Dragonfly
Zoologist (2017)

Aquatic floral with some depth. It's wearable but seems more feminine than unisex/masculine to me. Luckyscent listed ginger, grapefruit, geranium in the notes which is one of my favorite combos with essential oils, and I do kind of get a similiar vibe to what I would smelling that combo, but the peony, heliotrope, lotus, rainwater, and musk seem like the prominent notes (there's an earthy greenness rounding it out, too, so...the clover, rice, moss...but those are subtle). Sillage was moderate, and I think it lasted 4 or maybe 5 hours; I definitely couldn't smell it anymore after 7 hours.

This fragrance is powdery and floral, with a pleasant scent that fills the air. However, it can be a bit too sharp and the drydown is underwhelming, especially for a fragrance at this price point.

What a good surprise! I was expecting something bitter, masculine. It’s very soft, powdery, feminine, soapy. It’s got a vintage feel. It screams: I’m clean! Good for any age and personality. Well crafted!

The opening is an exceedingly powdery floral. Not in a makeup-powdery iris kind of way, but more of a babypowder way. I figure I mostly get the heliotrope and peony. It comes off a bit too old-womanly for my tastes. The opening is also very dry, I don't get much of the rain or rice at all.

Then after about 45 min things start to get "wetter" per se. The florals get less sharp, and the scent overall gets a bit deeper with the "rain notes" coming in. But the vibe still stays primarily very floral and powdery.

My overall impression is that this is a bit too feminine for me. I don't think my nose is as tuned to this kind of fragrance as others, most Zoologist scents have something that separates them from the pack, but I personally struggle to differentiate this from the other few scents in this category that I've tried. Despite the fact that there's no white florals to be found in this, it reminds me quite a bit of Serge Lutens' Datura Noir. Given that, I would say to take my lukewarm review with a grain of salt, as I may not be able to pick up on some important nuances. The house is a favorite of mine, so if this is your style of fragrance, still be sure to give it a sample!

This was my first experience with Zoologist and I am also a heliotrope lover, so I was looking forward to trying this and had high expectations based on all the buzz this house was getting.

I hated it upon first sniff and didn't understand the positive reviews. I actually had to wash it off and this doesn't happen often. When the 2018 Guide came out and Sanchez likened it to baby powder and disposable diapers I felt relieved and that I wasn't crazy. I agree with her impressions completely and think it smells like a diaper-y mess, which is what happens when you aren't skilled with heliotrope or don't use enough restraint with it.

My experience with Dragonfly unfortunately caused me to lose interest in this house for a while. However, now that the 2018 Guide is out and Hummingbird and Nightingale were rated 4 stars, I will thankfully be giving this house another try and testing those out.

I can see why Dragonfly is so popular! The peony and rainwater in the opening is so light and gorgeous. The lemony aldehydes are short lived but just enough to have another burst of freshness. Dragonfly settles down to an airy powdery iris note with hints of lotus, rice, and clover flitting gently in the breeze.

Warm amber, velvety musk, and soft moss bring Dragonfly to a close.