r/FragranceStories

I have been torn for a while between these 2 of which one to keep.

I like the edt for it's beautiful linear green fig leaf aspects, but can make me nauseous if I go heavy on it . Then, there is La Riserva.. Green but in a softer way, less sharp, lasts a smidge longer(barely?). I'd say it's the more wearable of the two, but fades away in a more lean back sort of way. Only the drydown is a bit meh.. I'm basically on the second day of wearing one on each wrist

I've been looking for a rice dominant perfume but not a gourmandish rice. More of a starchy, powdery, papery rice.

Taipei by One Day came up as one of the top recommendations for rice besides D'annam. I wasn't keen on D'annam so I bought Taipei.

Taipei opens with gorgeous starchy rice. It's not sugary sweet, it's just right. After 30 mins it gets sweeter, the starchiness recedes and it becomes rice with warm sweet condensed milk. It smells very much like kheer (rice pudding).

The longevity is damn good, I get approximately 10 hours on skin. Projection is good for the initial 30 mins, after that it stays close to the skin but I get whiffs through the day when I move my wrist closer to my face.

Overall it's a well made qualitative perfume, unfortunately it's gourmand and just not my type.

Grey Vetiver Edp is an overall day to day driver as its pleasing, cooling and moreover a Vetiver that's fresh, greeny and woody to core.

Opens up with bitter citruses that's a little sour. The initial touch on skin is a slight icy but soon vanishes reminding me of Vetiver aspects which is dry, grassy, earthy. It remains the same throughout and I feel the spiciness is not overly too. Overall the combination of Grapefruit, sage, Vetiver, oakmoss does make this fresh, greeny. The sillage is moderate for first 20-30mins and then settles on skin for 5-6.5hours with 10 sprays. A complete office friendly and masculine! Overall feels confident and comforting.

Toucan feels like a crowd pleaser and yet it's quite unique. It doesn't evolve or flip as contrastingly as other Zoologist perfumes while transitioning from the opening to the drydown.

Toucan opens fruity but not the typical girly fruitiness that I'm familiar with (strawberries, pear, peach). This one opens with papaya. The papaya isn't overripe but it definitely smells tropical. There's some citrus that keeps any candied sweetness at bay and lends it an airiness.

Unlike the other Zoologist perfumes I have, Toucan's opening passes soon. It transitions and dries down to the smell of beachy skin, soaking in the sun with sunscreen lotion slathered on it. It's warm, has some saltiness as if I've taken a dip in the sea, and feels creamy like a banana flavoured lotion.

It's not loud but I also don't think this is something I'd wear to work. This one is definitely going to be something I wear on weekends or vacations.