also the vague minty menthol, which pairs well with the eucalyptus, along with florals (mimosa, geranium), black tea, vetiver, spices, woods, musk, and most notably, oakmoss. It comes off almost like a modern take on a fougere with menthol/eucalyptus but not lavender, slightly reminiscent of Sharkskin by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz / DSH Perfumes, a limited edition from the Heirloom collection, though Sharkskin is brighter, more citric, and more aldehydic, whereas Koala is greener and woodier with the eucalyptus. Koala performs quite well and is priced at $165 for 60ml, in line with Zoologist’s standard pricing. In addition to Bee, I’m inclined to buy a bottle of Koala. 8 out of 10

I love the deep incense (not the burning kind) which is slightly sweet. The menthol and pine are very forward. If I spray on my extremities, the animalic (does make you think of koala fur) and quite masculine side is too prominent, so I spray it under my shirt and it is actually perfect, like a warm hug, but sort of refreshing at the same time. Moderate sillage which lasts a while. I could still smell it faintly on my skin a full 12 hours laters, but the first 6-8 hours are the best. This is like an *elevated* and deepened classic men's after shave kind of fragrance kind of like Eau de Minthe is, but I like this better. I'm in an LDR, so I find this scent very cozy/comforting. I am not even sure if this would be a good scent for my partner, but it kind of gives the feeling of a hug of a masculine person and helps with loneliness as I find with a lot of incense frags.

Man, I'm in trouble. I ordered one of those sampler sets from Zoologist in order to try a bunch and pick a favorite, and so far I like all of them a lot! It hardly seems possible to me that every one I try I seem to like better than the last, but here we are. Today it's Koala, which at first thrilled me with its very minty, refreshing opening notes. I can't think of any other fragrance I own that has that minty note. Putting any of these fragrances is on is such much fun, because as the opening notes dissipate they start to smell so different, and finally you get even more changes in the dry-down. I've had Koala on for about four hours now, and it's evolved to spicy and woody, with just a hint of that freshness. Honestly, I love it, and not in small part because it kind of reminds me of Old Spice! This is the kind of fragrance I love smelling on a man or myself!

I recently stoped at scent bar in ny an picked up a sample tried it on skin an was impressed.I immediately picked up the eucalyptus but perfectly balanced with the Black tea,musk toning it down lovely,so self soothing an has the ingredients of incense rose which brings this koala to be blended to perfection. This is perfume is art to me my first from zoologists.I love the feel this gives me through out the day whiffs here & there I even managed to get 2 compliments today.Ms Klass stepped into the room an said someone smells really good pulling her mask down, Mr Hydralene said during passing in the hallway what is that cologne your wearing today I like it, an this is only the 2nd day wearing it after purchasing a full bottle.I just cant stop smelling my wrist it's that good 👍 I'm glad I have this in my collection on this frag journey.

Oh yessss this is a great eucalyptus scent. Medicinal, earthy, slightly sweetened. “Fuzzy” in texture, a little bit mossy, a little bit skanky. Like the earthy-mossy base of classic woody chypres like Aromatics Elixir, except with eucalyptus instead of florals. (Or, even more precisely, like Oeilleres, except with eucalyptus instead of chamomile.) Koala gets quiet fast and stays more-or-less the same; kind of a “my skin but better” subtle natural aura, glowing gold-green. If you’re me (big fan of herbal, medicinal, and earthy scents, kitchen-witch or hippie vibes, secretly loves the smells of bug spray and Vicks Vapo-Rub) then this is a straightforward winner. If you’re not, it’ll weird you out. Know yourself and choose accordingly.

Eucalypt, pine, very fresh and gorgeous opening. I lack experience to give a proper description of what happens next. It's a little animalic in a pretty subtle and pleasant way, never pissy or sweaty, just deliciously so. After a little while this subsides a bit. Next a little bit soapy, flowery, tea, beautiful incense and sandalwood. This seems a theme in Zoologist perfumes, lots of ingrediënts used in very smart and subtle ways, that take you on a little discovery tour, not through a list of ingrediënts but of impressions or by creating a certain atmosphere. I think I have tested a hundred perfumes by now, and this house absolutely stands out through it's artistry.

