Macaque Yuzu Edition

A lot of the new Zoologist releases are on the more restrained side, although this isn't a big problem for me since a lot of their safer releases are the ones that appeal to me a lot anyway. As a comparison, this really has basically nothing to do with the earlier version of Macaque—which got discontinued apparently for not quite hitting the brief of the animal on the head (and I liked it but I agree that nothing about it really related to the theme of the animal to me). This one however feels like a thematic home run, having essentially completely revamped it from dusty, sour apple and galbanum to lots and lots of woods and lots of Comme des Garcons-style incense (and also a short-lived but super-zingy yuzu opening, freshly zested). This might be too specific a reference, but the particular mix of citruses and juniper on the sweet incense background give the impression of Chinese Nin Jiom herbal sweets (they have a tangerine-lemon flavour that really does feel funnily similar to the opening of Macaque). There's no mentholated touch here obviously, but there is something here (maybe the cypress, maybe the resinous aspects of the incense) that vaguely opens the sinuses and as others have pointed out really gives the impression of hot steam—whether it be from a cup of tea or a hinoki wood spa. I've been on the lookout for an incense scent that doesn't lean too spicy or dark and this really hits a spot for me. The drydown does remind me very faintly of Koala too (although, yes, Koala is deceivingly spicy and dark in comparison). I think if anyone is on the lookout for a very peaceful take on that Comme des Garcons cypress-incense formula, this might be for you. The real question is whether I splash out for a full bottle now, or wait till I can sample the Fuji Apple edition.

Sampled this as a throw in for curiosity as I really wanted to try Chipmunk and I didn’t like the original Macaque too much (had a sharp too synthetic apple note for me), and this has been a very pleasant surprise. Macaque Yuzu is quite different to the original and I’ll say straight off the bat, I love this one. It essentially gives what I imagine a Japanese spa would smell like type of vibe off me, it has an effervescent mineral watery like feel that I think is a typical spa-like smell with a citrus twist, but it has a green mossy feel too which I would guess is the hinoki (and maybe a bit from the juniper). The lightness of that watery mossy citrus is balanced against the darkness of smoky incense which comes into play not long after spraying, and gets stronger as it dries. As a big incense fan this is where the full bottle worthy line is crossed for me. This is one that opens really well and just gets better as time goes on. Definitely looking forward to trying the Fuji version now. On the aspect of this representing the animal, I can see this. The Macaque in the portrait is wearing a Monk like robe for the liturgical and warm incense part and a steamy watery and mildly fruity hot spring environment to balance to that out is where a Macaque might hang around in the real world. edit: If you find it hard to sample this, it smells a little bit like a much more incense focused and higher quality Costa Azzura by Tom Ford. I tried the TF and it immediately brought me back to the scent memory of this.

As its name suggests, this new version of the macaque is a yuzu dominance fragrance. It blends nicely with juniper, incense and some smokey wood. As a result, you get this sort of citrusy but yet dark. There is something to it which distinct itself from all other citrus fragrances on the market, which is tend to be bright. Exactly like @shibe reviewed below. With new fragrances we get from zoologist this year, i can see that the house is moving toward mass pleasing offerings - which isn't wrong, but it has to be done with care in order to keep them interesting. I think the house has achieved the right sweet spot here. Its mass appealing and unchallenging to wear for sure, but yet intriguing to deserve the niche price. Unlike the chipmunk, which is also mass appealing but extremely boring (and i mean really really boring), this one is absolutely delightful. So happy that i purchased this one. Another thing that i really like about this is that the bottle says yuzu on the label. Although this is because there is the fuji apple released alongside it, it helps people distinguishing the new formulation from the original (but i still think its better to release it under a new name/concept and discontinue the old one rather than make it a reformulation). Im a big fan of the original macaque and put it in the top 3 of all zoologist fragrances , yet i think this new version is also really good (might even put it in the top 3 along with the chameleon and the original macaque!)

