This is the first Xerjoff that I've tried, courtesy of the lovely Carol at Waft, what a fragrance fanatic thinks. I've been wanting to try Xerjoff for some time, partly based on the many solid, perhaps even rave reviews.
I didn't know anything about Mefisto before trying, but initially it felt very thin and weak. I can't quite explain it, but I was expecting the top notes to sparkle with citrus notes in the Italian style, but it felt stilted. For a good few minutes the only thing I could smell was what to me comes across as flower petals that have turned brown, steeped in water. In other words vegetal rot. Once this phase passes, Mefisto improves significantly. A prominent rose note emerges and pretty much lasts for the duration. It isn't a dark rose, but does have a lushness, which in style is a little like Creed's Fleurs de Bulgarie. Paired with this rose note is iris, which cools down the rosy lushness and tempers the dewy sweetness, but overall Mefisto is a relatively straightforward, gentle fragrance. Nothing wrong with that.
Although I quite like Mefisto, I have to be honest and state that it perhaps is not quite my style. It smells of very good, high-quality ingredients, but is just a little short of the mark for me. Having said that, it is perfectly wearable and who knows, I may change my mind with subsequent wearings.
Image credit - http://www.ausliebezumduft.de
