ZARKOPERFUME Brand Review

ZARKOPERFUME Review

ZARKOPERUME is an under-the-radar niche fragrance brand that you’re going to want to discover if you haven’t already had the pleasure. The brainchild of Zarko Ahlmann Pavlov – Denmark’s only practising perfumer – the brand brings together the art of French perfumery and Nordic molecular science to create a body of fragrances that encapsulate Scandinavia.

A Quick Glance At ZARKOPERFUME Fragrances…

ZARKOPERFUME Buddha-Wood: Buddha-Wood is the one for you if you love soft, comforting woody aromas. It’s sensual and surprisingly sweet. It blends the exotic woodiness of buddha wood with the smooth creaminess of sandalwood with soft cashmere wood, wrapped in a gently caressing blanket of musk.

ZARKOPERFUME e’L: e’L starts off with sweet, fruity pomegranate, which is softened by delicate white florals that aren’t remotely head or intoxicating. e’L then unveils fresh greenery with palette-cleansing green tea, lifted by fresh and airy ozones before softly sensual musk and blond wood warm their way to the surface.

ZARKOPERFUME Inception: Familiar with Christopher Nolan’s Inception? This is that film in fragrance form. Imagine yourself as Leonardo DiCaprio experiencing multiple layers of the dreamworld as you travel through not four, not five, but six key phases: ozones, citrus, florals, spices, greens and woods.

ZARKOPERFUME The Lawyer: This is ZARKOPERFUME’s boldest fragrance. Dark, brooding and yet still sophisticated, it’s pretty upbeat to start, thanks to its citrusy blend of tart bergamot, lemon and mandarin, but it soon warms up. Hot spices are scattered throughout a rich, smooth heart of dark chocolate and white orchid before milky sandalwood, resinous balsam and seductive musk take hold.

ZARKOPERFUME The Muse: This is my personal favourite ZARKOPERFUME fragrance. I’m obsessed. And if you love fresh laundry scents, you’ll love it too; it’s just like crisp white linen that’s been dried by summer sunshine. It doesn’t have a set note structure (rules are there to be broken, right?) But what you can expect is: soft woods, delicate flowers and white oud.

ZARKOPERFUME Menage A Trois: Despite what you might think from the name, there are only two key players here: cool crushed watermelon and musk. But the musk note is actually an entangled trio of musks. It’s a great example of a second-skin fragrance; it isn’t overly powerful but it’s definitely very sexy in the way it warms on your pulse points for a softly sensual signature with a hint of fruity sweetness.

ZARKOPERFUME Molecule No.8: Molecule No.8 is incredibly sunny, fresh and juicy to start with; this is all down to honeyed mandarin, which creates a freshly-squeezed-orange-juice fragrance. But there’s more than meets the eye with this scent; rich, opulent Turkish rose, earthy, smoky patchouli and black agarwood, to be precise.

ZARKOPERFUME Molecule 234.38: This fragrance is based on just one big molecule. Any guesses for the name of that molecule? Yep, you got it: 234.38. This clever molecule interacts with your own pheromones to create a personalised scent. Although, in the words of ZARKOPERFUME, it’s ‘more of a phenomenon than an actual fragrance’.

ZARKOPERFUME Oud-Couture: I love the name of this fragrance as much as I love the scent. It starts with orange blossom, mandarin orange and bergamot, adds a creamy touch of vanilla to the subtly spiced heart before the base of soft sandalwood, agarwood vetiver and palisander rosewood rounds it off.

ZARKOPERFUME Oud’ish: Not sure if you like oud? Try Oud’ish. There’s a reason why it’s called Oudiish. It hints at the warm, resinous side of oud, but it shows off oud’s sweeter side too. This slice of oud is served with crisp, restorative green tea, salty ambergris and sensual white musk for an oud that I’d happily wear.

ZARKOPERFUME Pink Molecule 090.09: Pink Molecule is pink champagne as a perfume – and is like a Nordic bottle of bubbly. It fizzles with sweet elderflower, apricot and black orchid before soft creamy woods bubble to the surface.

ZARKOPERFUME Purple Molecule 070.07: Purple Molecule is utterly charming. It’s the aroma of the Nordic landscape in full bloom: delicate florals, lying on a bed of soft, seductive woods, musk and molecules.

ZARKOPERFUME Quantum Molecule: This one is a cocktail of juicy fruits to start: bergamot, mandarin, pineapple, blackcurrant and a slice of apple. A floral-woody heart, nuanced by earthy patchouli and soft white woods then has its moment in the spotlight before the gorgeously gourmand base notes warm through.

ZARKOPERFUME Youth: This one is inspired by falling in love – and it’s clearly a sweet, romantic and pure kind of love. Youth dazzles with a fuzzy peach, crisp apple and refreshing melon tone before welcoming a subtle floral heart with a slightly creamy undertone that melts into a smooth base of sandalwood, vanilla and musk.

ZARKOPERFUME brand review

What’s The Story Behind ZARKOPERFUME?

I love the inspiration behind Zarko. The brand was founded in 2014, eight years after perfumer, Zarko Ahlmann Pavlov, first started studying the fine art of creating fragrance. His dream? To create fragrances that capture the climate, lifestyle and aesthetic of his native Scandinavia. Has he achieved his dream? Absolutely.

This is how he views perfumery in his own words:

“Like the Nordic landscapes that inspire me, the landscape of beautiful fragrances is subtle in its details, yet vast in its uncharted expanses. Exploring it is a labour of love, and I am both proud and humbled to be able to call myself Denmark’s only practising perfumer. Perfumery is an art, and every artist has his or her own vision and approach to the medium. My vision is to create fragrances that encapsulate Scandinavia, and my approach is to fuse classic French perfumery with stringent, Nordic molecular science.” – Zarko Ahlmann Pavlov.

https://www.escentual.com/zarkoperfume/

You Will Love This Niche Fragrance Brand If…

If you often find a lot of fragrances are too bold, too intense and maybe even make you feel like they’re giving you a headache, then I think you’ll love ZARKOPERFUME. Their utterly unique fragrances are really long-lasting, but they don’t overload or overwhelm the senses. They’re very clever and very sure of themselves, so they don’t have to offer excessive intensity.

And if you’re a niche fragrance fan, I don’t need to tell you twice that you need to add Zarko to your to-try list!

ZARKO fragrances: ZARKOPERFUME Pink Molecule 090.09 Eau de Parfum

Are ZARKOPERFUME Fragrances Unisex?

ZARKOPERFUME’s scents can definitely be worn and enjoyed by all genders, but there are a few that they market as fragrances for women due to the fact that they have a more traditionally feminine fragrance style. These are: Purple Molecule, Pink Molecule and e’L.

But if you enjoy wearing them, that’s all that matters!

ZARKOPERFUME fragrance review: ZARKOPERFUME e'L Eau de Parfum

What’s The Longevity Like?

All ZARKOPERFUME scents are Eau de Parfums, and generally speaking, they’re all really longing-lasting, averaging about six or seven hours’ wear across the board.

ZARKOPERFUME perfume

What’s Special About The Bottles?

All of Zarko’s fragrances are held in clear white glass bottles, held in round white boxes. The style of the brand is relatively understated, putting the emphasis on the most important thing: the scent itself.

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