The truth is in the Pavo. Photo, artistic direction, and digital collage by @a_nose_knows for Xerjoff More Than Words.
When it comes to looks, the animal kingdom is painfully clear on where it stands: you’re either defending, or attacking; either in hiding, or flashing a signal; either inconspicuously beige, in other words, or resplendently neon.
For us furless, songless, flightless creatures, things are different: verbalization is limited by whether or not you have a common language, and communication is stalled by everything under the sun, from culture and technology to personal abilities to read more than the words. Complicated? IT IS. For thousands of years we’ve painted our messages on cave walls, or canvas, or paper, or even ourselves to express one thing or another, only to be met by blinking onlookers who simply don’t get it (ever had a grandma puzzled by your nihilistic punk?). Using metaphors to express intrinsic truths (instead of just being our truths) is inherently human–and, yes, incredibly complicated.
Peacock ocellus. Digital editing by @a_nose_knows for Xerjoff More Than Words
In contrast, animals live their truth; and thus never need to package it. Their truth is theirs alone, and nature has it that oftentimes being unique means you also get to be the best at it. Sharks and crocodiles are killer machines, and so good at it we can’t get enough (who here hasn’t ever watched an Animal Planet special??). The octopus is good in camouflage; skunk is stinking to the gods; krill is there to multiply and feed the whales; songbirds are singing, and sloths, well, slothing. There’s neither game, nor shame attached to living one’s truth when you’re feathered, furred, or other living fauna… and thinking of it, I’ll be the first to admit it- is liberating.
Of all the unabashedly extra, the peacock takes the cake- so much so, that even its scientific name starts with “Pavo”, the very Latin word for “peacock”- like there are no more words to define it, and not much else to say about this stridently spectacular specimen. Adding details, agreed, would be futile: peacocks are slow to fly, much the same as the next fella peacock, and not particularly tasty at it happens with their cousin pheasants; moreover, their song is shrilly and odd—particularly if heard in conjunction with their feathered crown. In Hinduism, this bird is a mount for several gods of war- and that’s about it for secret talents.
Peacock collage by @a_nose_knows for Xerjoff More Than Words
BUT OH, THE TRAIN.
What glory, what power, what natural engineering feat! There is nothing like a cascade of iridescent ocelli, glimmering as they rotate, gently leaning in a suspension of magnificence! Nothing like the violent pleasure of seeing when in front of such a glorious abundance of color! The peacock is in and of itself, beauty for beauty’s sake; the purest, gaudiest, most shameless display of visuals…and, thus, the most sincere.
Xerjoff More Than Words Photo and digital editing by @a_nose_knows
There are very few smells where my nose, less inclined than my eyes to be assaulted with goodness, accepts excess for excess’ sake– and More than Words, composed by perfumer Chris Maurice for Xerjoff Join the Club Collection, is one of them. Unabashedly gleaming and intentionally loud, it abandons all metalanguage and, shamelessly resplendent, attacks the beige with a full-frontal declaration of intent.
Xerjoff More Than Words study. Photo, creative direction, and digital editing by @a_nose_knows for Xerjoff
Everything about More than Words is extra: the oud is distilled and intense; the fruit (plum, white grapes, some berries)- sweet and ripe to the brink of fermentation; floral notes are jammy and pulsate on skin like air bubbles in a scalding batch of petal preserve. Everything is measured in bucketfuls, from the sticky vanilla to the high-pressured incense and the unapologetic balsams; the result is all things at once- sweet, woody, powdery, fruity, resinous; distilled; shiny; grand; crushing; impudent; expressive…and in no need for context.
The thing to wear the days we peacock.
Official notes: amber, oud, fruit, flowers, labdanum, frankincense, ambergris, woody notes.
Other perceived notes: rose, tobacco, smoke, benzoin, wax & honey, cedar, powder, vanilla.
Disclaimer: Xerjoff More Than Words shortlisted by me and provided for review by Europerfumes, the US distributor. Thank you so much.
– dana sandu, Editor
Editor’s Note: Congratulations dana on your promotion to Editor! You can read Michelyn’s interview with Sergio Momo, founder of Xerjoff here
Thanks to the generosity of Xerjoff and Europerfumes, we have a 50ml tester of Xerjoff More Than Words for one registered reader in the US ONLY, (you must register on our site or your comment will not count). To be eligible, please tell us what you enjoyed or found interesting about dana’s review and your favorite Xerjoff perfume. Draw closes 2/12/2020
This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy
Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebon @a_nose_knows @xerjoff @official_europerfumes
We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.
Available at luckyscent and @thescentroom