Penguin

Miami Airpot smell

Smells old somehow. Like old carpet. Maybe a lil synthetic, like plastic or the mall. Smells like a store. Like an old one, maybe with some orange. Or cologne. Interesting. Evocative. Intriguing. Like a place I'd be tempted to explore. It's just so interesting. I can't help but smile when I smell it because it's weird that they made this 😆 It's not a 'friendly' scent. Somewhat foreboding. I agree with the person who said it smells like an absent father. It reminds me of a building where my dad used to work when I was a kid. Smells somewhat masculine and leathery on my skin. The more I smell it, the more I like it. The smell really sticks, and it's very long-lasting. I can catch whiffs of it in the room where I originally sprayed it, days later. Sometimes when I'm out, I catch fleeting smells that remind me of it. Very unique, memorable scent. But somehow also smells like men's cologne.

if you can survive the harsh opening (I thought it smelled like windex), the dry down rewards you with a minty, cedar wood, leather scent. this would do well on someone more masculine. lasts 8+ hours.

I have some extensive wear experience with this one (and most of the Zoologist catalog; minus some of the discontinued ones in the older bottle design). I have purchased 2 samples and a 10 ml travel atomizer of Penguin from the brand website. I have worn it to the office, gym, at the track, on hikes in the woods, to museums, zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums. Extensive indoor and outdoor wear. This and OG Koala are the most versatile; masculine leaning, fragrances in their entire catalog. Strongly considering a full bottle. Wear experience is amazing. Strong projection for 2-3 hours, moderate sillage for another 2, nice moss, sandalwood, and musk dry down for 4 ish hours. Total wear time: 7-8 hours if active and sweaty, 8-10 hours if indoors or moderate gym wear. I have worn it in all seasons. It shines in deep cold; however, the cooling facets also lends itself to hard active/sporting activities anytime from early autumn through late spring. I wouldn't wear it in extreme humidity or 92+ degree Fahrenheit heat as some of the notes become cloying vs cooling. Enough with the technicalities. I know Zoologist heads like narrative and color. I truly adore Penguin. It projects an aura of cool confidence; with a large side of calm reflection and introspection. The penguin in what i presume to be light house keeper attire on the marketing and bottle art truly encapsulates the feeling it envokes. The bracing opening is incredibly cooling and oddly dry; like a local high pressure weather event is pushing the rain away. Though you can detect a blizzard or hurricane on the horizon. It evokes a cooling sensation akin to menthol (spearmint or wintergreen) without being minty. The juniper, pink pepper, and cistus, along with a creative selection of what i presume to be some amazing synthetics ("ozonic and icy air accords") really cause this cooling sensation to project amazingly for several hours. It is amazingly cooling, as others have mentioned, physically cooling. Almost medicinal like "icy hot" ointment without any "hot." The shift to the middle stages of the scent are gradual, you do not actively notice as the top notes drop off. This is a sign of amazing craftsmanship and blending. The fragrance gradually shifts to more marine and wooly notes around 4 hours with a sizable dose of earthy petrichor. The storm i mentioned previously is rolling in. The lighthouse keeper is putting on his wool over coat and scarf. Preparing to bundle in for the storm. The saffron and cistus are shining, transitioning into a wooly soft, time worn suede. The Leather here is very smooth. One of the most natural smelling suede accords i have encountered. I have an extreme sensitivity to Leather accords so while many others claim there is no leather here, i disagree completely. The final dry down is soft and plush, warm musks, suede, i presume a good dose of cashmeran, moss and sandalwood. Having done his duty the ligh house keeper prepares for a tenuous rest. Neither warm, nor comfortable, but cozy nonetheless. This fragrance links to a specific memory for me. It is the middle of August in Florida. Year is 1992. I am a latch key kid with a single father. I have been playing outside with my neighborhood cronies for hours. It started hot but gradually became more over cast. We continue to play oblivious to the electric tension in the air as the smell of hot earth transitions to the smell of petrichor on the air. We continue to play as the drizzle and slight breeze shifts to a downpour and gale. I run home still hot and sweaty but also actually wet. I blast the AC knowing i will be yelled at later for touching the thermostat. I shower and sit in my room wondering wear my dad is. I steal some of his cooling shave balm (also not caring that i may get into trouble for going into the no-no land of the parental bedroom) and continue to wait. The storm is really coming down now and the sun is setting. I wrap myself in a blanket and sit in his leather recliner as i fall into a stressful slumber. The radio playing storm warnings. Hurricane Andrew has hit the Florida coast. Not wanting to sleep but being exhausted from playing. Wanting to call his job but not wanting him to get into trouble. As i doze i awaken to the sound of keys. Dad is home. Baby Penguin and the Emperor are both safe. Overall rating from me 9.2/10