First thought: Lozenge! Remarkably photorealistic lozenge. But after a few moments pass and the eucalyptus settles down, it smells like magic. Sweet, slightly spicy incense (vaguely reminds me of Floriental by CdG), loads of geranium. It's very fresh yet somehow still floral to me. More freshness on clothes and sweetness on skin. I discovered so many good summer scents since I started trying Zoologist perfumes. They are always so unique and creative! I would say Koala is definitely not a safe blind buy because of the harsh opening but the dry down is tamer and the perfume is definitely worth sampling. Leans feminine, in my opinion, but overall unisex.

Koala is a very clean, very "safe" perfume from Zoologist. You can smell the notes described in Fragrantica, and the final result is very nice. This is an office friendly fragrance. Koala becomes a skin scent in about 2-3 h, but it doesn't go away. Applied on my chest, it lasts 8h or more. On paper, it can still be detected 24h after spraying it. Sillage is about an arm's length after first spray, so not huge, and nobody will complain. Koala can be a good introduction to Zoologist. Clean, pleasant smell. It reminds me of something I've smelled before in the dry down , it triggers a pleasant olfactory memory, but I just can't remember what.

I was worried this would smell like pharmacy bath oil or cough pastilles, but neither is the case. It’s actually a gorgeously warm and cozy perfume. A strong, somewhat camphorous eucalyptus opening, but soon the eucalyptus is tamed by the pine and other green and woody notes, creating a beautiful harmony. The honey and spices add a lot of warmth. In the dry-down there is a pleasant, skin-like muskiness as well, and a soft smokiness. I can totally see this evoking a dry landscape of eucalyptus forest, but at the same time the pine and sweetened spices give this a Christmassy feel as well.

First blast of clean spicy woods and light incense, warm yet invigorating and..minty? I suppose that's the eucalyptus; I smell this and immediately think aftershave. There's a a warm cinnamon that adds to the zesty gingery clean feeling. I use the word clean a lot but there's no soapy vibe to this. A confident, attractive, mature, delicious man should smell like this. Technically unisex but leans male and best for all weather. 6+ hours later: This one faded surprisingly fast, I thought it would hold on longer. It was pretty much gone by the 3rd hour.

I got this as a sample from luckyscent and I am absolutely obsessed. Upon first smell, you definitely get the eucalyptus cool mintiness, it reminds me a tiny bit of vicks vapor rub or tiger balm. But the dry down is what really does it for me. On me, it smells like a beautiful rich incense with a balance between the black tea bitterness and the sweetness of amber and vanilla. Whenever I wear this I can't help but smell my arm constantly. I do wish the longevity was a bit better though.

After really loving the eucalyptus note in Carnal Flower, I thought I’d give Koala a try. The mimosa (which us Aussies call wattle flower) and gum tree remind me of my childhood but in a good way. Add in the honey and you have soothing honey-menthol lozenges. Behind all that is a hint of smoky incense. I’m a bit low tonight but the mix of nostalgia and comforting associations that this fragrance evokes feels like the best hug. Not from a koala though. Koalas are pretty sharp.

My first zoologist, after smelling the whole collection (almost), this stood out to me. The opening is very unique with the combination of the honey and the eucalyptus, and once that eucalyptus settles it smells like an adventurer in a rainforest. The added tea and spices give this so much more depth and originality. Performance wise it's not spectacular, I'll be getting around 8 hours with 3 hours of average projection, but I don't feel that this needs to be loud at all.

If I could define Koala with one word, it would be Happiness, it just lifts my mood. Koala smells of fresh eucalyptus wrapped in soft, cozy sweetness. It instantly lifts whatever my mood is, and settles into something clean, warm, gentle, and comforting. On my skin, Koala feels like a calm hug . It’s such an easy, happy wear: clean, calm, and surprisingly addictive. I've been wearing it for years, and it's a big love for me. So sad it's discontinued. 👍👍👍👍

For me, the eucalyptus menthol smell vanishes a few seconds after spraying, and all I'm left with is a very strong incense smell. It smells exactly like those little New Age shops that are full of dream catchers and rocks with "mystical properties." I actually like this on me, it makes me feel a bit like a church lol. It lasts for about 6 hours on my skin (longer on my clothing) and it's got a decently strong sillage.

