Civet

A rich, warm scent that envelopes you in amoky incense, dry orange, indolic flowers and soft leather. The spices are unspecified but they're definetly on the warm side - cinnamon and perhaps some anis, though I don't really get the coffee. It is unfortunate but I am realising that I might just not like civet forward perfumes when they're mixed with too much vanilla. The civet naturally adds an animalic funk that I do enjoy... when it isn't mixed with a cloyingly sweet vanilla. It just doesn't work for me. (same reason I disliked Poudrextase) After a few hours the civet becomes the most prominent among the notes that remain which is a small mercy.

Spicy, musky, warm, sweet. Like snuggling a clean, warm animal by the hearth in winter. Old Christmas, from another century... like 1800s Christmas in a German cottage. Mulled wine with cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, the citrus peel in the pot. The animalic is NOT feral or funky at all. It's sweet and housebroken. The overall feeling is cozy, edible comfort. Sillage is large and enveloping. I did 4 sprays of a small decant and immediately realized that was more than enough. Luckily, it's not an bad cloud to be in. It also lasts very long. I put it on around 10 am, and by 4pm I was still catching whiffs. The dry down is very comforting.

Civet! A vintage inspired, modernist take on a fruity chypre. Yes I know I just contradicted myself, I couldn’t tell which way in decades this scent could take me. It’s unlike anything I’ve smelled with animalistic accords. It opens with a super bright citrus, then out comes the florals, until drying down into this seductive warm, and leathery accord. Someone commented down below to be careful how much of this you spray to control the animal notes, I sprayed religiously then rolled around on my bed in complete bliss, smelling myself and reaching some state of nirvana here.

I finally got my bottle 🖤

Feminine leaning, delicious creation, elegant, classy, timeless but modern. Love this one ! Vintage feeling powdery beauty with a touch of animalic modernity. A sensual charming potion, absolutely wearable. Beautiful creation! Even tho it's dense , it's more feminine and classy then ever expected on me. Gorgeous ! it's absolutely beautiful, this is what i immagine old cinema divas to smell like, while getting ready backstage. In a mix cloud of perfume, hair products, red lipstick, pearls, fur, clothes, leather heels, cigarettes ( not that it smells like any of those ) hair brushes in ivory and carved, black and white photos on the walls, and masks and feathers. A slightly imperceptible hint of sweat from performing, and pure feminine seduction. With a ton of flowers from fans , love poems and trinkets. Careful the animalic side comes out after a while...

Is there such thing as a guilty pleasure perfume? If so, zoologists civet is it. I love the old-school vintage floral character that civet has. There’s also something undeniably sour and tart about this perfume. It’s odd, and it works wonderfully. All of the notes seem carefully placed together so that nothing is sharp and everything flows well. I will need to buy a bottle soon

i remember what this reminds me of! mitsuoko edp, the current version! it s a beautiful scent, if you can live through the heavy opening. it simply blooms into some fruity florals. it sparkles!!! the eponymous opening note gives civet depth and character. as i already have mitsy and it s great for cold, rainy or moody days, owning civet is redundant for me. but i do admire its craftsmanship 👏👏👏 god, it reminds me of grandmas house😌 ✨

This is a simple and beautiful perfume. After smelling this I still am not sure what Civet smells like however; I've tried a few civet based perfumes and maybe I can describe it, but I'm still not sure. The main notes i am picking up in this are just very resonous ambers followed by a touch of florals and slight incense. I keep reading that people smell poop or piss, but I have never gotten that with perfumes that contain Civet, and especially not this one. It does keep evolving however as I'm smelling it, slightly transforming into an almost coffee scent accompanied by the resins? I'm not sure, maybe I'm being persuaded by the extensive note list. Either way, I love this and I would even say this is one of the best ambers I've ever smelt.

