Xerjoff Naxos Eau de Parfum opened with a sweet mix of citrus blossoms and lavender sprigs that were swept up in a air of cinnamon and honey, so the lavender never read medicinal. While the notes were readily discernible, they were more diffused after a half hour and through the fourth hour. The dry down was mostly honeyed vanilla with a hint lavender.
Naxos Notes
It is described as as “steeped in heritage but with a contemporary twist” that is “classically Italian.”
- top notes: Bergamot, lemon, lavender
- heart notes: Honey, cinnamon, cashmere
- base notes: Tobacco leaf, tonka beans, vanilla
What does Naxos Smell Like?
It opened up with a sweet, floral bouquet of lemony florals and lavender blowing in the wind with wafts of cinnamon-spiced honey that drizzled across the florals. It was almost cake-like in its sweetness, though more of a perfume and floral-heavy composition than truly representative of cake. The lavender was never medicinal, and it was particularly well-woven with the lemon and bergamot that it added of spring airiness without being strikingly like lavender.
After 20 minutes, Naxos was more diffused, hazy like a veil of lemon-lavender and soft, golden honey. It continued to grow hazier, not so much muddled, just diffused and gauzy with the notes still discernible enough. After four hours, spiced vanilla and its accompanying sweetness melted into the honey and diminished the intensity of the lemon-lavender accord. The drydown, which appeared nearer to the sixth hour, was mostly honey-vanilla with a hint of lavender.
Longevity
It lasted for seven hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate for the first two hours before dropping closer to the body and the skin, respectively.
Testing Methodology
For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.
I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.
Availability
Naxos is available for $275/50ml.
If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.
Naxos Samples
We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.