Reviews of Shooting Stars : Uden by Xerjoff

This one was just an overly sweet, synthetic cloud of noise to my nose. Too loud and cloying for my tastes, and the composition just comes across as basic, overpriced niche.

Scrubber alert for this vile, headache-inducing synthetic garbage. A sweet aquatic vanilla straight from the $ 5.99 drugstore shelf. The fake boozy-fruit and coffee notes just make things worse. Aimed at nouveau riche folks with pedestrian tastes, like the whole brand apparently.

I don't get it. I smell citrus fruit and cucumber, with a bit of spiciness behind. Good, but like many other masculine “blue” fragrances.

Another bomb from the fantastic brand that is Xerjoff. One of the most perfect scent I've ever smelled in my whole life. And trust me, I've smelled a lot of niche fragrances. The drydown is simply heavenly, everyone wants to know what I'm wearing, people go absolutely nuts about this stuff. Compliments left and right all day everyday. Just get it guys, it's a gem. It's a crowd pleaser for sure, it is so perfectly blended, the rum, the coffee, the ambergris and the creamy citruses. Flippin amazing. Words cannot do justice to this exquisite concoction so I'll just leave it at that. 10/10

Truly wonderful fragrance that manages to use very distinctive notes of rum, rose, vanilla and sandalwood and blend them perfectly -- after a surprisingly fresh start.

The protracted top to bottom changes are the sign of an exceptional fragrance and, for me, is the fundamental difference between a niche House like Xerjoff and the majority of designer 'cash cows'.

Starts off complex with a lot going on; fresh, flowery, green, sweet, woody, boozy and a mild coffee aroma. They all work very well together and it's the most interesting part. Because within a couple of hours, it all goes simpler, many notes disappear, it becomes quite sweet and with an emphasis on vanilla. The direction is now gone to a soft and sweet, almost to the point of classifying it a gourmand boozy/vanilla/sandalwood/musk which is nice smelling, but not that expensive or rich as the beginning. In fact, it goes from something unique to something common, widely felt with that vanilla based drydown.

Short-lived lemony-citrus up front and then spice up with rum tying everything together through the drydown.

Does smell like it's all built on a generic vanilla crowd-pleaser base but with some added florals and something darker (woods, coffee, musk) that make it very enjoyable beyond everyday scents.

Feels more dressed up and ready for cold weather.

I get excellent longevity that lasts all workday. Projection strength is really good if enough sprays are applied, maybe in the 5-6 range.

Wearing this more, it does resemble Chanel Allure Homme Sport with its airy vanilla in the drydown. It's far more light, clean, and musky during the opening and maybe a little screechy. The drydown is the best part but I think I still prefer AHS overall.

Comparing this to the Overdose version, I prefer the cleaner, sweeter, smoother and better-performing Overdose to the original.

Take a generic fragrance randomly from The department store counter. Add some rum, vanilla, coffee in perfect balance. That is what Shooting Stars is. It smells great, almost like a Tom Ford creation. Not their most expensive fragrance, but a bit over-priced for what you get. I'd buy it if I got a great deal.

Stardate 20170703:

I have no idea who buys Xerjoff. Uden has that same shampoo-cherry pie accord that is in almost all Xerjoffs. I call it the xerjoffinade after 'guerlainade'. There is a difference though - guerlainade is good. Xerjoffinade is bad, synthetic smelling mess it seems. What is lacks in quality it makes up in longevity (and that is not a good thing). I guess they just take their xerjoffinade , add or change one or 2 AC, change the name and voila you have a new niche fragrance.
Avoid

