I’ve recently grown an interest in fragrances, and I found Zoha Aroma, a company from Toronto, that was highly suggested in the fragrance community. They create clones of luxury and niche fragrances, but also create their own unique blends!
Since I’m in the “testing” stage of this hobby, I was looking for ways to test things out before buying an entire bottle of something.
Zoha offers their scented perfume oils in various sizes, and I purchased some of the 3ml sizes. Perfect for testing! They also offer a sample pack of the parfum sprays, so I got that too.
***I apply fragrance more for myself than others, so I usually don’t apply too much of anything. Most people have to be quite close to me to smell anything. So I can’t comment too much on sillage or projection.
Processing Timeline:
1/13: ordered
1/14: messaged to see if they would be able to send my order out that week, in order for me to get it in by that Friday. They responded that they’ll send it out as soon as they can.
1/20: I ask them what’s going on with my order, as it’s been a week. I am local to them.
1/22: Get a response that they’ve been tending to personal affairs in the past weeks. Cool, I understand.
1/23: Got tracking info.
1/24: Got it in my mailbox! Right on time for my weekend trip!
Parfum roll on oils:
I bought a handful of their clones. I haven’t smelled the originals of most of these, but the purpose of these purchase was to get an idea of what these niche fragrances were like before I commit to a larger bottle.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge
Notes: Pineapple, Birch, Musk, Black Currant, Bergamot, Oak Moss, Apple, and Ambergris.
I’ve smelled the original of this. I have to say, this is really good! I’ve smelled another BR540 clone, and it didn’t capture the richness of BR540. This one did. It’s very very accurate. Lasts all day on me until I wash it off. No oil smell!
Xerjoff Gran Ballo
Notes: gardenia, honeysuckle, jasmine, vanilla, amber, caramel
I’ve never smelled the original of this. The oil smells sweet, but not a vanilla sweet. More like a rich caramel. Caramel floral. I didn’t like this at first. The opening is sweet and sharp, almost headache inducing the first few times I tried it. But after an hour or so on my skin, I loved it. It turns into a soft, sweet, powdery scent. I love the dry down. It’s become my favourite of all of the oils I ordered!
Unfortunately, this becomes a skin scent on me within 4 hours. I am curious enough to check out the original, and will probably buy a larger roll on from Zoha.
Creed Love in White
Top notes: orange peel
Middle notes: iris, narcissus, magnolia, jasmine, rose
Bottom notes: sandalwood, vanilla, ambergris
This is very floral, and there was something in it that made my nauseous. I’ve never smelled the original, but I pick up some sort of waxy, rubbery smell in the base note. The opening is a gorgeous fresh white floral, but then I get that rubber smell that overpowers anything else.
Not sure if this is a Zoha thing, or if this is just how the fragrance smells like. I feel like it’s most likely a note that just doesn’t sit well with me. I had to wash this off.
Byredo Bal D’afrique
Notes: vetiver, lemon, tagetes, black currant, amber, African orange flower, bergamot, musk, violet, cyclamen, cedar wood, and jasmine.
I got this cuz a lot of people in the fragrance community talk about it. I read the scent notes, and it didn’t really appeal to me, but I was curious. In the bottle, it smells nice, but not something I’d typically pick out as a fragrance for myself. On my skin, this smelled terrible. I pick up a warm coconut scent. I hate coconut. I had to wash this off.
When I washed it off, the skin scent that was left was much more bearable for me. A soft powdery floral, which I enjoyed much more.
Creed Green Irish Tweed
Top notes: lemon verbena, iris
Heart notes: violet leaf
Bottom notes: ambergris, sandalwood
Never smelled the original. Picked this up for my husband based on reviews and fragrance notes. We both absolutely love this one!! Didn’t pick up any waxy/rubbery/oil smell. Super fresh and clean smelling. Will probably pick this in a larger bottle. Wish Zoha made this in a spray also!
Parfum Sprays
Ones I’ve smelled the original of
Red Beryl (MFK Baccarat Rouge 540 Inspired)
Notes: Amberwood, Fir Resin, Jasmine, Saffron, Cedarwood, and Ambergris.
This one smells so so so close to the original, and performs better, in my experience. I did a side by side, and didn’t tell my husband which was which. He preferred the Zoha version. I think overall, the fragrance is pretty bang on. But I found the Zoha version brought out more of the fruitiness, and it made the scent more apparent and less subtle. It captures the richness and luxuriousness of BR540 beautifully. Smells high quality and soooo yummy. I won’t be investing in a full bottle of the original if I’ve got this Zoha version!
Fleur Blanche (MFK Aqua Universalis Forte Inspired)
Notes: White Florals, Lemon, Bergamot, Jasmine, Musk, Woody notes and Rose.
I’ve smelled this original but in the non-forte version, so they will be a bit different. Both were very clean, zesty citrus fragrances. HOWEVER, the non-forte version dries down really quick to a powdery citrus. It reminds me of Sunlight laundry detergent, and is very unisex.
The Fleur Blanche stays very citrus, and has a more masculine tone to it. It smells like a zesty cologne.
Ones I haven’t smelled the originals of:
Napoleon (Creed Aventus Inspired)
Notes: Pineapple, Birch, Musk, Black Currant, Bergamot, Oak Moss, Apple, and Ambergris.
I haven’t smelled the original of this. I picked it up for my husband. He likes it! It smells good. Can’t comment on how close it is to the original, but I’ve read that this is preferred over the original. I personally prefer the GIT scent over this.
Twilight (Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady Inspired)
Notes: Rose, Patchouli, Incense, Clove, Raspberry, Sandalwood, Blackcurrant and Musk.
This was straight up roses to me at first. When I first sprayed it, I knew immediately my mom would love it. I let her test it and I was right. 2 sprays on her and we could smell it on her all day. The performance on this was killer! I sprayed it in the morning on my ankle to test it out. I wore socks over it and went on with my day. When I got home, I took the socks off and could smell the fragrance. I could smell it while i was sitting. This was one single tiny spray on my ankle! It’s a very pretty scent. Will probably get a larger one for mom.
29th Shade (Le Labo The Noir 29)
Notes: Cedarwood, Fig, Tobacco, Hay, Vetiver, Bergamot, Bay Leaf, and Musk.
This is a very pretty scent. Smells like tea to me. To me, it’s nice but not super special.
Delight (Xerjoff Casamorati Lira Inspired)
Notes: Vanilla, Caramel, Blood Orange, Cinnamon, Licorice, Bergamot, Lavender, Musk and Jasmine.
I’m not SUPER into gourmands, but sometimes I do like them. This one is a sultry rich vanilla to me. It’s pretty, it’s sweet, but not offensively so. Some gourmands give me a headache, but this didn’t. It was a pleasant creamy sweetness all day. I will have to try this out a few more times to see if I want a larger size.
Overall
There was a delay in processing my order, and I’ve seen other people comment about this around the same time I was ordering. I will let that slide, as I do understand that real life happens, and they are a small business.
As for the products, I do prefer the EDP sprays more than the oils. I liked the idea of the oils, as they are applied and more “neat”, instead of getting overspray everywhere. But to me, the sprays smelled more “clean”. I am not 100% sure if it’s the fragrances themselves, or something in the ingredients, but I got that waxy smell in some of the oils. The parfum sprays smelled more like a typical EDP, none of that waxy business. And I found they had better performance.
BUT my fave fragrances, Gran Ballo and Green Irish Tweed, only comes in an oil. I didn’t detect any oil or waxy smells from these or the BR540 oils.
I would definitely order from Zoha again. They’re always adding new fragrances to their roster, so I’m excited to see what’s to come from them!