Floral
Leather
Unconventional
Top Notesbergamotblack pepperlemonorangetarragon
Heartcarnationfrangipaniheliotropehyacinthlindentuberoseylang-ylang
Base Notesambercivetcoffeefrankincenselabdanummuskrussian leathervanillavetiver
Tags
#sweet
Style
for her
for him
unisex
As the sun sinks over the dense tropical forest, civets emerge warily from the thickets. Under a carpet of narcotic flower blossoms, a smattering of coffee berries peppers the ground. The moist air is heavy with mossy aromas that penetrate every crevice, but the musky scent of the civets dominates; their marked territory daring one to enter at one’s own risk.
Civet pays homage to the age-old ingredient, civet, as well as chypre perfumes of bygone days – perfumes that refused to be intimidated by raw, alluring, animalistic musks. Civet is a moody and complex brew entwined in mystery. It opens with a spicy floral accord, threaded through with dark coffee tones. Slowly it prowls forward, unraveling base notes of leather, moss and vanilla that combines with distinctive civet musk to create a bewildering, sophisticated scent with the promise of a sultry nighttime rendezvous.
Perfumer: Shelley Waddington
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
Civet suits an evening that unfolds slowly, with conversation close enough for its bitter coffee and musky sweetness to register. Its spicy flowers and worn-leather impression suggest a composed exterior with something less restrained beneath it.
How to wear
Start with one or two sprays on skin, allowing the spicy floral opening to settle into moss, leather and vanilla before adding more. Cool weather suits its dense, sweet base; in warm or humid conditions, use a lighter application to keep the animalic warmth from dominating.
Who it’s for
For lovers of animalic chypres, dark florals and leather with a sweet undertow. Civet rewards an appetite for complexity: coffee bitterness, moss and musk interrupt the amber-and-vanilla warmth rather than letting it become a straightforward gourmand.
Release year
2016
The nose
Shelley Waddington is an independent perfumer and the founder of En Voyage Perfumes, known for richly textured compositions and an expressive approach to natural and synthetic materials. For Civet, she built the atmosphere from the base upward, using the floral heart and coffee accents to evoke the animal’s habitat rather than simply reproduce its musk.
Collaborators
Zoologist founder Victor Wong worked with Shelley Waddington on the concept and creative brief, helping steer the animal-inspired composition toward wearability. Together, they evaluated different concentrations and preferred the fuller effect of the 25% version.
Zoologist’s story
Founded by Victor Wong in Toronto, Zoologist translates animals and their environments into distinctive olfactory portraits. Its fragrances explore habitat, behavior and atmosphere rather than literal animal smells, balancing beauty with provocation. The house uses synthetic alternatives to animal-derived musks.
Civet’s concept
Civet pays homage to animalic chypres while imagining a tropical forest after sunset: narcotic blossoms, coffee berries, damp moss and territorial musk. Waddington approached it as a living classical composition rather than a vintage reconstruction, finding an especially fruitful combination in coffee, ambrette, opoponax and cinnamon.
Extra info
Despite its name and animalic character, Civet contains no animal products; its civet, musk and Russian-leather notes are synthetic. The bottle’s Eau de Parfum designation was corrected to Extrait de Parfum in mid-2017 without changing the formula or its 25% concentration.
Featured in edits and sample packs
Exploring LabdanumThe Coffee Aroma in PerfumeryVanilla et Co: Anthology of Sweet in Perfume
Top Notesbergamotblack pepperlemonorangetarragon
Heartcarnationfrangipaniheliotropehyacinthlindentuberoseylang-ylang
Base Notesambercivetcoffeefrankincenselabdanummuskrussian leathervanillavetiver
Tags
#sweet
Style
for her
for him
unisex
As the sun sinks over the dense tropical forest, civets emerge warily from the thickets. Under a carpet of narcotic flower blossoms, a smattering of coffee berries peppers the ground. The moist air is heavy with mossy aromas that penetrate every crevice, but the musky scent of the civets dominates; their marked territory daring one to enter at one’s own risk.
Civet pays homage to the age-old ingredient, civet, as well as chypre perfumes of bygone days – perfumes that refused to be intimidated by raw, alluring, animalistic musks. Civet is a moody and complex brew entwined in mystery. It opens with a spicy floral accord, threaded through with dark coffee tones. Slowly it prowls forward, unraveling base notes of leather, moss and vanilla that combines with distinctive civet musk to create a bewildering, sophisticated scent with the promise of a sultry nighttime rendezvous.
Perfumer: Shelley Waddington
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
Civet suits an evening that unfolds slowly, with conversation close enough for its bitter coffee and musky sweetness to register. Its spicy flowers and worn-leather impression suggest a composed exterior with something less restrained beneath it.
How to wear
Start with one or two sprays on skin, allowing the spicy floral opening to settle into moss, leather and vanilla before adding more. Cool weather suits its dense, sweet base; in warm or humid conditions, use a lighter application to keep the animalic warmth from dominating.
Who it’s for
For lovers of animalic chypres, dark florals and leather with a sweet undertow. Civet rewards an appetite for complexity: coffee bitterness, moss and musk interrupt the amber-and-vanilla warmth rather than letting it become a straightforward gourmand.
Release year
2016
The nose
Shelley Waddington is an independent perfumer and the founder of En Voyage Perfumes, known for richly textured compositions and an expressive approach to natural and synthetic materials. For Civet, she built the atmosphere from the base upward, using the floral heart and coffee accents to evoke the animal’s habitat rather than simply reproduce its musk.
Collaborators
Zoologist founder Victor Wong worked with Shelley Waddington on the concept and creative brief, helping steer the animal-inspired composition toward wearability. Together, they evaluated different concentrations and preferred the fuller effect of the 25% version.
Zoologist’s story
Founded by Victor Wong in Toronto, Zoologist translates animals and their environments into distinctive olfactory portraits. Its fragrances explore habitat, behavior and atmosphere rather than literal animal smells, balancing beauty with provocation. The house uses synthetic alternatives to animal-derived musks.
Civet’s concept
Civet pays homage to animalic chypres while imagining a tropical forest after sunset: narcotic blossoms, coffee berries, damp moss and territorial musk. Waddington approached it as a living classical composition rather than a vintage reconstruction, finding an especially fruitful combination in coffee, ambrette, opoponax and cinnamon.
Extra info
Despite its name and animalic character, Civet contains no animal products; its civet, musk and Russian-leather notes are synthetic. The bottle’s Eau de Parfum designation was corrected to Extrait de Parfum in mid-2017 without changing the formula or its 25% concentration.
Featured in edits and sample packs
Exploring LabdanumThe Coffee Aroma in PerfumeryVanilla et Co: Anthology of Sweet in Perfume