La Capitale by Xerjoff

Suede, peach, and strawberry bathed in caramel syrup. Ideal for spring and autumn, ranging from semi-formal to formal. Another gem from Xerjoff.

A gem in my collection. All the notes combined seem like madness, yet each is in the perfect dose for an extraordinary result. I struggle to describe it because it smells like ‘La Capitale’ is a whole; trying to break it down is difficult. If I’m specific, I sense everything it declares except the rose: the strawberry isn’t childish, the saffron and leather don’t overpower, the caramel isn’t cloying, and the ginger adds a spicy freshness. I could go on about each component, but it was enough. Try it if you can; it’s not a blind buy you should take lightly, nor is it entirely safe.

A high-quality fragrance. On my skin, strawberry and caramel dominate; as it dries down, the ginger’s kick becomes noticeable alongside a soft, delicate rose (not intense), with good projection and longevity. It is sweet, yes, but not cloying or annoying. I find it more feminine than unisex.

For me, undoubtedly, an exquisite fragrance, almost edible; I couldn’t tell the notes apart. It says unisex, but in my case, it’s too sweet and cloying to be so; it’s more feminine than masculine. I can smell the peach and slightly the strawberry, but both are muted by the caramel. It’s good, but before buying, see how it performs on your skin; it doesn’t suit everyone. In my case, quite feminine and more suitable for evening wear.

I have a decant and I loved it. I was wary of the oud (I don’t like it) and the leather, but it is very well crafted. It leaves a long trail and has good fixation. I’m waiting for the decant to finish so I can buy the full bottle.

It’s rich, but on my skin, it smells as if I’d applied Poett Environmental Deodorant in strawberry. The scent is very pleasant, but that’s exactly how it smells on my skin, not like an expensive perfume.

I have adored La Capitale. It is an extremely refined gourmand, caramelised, slightly fruity and acidic, with a soft oriental base of leather where, fortunately, I barely notice the saffron. As a good Xerjoff, it has an oily unctuousness; although it isn’t a beast like others from its house, it has decent fixation. If you are a fan of caramel and gourmands, you must try it. A heads-up: if you have Bonbon by Victor and Rolf in the Couture version, make a direct copy of its composition. It is super similar; I don’t know why, but it’s suuuuper alike. It doesn’t make sense to buy La Capitale if you already have one worth about seven times less, believe me. The Only One by D&G also goes down that route, but it diverges more and is stickier. In summary, it is a beautiful, fine, coquettish, and wearable perfume, nothing annoying, but its price seems disproportionate for what it offers. Mind you, I defend niche prices, but with Xerjoff, it happens often. I stick with Bonbon Couture by Rolf, as apart from its price (you can find it excellent online in Spain), it resembles mine quite closely, and I can’t distinguish many nuances in the dry down except for that barely marked leather note. I wouldn’t lie if I said I didn’t enjoy meeting it.