9.0 Zara

Bottom Line

This is strictly a fall/winter evening scent, but not for a formal occasion. It would be suitable for a casual date or a night in with a movie. Its lack of complexity and projection makes it a decent choice for situations where you don't want to overpower, but you still want a little something.

First Impressions & Dry Down

9.0 Zara opens with a blast of candied mandarin, not quite orange, leaning into something akin to orange hard candy, clashing sharply with a medicinal sage note. The heart attempts iris, but it comes across powdery and somewhat stale, a touch like old makeup. The tonka is there, adding a hint of almond but with a bitter edge rather than creamy sweetness. As it dries, the vanilla emerges, but it’s a simple, one-dimensional vanillin. The leather is faint, more of a suede suggestion than a robust hide. It definitely carries the *idea* of its inspiration, but lacks the smooth blending and richer nuances; imagine a watercolor copy of an oil painting.

Longevity & Projection

I got about 5 hours of longevity, but it quickly becomes a skin scent after the first hour. Projection is limited to within arm's reach for that initial period, then fades to barely perceptible. I tested it at the office and received no comments, positive or negative. It simply existed without making an impact.