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Zoologist
Niche brand · Toronto, Canada

Zoologist

Animal habitats translated into distinctive perfumes: Zoologist pairs Victor Wong’s concepts with the signatures of changing perfumers.
Toronto, Canada · founded 2013
Atmospheric Zoologist brand world with animal imagery
Founded
2013
Origin
Toronto, Canada
Founder and Creative Director
Victor Wong
Concept
Animals and their habitats as olfactory starting points
Animal-derived musks
No natural animal-derived musks
Award
Original version of Bat (Ellen Covey) – Art and Olfaction Award, Independent Category, 2016; [current reinterpretation](/perfume/zoologist-bat)
At Parfinity
39 fragrances to sample
The story
Victor Wong founded Zoologist in Toronto in 2013. Rather than depicting animals literally, the house uses their habitats, behaviours and individual traits as starting points for perfume.
Wong develops the concepts and collaborates with different perfumers to realise them. The narrative premise remains recognisable while each composition carries a distinct signature. According to the brand, Zoologist does not use natural animal-derived musks.
01 · The beginning

A personal idea of perfume

Victor Wong founded Zoologist in Toronto in 2013. In an interview, he describes the starting point as a personal project: after discovering niche fragrance, he looked online for independent perfumers who could realise his concepts. The collaboration became a house in which Wong sets the creative direction without composing every formula himself.
Zoologist founder Victor Wong with an interviewer at Esxence 2019
02 · The principle

Animal worlds, not literal animal odour

Zoologist considers an animal’s habitat, behaviour and appearance, then translates those observations into a scent portrait. Different perfumers bring distinct aesthetic and technical approaches to each project. The brand states that it replaces natural animal-derived musks with synthetic alternatives for ethical reasons.
Zoologist Bat in a damp cave setting with tropical fruit
03 · Recognition

An award for the original Bat

In 2016, the original version of Bat, composed by Ellen Covey, won an Art and Olfaction Award in the Independent Category. That version was discontinued in 2019. The 2020 reinterpretation of Bat now carried by Parfinity was composed by Prin Lomros. The award therefore belongs to the house’s history, not to the current formula.
Golden Pear trophy for Zoologist Bat’s 2016 Art and Olfaction Award
Sample without risk

Discover Zoologist at home

Choose five Zoologist fragrances as 2 ml samples for your Parfinity Box. The value of your box is fully credited towards a later bottle purchase.

Your individual Parfinity Box
  • Choose any 5 fragrances
  • Wear every fragrance more than once
  • Credit the box value towards a bottle
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Your selection

39 fragrances by Zoologist

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Community

What the community says about Zoologist

10/10
Don't let the hype drive you crazy. Everyone acts as if T-Rex were an unwearable monster, but that's only because people spray it on paper strips and panic immediately. On warm skin, it's a completely different world. I was initially intimidated to spray it myself, but it's not brutal at all. Yes, it starts off smoky, but it's definitely not a dull campfire. The dark, smoky wood is immediately cut through by a spicy, almost cool freshness—thanks to the blend of neroli, nutmeg, and bay leaf. If you give the fragrance some time, beautiful fresh flowers and something slightly fruity emerge from these ashes due to the osmanthus, which also gives the whole thing a very subtle leather nuance. It basically smells exactly like walking past conifer trees in the cold winter as they drop their hard resin. In the neighborhood, people are lighting their stoves, that woody smoke wafts towards you, and right beneath that snow and smoke, the flower bed of the elderly lady next door suddenly tries to emerge. The fragrance melts incredibly well with warm skin and becomes surprisingly close to the body. It feels like thick, warm winter clothing protecting the body from the cold—only here, the perfume itself warms exactly the spot where you sprayed it.
hidden.mishaTyrannosaurus Rex
10/10
Tyrannosaurus Rex begins with a strong, smoky, burning forest, along with clearly recognizable bay leaves in the thick smoke. You get the image of a leather jacket in the middle of a green forest that is currently burning down. The forest goes out. The fragrance feels like it jumps into the future—no more fire, just scorched earth from which life slowly emerges again. In the drydown, the flowers grow back, and the forest begins to live again. One of the most beautiful drydowns ever.
MayykTyrannosaurus Rex
5/10
The opening smells beautiful. Ripe juicy mangos balanced with rich earthy damp cave notes. Unfortunately, once it dries down, you are only left with damp musty cave notes that smells dirty and almost like bo. Not really wearable for me. I wished that the opening was what you got all along because the balance was so beautiful. However, i appreciate the masterpiece and evocative art.
taniaBat
7.7 / 10from 263 approved reviews by our community
The noses

Perfumers of Zoologist

Image of Prin Lomros

Prin Lomros

Prin Lomros is a self-taught perfumer from southern Thailand who discovered his love for scent as a child, often wearing his mother's perfumes.
Discover more about Prin Lomros
Image of Antonio Gardoni

Antonio Gardoni

Antonio Gardoni is the creative force behind Bogue Profumo, one of the most distinctive and uncompromising niche perfume houses in the world.
Discover more about Antonio Gardoni
Image of Sultan Pasha

Sultan Pasha

Sultan Pasha stands as one of the most respected artisan perfumers in the niche fragrance community, renowned for his mastery of traditional attar-making techniques and his exceptional ability to work with rare, precious natural materials.
Discover more about Sultan Pasha
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What distinguishes Zoologist from conventional perfume houses?
Each fragrance begins with an animal and its habitat. Victor Wong develops the concept and commissions different perfumers to realise it. The collection therefore combines a recognisable narrative premise with widely varied olfactory styles.
Are all Zoologist perfumes vegan?
Not categorically. According to the official FAQ, Bee and Hyrax are exceptions to the otherwise animal-product-free line. Across the range, however, Zoologist states that it does not use natural animal-derived musks.
Should I sample Zoologist before buying a full bottle?
The house itself recommends smelling a sample before buying a 60 ml bottle. Many compositions are deliberately expressive and can feel unfamiliar depending on your experience with niche perfume.
Wear First. Love Forever.

Which story will you wear on your skin?

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