I've postponed writing a review on this for a while, despite it being one of my first scents, because I wanted to try other, similarly profiled, scents before making my complete judgment. Truly, this is a phenomenal scent, even if not particularly interesting or exciting. It's by far away my most complimented scent, with it earning me "*damn* Pete, is that *your* cologne?" and "woah, you smell like a breath of fresh air amid all these sweaty dance smells" both at a pride after-party. People are very vocal with compliments on this one. While I've fallen in love mostly with slightly unusual scents, this one I will keep returning to because of its brightness, dimensionality, and general "must sniff my wrist again"y-ness. My skin eats the yuzu top notes extraordinarily fast on this one, but I've found that if I spray it on a mesh undershirt, the whole scent lasts beautifully, and for such a long time. Even when I do wear it direct on skin, the heart notes and base notes that emerge in this scent are spicy, warm, and welcoming, as well as long lasting, and make me feel confident and comfortable, even in environments where I don't normally feel natural. Not sure if I'll be buying a full bottle of this just because it is missing that aspect of Unusual that I've mostly been drawn to, but I'll definitely invest in a travel sized at some point, and use this for times when I need a boost or should wear a more standard scent. 9.5/10 half point deduction for lack of weirdness

To this day I consider this the best citrus of my life (yet) and the best Zoologist I know. I spoke about it before here, but I only sampled it and decided not to buy it because of the price and performance of it, and I still stand by it - it's just this fits my taste so well I can kind of forget that it's expensive and performs like an EDC. I own the bottle now. The way it connects the sparkling, tart yuzu in the opening with the clean woody, hinoki, and incense aspects is marvelous. I can really see (maybe a trained, clean, groomed and domesticated) macaque jumping between the branches of a Japanese forest. It's airy, spacious, zesty, bright with a clean woody, somewhat creamy soapy, and cypress/hinoki aroma. I can see why the Macaque wears a robe as it's also clearly resinous, incense-y and somewhat medicinal. While it is a unisex, I think it suits me more than my wife. You can wear it anytime you want maybe except when it's cold as it might kill the already thin performance of it. And while it says extrait (25% concentration) I am very sorry to say it lasts about 6-7 hours on my skin with a moderate projection for the first hour, maybe two hours and then it becomes a skin scent. An outstanding, marvelous scent, but still. It is pricey, it doesn't perform as hard as I'd want it to but oh my god, how I love the way it smells.

Oh this is so NICE! It opens up with a bright, natural, tart yuzu, to quickly show the juniper gin-like note. Then it dries down a bit to that green cypres wood (hinoki) complimented by the incense-y myrrh and olibanum. The oak moss brings some additional earthy, bright woody freshness to the mix. The sandalwood is not very dominative here, or sevres more as a creamy, a bit soapy mixed with the citrus, base. There's maaaaybe a bit leathery feel from the labdanum, but this is a woody aromatic citrus, not a leathery fragrance. This is beautiful. It's deep, rich, mature, but I think it suits 25+. I can even say you can try wearing this to the office, as this projects moderately I don't think you'll offend many people 🙃. Maybe some. Unisex, but leans masculine, any season (except winter for technical reasons only - moderate projection, the cold will kill it). I'll consider buying a whole bottle if it goes beyond 7 hours on my skin @edit yeah unfortunately the yuzu, like a citrus, is gone in about 2h tops, and the rest of the perfume isn't that loud. I lasts about 5-6 hours on my skin and after 2 it becomes very moderate, almost a skin scent. As I'm not a collector, i buy to wear and finally wear out, it's a pass for me - for that niche price I can find something that lasts and is equally good.