Grapefruit and lemons of the highest quality at the opening is followed by a soft and creamy sandalwood/vanilla/musk. This delightful powdery base gives a festive blending of lemon sherbet with ginger ale and vodka for a creamy "wedding punch" accord. There is a subtle refined alcohol note in here that adds a festive flair. The clean citrus opening gives it a formal and quite buttoned up quality that combines with fine sweet powder in the base for an expressionistic reinterpretation of Chanel Pour Monsieur or Monsieur Givenchy, but the effect is very bold and three dimensional. Fantastic ingredients that are bold and clear toned, like many Xerjoff fragrances makes Uden a totally unique fragrance. Images of a black tie affair, starched white shirt w/cuff links lifting a toast from the punch bowl at a festive gala. As I sniff this very refreshing and wonderfully formal scent I realize that I might want this for my wardrobe, but could only wear it on the rare occasion as it makes quite a statement that is very different from my everyday world. But, i like it for the fantasy.

Notes:

Grapefruit, lemon, lavender, rum absolute, rose, sandalwood, Gaiac wood, vanilla, coffee absolute and musk.


Opinion: Finally, Uden!!! My friends, this...is...AMAZING! Oh my, Uden is so good! I was a bit afraid because some said it was a better version of Armani Code, Chanel Allure, that it had a generic vibe, etc. Well, everyone is entitled of having their opinions, but I must ask: are you smelling the same fragrance?! Uden has nothing to do with the last fragrances, I think. This is way beyond them, no comparison whatsoever!

This is an outstanding fragrance and it´s complex. Some describe it as woody (and I agree), but there´s a boozy, spicy and marine vibe here, clearly. The opening is beautiful but the middle notes and base notes are among the best ones I´ve ever smelled! Classy, very refined, tantalizing, warm and seductive, Uden is filled with quality of ingredients that Xerjoff usually gives, and seems to be apart from the rest of these fragrances (like some others Xerjoffs).

This stands one of the most versatile scents I´ve ever smelled and although I would love for Uden to have a Tobacco Vanille performance, the one it has is really good, still. I believe this will be even better during Spring and hotter days. I must bow to Xerjoff for giving such beautiful fragrances, really!


Type/Gender: Masculine.

It´s clearly a masculine scent.


Season and Purpose: This is a all year round fragrance, although it won´t shine as well as it could during Winter. This is a fragrance that will suit most occasions.


Achilles heel:


Regarding Performance:

- Longevity: ~15h
- Sillage: Moderate to Heavy
- Projection: ~4h

Scent: 9.84
Longevity: 9.55
Sillage: 8.30
Projection: 8.10
Uniqueness: 8.10
Versatility: 8.80
--- Overall: 8.78

Would I buy it? Yes!!!

Like Nio, this fragrance costs ~$250 for 50 ml. Completely worthwhile as this stuff is quite incredible!!!

The opening of Uden is nice, a green-woody dry and bitter accord with citrus notes, floral notes (I read gardenia, rose, and geranium, I trust that), much aromatic and with a sort of bittersweet density, like acacia leaves, on a plummy-vanilla base comprising white musks and woods. Also some gourmand feel here and there, perhaps tonka and saffron. Quite thick and tight for some minutes, then the floral heart emerges better, I get the geranium better for sure with its signature refreshing-balsamic personality, and I also get better the musks note, with a slight incense dustiness. Other notes I get: a subtle salty note, amber, something like a super soft suede. I did not think of it at first, but it soon reminds me too of Le Male, more evidently and heavily as minutes pass. Can't say I dislike it, but it's surely a quite derivative and a bit "generic" scent (as there's already a ton of scents smelling like Gaultier's). A promising opening gone a bit wrong, still not that bad.

