Zoologist Bee - real world fragrance review

[@norinhoo8370]

Your channel has the best quality of all the fragrance channels I've ever watched, I really love the amount of detail you give in the reviews, I hope you reach many more people with your videos, congratulations and thank you for the knowledge!

[@SeldomlyOften]

Thanks so much, it's really encouraging to hear these user reports :)

[@richard220273]

Hi Daniel, the analogy vs Pixar was perfect. Thanks!

[@SeldomlyOften]

Thanks you for stopping by and commenting!

[@CarryOn-Janet]

I love this review of Bee. I ordered 8 samples from Zoologist toay. Being a Canadian, I'm thrilled to finally learn about a Canadian fragrance house. My daughter is very excited to try Bat. I ordered her a sample of that. She is a PhD student in biology and has worked with bats. I ordered Northern Cardinal, Hummingbird, Bat, Bee, Rabbit, Nightingale, and Snowy Owl (looking forward to seeing what "snow" accords are like). Thank you, Daniel!

[@SeldomlyOften]

Oh boy, you in for a treat! Try to approach the fragrances with an open mind and give them some time. I really want to get Bat, I'm a huge fan of Prin Lomros, the perfumer for that :)

[@AngelMC11]

Amazing review! I agree that if he improves his distribution, I would own lots of the scents. I am particularly drawn towards, Harvest Mouse, Rabbit and Chipmunk.

[@SeldomlyOften]

Rabbit will 100% be my next purchase from the house, other 2 I'm interested in are Rhino and Bat.

[@Ismelledathing]

Good review man, unique brand tbh

[@SeldomlyOften]

Thanks 🙏 They are very unique but have a clear direction and solid brand identity.

[@leongamecorner]

I just had my first full wearing of Bee today and now you upload this video. 😍 I clicked super fast 😂

[@SeldomlyOften]

Thanks so much for the comment, did I make this masterpiece justice?

[@leongamecorner]

@@SeldomlyOften Of course, you always do! 😄 I also make fragrance reviews for tiktok, but I'm gonna need a lot more wears to fully undestand Bee and talk about it. But Squid and Bee are definetly my 2 favourites, Camel will be the next pickup. 😃 And I'm glad you mentioned Reflection 45 again, it's my Number 1 of all time. 😍

[@banananaz674]

I have most of Zoologist's samples by now and I tried Bee a few months back when I was just getting into niche perfumery and I immediately loved it on paper but *hated* it on my skin, as you mentioned it was "cloying" and I had to immediately scrub it off. This video inspired me to try it again, currently wearing it, and it's much more pleasant this time around, perhaps also because I'm a little more experienced now that a few months have gone by. I almost exclusively wear unisex-targeted frags, but I do feel this one leans quite a bit more feminine.

[@SeldomlyOften]

I appreciate you making the effort go going back to this again! Our taste changes quite a lot and it's always good to revisit stuff that didn't initially work out.

[@PutsalunChhim]

I kinda have been waiting for this video 😍😍😍

[@SeldomlyOften]

It's one of the most amazing frags in my collection :D

[@PutsalunChhim]

@@SeldomlyOften I'm planning to get it as well because I really love Honey! I have Tobacco Honey. Would you say there are similarity since you mentioned Bee has some of the most realistic honey accord, which I think Tobacco Honey is as well. :)

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@PutsalunChhim never smelled Tobacco Honey but if it’s anything like other scents with honey in them, the honey definitely takes a back seat. Bee is very much honey forward, especially in the opening.

[@PutsalunChhim]

@@SeldomlyOften Please give Tobacco Honey a sniff, it's smoky honey and the honey is super realistic throughout the opening, mid and dry down, so I'd say it's pretty forward with the honey than the tobacco. I really love it, that's why i'm quite exicted for Zoologist, but seems like a difficult to get where I am except to pay hefty intl shipping fees.

[@Frag-Jitsu]

Have never touched a zoologist fragrance yet. These are intriguing.

[@SeldomlyOften]

They are super fun, I love the house and what they represent. Are they the most wearable "smell good" fragrances out there? No! But they offer such a unique take on perfumery that they are, in my opinion, a must smell for any enthusiast.

