Chameleon
Zoologist (2019)

Dark, foreboding, spooky spice.

And then, not entirely unlike its creators, and for all its early promise, Chameleon ultimately becomes nothing more than powder.

Perhaps it’s teaching us about fate and reminding us that all will be okay anyway. Or is it a harbinger of bad tidings in the near-to-late future? Maybe it’s crafted as a touchstone of the time when greater Lagos had far fewer than 90 million people.

Likely, though, I just don’t really “get” Chameleon. Whatever Zoologist was trying to teach me has fallen on an anosmic nose, it seems.

Nice sweet, floral, fruity and slightly airy scent with a gently retro feel.
Only issue is, that it is nice. A little too nice with not enough character for me.

Nice, though.

Zoologist Chameleon is a 2019 release from this Canadian house of many animal/habitat-inspired fragrances, fittingly woody, green, and floral as chameleon themselves are arboreal and are often green in appearance. Yet, like its color-changing lizard inspiration, it's multifaceted and I could easily see this coming off differently to different individuals.

I get a woody/floral mix with floral touches, the effect being a slightly sweet, slightly powdery, maybe midway between white- and yellow-floral, with a sort of salty, ambergris-like dry down. Of the listed notes, the standouts to me are starfruit, mango, frangipani, jasmine, opoponax, salty skin accord / sea breeze (which I liken to ambergris, albeit less animalic), sandalwood, musks, and vanilla.

I like it–I find it easily likable and unisex, a very modern, variable blend of a lot of different elements. I don't think it's likely to scare anyone away; instead, I think it's more probable that its various features will draw fans in. I'm not as a big on floral fragrances in general but find the woody/fruity/sweet/salty aspects interesting and the florals blend well with that.

Chameleon performs well, appropriately, at extrait concentration, and like most of the line, Chameleon is priced at $165 and is available not only via the house website but also through boutiques like Perfumology. The house website also sells a travel spray size ($45 for 11ml) as it does for most fragrances in the line.

7 out of 10

Buzzy - tickles-the-nose, fruity top notes. Fruit seems smashed up with spice and effervescence. Pink pepper stands out the most at first.
The fizzy, sugary sweetness continues, with a kitchen-sink fragrance blend. Powdery wood-like accord follows. Tropical sweetness moves in. Yes, it changes its sweetness profile, into something a little different. A touch of salty skin, after a dip in an ocean, too. Clove and coconut truly accent this perfume.
The heart moves into a steady flow of tanning lotion & tropical fruit-punch accords. Coconut continues on into the base, with its added yum yum, [my favorite] notes, I love to wear. It gets fresher, too with time.
Vetiver really stands out, drowning out the prominent pink pepper.
Then, as with most Zoologist frags, the base is well-blended, integrated, and darkens with time. Amber tones, with hints of jungle green, make this stand out.
Much later there is less of a darker toned base, and more fresh green rises. Overall, this is a summery perfume. It is delightful. It isn't mean, daft, or obnoxious.
Vanilla-amber accord way later; then, with hints of freshly turned soil. As usual, another Zoologist release I am smitten with.

Chameleon is sweet, tropical, and unique. The mango is lovely and the skin accord is both distinctive and surprisingly pleasant. For me, those two and the ylang ylang are the standouts, but there is so much going on in here. Each note you pick up on adds to that "swirling kaleidoscope" effect. Manages to be very unisex even with all it's fruity floralness.

Don't let the first 10 minutes fool you, there is a weird powderyness right after application that's a bit unpleasant. But it goes away almost immediately. Very wearable, especially when considering other fragrances from the house. Only have tried a handful, but it's definitely my favorite Zoologist fragrance so far.

The opening is super-synthetic, musky old-lady flowers and over-ripened fruit. It does settle down after maybe 30 min and you get more of a coconut-fruity musk but it's still harsh. Hours later, it's a pleasant, woody, hairspray musk.

Projection is heavy out of the gates but settles to just adequate. Longevity is just average on my skin.