ozonic leathery slightly chilled metallic opening. smells like middle of cold winter wearing a thick leather jacket and russian ushanka, opening and getting into a new car with leather seats. suede in the winter. refrigerator. faint green aromatics. in other words, smells like a penguin in the Antarctica.

A wearable Zoologist fragrance. I am always on the hunt for an icy cool scent. This leans a little more oceanic at times than purely ozonic. Lovely fragrance and love the packaging. It softens on the drydown and is refreshing.

Opening smells like bubble soap from those plastic cup and sticks you'd blow bubbles from. Definitely one I need to revisit. Not versatile, but very unique - gave me some childhood memories :) 7.5/10

First impression (on skin): Fresh, airy, slightly sweet, salty, clean, crisp, a little peppery, musky, woody, cold, a little aquatic, synthetic, sterile, chemical, cologne, masculine-leaning. This didn't wow me to be honest. It's a very fresh, airy and crisp fragrance. In the opening I can mostly pick up the refreshing, slight sweetness of juniperberry, which I do have a weak spot for, but unfortunately, it did come across as too synthetic and a bit chemical for my tastes. Like a cleaning product or cologne. In particular, it reminded me a bit of floor cleaner..? I feel like if I smelled this blindly, I would assume it's a generic men's body wash or deodorant. I noticed some people described it as being like a freshly cleaned aquatic exhibit, and I suppose I could agree with that, in a way. However, I will give it praise for being true to its word about being ‘feeling cold.’ It does an incredible job of managing to make you feel like a chilled, fresh blast of air is hitting you during its wear. This is probably the first perfume I have ever tried that was able to make me feel a physical sensation from smell alone, which was a fun experience. It isn't animalic, like you might typically expect from Zoologist. It's got a slight muskiness to it, but it's clean rather than dirty or gritty. Personally, it didn't evoke imagery of penguins, or a realistic winter landscape. It's just a cool and refreshing, masculine cologne. I'm leaning towards this being a winter and early spring perfume, but the cooling effect might be fitting for summer as well, making it quite versatile. I'll have to try it on again next summer to test that out. On my skin, it had an intimate projection and weak sillage, I needed about 3 sprays to really smell it. After about 7-8 hours when it softened, I could mostly smell the creamy sandalwood left behind, though during its entire wear some notes were missed on me, like suede and seamoss. It did perform longer on my clothes though, and I was able to smell it on my sleeve after a whole day. Overall, It's fairly pleasant and wearable, but didn't quite live up to what I expected from Zoologist. I think there's better options from this scent house to choose from. While I'm not a fan of the actual scent itself, I have to give it props for giving me an interesting experience. OVERALL RATING: 2.5/5 RECOMMENDATION: Sample first Location tested: Forearm, sleeve. Would I purchase a full bottle?: No.

Imagine a penguin chewing a piece of mint gum when the flavor is almost gone. That’s basically what this smells like. It’s a very, very subtle fragrance. On my skin, it’s barely there. Completely different from every other Zoologist I’ve tried. Maybe with 20 sprays or more of the bottle it would come alive a bit more, but unfortunately my sample didn’t have enough juice for that experiment.