[@Frag-Jitsu]

@@SeldomlyOften Oman luxury is crazy good stuff too. I have the sample set from them and its quite an adventure. ZAFAR and ROYAL INCENSE and BELFIORE are all pretty incredible.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Frag-Jitsu yes, I like a lot of their frags even if they are not too crazy experimental yet :)

[@AnotherPerceiver85]

need that full wear Penguin revisit!! great video on Bee Daniel. on your way to the top with your intellectual format!

[@AnotherPerceiver85]

victor is changing the bottle design because he currently does the labeling himself but he’s unfortunately losing his eyesight so he needed a new design to help automate that process due to his medical issue.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@AnotherPerceiver85 yeah Penguin definitely deserves another chance 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment and support 🙏

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@AnotherPerceiver85 yeah I know and I can't blame him, but having different looking bottle from the same brand really triggers my OCD :D

[@william6509]

By the way just a suggestion, please add the names of the alternatives! Some French snd other languages are hard to understand for me😂 Love the reviews

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@william6509 yeah I hear you, I already added the names for the fragrance options in the description but I’ll make an effort to add them in the video too 🙂

[@Eloisescents0309]

I love the house and having had a bottle of Bee, this description is perfect!!! Almost makes me want it again. lol. I tried. I REALLY TRIED! I guess I fall in the category of those who are put off [smells great though & this is NOT animalic]. Its ok though because I found Moth instead :) Nice review!!

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Eloisescents0309 well, you also liked Hummingbird which is kind of like Bee without the massive honey component. Moth is absolutely beautiful 🤩

[@EduardoHenrique-nd1ro]

Thanks for sharing, Daniel! Cheers from Brazil, mate!

[@SeldomlyOften]

Cheers man! Thanks for commenting, as usual :)

[@leepaterson7340]

Great review as always

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@leepaterson7340 thank you 🙏

[@william6509]

Great vid! Please review Amber star by xerjoff. I know you will adore it. Its like Grand soirs older and wealthier brother haha

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@william6509 no super easy to find! I’ll try to get hold of it 🙂

[@justaddlight]

I never went with more than 2 sprays of this one. And that's from a decant atomizer. It's super enveloping on me but also rather comforting. Usually layer it with a nice coffee frag these days, and outstripped Camel as my fav from the brand. A superb review Dan. 🍯

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@justaddlight thank you, I just realized that I might be going a little nose blind to this early as just sniffing the atomizer quick tattoos the scent into my nostril. What’s your coffee of choice? Camel is great but the longevity is a little lacking for me.

[@justaddlight]

@@SeldomlyOften Go-to coffee scents have always been Coffee Addict, Awake and Follow, but after going through my decant of Akro I recently picked up Double Espresso from Fragrance World that I've been layering like crazy with. It's actually more of a synthetic smoky and bitter guaiac accord, but the first 10 minutes are pretty decent. Best on clothing AFTER you apply the first fragrance on skin. So more of a "stacking" than an outright layering.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@justaddlight I currently have Follow and love it, I had Awake a while back and I wasn't a huge fan of the dichotomy of citruses and coffee in the opening, it kind of reminded me of that Xerjoff Symphonium type of deal.

[@Principemostprincipe]

Great review. Although i love the way bee smells, i find it leaning too feminine. On my skin this is heliotrope and tonka bomb. Performance is to the moon and back on my skin. I cannot wash it off how strong it is, and there is definetly animalic honey aspect which one you are talking about. Profumum roma - dolce acqua is actually good alternative for bee

[@SeldomlyOften]

Thanks for commenting as usual. This to me is very very abstract, I see it as totally unisex. Also, the strong honey preference is really jarring to most people and distracts from the flowery aspect. Obviously what YOU (the general wearer) feel is the most important :)

[@maalyraw9818]

Love bee aswell, one of my favorites in my collection. I also really like hummingbird since to me it smells very similar to bee but if you removed the honey and wax notes and left the florals in, so essentially a “fresher” version of it.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@maalyraw9818 Hunmingbird was really really good too, I agree. I like the edginess of Bee, adds a lot of character 🙂

[@sore.neculai87]

Definitely the best honey perfume out there. I have also tried Slowdive and liked it as well. However, Bee is the real Bee😋

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@sore.neculai87 Slowdive is good but it’s not as photorealistic in my opinion, Bee is absolutely incredible 👌👌

[@fabiojungle4722]

Im very intrigued. It is readily available from discounters in the UK. At a decent price. Sounds wonderful. I do love me a good honey fragrance. A good rec for honey is Bengale Rogue by Pappilon ! You might have it already. Also will you do a full review of Copal Azur anytime soon ?

