Zoologist Nightingale

I have loved chypre fragrances for as long as I can remember. I like how the kaleidoscopic orchestration of contrasting notes and accords – warm and cool, bright and dark, dry and juicy – creates an almost abstract and enigmatic effect that I find sophisticated and alluring, yet comforting. I speak of comfort because I associate the scent of chypre perfumes with the women I was close to when I was young. I like their assertiveness and how timeless they are.

When I read that Zoologist’s Nightingale was presented as a modern floral chypre, I simply had to get my hands on a sample, which came in a beautiful set as part of the house’s entire collection. The fragrance’s olfactory pyramid was appealing because it reminded me of the quality and complexity of more classic chypres, and the symbol of the nightingale was intriguing because of its delicate elegance.

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At first spray, I instantly recognize the class and comfort I associate with chypre perfumes; however, there is more.

Nightingale greets you with lemon and bergamot, but I feel like plum should also be a top note because this opening evokes birds in spring pecking those juicy fruits. The saffron isn’t prominent but I imagine it toning down the citrus fruits’ effervescence.

Moments later, the floral heart of red roses, violets, and plum blossoms still reminds me of a bright spring day, but quite soon something more flirtatious ensues. As the composition becomes pleasantly dusty, I am catapulted to an old-fashioned boudoir where I envision a beautiful vanity table full of powders, lotions, and lipsticks. I also think of fabrics like silk, satin, and lace, along with different hues of pink.

The base of ambergris, sandalwood, oud, patchouli, and oakmoss adds depth and earthiness but is never overpowering.

Regardless of my perceived powdery, cosmetic-like quality of the fragrance in its heart and up to its final moments, a luminous sweetness –which I am guessing is conveyed by the plum blossom- pervades Nightingale the entire time, making its composition succulent, captivating, and immediately recognizable.

If I had to describe it in a few words, I’d say that Nightingale is a quaintly playful fragrance that always maintains its class. It’s a chypre with added radiance and a touch of powder. It has amazing sillage and lasting power.

From the start, I found the nightingale bird to nicely symbolize both images of spring and pretty boudoir. I later read that it was picked as a symbol by perfumer Tomoo Inaba (read interview here) who was inspired by the theme of an old Japanese poem along with blossoming plum trees and singing nightingales.

Released in 2016, Nightingale is Tomoo’s debut fragrance and contains a special “red plum blossom accord” he had developed years earlier. 

So far, this is my favorite creation by Zoologist, a highly original house based in Canada and launched by creative director Victor Wong.

The notes below are listed as they appear in the Zoologist website:

Top: Bergamot, Lemon, Saffron
Heart: Japanese Plum Blossom, Red Rose, Violet
Base: Oud, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Moss, Frankincense, White Musk, Labdanum, Ambergris

I reviewed Nightingale from my personal bottle.

The fragrance comes in a pretty pink juice as Extrait de Parfum contained in 60 ml bottles; travel size bottles (11 ml) are also available.

Photos: Sarah McGuire.