Noseworthy Discoveries Zoologist

Zoologist is a niche Canadian fragrance house based in Toronto, whose perfume’s stories surround those of the animals that roam this earth. Their perfumes are free from naturally-derived musks - for ethical reasons of course - and are self-defined as “definitely not a “blind-buy” type of fragrance”.

Immediately, their packaging and presentation peaked my interest and sent me down the Zoologist rabbit-hole. The stories of each fragrance and the vastness of their collection instantly had me jumping at the chance to try some samples. I “narrowed” down my list (if that’s what you can call it, hah!) to only those that a) sounded interesting to me and b) were at least close to my taste in particular... so twenty! The Macaque (fuji apple edition) I chose as an added free sample.

Each sample 2ml spray bottle is beautifully packaged in a printed cardstock sleeve that states all the information you would need to know, including each animal’s tale per the perfumer’s poetic perspective (of which there are many as well!) The notes are listed, plus gorgeous design details & artwork that takes you on a journey as you sample each fragrance. I was truly impressed with the dedication to even these tiny bottles and how they were presented. The cardstock was perfect for each first sample spritz test.

In the ‘About’ section of their website, Zoologist describes their perfumes in passing as strong... and wow are they that (& more!). All of the fragrances were stronger than most other fragrances I have tried ever, and they were definitely much more musky than I was expecting – even those that never mention a musk at all! Certainly for those who like a bold, powerful fragrance that lasts all day. After sampling it took me several washes & even more hours to get rid of any lingering scent of the perfume.

As much as I actually did not prefer a decent amount of them, one thing I CAN say is that this company does WOW in the originality and inventiveness sector. Every single fragrance I tried, whether I would wear it myself or not, was unique & distinctive – and that is a feat in and of itself in 2025. If you find one in their collection that you love, it is definitely worth the medium level pricing as it will last you a long time (probably more due to the strength & longevity than anything!). 

*Quality: 3/5 

Originality: 5/5 

Presentation: 5/5 

Price: 4/5  

Classifications 

Spring/Summers: Cow, Hummingbird, Seahorse, Dragonfly, Bee 

Fall/Winters: Penguin, Macaque, Chipmunk, Harvest Mouse, Tiger 

All-Years: Sacred Scarab, Squid, Snowy Owl, Bat, Elephant, Moth, Cockatiel, Orchid Mantis, Rabbit 

Uni: Seahorse, Sacred Scarab, Moth, Chipmunk 

Uni/Fem: Dragonfly, Bee, Cockatiel, Snowy Owl 

Fem: Cow, Hummingbird, Harvest Mouse, Rabbit, Orchid Mantis 

Uni/Masc: Macaque, Squid, Elephant 

Masc: Penguin, Bat, Tiger, Panda, T-Rex 

Order (descending) 

Cow: Beautifully light, creamy, slightly floral & intriguing, this scent spoke to me personally the most. Leans spring/summer but I will be using it year-round which is also why this one is at the top – although I will say that it is pretty much a tie between the first 4 fragrances mentioned here. 

Seahorse: SUCH a unique aquatic; this one really intrigued me. The mix of salty sea notes & a strong cardamom heart was very new to me as a combination, and I personally loved it. It ended up being my summer Zoologist perfume that I carried around with me in my purse!

Hummingbird: Besides Orchid Mantis seeming the most “classic” profile of the group that I tried, Hummingbird far outranks it in terms of beauty. This perfume is feminine, floral, light, sweet, pleasant - all the good things – and does not seem to have an age, time or seasonality attached to it (although I personally wear these types of fragrances in the warmer seasons!).  

Penguin: My favorite of the masc fragrances by far – a beautiful cool freshness that somehow both does give “arctic” but in a unique way that doesn’t feel as though it’s been tried & done before. The Juniper heart is fantastically complimented by the accompanying notes, I LOVED it. 