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@fabiojungle4722 I tried Bengale Rogue (today’s video by pure chance), it’s absolutely mega. Bee is MUCH more honey forward, it’s not a supporting note; super unique. Copal Azur review is coming soon 🙏

[@fabiojungle4722]

Fantastic. Copal Azur is piquing my interest. Can't wait for the review 🙏🏿

[@PainfulPig]

Awesome review! It was so hard for me to find a not feminine yellow flower scent!! I feel like it’s so strongly associated with women that perfumers try to avoid it. I have only Ylang 49 (and maybe Ganymede).

[@rherbm]

Tilia is another great yellow flower scent that's unisex

[@SeldomlyOften]

Ylang is often seen and very fem for whatever reason; maybe it's the sunny, fun type of vibe? Bee is very abstract and really transcends any type of gender. Thank for commenting :)

[@Devasterium]

I agree with all your points, I think Bee is art in a bottle. I on the Reflection 45 is probably the one bottle I would keep also.

[@SeldomlyOften]

Reflection 45 is not my favorite Amouage but given one choice it's the one that I could wear pretty much anywhere, forever. It's so elegant and balanced.

[@leepaterson7340]

I can’t wait to get raw gold from TDM need to try reflection 45 and Oman Luxury as a brand have BANGERS

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@leepaterson7340 I tried Raw Gold in a shop and it was great, I would love to get a full sample though.

[@garlandloydtullos]

great review! Do you have the 2024 version of Wanderlust or the older formula? I haven't tried the new one.

[@SeldomlyOften]

ah yes, forgot to mention it's the 2023 (so the latest). Never tried the previous.

[@igorkokozov4862]

Great review! This comment is not for this topic, but I figured I share. Everyone says that when Christopher Chong was the creative director at Amouage the company produced the most daring, creative olfactory masterpieces. Now, he is at the Thameen London, and they dont have anything close that Amouage used to make. So that makes me think that it’s not about creative direction of Christopher Chong, or Rene Solomon. It’s more about appealing to mass market. Kind of sad.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@igorkokozov4862 it’s not that simple: a perfumer and a creative director are still limited by company stakeholders, brand history and, mostly, budget. You can take the best artist ever but if you give them a bad, limited brief and nothing to work with… just look at some really bad films made by talented directors. The state of perfumery is not that bleak at all in my opinion; it’s always been changing since the start; some brands decline and many other strive. Innovation and creativity is ingrained in humanity and when bigger brands fail to deliver, new small brands develop and take the spotlight.

[@pedrogoncalves1664]

Interesting! I've only tried this in a store once and haven't applied it to my skin, but since you mentioned Oman luxury would you say that bee has a more realistic honey accord than royal incense?

[@SeldomlyOften]

Yes, Bee is the fragrance with the most prominent and realistic honey accord I ever smelled. It's a fragrance about honey and not a supporting note. Royal Incense is really good btw :)

[@pedrogoncalves1664]

@@SeldomlyOften I'll have to buy samples to test it properly. Cheers!

[@marklauderdale4429]

I agree with the statement about longevity. When I hear that most fragrances last ten to twelve hours I automatically have come to believe that it is a skin scent they’re talking about. I hardly have fragrances project for more than four to five hours. The majority only two at most. I don’t mind; by lunch I either reapply or spray something else within the same scent family I like. First off, Zoologist is one of my favorite fragrance houses. To me Bee is like smelling a bee hive. Do I love it? YES! Thanks for the review!

[@SeldomlyOften]

Yeah longevity perception is really subjective. Some reviews talk about the scent being on you for 24 hours or more. Personally I don't think that being "detectable" means still being there but hey, as long as one understands perspective... Thanks for commenting :)

[@Frag-Jitsu]

From your description, I feel you would like Floris Honey Oud It’s nice!

[@SeldomlyOften]

Cool! I'll see what it's about!

[@leepaterson7340]

Sorry man, I’m back! I love your channel 😅. I wanted to ask what fragrances you would recommend for work or ones that you can wear year-round? I’m getting tired of wearing the so-called ‘pleasing’ fragrances to everyone (in your opinion, of course). With personality/uniqueness/stands out and less generic

[@SeldomlyOften]

That’s a massive question, help me help you by narrowing to the style you like. Off the top of my head, right now, I would say Xerjoff Zefiro. I filmed a review about it yesterday and said just that: super unique but also very very wearable, year round.