Its like sweet. Really sticks to everything made me a little nausious.

my husband put this on just for giggles because i told him how stinky the civet note is in perfumery and whew, it suits him beautifully😮💨 it s old school french perfume with a modern twist, cant explain it, im not versed enough in perfumery. be patient with it. it s melancholic and powerful

incredibly pungent and animalic. not for me.

One of the most beautiful interpretations of a civet note out there, period. It's modern but vintage, powerful, sweet. Amazing, if you can find it that is.

i was terrified of the civet note, but i actually really like this frag, yippee! definitely spicy masculine with a hint of animal, but a nice animal that you'd want to pet. i asked my boyfriend to wear it

Imagine a coffee shop run by raccoons. I want to go to there.

This one is so fu***** masterly well blended, creativity is high and how much sophistication can you count a level? this takes the maximum. Animalic smell in floral and incense, amber mostly winter time and cold weather, it gives you a vibe of a vintage palace in front of a bonfire with fur in a very beautiful way.. strange warm not sweet but delicate. I like this one very much.. Longevity stays a lot of time sillage is very good, some might find it powerful so don’t spray much.. i say you should sample it first of course. 9/10

Industrial Window Cleaner. Evernyl chemical bomb. Panda had a nice sour/animalic civet note. I dont get any civet from this.

I get a lot of orange with this one. But like a warm spicy orange instead of a bright juicy orange. The "spice" feels pretty undefined and hard to pin down and blends seamlessly with the woodsy and animalistic elements. Fairly resinous but it's not overpowering the fragrance. Its a soft and deep scent once it dries down. Like something simple/classic made complex and interesting.

Modern take on a vintage chypre. Wow, this is good and damn complex. So let's start to take a look on what is going on here. First of all it is a chypre, a reinterpretation of a vintage one, built around a central big amber accord which is made with the usual suspects (vanillin, benzoin, labdanum ecc...) plus more resins, opoponax and incense (I suspect some cipriol to be present, but who knows, it is not in the notes, but there is something woody-spicey-leathery and undefinied going on). This accord is noticeable in every stage of the developement (and the fragrance develops A LOT) with different intensity. Around this amber a lot of things go on during the life of the fragrance; opening on my skin is spicey, I can pinpoint pepper, clove and nutmeg, but probably there are more spices, they are pushed out by the animalic of the sinthetic civet, which is not pungent at all, no ammonia here or pissy component, more a warm dense animalic thing. My skin tends to kill citrus sometimes and on me it is barely detectable, but on paper and on other people it is definetly there to join the spices. During the development it can turn powdery and flowery (but not the usual powdery flowers, no iris, no orris root, no violet) with hints of yellow flowers and heliotrope. Then we have the coffe note. I'm impressed how this note is not acid at all, wery well made (no idea how kopi luwak smells) and very tematic with the civet, but I have to admit that it turns stronger on certain skins and it is less prominent on others (please test before buy if you are intrigued by the coffee here). A lot of other things come and go in the first six hours, notes play togheter in a masterful blend that is both vintage and modern, sophisticated and quite opulent. This is not something that passes unnoticed, the sillage is quite big and the smell is so present that takes the scene. After the the six hours mark the development stops and the fragrance dries down in an animalic musk, slightly powdery and mossy, which is surprisingly conforting and relaxing, yes, there is something sensual and animalic in it, but it is never offputting, forget the civet raw material, it is not directly associable with it (if you are looking for that super strong, sharp, pissy, assaulting smell you won't find it here). This musk lasts forever, like you will smell it as skin scent after 48 hours and a couple of showers probably. I could go on, but this is becoming too long, to summarize this perfume is very good and goes BIG, so big that its wearability is problematic, I can image to go for it on a romantic and sophisticate date, or a formal theater night, but never on a random day and never at the restaurant, so even if I like it a lot it's not full bottle material for me. Maybe a 10 ml for special occasions. Price is high but ok for such deep and rich fragrance.

Reminds me of being backstage at a performing arts center. Sweet paint and varnish and polish. Nostalgic and pleasant. A bit rich for my blood, but would fit well on an elegant socialite.

