XerJoff
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Cardamom and cinnamon slash through bergamot's citric brightness with immediate spice, whilst the frankincense emerges creamily underneath—a resinous warmth that's simultaneously inviting and slightly unsettling. The smokiness declares itself at once, establishing Red Hoba's temperament before anything else settles.
The patchouli and castoreum bloom, softening the spice slightly whilst introducing an animalic undercurrent that feels almost leathery. Jasmine appears as a tart, almost peppery green note rather than a florid sweetness, whilst the woody notes (gaïac especially) begin sketching a smoky backbone that the fragrance builds upon. The sweet accords of sandalwood and cashmeran arrive now, competing gently with the resinous, slightly acrid frankincense.
The composition settles into a woody, sweet-tinged haze where musk and sandalwood dominate, though castoreum's animalic warmth persists in the background. What remains is less spiced than the opening—instead, a slightly bitter, resinous smokiness lingers, almost incense-like, becoming progressively quieter and closer to the skin.
Red Hoba is Cécile Zarokian's assertion that incense needn't be austere or contemplative. This is frankincense as a provocateur, roughed up by cardamom's peppery bite and cinnamon's almost medicinal heat. The fragrance announces itself as decidedly smoky—not the whispered woodsmoke of a dying fire, but something more insistent, more present.
What's most intriguing is how Zarokian uses castoreum and labdanum to amplify the resinous character rather than soften it. There's an animalic warmth threading through the composition, preventing the spice and incense from becoming didactic or austere. The patchouli adds earthy friction, whilst the jasmine—typically creamy and floral—here becomes almost sharp, a green-tinged counterpoint to the sweeter base notes of sandalwood and cashmeran. Gaïac wood, that smoky, austere material, ties everything together with a slightly charred quality.
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4.0/5 (116)