Beautiful perfume with freshness and some dust-facets. Really captures the koala habitat. I love this Zoologist and Panda. Totally wearable. I can see this becoming someone’s signature scent. It’s on par with Panda in terms of safety. No pissy or fecal facets here. No tiger balm eucalyptus. Does not remind me of Royal Mayfair, or Elixir or any eucalyptus heavy perfume. Nice portrait, matchy matchy with me.

“There is a right time and place for everything to have a beginning and an end..." Just as in "Picnic at Hanging Rock", Peter Weir's masterpiece of the seventies, in this perfume you can perceive the intensification of occult in the sunny Australian landscape. A small olfactory prodigy that reaches ecstatic and dreamy heights. The best skin perfume I have ever tried so far.

I love this perfume. I don't know if I will get a full bottle, but it's so interesting. The eucalyptus and medicinal honey take the stage with my body chemistry, and they remain medicinal throughout the dry-down. This reminds me of Vicks VapoRub, but an elegant, sophisticated VapoRub. Like if you needed lozenges for a sore throat but also needed to go to a black tie event.

Do you want to smell like a sexy explorer? Traverse through a eucalyptus forest with tall vetiver grasses, eventually you come to a beautiful clearing, with the sounds and smells of nature around, you pull out a thermos and poor yourself some sweet and spicy black tea. As you look out into the horizon you feel optimistic and excited for the rest of your adventure! 🐨☕️🌳

Koala Zoologist Perfumes 8/10 Very medicinal green scent, kind of like eucalyptus mixed with something sweet. It wasn’t really what I expected but it surprised me in a good way. It’s refreshing and has a calm, cooling vibe that I actually really enjoy. Definitely worth trying if you like green or herbal perfumes.

This scent is absolutely amazing. I feel like I'm a kid again on a bushwalk with my family. The Eucalyptus note is what really gives it the Australian bush feel. I wish it performed better since it isn't as strong on my skin as I would like. I will still be getting a full bottle of this at some point.

I was hoping this would smell like a spa or a sauna. On my skin, unfortunately the geranium turns it sour and it smells not so good, even in the dry down. I'll revisit it in the summer when the weather is better for such a green scent. I'd love to get the hits of eucalyptus more, hopefully I do.

Refreshing! This zoologist is really good, you can really smell the eucalyptus in it and it's really good for summer/spring too. It's like being in a rainforest and smelling different types of wood, eucalyptus and tea. Well done!

in the best way possible this smells like a lush shop, i love the black tea in this mixing with the spices and eucalyptus it’s so fascinatingly fresh i am in awe nothing like i ever smelt before

Nothing even remotely pissy in this fragrance unlike what the previous reviewer implied. So happy Spyros Drosopoulos and Victor Wong collaborated and brought us this beauty.

When the Eucalyptus withdrew from the light into the semidarkness, hovered over a sweet spicy ambered ground, on a little cloud of cool incense, a stick of cinnamon.

Aromatic eucalyptus and honey opening Dry down is green woody with amber and musk