On my skin, Civet is an ambery, balsamic and woody scent. Notes i get are plum and dried fruits at the heart, amber, balsam, woods, myrrh, benzoin and the slightest amount of civet in the base. This is a combination of Osang by Menditorossa and Smoking Hot by Killian. Somehow, the civet note make it quite light and thus a touch awkward, perhaps adding tonka bean to ground it would round it out nicely, but with its lighter nature im sure it would project more. As it dries down however, it does get thicker and the balsamic quality leans sweet like vanilla, amazing. 9 hours in i start to get some dusty peppery notes. Scent: 9 Longevity: 10+ hrs Projection: 9 Versatility: 6 Originality: 7 Wearability: 10 Overall: 9 Rec Sprays: 4-6

A really sweet take on the wall-of-sound, fruity chypre archetype. The spice and floral bouquets are well composed and nicely rounded, but the animalics are quite subdued. I enjoy it, but it's missing the edge I'm looking for in that specific scent profile. Overall, it feels a bit out of place; it's too much of a recreation of mid 20th century perfumery with very few modern twists. Makes it hard to wear without a constant association with the classics. If that vibe suits you then truly this is a terrific scent.

smells like a groundhog just brewed me a hot cup of coffee in a old underground tavern

Beneath The Feline Crown “I desire the things which will destroy me in the end.” — Sylvia Plath Civet (Extrait de Parfum, 2017; created by Shelley Waddington) does not announce itself politely. It arrives fully formed, already alive on the skin, refusing analysis and daring you instead to feel. This is not a fragrance that yields to neat note-by-note dissection; its complexity resists taxonomy. What it offers instead is emotion, texture, and poise. From the first inhalation, the animalic presence is unmistakable — dark yet radiant, vintage yet uncannily modern. For the first fleeting minutes, it sparkles with an aldehydic lift that feels almost champagne-bright, refracting light through shadow. It is antiquated without ever tipping into nostalgia, and emphatically not “grandmotherly.” The civet here is apricot-tinted, sugared, almost plush — animalic but refined, feline rather than feral. Think fur warmed by the sun rather than a stable at dawn. There is a purr beneath the composition, sensual and controlled, and behind that animal grace lies something unmistakably opulent: gold leaf, polished mirrors, powdered skin. The apricot note glows, dusted in aldehydes and civet, its sweetness restrained and civilised, never juvenile. As Civet moves into its heart, the animalics bloom fully and then soften, folding themselves into a richly musky amber. The abstract fruit remains, but only as a translucent veil — diaphanous, sugared, lacquered with civet to such an extent that even those wary of fruit in perfumery may find themselves disarmed. Musk takes centre stage here, but not the sterile white musk of modern cleanliness; this is vintage musk, plush and corporeal, carrying the suggestion of skin rather than soap. Floral facets emerge — powdery, beautifully integrated — never floral themes so much as textures, reinforcing the civet rather than competing with it. There is something imperial in the bearing of this perfume: regal, potent, unyielding. It wears its authority effortlessly. If one were to imagine Queen Victoria not as history has embalmed her, but as a woman of flesh, power, and audacious appetite, Civet might well be her scent. A thread of dark, incense-laden black musk runs through the heart, lending a smoky gravity that counterbalances the sparkle, grounding the feline grace in something solemn and ceremonial. The dry-down tells a quieter, more intimate story. The brightness recedes, leaving warmth, musk, and the suggestion of skin after exertion — sweaty sheets, bodies at rest, the aftermath rather than the act itself. It is a little dirty, unapologetically human, and deeply comforting in its honesty. Civet is one of those rare creations that earns its comparisons. It is no surprise that some reviewers invoke Chanel No. 5 in its earliest incarnations — not as imitation, but as kin. Like those early aldehydic animalics, Civet feels both monumental and intimate, structured yet alive. As with most Zoologist creations, it is completely unisex, its power indifferent to gender. Performance is exemplary: long-lasting, assertive without vulgarity, leaving a beautiful and unmistakable sillage. At around €250, this is not an impulse purchase — but it is a statement. Do not let the name frighten you. Wear it before you judge it. Civet is not a provocation for shock’s sake; it is a masterpiece of balance, sensuality, and intent. I am, admittedly, already contemplating the bottle. Civet now — wallet later.