It smells like antartica air. I don't know how to explain this otherwise. It is not a strong fragrance and def not suitable for winter imo. Its job is trying to make u feel like a penguin and it does it pretty good !

this smells like menthol cigarettes and an absent dad. i don't think i'll be buying a full bottle but this would be an interesting scent for a first date, as a warning of your lack of emotional availability. kinda sexy tbh

It smells like the limescale remover from domestos. BUT I still think it's good, especially for man in summer heat. Cooling and refreshing

I do like this, very much so an icy metallic fragrance with a suede dry down. It has good longevity for a fresh fragrance. Leans masculine rather than I feel snowy owl leans feminine. This will not be a full bottle bad glad I tried this :)

Had no idea I would love it that much. Hairspray, plastic, car scent, bleach, chlorinated water in a pool. There's something so nostalgic, so comforting about it. Smells like 2000s. Maybe it feels comforting for me, as I used to work in a lab. But there's something about home too. Feels like having an emotionally distant parent and yearning for their attention while being locked in a mall/hospital. Genuinely makes me cry for some reason.

In the middle of a heatwave, I was hoping that this fragrance could invoke the icy chill of cold arctic air for me, or at least something that would feel refreshing. Unfortunately instead of the fog itsself, I get the figurative smoke machine - machinations that are meant to induce ice, clumsily strewn together, not amounting to more than a sum of their parts. I dont see how people get animalic from this, it's menthol chewing gum. Creamy sandalwood losing the fight against strong peppery menthol with hints of juniper berry as a hapless bystander. Sometimes I get whiffs from this that do genuinely feel the way theyre likely intended to but when I hold my nose right up to it, this sensation quickly fades again. Will update once I get the chanc to try this in cooler weather.

This is probably by far the most unique cologne in my collection. Story time. When I was younger, I had a negative reaction to allergy shots and went into anaphylactic shock. I went unconscious and had cpr and all that jazz done to keep me alive. I ended up having to staying overnight in the icu to make sure nothing would happen. Well....This cologne brings me straight back to that time. Theres this icy sterileness to the opening that is reminiscent of sitting in the hospital bed under the ac unit getting pumped full of cold liquid benadryl into the iv. It doesnt stay cold though. As it warms it brings a very sharp suede and juniper like you just opened a bottle of good gin while sitting on an expensive leather couch. The moss adds a dampness that kinda rounds everything out with the musk/sandalwood adding additional support. I Genuinely love this fragrance. No other bottle has brought that level of imagery. Its a very subjective smell and id highly recommend you get a sample to try this. 9.9/10 for smell. 9/10 for projection and longevity. Easily can fill a room if over sprayed. Lasts 8-9 hours. 7/10 for price. It is a niche house so you kinda expect it.

Zoologist Penguin smells like a place I remember from childhood, although I still can’t identify the exact memory. It brings to mind a zoo, aquarium, or science-center exhibit from the 1990s: cool air, chlorinated water, squeaky clean tile floors, distant echoes of adults, and educational laminated signs along the walls. There is something aquatic and slightly mineral about it, but the strongest impression is emotional rather than literal. It feels safe, healthy, clean, and reminiscent, the feeling of being taken somewhere. It does not smell like a realistic penguin enclosure, It smells like the atmosphere surrounding one: an exhibit pumped with chilled indoor air, filtered water system in a small closet nearby, clean white tile floors, and that faint institutional cleanliness found in aquariums and indoor pools. I don't know what is more impressive; how those educational places had a way of emulating an authentic experience, or how Zoologist was able to capture and bottle this essence. To me, this is what fragrance is all about, smelling something and envoking powerful emotion, the ability to be transported somewhere else without words. Bravo.

This smells good, it's masculine leaning. It's animalic and fresh at the same time. I think my husband will like this one.

I don't know how they did it, but they somehow managed to bottle antarctic air. I like this one a lot.

I really wish I could like this one, but the opening is way too synthetic for me. It smells like strong cleaner that is headache inducing to my nostrils. However, the drydown turns it into a pretty nice cold smelling scent, if that makes sense. I was worried that the amount of fantasy accords/notes would turn this synthetic, I was not wrong. Definitely sample/test on skin before you buy as zoologist has some challenging fragrances.