I guess I have to come to terms with the fact that I enjoy smelling like a rich teenage boy who plays lacrosse in the late '90s, because that's what this smells like and I can't stop putting it on. I love cool green notes like mint and eucalyptus, and I'm discovering those ingredients can easily veer in the "rich white boy" direction, which makes sense. You gotta smell clean at the country club, I guess! Obviously, that's aged a little weird-- young people don't really want to smell like that anymore, and for good reason. Thoughts of that kind of guy are usually accompanied by memories of university legacy bros in polo shirts who were polite when adults were watching, but otherwise engaged in a lot of casual bigotry and made creepy advances on women (while also "ironically" homoerotically wrestling their friends, of course). Despite that image in the back of my head, I don't think Koala smells like that guy. It smells more like the '90s version of the softboy, who was studious, romantic, and wears lots of sweaters. I might be thinking that because I'm watching a lot of Dawson's Creek , but this is absolutely how I imagine the people on that show smelled. I'm a little too young to really remember the Ralph and Tommy perfumes, but I can't help but think they're not far off from this. Koala is fresh, clean, and definitely youthful to my nose, though, again, it's not a modern vision of youth. I think that nostalgic aspect is a big part of what keeps me reaching for this sample. Shit very visibly, overwhelmingly sucks right now, and it's nice to go on a little trip in my head, and imagine I was a little older in a period that I know, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't that much better than now. Everyone in Dawson's Creek looks happy and carefree, but they're also all white, super sexually judgey, and more than a little hostile to the slightest suggestion of living outside of a straight, neurotypical box. But it still feels nice to wear this and pretend it would feel so much better to go back to that moment, even if doing so is impossible either way. Considering that '90s white boy vibe I get from this, I don't know much Koala makes sense on me. Despite not being into the idea of adhering to perfume's idea of gender, this definitely leans more on the masc side, and that's just not me. If my version of queerness skewed more towards "pretty boy butch lesbian who grew up with a 'crush' on Leo before discovering they actually wanted to be Leo," I think this would be pretty perfect. But clearly, since I can't stop putting it on, I don't dislike it on me at all! It's just so damn cozy. The cool green notes juxtaposed with the warm, slightly smoky notes give this an extremely calming Icy Hot effect, which also makes it easy to wear in any season. Pine and spice make this smell very nice on chilly nights in, and I'm sure the breezy citrus makes it even better for a spring day out. It's tempting to get more when my sample runs out, and I'm looking forward to trying more Zoologist perfumes. I know most of them are a lot weirder than this, and I'm excited to see how.

I was super apprehensive when I saw both eucalyptus and “menthol honey gumdrops” as listed notes on the carded sample, but I put my doubt aside and hesitantly sprayed on my wrist. Much to my surprise, my nostrils were not seared, and I definitely didn’t hate it. As with many Zoologist scents, there’s a lot more notes going on in the background, but my simpleton nose primarily picks up eucalyptus, with a dash of sweetened menthol. Normally menthol in a fragrance would repulse me, but here it intrigues me instead. As it began to dry down, I smelled a very familiar note-- good ole’ vetiver. Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit worn out / overdosed on vetiver, as I was recently hunting for a feminine-leaning vetiver fragrance. As I tend to do, I might have gone a bit overboard. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Koala might be my favorite inclusion of vetiver in a fragrance that leans less masculine and more unisex. Furthermore, I’m tickled that it was an accidental/surprise discovery, and not an intentional one, especially after all that searching. Goes to show that you find what you're looking for when you stop being so desperate. =P Longevity is probably the best of the bunch of the Zoologist samples I’ve tried so far. I applied it around 2 p.m. (late start to my day), and it was still going strong, with no diminish in performance (and no reapplication, either!) at 11 p.m. If I had applied it earlier in the day, I feel confident saying that it could probably keep going for a good 11-12 hours-- but I have yet to actually test that theory. So for now, “long-lasting” it is. All factors considered, especially longevity, it gets a solid “like” from me. I like it more than Panda, but not as much as Sloth. Koala is a potential contender for the Natural Selection set, but I have my doubts if it’ll make the cut, since my expectations for Camel and T-Rex are already so high (not tested yet, though). Current Ranking: Beaver > Sloth > Koala > Panda > Elephant > Nightingale