Wow. What a classic fragrance. I've heard that it smells like monkeys frolicking around a Japanese temple - that imagery is spot on for me. The hinoki and yuzu come together into this delicious citrus-wood-soap smell that is perfectly clean. I really get a hyperrealistic citrus at the beginning, complete with the spray of the juice and the slight bitterness of the pulp, with woody incense underneath. It smells like an outdoor onsen to me, with light evergreen woodiness and hazy humidity. Not quite sauna-smelling, I don't get any cedar, but like lounging outside in a relaxing forested hot spring biting into a mandarin slice. While the citrus fades from prominence within about 20 minutes, it is still there within the hinoki and I can detect it for quite a while. I only have a sample for now, but I would love a full bottle. Extremely wearable and beautiful.

Zoologist Frag Review #1 - Yuzu Edition Macaque Type owned - full bottle rating - 4/5 challenge level - easy Macaque Yuzu ed. is a beautiful scent that transports me into a temple in the heart of a Japanese forest. The top notes of Yuzu, Berries, and Orange blend wonderfully when first sprayed. The initial scent is reminiscent as if you are sitting on the forest floor outside the temple, sitting among the primates as they eat the fruits. Then, you head back into the temple and the incense hits. When the dry down occurs, this scent is a beast of a woody/incense scent. The yuzu never leaves on my skin, and makes the incense even stronger and sweeter. The oak moss is subtle, but it is there and stops the incense from ever getting too strong. 4/5 For this scent, I want to wear it when I am fully relaxed on a hot day. It is definitely something special.

I've had Macaque Yuzu edition for over a year now, and the more I wear it, the more I like it. There are fresh coniferous undertones and a touch of soapy sandalwood combined with juicy citruses and mild incense. The yuzu not only adds a citrus note to the fragrance, but it also helps to balance the woody and green/aromatic chords. In addition, there is a faint amber undertone that adds depth. This perfume is spicy, harsh, stimulating, and calming all at once. After around 2-3 hours, the citrus fades into the background, while the incense becomes somewhat "sweeter", and the overall impression is of softness and calm. It feels like a serious perfume, very dry and austere, but (to me) it is gorgeous and incredibly classy. I really like it; I think it's very versatile, completely unisex and performs very well. It lasts the entire day on my skin.

I'll keep this one short: one of my favorite Zoologists, period. I'm a huge fan of incense and this is straight up temple incense (frankincense mostly) with a bit of freshness and fruitiness to top of it off and make it more accessible and less daunting to wear. This is fully wearable to me, from Spring to Fall (although not in high heat or humidity). I'm lucky get a good 6-7 hours from it (I've heard some get less sadly) but honestly I just reapply a few times, I just love this thing so much! That beautiful yuzu opening is addictive as heck. I get a nice woodiness in the late drydown too which I'm guessing might be hinoki with sandalwood. The apple version is great but the yuzu edition is definitely the best to me. If you're a fan of Heeley's Cardinal or Liquides Imaginaires's Sancti, this will be right up your alley.

Good heavens I love this so much I can hardy stand it! With that being said, I can understand why it's not for everyone. To my nose, the dominant notes are juniper berry, myrh, olibanum (frankincense), and labdanum. These are all among my all-time favorite accords, however they're not exactly popular ones. Upon reapplication, I also picked up something a little powdery that I didn't perceive the first time around (the previously mentioned notes being too loud at the time) that lends an air of cleanliness to it (not quite soapy, but neighboring it). It dries down to a piquant woody base that's almost a little too sharp for me, but as long as I don't try to bury my nose right next to the skin, I rather enjoy it's diffusion. This is a must buy for me!

I really like this a lot, though I wish it lasted a bit longer. It reminds me of Olibanum from Profumum Roma, which I also like and also wish lasted longer. I just received my order of nine samples of Zoologist perfumes and the four I've tried so far are really nice; read lots of reviews that spoke of how the company's products were interesting, but not super-wearable and so far I haven't found the unwearable comment accurate. Now, I must admit that the samples I got are all scents that have high scores on Fragrantica (about 3.95 or higher). This scent is refreshing, natural, airy, unobtrusive. I really like the dry-down, which on me is olibanum incense and something else aromatic that I can't quite identify. Very soothing.