An icy cold, masculine-leaning fragrance. Some very realistic ice/snow accords as top notes. I do get a somewhat "synthetic" smell close to the skin, but it doesn't seem to hang about in the air. Non-offensive, unlike some other Zoologist fragrances I have tried.

No this does not smell fake or plastic at all. The little hint of musk really contributed to the animality. It's really cool but not repellant like Megamare, which this actually resembles.

Smells like the freezer chest in the basement needs to be cleaned out again.

i do not have a ton to say about this one. i definitely got hints of cold and ice, but i am not entirely convinced i was not projecting that onto the fragrance because i knew i was wearing penguin. if i had smelled this blind, i do not know that "frozen landscape" would have been where my mind went at all. honestly, i think i would have guessed it was some off-brand "cool wave" body wash or a walmart cologne. and i do not necessarily mean that as an insult. it is pleasant enough! clean, fresh, and easy to wear. i was just expecting a bit more from it. there is nuance there if you sit with it, and i do not want to rag on it too much because i do not think it is a bad fragrance by any means. it simply did not surprise me in the way i was hoping it would. i will say that this one leans masculine to me. not aggressively so, but enough that it shaped the way i experienced it. overall, it is okay. pleasant, wearable, and perfectly nice. i just wanted a little more magic from a fragrance called penguin. maybe it just didn't agree with me!

Okay this actually does smell so cold, that’s so impressive lol. It smells like the ice rink I skated at as a kid, but like also the lockers and ice skates because of the metallic/leathery smell. As far as wearability goes I would say yes but it’s very masculine.

i hate it i'd never wear it, but respect for actually smelling like a penguin (i think)

Someone said this smells like ice cold metal & I couldn’t agree more! This fragrance reminds me of a train. Standing outside in the winter, its already dark, the train screeches to a stop in front of me. I am now suffocating due to the train fumes. It is very leathery tho, smells like the seats in said train. I also get some sort of rubber or plastic. Very industrial & earthy at the same time. This is a fragrance that definitely punches you in the face and SLIGHTLY softens out as it drys down. I will say tho, I love the smell that it left in its packaging that it came in, I just wish it wasn’t so intense, I can handle 1/20 of the intensity. Over all very interesting fragrance.

This has such interesting and unique notes, so while I really enjoy it if you’re not a fan of these notes, I can see this not being for everyone. I’m a big fan of pretty much every note listed in this, I love ozonic notes, I like the pink pepper and the moss and sandalwood. And I LOVE juniper. If you don’t like juniper, this is definitely not for you, it’s very junipery. It also does somehow smell cold! How do they make it smell cold! I don’t know but I love it. I love that this perfume evokes a cold, frozen landscape, but isn’t like Christmas-y. It does not smell like a Christmas tree (as much as I do enjoy a balsam and fir scent) so I think it actually can be worn year round which I appreciate. Even in spring and summer I feel like I could wear this because it feels more crisp, fresh and cool, rather than being just a winter holiday type of scent. Overall this fragrance really does have a unique and refreshing vibe, and I actually enjoy it a lot.

okay i bought this as a gift for a guy and while i would not PERSONALLY wear it this fragrance is SO GOOD. very masculine verryy sexy imo! i think the leather and juniper work so wonderfully together, very deep, it almost smells like an expensive brand new car; the ozonic notes give it a fresh and clean smell and while i dont personally get alot of coldness like many other reviewers i can definitely understand where its coming from. this is a very dark cologney scent which is why im so surprised that i like this fragrance as much as i do! its got a veryy good patchouli smell to it that isnt obnoxious but still obvious, and instead of the leather notes being overwhelmingly synthetic i find them to be pure, for lack of a better word. overall i think penguin is a solid 8/10, i would not wear it but i would drool over someone if i smelled it on them. smells like going on a late night date with a light drizzle that ends as soon as you sit down to watch the stars

Smells ozonic plus cheap deodorant