6,5/10

Uden is a sort of splashing and highly exotic marine/gourmand fougere which combines in the body of its weird concoction sort of opposite feels since it starts slightly ozonic/fizzy and citric with its energetic aquatic bergamot/grapefruit plus herbs and mild spices while evolves towards something luxurious, secretly boozy/gourmand and finally soapy. I detect a sort of Gaultier Le Beau Male talk/musk/lavender/salt splash for a while (since the beginning) but the aroma performs still somewhat pungent (in an orangy/coumarinic, somewhat detergent and spicy way) and breezy for sure. I detect several Armani Code's nuances but the olive vibe is in here basically replaced by woods and balmy musk. Rum, cinnamon and coffee interlaced with oceanic notes provide a breezy caribbean sort of vibe. The dry down is balmy/musky and slightly synthetic but articolated and complex for sure with nuances of liquor, soap and citrus. A pleasant concoction with a daring, cool-warm and slightly sultry twist. Sensual, somewhat balmy/sporty type, a dynamic and pander alternative for the "sweaty" summer nights out for South Europe seaside resorts. The type of fragrance beating in compliments far more complex, artistic and natural olfactory creations. In any case, not for me.

I'm not sure why I want to hate Xerjoff so much, though I'm certain it has to do with the ridiculousness surrounding the names and the tiny piece of meteorite glued to the bottle. It's like meeting someone who looks like a total douchebag but who turns out to be a nice, charming guy. He looks like an ass, and must be at least sort of an ass to think looking like that is cool, but he's actually likeable if you separate the substance from the unfortunate choice of style.

Anyway, so Uden... Frankly, it's like someone reverse-engineered Hermes' Ambre Narguile and slightly tweaked it. There's the fruit on top, the wood and honey making a pipe tobacco smell, ashy smoke, and vanilla amber underneath. The main difference is that Uden focuses more on the fruit and adds some coffee, while Hermes largely focuses on the tobacco and cinnamon. If you know Bois 1920 Sushi Imperial, it's also in the same family. It's also like a rich cousin to CK Shock for Him. If you like one of those, you'll probably like Uden.

All in all, I have to give Uden a thumbs up. It's strong, nice quality, and smells good. It's certainly not original, but what it copies isn't horrendously overplayed, so I'm letting that slide. I still dislike the marketing, overpriced packaging, and rushed release schedule of the Xerjoff house, but I'm reviewing the juice, not who made it...

Yes...I can see the comments about this having a generic/designer
vibe, but this is a step up due to the quality of ingredients and how
well blended it is...
Opens with a nice zingy citrus...definitely smell grapefruit real strong...
In my frame of reference gives me a general resemblance to Channel
Allure Homme Blanche and Dior Homme Sport...
In the middle I get a little flavoring of flower/rose/woodiness and don't really get a strong smell of rum but just an overall slight booziness...
I'm not really a big fan of cloying sweet gourmands, but the drydown is a nice
vanilla/musk accented coffee that is a gourmand for people that don't like
gourmands...The coffee is strong and black and the vanilla adds flavor, but
not sweetness...
Nothing very original or groundbreaking, but it is a very good smelling fragrance
that is office friendly...
I like wearing this and smelling it...
Xerjoff is amazing with what they do with citrus...They have some of the longest
lasting citruses I have ever run across...I get a faint touch of grapefruit even
all through the drydown, kind of lurking in the shadows...
I know there are cheaper alternatives to this fragrance, but I would personally
save up to get a bottle of this due to superior blending, ingredients, silage and
longevity...
PROS...great smell...quality fragrance
CONS...price...lack of originality

It opens with citrus and grapefruit and has a aquatic feel to it and is followed by rum, coffee and vanille with a slight woody spice.

The notes in this fragrance never seem to come into focus as they clash. It just does not smell right having conflicting discordant ingredients making up this scent on your skin.

It smells very generic and there are a lot of cheaper fragrances that just smell so much better than Uden which makes the price of this scent absurd.

Niche for people who don't like niche (but are fine with a big ticket splurge). I can't say Uden sucks, because it doesn't but for sure, at Xerjoff they're not particularly fond of orignality or creativity. I agree with other reviewrs that Uden has an overall generic vibe. It's an honest woody/vanilla enriched by some citruses on top. Lukewarm. What I find not to be so honest is the price tag.

Originally launched in 1888...oh no, not this crap again...