I swear i get eucalyptus and oud here, and it's great. On me, it smells just like an earthy, balsamic deep, dense oud. It's lovely. I get, in order of strongest to weakest, eucalyptus, (oud), pine tree, incense, oakmoss, tea, pepper, musk, and ambery accord. I don't get any vanilla or honey on my skin. I get a warm ambery note (vanilla is used to make some ambers). Opens with a lot of eucalyptus and an oud note. When it hits the mid point, the eucalyptus has calmed way down, and is blending beautifully into the accords. In the dry-down, there is little eucalyptus left. It still has the cooling and fresh effect of eucalyptus. But it doesn't really smell like eucalyptus, as much as it smells like a mix of all the other notes with the cooling properties of the eucalyptus. Where: Casual to semi formal. It's not quite formal, but i'd wear it to a birthday party or dinner party, no problem. It smells of quality. It would also perfectly suit a casual day and it's office friendly. When: All year, day or night. Although the eucalyptus can be cold for winter, it's got a great warmer base. I don't see any issue with wearing this in winter. It's clean, woody, and fresh. Perfect for daytime, and yet it brings enough intrigue and allore for night time wear. Who: Leans a bit masculine, but nothing a woman can't wear. I feel like this can be for the younger crowd too, but not a teen fragrance. Personal score: 9/10: I love it. It's got something i don't already have in the "eucalyptus and oud" scent i get from it on me. I will wear up the sample, and if it stays this good, i'll buy a full bottle for sure.

Koala is cute but as someone said, it has claws. You do get a blast of mentholated eucalyptus in the opening. Your mileage will vary, depending on your association to this opening. I can understand how some would be turned off by that. Personally, I expected a medicinal, "sick" vibe but no, it's surprisingly fresh. The eucalyptus is there but the other notes support it and avoids it from going into unpleasant territory. This is clean, dapper and woody. I think this is one that should be dressed up for sure. Actually, I find Koala to be very "British cologne" like, something that could be from Trufitt & Hill or Penhaligon's (and sure enough, there's a Penhaligon in the similar fragrances). That's not at all a knock to Koala, however. Rather, it's a witness to how easy and wearable it is. As a bonus, unlike most British colognes, this lasts a good 5-6 hours (more on warmer days) on me. So yeah, a very fresh opening with eucalyptus, followed by citrus then woods. The tea, vetiver, spices, sandalwood and incense here play in a dance reminding of the Koala's forest (flowers, trees, other animals). This is very green, suited for spring and summer and maybe early fall because of the eucalyptus and spices. Some will probably say that this is too "simple" and clean for Zoologist but we can't all be Rhino or T-rex. I wouldn't say this is one of my favorites from the brand but when I want something simple, inoffensive and clean, this will certainly do the job.

First impressions - a lazy,hazy summer day sipping a cup of tea in an old and very high eucalyptus tree. Cozy and warm; a green/tea scent that you could wear in the fall/winter. Mint tea with a touch of sweet green tea that slowly morphs into black tea and spice. Out of most Zoologist fragrances that I’ve tried so far, this is one that I would think is the most “tame”; it’s a fairly straightforward tea/musk/amber scent that many people would probably find pleasing. This is also a rare instance that I’d call a Zoologist fragrance “safe”; this isn’t a bad thing but for this house that I personally feel like throws in some pretty exotic and unusual notes, it is a noticeable shift. After a few hours- simmers down and becomes a sweet, tea and skin scent. Soft, gentle, calming, warm but somehow still fresh and clean. sillage/longevity - decent; this is by no means a loud fragrance. I'd call this a cozy scent: it stays a little closer to the skin and given that it's mostly tea based I feel like it makes sense for that to be the case. Would I buy a bottle? Hard to say, I'd like to try this again when it gets cooler outside and see how it performs then and how I feel about it. It's a nice scent but it doesn't wow me. Three words to describe this scent- tea/calm/warmth