[@leepaterson7340]

@ I would say in terms of notes and style Patchouli Cedarwood Sandalwood Rum leather iris ladbanum green apple Lao Oud vanilla rose tobacco vetiver benzoin/neroli I would adventurous, balanced, strong, seductive and bold but I understand where fresh and elegant works and I have a few of those. Ambery and spicy Leathery and distinctive Woody and profound Aromatic and green if done right

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@leepaterson7340 Heh, the limiting factor here is year around wear. You gotta try Amber Kiso by DS&Durga, you'll love it. It's a little heavy for hot weather but it's absolutely incredible. A more wearable option for you could be Tabac Nomade by Houbigant; really good also.

[@leepaterson7340]

@ thank you man! Apologies for the detailed description and thank you for your recommendations I will take a look at them!

[@ApricusInaros]

Yes Victor Wong, please make a contract with a Swiss distributor. I wanna try it too 😊. I don't want to buy an expensive discovery set from abroad.

[@SeldomlyOften]

Also because he won't ship to CH period. At least that was the case a while back. We really need a distributor here :)

[@apollo5261]

I've seen a large variety of houses you reviewed. I'd like to see you check out Aaron Terence Hughes. It's a british fragrance house. Might be hard to access. I, personally, really like Aaron's style. I don't think it's YOUR style, having seen the fragrances you enjoy amd which ones you don't, but I think you'd at least appreciate it. I'd recommend something like Onyx or Onyx Extreme.

[@SeldomlyOften]

I'm familiar with ATH and I only tried Maverick from a decant I was given. They are not possible to buy here unfortunately...

[@apollo5261]

@SeldomlyOften ah, that's sad. Would really like you to check out one of the 2 fragrances I mentioned earlier if you get the chance, I think you'd enjoy them. It's a solid house and Aaron's taste seems to align spot on with mine with the gourmand/floral/fruity sweet and thick fragrances. What did you think of Maverick though?

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@apollo5261 it was ok, not too surprising, very mass appealing. I need to re-evaluate it in a first impression comparison as I didn’t give it a full wear.

[@alexchog9383]

It seems you connect a lot with Zoologist and that is great, Best honey around? in my opinion Miel du Bois discontinued for such a long long time (and that is why I tresure it so much). But...apparently Lutens is re-releasing it by the end of this month only available physically (not online) at Palais Royal! as honey goes, have you smelled Journey woman? that is a very interesting take. You like immortelle as well as far as I understood, so a good unusual combo honey-immortelle is Bois Lumiere by Lebreton. Now, would you mind to advise about three Zoologist that I should buy (in the mood for rought leathery scents nowadays..but do not forget my love for florals. Btw, I have issues with the new bottles, I have only Bat (first version) and I will miss the old shape. Cheers!

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@alexchog9383 it’s just really difficult to find good honey FORWARD scents, that is key. I have not smelled Journey Woman and that SL seems awesome (although I doubt I’ll be able to get it). Cool Zoologist that you might get a kick out of are: T-Rex (obviously), Rhino and, if you the stomach for it, Hyrax. Thinking of something more wearable?

[@alexchog9383]

@@SeldomlyOften you are right.and honey is a tricky note that may turn sour and "pissy" on some people. But how cold I have forgotten???? Or du Serail by Naomi Goodsir made by Duchaufour: honey, booziness, dried fruits, and tobacco! OK for these three Zoologist..I guess I will have to invest in a sample set..if you can add other three more weareble but still "unique", I appreciate.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@ Sloth is amazing and nuclear (made by Prin Lomros which I love), Rabbit is a REALLY unique gourmand, Civet is a really smooth spicy animalic and if you have already tried (or don’t want to try) Bee, Sacred Scarab, by Sultan Pasha is super interesting.

[@alexchog9383]

@@SeldomlyOften thx so much! I will keep you posted on how it goes.

[@jacksonanderson3867]

Really appreciate you comparing with slow dive, even if I disagree on it being one dimensional. Another “Raw” honey fragrance that almost comes off animalic is Kerosene’s Found in Light. Almost a fermented fruit smell that I oddly enjoy

[@SeldomlyOften]

It's not one-dimensional per se, it's a little flat when compared to Bee (to me at least). Maybe it's because it focuses mainly on honey?