Wow! Zoologist really know how to do incense! If you love the incense series by Comme des Garcons, then you will love Macaque Yuzu. The yuzu is prominent in the opening, but it fades during the dry down. The dry down is mostly olibanum and woody notes. This is in my top 4 favorites from the house of Zoologist. My other favorites are also incense--Moth, Cockatiel, and Bee (borderline incense). Macaque Yuzu could be a signature scent and worn all year in all settings. The woody incense is great for the winter, but there is a cooling green effect that can cut through the summer heat. Macaque Yuzu is not as original as other Zoologist offerings, but it fits the theme and smells so good!

Ooh, this one is really pretty special! A blend of actually really pretty strong notes in their own right.. citrus.. green.. pines and sandalwood.. the smokeyness of oriental.. but they absolutely come alive together to become this vibrant, joyous fragrance! I can pick out most of the notes, I don't find any one of them particularly overbearing, it lasts for absolutely ages on me, and although I would say this leans a bit masculine, I do wear it .. and feel just amazing tbh. It is absolutely a 'marmite' scent (you'll love it or hate) and it is a proper high end price point, so I'd sample first, regardless.. but I really recommend that you do, it is wonderful!

When I sprayed my sample of Macaque on some tissue to smell it, it was an extremely generic slightly masculine citrus scent. Nice, but nothing special. I wasn't super enthused, especially because citrus scents smell nice on testers but don't tend to play well with my body chemistry. However, when I tried it on it was like a completely different scent on me. Not very citrus-y, but with a lot of aromatic depth. It starts out fresh, and dries down into something a little bit woody. I don't get a lot of incense, but maybe it just blends so well with the other notes that it's impossible to pick out. This and Koala are my current favorites from the Zoologist line!

Wow! I really like this. I never smelled the original Macaque, but this Yuzu edition is very good. On my skin it is very dry, resinous, and woody with a certain sour note (Yuzu at the beginning, and maybe the Hinoki moss after that). The dry down is long lasting, and while not really a skin scent on me, it is like a small bubble around you. Macaque Yuzu edition is clean (NOT soapy) and very masculine. This is definitely an office friendly scent. I see this perfume more for daywear and good for spring, summer and fall. Edit: Wearing Macaque Yuzu Edition on a coldish winter day (Jan 28 2022), and this is sublime. Just beautiful. Nicely done, Zoologist.

A very bright, but warm, fresh but earthy frag that is very hinoki forward. It's delightful. I agree with other reviews, it seems that Zoologist is moving towards a more marketable, easily accessible fragrance profile for better or worse. I think this is unique enough that it threads the line between too unique/niche and more mainstream in a way that will keep the die hard fans and bring in new people. I, for one, love it. I think it's beautiful, light, refreshing, and perfect for summer/early fall. Unisex mostly, but probably leans masc for most people. 8/10

This is so good! So much better than the previous version. It's very comforting, sweet, and woody. It's actually one of my favorite zoologist fragrances now (and I've sampled them all, previous version was one of the worst from zoologist portfolio) - one that can easily be a daily wearer without compromising on its unique complexity and character. Make sure to give it a try next time you order Zoologist samples, even if you already tried Macaque and hated it before.

The opening is very citrusy and aromatic, and almost immediately you get the wood notes that tie it all together. Upon the dry down, the sandalwood does kind of take over, but overall, it’s a wonderful marriage of scents. There’s something almost spiritual about this scent, and again, the writing that came with the sample painted a beautiful picture of a family of monkeys living alongside a monastery, and I feel as if it captures the scent perfectly. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Solid 10/10 I hate that I liked it at the first spritz. On my skin it's a nice herbal and then I recognize it, that sweetness from Sade by ELDO, the sweet labdanum. Unlike some of the other Zoologist scents, this one doesn't really have that animal undertone (to me), but it lingers with an earthy, fresh tone. It makes me feel clean, yet like I've sweated just enough to get through the day. I love it. Can't wait to test it again.