Like the koala itself, this fragrance is cuddly but it also has claws. Upon initial spray, it uses those sharp claws to pierce through your nostrils with a menthol and eucalyptus blade, before retreating to the treetops and settling down to a more subdued and pleasant green-woody scent with tea. Koala is reminiscent of a trip to the spa, and smells strikingly similar to a eucalyptus-scented reed diffuser that I bought for my office years ago. Following that logic means that this scent, too, is entirely office-friendly. There’s nothing for me to dislike here, although those who don't enjoy eucalyptus will not want to meet this particular creature. Like how a koala adorably snuggles into the trees, this would be an ideal spring or summer scent to spray on after emerging from a hot tub and snuggling into a log cabin that’s perched high above the forests. I’d venture that this is one of Zoologist’s most approachable and blind-buy friendly scents. Simultaneously, that also means that it’s one of Zoologist's more unadventurous and less intriguing scents - perhaps even a bit generic. It’s a pass for me due to its mainstream quality, but it’s likely an ideal starting point for someone new to the Zoologist line. In five words or less: Koala-ty crowd pleaser.

This is the first time I recall liking a Zoologist scent; to clarify I don’t love it, it’s firmly in the “like” bracket. Usually with this brand I fall on the opposite ends of the spectrum— I either love it, or hate it. (hate might be too strong a word here, but you get my drift). I didn’t pick up on cleaning products either, though Koala does read synthetic. On the plus side, the scent does remind me of Eucalyptus trees. I can easily imagine being transported to the place Koala’s live. The dry down brings more nuance, but I had to look at the pyramid first. Pine, incense and a light citrus is present, creating an overall arid, spicy effect. The only slight on the fragrance—the reason it’s not a love—is that every once in awhile I pick up on a faint rubber smell. Im sure that’s the result of a combination of notes, but I can’t put my finger on it. It’s possible Koala works better in heat, it should be noted that I’m testing this in the wrong season, Winter. Still my favorite is Dodo, followed closely by Bee of which I own. I love the concept and packaging for everything I’ve tested by Zoologist. Unfortunately Koala is in a distant third place. EDIT: it occurred to me that there are two other Zoologist perfumes I firmly like: Hummingbird and Squid.

I don’t get much from this one. And that surprises me a bit. I’ve been testing Zoologist fragrances, and so far none of them have been shy. But this one is timid. It sits very close to my skin and doesn’t make much fuss. I hardly ever caught whiffs of it as I was wearing it. But if I took a sniff of my wrist, it was there just casually doing its thing. I most definitely get a honeyed mint vibe from this, which is very nice. It’s soothing in a way. It comes off as clean and fresh, but also feels like something you’d reach for in spring or fall as opposed to warmer months. I don’t pick up much floral. But I do get a hint of the spices and vanilla. Really, it’s the minty eucalyptus and the honey (or menthol honey gumdrops) that shine here. This scent falls firmly in the Nice-But-Not-Gonna-Buy-It camp. If it had just a bit more personality and the performance were punched up a notch or two, I’d be tempted to pull the trigger. As it is, I’m not sure it’s worth springing for a bottle. But I am glad to have a sample and will definitely reach for it again.

If a house I enjoy makes a tea scent there’s a good chance I’ll blind buy it, and that I did with Koala. Koala has a lot of really great scent memories for me, we're talking chai tea and light tiger balm on opening impression. This reminds me of cold days in winter but staying warm indoors, it's a very cozy scent but also bright at the same time. Some of the rubbery tea elements you get in a Bvlgari Black and the like start to pop here too (Masque Russian Tea actually the closest with minty tea). In the drydown it loses most of that tiger balm aspect and turns into a much more transparent thing to me. More of a clean musk with a bit of warmth in there. Fairly low projection here, but lasts some time. I don't think this one hits the nail on the head of what an artistic impression of a Koala in its environment would be as much as say Sloth or Bee do with their respective animals, as it reminds me of winter more than the hot Australian outback, but it's definitely an enjoyable frag to wear.

I blind bought a travel size of that one + Elephant from Zoologist. I wear Elephant but this one ? No. Well I'm a woman and this is really the kind of scent I like on a man :) I understand gender fluidity in perfumes but sometimes you'd rather smell it on someone else. I gave it to my partner and this is perfect. To me it smells like high quality barber shop shaving products. Well that's the image I have in my head while smelling this. The eucalyptus is noticeable so if you don't like this is an hard pass. Then I can notice the tea, the pine, the spices a bit. Plus the honey. It has a medicinal feeling for sure but it's not the first I'm thinking of when I smell this. It's fresh, aromatic, light while being very long lasting at the same time. It smells expensive and niche without being offensive or just too much. A great "new" classy for gentleman. And it's quite wearable. It could have been released by a super luxury brand (don't know, TF, Creed or Roja) and guys would crave for it.