[@jacksonanderson3867]

@@SeldomlyOften I thinks it's because they are constructed differently. Bee has bright uplifting florals combined with a zingy ginger that create a lot of liveliness. Slowdive meanwhile has a rich resinous profile that melds with the tuberose and dried fruits to create a darker, sweeter smell.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@jacksonanderson3867 yeah, you are probably right, Slowdive's scent profile sits all in one tonal range, making it appear as less nuanced.

[@williambright8009]

would love to hear your thoughts on cuoium by orto parisi

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@williambright8009 I have video of that online! It’s a first impression but I go for pretty much a full wear.

[@adrianpocea2287]

For me this one has that amazingly great opening, the honey, all the rest. But after the first half hour the white flowers ( and some sort of a linden note, weirdly so) becomes too bitter and tenacious. I rarely reach that decant that I have. Same kinda problem that I have with Seville A L'Aube, by Artisan Parfumeur. Great smell, too tenacious and long lasting for my liking

[@SeldomlyOften]

very strange, not only I wish this was little more projecting but I don't get any bitterness. Amazing how fragrances change and vary according to who wears them :)

[@AT-dp5tl]

Another great review ! I hate this scent :) smells like a bottle of monk mead honey alcohol ( refined version 😅)

[@SeldomlyOften]

Hey, not everything is for everyone! That's the beauty of it :) I totally get the mead reference.

[@AT-dp5tl]

@ agreed

[@leroybrown8926]

I recently got a sample of Bee. It’s beautiful and lovely but too feminine for me. Gave it to my daughter. She loved it

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@leroybrown8926 well, I find it pretty unisex but it’s definitely not masculine 😅 Glad your daughter likes it 😊

[@leroybrown8926]

@ I’m gonna get the full sample collection of zoologist soon. I’m intrigued. Myrrhe Mystere is possible my next fragrance. I find it addictive.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@ never tried that one but I love Tom Ford so it’s on my list to sample 🙂

[@leroybrown8926]

@ it doesn’t project but is pretty long lasting. The resins with sandalwood and absynth work well together. Draws me in. I haven’t smelt anything quite like it. Kinda similar to Ebene Fume but not really.

[@xxxyyy9677]

Could you please do a review of Les Sables Roses by Louis Vuitton?

[@SeldomlyOften]

I'll try to get a sample of it!

[@xxxyyy9677]

@ Thank you

[@igorkokozov4862]

I think Naxos has way too much honey. How is it compared to Bee?

[@SeldomlyOften]

Naxos has barely any honey compared to Bee 😅 In Naxos, the honey is a supporting note to add density and sweetness, in Bee it's the main protagonist.

[@Sliceisnice850]

Glad you guys are out there supporting this creative house… ….because lord knows I’m not. I’ve tried, but I’m 0/5. Squid, T-Rex, Bee, Moth, Macaque, all a big pass for me, but I have no tolerance for animalic notes, so I’m not the target audience, I suppose. Appreciate the review!

[@SeldomlyOften]

I found Macaque to be incredibly pedestrian, almost to a boring degree. Did you find that one also animalic?

[@Sliceisnice850]

@ True, that one was more of a breezy green one, if I recall. Tried the Yuzu version but wasn’t for me. This brand is, for me, the perfect example of stuff I want to smell but don’t want to wear. If you were tasked with creating a parody of a niche brand for a comedy sketch, you could just use the brand that makes stuff that smells like a squid. I’m half kidding.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@ haha I totally get it, I personally like adventurous smells, to actually wear one a day to day basis but I understand that a lot of people want to go the safe route.

[@Sliceisnice850]

@ Remembered I tried the original Bat, too, and it felt more like a technical feat, a challenge accepted and met, something you’d maybe scent an art exhibit with, but the idea of going about smelling like overripe bananas and wet dirt is as silly as it is pretentious to my mind. Indistinguishable from a parody of niche perfumery is my stance until I’m inevitably bowled over by a Zoologist scent some day and have to delete this :)

[@SeldomlyOften]

@ I feel that the more “boring” sounding ones might suit you. Harvest Mouse is really nice, Dragonfly is a beautiful fresh aquatic, Beaver is a clean wood scent… don’t give up on the brand 🙃