Sacred Scarab: A dry, earthy slightly spicy fragrance that to me was the epitome of the hot August sun. This one did really live up to its namesake in the visuals it evoked when smelling – I felt transported to a different time, a different region of the world.  

Macaque (Fuji Apple Edition): the woodsy richness & forwardness of the apple in this version pushed this beautiful masc scent up my list (& now makes me wonder what the original version smelled like!). A perfect fresh woodsy apple-y gift for any masc person in your life.  

Dragonfly: This one jumped up my list the most. At first, I had it more middling, but the fresh floral blend is beautiful, & has a slight twist from the subtle spice coming through. Gives the evocation of walking along a lake in the late spring, but dries down into slightly too grassy a scent for my skin.  

Rabbit: One of the most unique gourmands I’ve ever tried! I loved that I could truly smell the biscuit – unfortunately it smells like straight up sweet biscuit on my skin personally, but on the cardstock it definitely had nuance. Could see this being worn in spring but also fall, especially with the apple, vanilla, & almond notes.  

Squid: This one & Seahorse really blew me away as Aquatics; this one has a prominent ink note that carries throughout & distinguishes itself from Seahorse. Because of this too, it leans more towards a year-long aquatic than a warm-season one. 

Chipmunk: A quintessential “fall” fragrance, so much so that this was the Zoologist "fall" fragrance that I carried in my purse. Rather unisex but stronger than Harvest Mouse below, which is why in my opinion the two could be a uni/masc & fem duo for a couple even! 

Harvest Mouse: Quite similar in tone to Chipmunk above. This one is a very light fragrance, with a nice more neutral sweetness that has some depth. I wish I could smell more of the notes listed though; they sounded fun. 

Bee: One of Zoologist’s most popular scents – but to me just smelled like a mix of honey & royal jelly with a burst of orange blossom in the first few seconds. When it settles into the skin, there seems to be no added layers or depth. Would be an absolutely lovely layering fragrance though!  

Orchid Mantis: Very gorgeous floral, very high-end smelling – just skews older which is why I would personally not wear it. Those that are fans of the classics like Chanel, Prada, etc., would love this though! 

Snowy Owl: This one I kept coming back to – not because I necessarily loved it, but because it was indeed very interesting. The musk civet used is present but not overpowering, & otherwise it comes across as quite woodsy. And although it is subtle, it does give that tiny bit of crispness that makes it feel like the “snowy” part is true. Dries down too grassy for me like Dragonfly does. 

Bat: At first, I thought WOW that is way too much musk – but once it dried down on my skin it definitely grew on me & the fruitiness started to grow. For sure a masculine scent. The hay note is rather strong here & did give me a nostalgic glimmer into my aunt’s shared horse farm in the German Alps.  

Tiger: A very nice classic masculine, spicy wood. At first I didn’t think much of it, but overall in the collection it is definitely a solid choice.  

Moth: The list of notes in this fragrance is very long, and I definitely cannot point out all of the scent notes with my nose – this may be a spicy/smoky/sweet fragrance blend that I just don’t prefer? I do like that it is a year long type of fragrance, not seasonally squared off. 

Elephant: A grassy, musky, oriental fragrance that has a slightly savory quality that my nose just didn’t enjoy. Not a bad scent overall though & evocatively giving elephant somehow which is quite cool. 

Cockatiel: I was getting rhubarb + pure powder, too much powder for me in any case – for those that love a straight powdery, slightly fruity scent however, you would like this! Skews older for sure. 

*Please Note: Both Panda & T-Rex are NOT for those with sensitivities and allergies. Both gave me a negative physical reaction upon spraying & it was difficult to wash off. Immediate aches in my nasal passages and throbbing headache, nausea, etc. For hours afterwards & because of that, I have lowered the quality rating & left them out of the classifications. In general, most of these fragrances run quite musky indeed & are not for the faint-hearted!  

Perfumer’s Note: Another plus for Zoologist is that they really do use a wide number of perfumers for their creations, which always creates uniqueness and ingenuity within collections.