Civet by Zoologist was part of my first Zoologist sample bundle from 2020 and it was probably my favorite after the first round of sampling. Here is what it smells like to me. Take a traditional, spicy chypre, like Rochas Femme, and blend it 50:50 with tropical florals and then blend that again with butter. I'm not getting a solar, salty, or coconut note typically found in tropical florals, but a bouquet of thick, rich buttery, almost lotion-y florals on top of the aromatic, mossy chypre. Rochas Femme leans much more savory and "masculine" than Civet and isn't as complex. Civet has so much going on in it--I just love to inhale and explore the layers. The coffee note is so well-blended with the other notes and I'm not getting anything poopy, which is what I was expecting. I really need to pick up a travel size of Civet. I don't think that I would reach for it often, but it is so good that I need it in my collection. It has a signature sent vibe to it, but on me it feels very fancy and formal. Also, to me, this smells nothing like Bal à Versailles. Victor--please hire Shelley Waddington again

Beautiful, luxurious, fantastic, etc. What more can I say? This is such a great scent. There’s something deeply nostalgic about this, it’s like a refined old lady’s vanity, laden with vintage makeup and fancy perfumes given to her throughout the years. This might be my favorite zoologist fragrance. In terms of longevity, sillage, and even the way it clings to my skin. This is a smell that exudes confidence, and I loved wearing and embodying it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

one spray is all u need… possibilities (a la dua lipa lol)

You can control its animalic character by applying lightly. It smells warm, elegant, and softly musky, with a refined civet touch that feels intimate rather than dirty. A beautiful balance between classic sophistication and sensual warmth, but still not a safe blind buy.

I am not going to go note by note here as it's just a big thing. Powerful, and impressive. On me, thankfully no pissiness. Score one for my skin oil makeup. Nice to get some variety of genetic win. This is a floral, at its heart, but it is the warmest most grounded floral I've experienced. Nice and spicy too. It isn't cozy though, because it's pretty big. Go easy on the juice to try and wrangle this beast. May have caused a slight headache with 3 sample spritzes total. Have I experienced stronger, yes, but this is no slouch. So if you want a very rich, deep, and spicy floral - this is a great one to try out.

Awhile back I bought a sample of Civet expecting it to be really animalic give the Zoologist reputation and my Tyrannosaurus Rex sample. It is not that animalic. I wish it was. How would I create such a version? Top: Kaffir Lime, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange,Basil,Black Pepper ,Tarragon Middle: Tuberose,Carnation,Cloves Myrrh,Civet ,Coffee, Vanilla Absolute, Ylang-Ylang, Base: Oakmoss, Civet, Patchouli, Incense, Deer Musk,Benzoin,Labdanum,Russian Leather, Vetiver Maybe Zoologist can do an Extrait Civet version. Note that I put Civet in two places. This is to denote a higher concentration overall.

So I decided to play the most dangerous game. I made a blind box and filled with it Zoologist samples. Loving that house, the creativity and effort that goes into everything, and knowing what a wild ride the samples I've tried before have been, I thought, we'll play a fun little game. Every day my partner and I will alternate blindly choosing one and that's what we have to wear for the day. Well.... Today was my first day to choose. What was in the box today? To quote Dune: pain. Pain was in the box today. My first day to pick and I draw Civet. Now, on my partner this smells lovely! Spicy, warm, bergamot, light florals. On me - PISS. LITERALLY PISS AND SPICE. I am gagging, my dog is rolling on the floor where I was, trying to soak up the smells, he's in love. Why did I play this game?!? I'm still going to play tomorrow.