Very strong eucalyptus with a slight sweet warm backing (I think it's the honey and amber). In the first few hours there's this strange cinnamon spicyness that follows too! I wish it'd last longer. Surprisingly I get zero animalic notes -- only a clean "soggy after rain forest wood skins" that's not animalic or dirty in the slightest. My only complaint is that it's a little too simple. I think @JToronto put it best with "Good for work and when you want to smell clean but a bit more interesting than your soap". This will make you smell pleasant, though it's not going to turn heads and most certainly not make a statement. It's nice, tame and straightforward. There is something vintage feeling about this scent as well. In my head the person this was made for is a young nerdy dude that enjoys old knick knacks and trivia from the 60's. The kind that wears those old brown cotton blazers and enjoy the inner-workings of old world tech. A modern-day fuddy duddy.

I went looking for a eucalyptus fragrance, because some of my favorite scented body washes and hand creams have been eucalyptus and spearmint, so I picked up a Koala sample on a recommendation from the internet. It's not as bright as a Bath & Body Works soap, and not as medicinal as some of these reviews led me to think it might be. The opening has the strong eucalyptus accord, then I start to pick up the spices, incense, vetiver and musk on the drydown. Some people have mentioned below that they detect a cinnamon note that's not listed on the label, and I definitely smell that too. It's not a strong performer on my skin-- and unfortunately my sample vial had a bad sprayer, so I had difficulty actually getting it *on* my skin-- but I do quite like it and think it's a slightly masculine, pleasantly mellow scent for daytime wear in warmer weather or a good soothing option if you're the type to dab on a fragrance before bed.

Refreshing and medicinal- but not in a way that's offensive. When I initially sprayed this, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. However, it grew one me quickly and I found myself appreciating those rich, fresh top notes. The eucalyptus went well with minty notes of menthol honey. They encapsulated the aesthetic of the 'koala' very well! The only think I wish was that this had more sillage. I would rate it higher if it did. However, I found that it didn't last particularly long on my skin. When I asked others to try and smell it on my skin, they weren't able to detect it even after I used almost the entire sample-size bottle. For that reason, I can't suggest purchasing it. If its potency were increased, this would be a really relaxing scent for daily wear. It just doesn't last, which is upsetting. This is the kind of fragrance that you spray on your pillow to help you fall asleep.

Koala is much darker and deeper than I thought it would be. Eucalyptus is only present for a short time in the beginning. To me the green quality of Koala comes mostly from the woods, the spices and the geranium: it's woody and dark. Before trying it the tea note had me thinking it would be on the airy and fresh side, but it's rather in the earthy/camphor spectrum of green scents, not at all grassy or dewey. The dry-down is soft and cozy. Koala is one of the most wearable scents by Zoologist. It still retains that characteristic Zoologist vibe, but might get mistaken as a designer fragrance by the people around you. It's a very nice release indeed. I wish it depicted the animal a bit more (I'm missing a crushed leaf note!) and that the eucalyptus was more present throughout. I give Koala a 8/10, getting a spot in my top 3 Zoologists with Hummingbird and Camel.

this was a cozy cup of lemon honey tea with spiced vanilla, lots of woody coziness and camphor like accords. I typically hate anything camphor smelling or herbal bc it reminds me of vapor rub lol, but this was different. the eucalyptus here is fresh and natural, the pine just as refreshingly natural. You get a sweet citrus with the honey that melds with the tea, to give it a cozy cup of tea on a cold rainy day feel. The spices here are warm and soft, adding even more coziness. This koala is lazy, sleepy, and snuggled tight in a tree as rain comes down around it. This is aromatic, green, and sooo woody, it really evokes the thought of a koala high up in a tree. the sweetness here adds a nice touch, allowing the very green notes and heavy spice to mellow out. I like the story here and I think it’s fitting for a cuddly little koala.

