Note Pyramid
Monopoly 002
Buchu is the material that gives Zimaya Monopoly 002 Eau de Parfum 100ml its character, and almost nobody reaches for it.
Buchu is a South African herb with a sharp, green, faintly sulphurous bite and a cool astringency that nothing else quite replicates. It sits in the opening beside bergamot, which is bright and bitter, and the two of them make a top that is striking rather than comfortable. Nothing about the first five minutes is designed to be easy. Oud, rose and vanilla are all up there as well, arriving early rather than waiting, so the fragrance is dark within a minute of going on.
The middle warms considerably. Amber brings resin, musk brings softness, and red apple adds a crisp juicy sweetness that lifts the whole thing for a while and is easily the most approachable part of the composition. Vetiver runs underneath, dry and rooty, keeping that sweetness in check before it can take over. It is the stretch most people will like best.
The base is dry and modern. Ambroxan gives the clean mineral radiance that makes a scent carry further than it ought to, black pepper adds rasp, jasmine throws a last white floral sweetness across the top, and rose returns softer than it was at the opening. Twelve materials in all, and the construction is dense rather than linear.
Longevity is the strong suit here, helped along by the ambroxan, and the trail stays noticeable on clothing into the following day. Cold weather, evenings and occasions where a fragrance is meant to be part of how you arrive. It is pitched at men. If the herbal bite at the top puts you off on a paper strip, give it twenty minutes on skin, because it is not what the fragrance ends up being.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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