Notes on a House: Zoologist
If you're a fragrance lover who finds joy in the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly imaginative, then Zoologist Perfumes is a house that demands your attention.
Founded over a decade ago in Canada by Victor Wong, Zoologist is an independent house that treats perfume like a cross between fine art and evolutionary study. Each scent is inspired by a different animal, though not in a gimmicky, novelty way, but with depth and high concept. The perfumes are developed in collaboration with some of the most inventive noses in perfumery. The result is a collection that is thought-provoking, artistic, and highly distinctive.
What first catches the eye is the branding. It is whimsical yet refined. The dark, illustrated labels feel like vintage scientific etchings pulled from a Victorian naturalist's study, but with a playful wink. It's intelligent, imaginative perfumery that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet smells serious.
Zoologist doesn’t aim for mass appeal; it’s a brand that invites exploration, challenges convention, and rewards the adventurous nose.
This is the first instalment in a series where I spotlight perfume houses that I find particularly interesting. Zoologist felt like the right place to begin, not just because of the olfactory theatre of their fragrances, but because I’ve spent time with a lot of their offerings. Some were instant loves, several took me by surprise, and one or two I plan to never cross paths with again, but all of them left an impression.
Here’s what I’ve explored so far:
🐦 Hummingbird
A sophisticated fruity floral with cherry, plum, violet and a breezy heart of lilac and honeysuckle. The drydown is creamy sandalwood softened by a hint of moss. Pretty, elegant and very wearable. Like sipping fruit nectar from fine bone china.
Who it's for: Lovers of graceful florals with a vintage soul but modern polish.
🐄 Cow
One of my absolute favourites. Milky, grassy, green and sunny. It’s utterly unique and oddly comforting. Think summer meadows, dairy barns, and warm skin. A pastoral painting brought to life in scent.
Who it's for: The curious wearer looking for calm, quirky beauty.
🐝 Bee
Another standout for me. Deep, resinous honey and warm beeswax—sweet, heady, and just a little animalic. Bold, indulgent, and strangely soothing. A golden cathedral built from honeycomb and sunlight.
Who it's for: Gourmand lovers unafraid of opulence and a bit of buzz.
🐇 Rabbit
An unexpected joy. Fresh carrot, snappy green grass and soft earth. Sounds odd—smells magical. Artistic but totally wearable. A Beatrix Potter tale retold by a minimalist painter.
Who it's for: The scent adventurer who values subtle eccentricity.
🦑 Squid
An aquatic like no other. Ink, sea salt, and something deeply oceanic. Melancholic and elegant. A shipwreck turned to poetry.
Who it's for: The moody romantic in search of oceanic drama.
🐒 Macaque (Yuzu Edition)
A zingy, green citrus opening softens into woods and temple incense. Clever and calming. Meditation under a yuzu tree.
Who it's for: The scent seeker who wants serenity with a twist.
🐁 Harvest Mouse
Hay, wheat, beer and chamomile. A rustic, cosy scent that smells like golden fields and quiet afternoons. Autumn in a teacup.
Who it's for: Those who love warm, nostalgic, softly spiced fragrances.
🦖 Tyrannosaurus Rex
An olfactory thunderstorm. Charred woods, smoke, tar and fire. Visceral and wild, but too aggressive for me. A volcanic eruption bottled.
Who it’s for: Only the boldest thrill-seekers. Or pyromaniacs.
🐧 Penguin
Clean, airy, cold. Marine freshness with a sharp chill—like mint on ice. I like it a lot. The scent equivalent of exhaling on a glacier.
Who it's for: Lovers of brisk, abstract freshness.
🐭 Mouse
Soft, slightly powdery and musky with hints of cereal and warm fur. I found it quietly charming. A whispered lullaby in a cozy nook.
Who it’s for: Fans of gentle, skin-close scents with a tender heart.
🦋 Moth
This one is infamous. Heavy, gothic, incense-laced and dense. It affected my mood more than I expected, almost funereal. Dust-laden, velvet curtains drawn at dusk.
Who it’s for: The brooding poet with a penchant for shadows.
🦫 Beaver
Wet wood, musk, and castoreum. Earthy and a bit challenging, brave but not quite for me. A forest dam during mating season.
Who it’s for: Lovers of the unapologetically animalic.
🦎 Chameleon
Tropical and translucent. Fruity with an airy sheerness and a warm resinous base. Interesting, but not overly distinctive to my nose. A mirage in a jungle.
Who it’s for: Fans of soft-fruity florals with a twist.
🐍 Cobra
A silky blend of incense, sandalwood, and spice. Smooth and slinky, but it didn’t fully win me over. Smoke curling from a temple brazier.
Who it’s for: The elegant mystic who favours subtle drama.
What struck me most about spending time with Zoologist is how much patience their scents ask of you and how much they give back. These aren’t quick spritz-and-go perfumes. They unfold like short stories: layered, moody, sometimes puzzling, often transcendent. I didn’t just test these once on a blotter, I wore them through long days, quiet evenings, and moments in between. I let them settle into my skin and into my thoughts. Some I resisted at first, only to find myself unexpectedly reaching for them again (Bee & Rabbit, inparticular). Others captivated me instantly.
As someone who loves both fragrance and narrative, I find what Victor Wong has built here genuinely moving: a house where scent isn’t just decoration, it is character, place, plot, and atmosphere.
My Top Three Picks
Out of all of the scents I explores here my personal standouts are:
Cow – for its serene weirdness and grassy-milky charm
Bee – for its golden honied glow and syrupy elegance
Squid – for being like nothing else I’ve smelled—mysterious, salty, smooth and emotionally resonant
(Though Rabbit almost hops into the podium. It’s a very close fourth.)
Final thoughts
Zoologist is not a house that plays it safe and that’s precisely what makes it so rewarding. These are fragrances that provoke thought, stir emotion, and sometimes even challenge your nose to recalibrate what perfume can be. If you’re used to linear crowd-pleasers or sleek designer blends, Zoologist might feel like a wild leap. But if you're ready for something bold, something with teeth, fur, scales, and heart, you’ll likely find more than one creature in this lineup worth befriending.
If you’re curious, I recommend starting with their Discovery Set, which admittedly can be hard to get hold of if you’re outside of North America but it can be found in a few discerning stores (I will link below). It’s a wild, wonderful way to roam through a selection from the menagerie before choosing your favourite(s).
Grab a discovery set:
UK: Bloom Perfumery, Slickboys
Europe: 50 ml, Parfums de France, Periyard, Beauty Concept,
Global: Zoologist
Stay tuned for the next chapter in this Notes on a house series. Next up on the discovery list is Stora Skuggan.
Review disclosure:
I wasn’t paid to write this. I bought all of the fragrances and samples mentioned. There are no affiliate links in this article.