As I continue my journey through the complete sample set from Zoologist, this was the first one for me that seemed to have a larger projection beyond staying near the skin. So far, most have great longevity but this was the first one that my wife commented on before asking. Definitely woody, minty, pine. Love it. Fresh and enjoyable. But what seems to stand out is the Geranium and Black Tea. I only say that for my nose at it reminded me almost automatically of Lothair. Those seem to be the commonalities between the two and what makes sense. Could be wrong. But still a great fragrance. I have tried 7 and have enjoyed all so far. Just wish most of them projected further. For an creature scent, especially animals, I think you would want to stand out.

This stuff has such an amazing opening, it hits you in the face with a powerfully soothing, peppermint like eucalyptus camphor with a smoky pine and incense, feels very green but like a bright unsaturated green. Unfortunately what holds this back is that it becomes super hard to detect and fizzles out after like half an hour. I thought I had gone anosmic to it at first so I asked others how strong Koala was with about 10 sprays to the neck and chest and was told that they couldn’t really pick it up maybe an inch or two from my skin. It’s there but just barely I just wish I could enjoy it for a decent period of time but can’t justify something I would have to respray twice an hour but is uniquely soothing and spicy that I can certainly remember

I'm a big fan of the Zoologist house as an entirety and I've tried most of what they offer. This is probably the safest, most "wearable" everyday kind of fragrance I think I've tried so far. It's not a bad thing, but it's not what I'm personally looking for. Koala is sporty, light, a little sparkly and bright. Low silage, I am guessing it will last all day on my skin like the rest of Zoologist. Oddly it reminds me of Cedar Point, where I used to go frequently as a teen. Not sure if that's because it smells like teenage colognes I was exposed to. What I think is maybe it reminds me of the smells of bodies at a fresh water beach and a cool breeze. It's pleasant. Safe blind buy for most people. 6/10

Koala opens with slightly spicy and minty eucalyptus. As it develops there will be some woody elements and vetiver, before drying down to a clean and soapy eucalyptus scent. One of the most wearable and likeable from the house, but the performance is on the lower end comparing to other zoologists. It becomes a skin scent around 3 hours with slightly less than moderate sillage, but you will still get a whiff even when it turns into a skin scent. Nevertheless, it stays on the skin for around 8 hours before disappearing. Despite it being very simple and uncomplicated, this is one of my favourites from the house, and definitely one of my most reached to zoologist bottles.

Anyone from the Eastern part of Europe (or anywhere really) who's mom used to rub Vietnamese balsam under your nose when you were ill? This is it! 100%! Childhood memories flooding back. Tonnes of eucalyptus and spices, I love this. A touch piney, touch woody, eucalyptus and spiciness (maybe cinnamon and clove) are dominating here. Lovely fresh unique asian scent. I think one of my favourites of the line besides bee. Ps. You can still buy vietnamese balm on ebay for a few quid! Ordering it to compare :) Drydown is a bit old school dad barber shop, but not bad! Spicy woody and a bit stale.

I enjoy the opening of Koala when mint and citruses are very prominent. It smells fresh and light then gradually smells soapy and a bit heavy. It still smells fresh but it's not airy like most citrus based fresh scents. It's probably due to the musk. I understand what the reviewer below says that it smells like a rich teenage boy.. Because it does evoke that imagery. It smells of minty soap and cologne combined. It's very nice. I think it's unisex but leaning masculine and is appropriate year round but best for summer or hot humid days.

To me it's deep, dense, lush and incense-y totally not what I was expecting at all but at the same time I'm pleasantly surprised, it's conjuring an image of an apothecary with traditional medicine in my mind, honey lemon gumdrop that sooth your throat, it's not fresh in a brightly sunlit sort of way this is like the owner of an apothecary greet you with some lovely refreshing tea and they have some incense burning in the air. It's cozy and calming, it hugs and clings to you like a koala would to the tree