Xerjoff Renaissance EDP

Description

Renaissance is the most photorealistic lemon in Xerjoff's catalogue: a cold, just-zested Italian citrus that stays bright far longer than a citrus opening has any right to. It anchors XJ 1861, the trio Xerjoff built around the 150th anniversary of Italian unification: Renaissance for the period itself, Zefiro for Rome and Naxos for Sicily, presented together at Esxence in Milan in 2015. Renaissance itself first appeared in 2011. Beneath the lemon sits a cool mint-and-lily heart and a soft musk-amber-cedar drydown, and it is that combination, icy citrus over slightly dirty musk, that reviewers keep calling a compliment magnet.

How It Differs From Xerjoff 1861 Naxos

• Renaissance is the bright one; Naxos is the sweet one. Renaissance is lemon, mint and clean musk. Naxos is honey, tobacco and lavender. A warm gourmand.
• Different wardrobes entirely. Renaissance is spring and summer daytime; Naxos is fall and winter evenings.
• Same collection, same Italian brief. The 1861 trio was designed as complementary chapters, not as variations on one theme. Owning both is not redundant.

Scent Character

• Fresh: 45%
• Floral: 18%
• Sweet: 14%
• Woody: 14%
• Amber-Resinous: 9%

Translation: Overwhelmingly a citrus. The fresh reading is the entire point. The floral share is a cool mint-and-muguet accent rather than a bouquet, and the amber-musk-cedar base gives it a slightly dirty, skin-like finish that keeps it from smelling like household lemon.

Fragrance Pyramid

Top: Lemon, Calabrian Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Petitgrain
Heart: Mint, Lily of the Valley, Bulgarian Rose
Base: Musk, Amber, Cedarwood, Patchouli

Performance

• Longevity: 6–8 hours typically, genuinely good for a citrus-forward fragrance. A real minority of wearers report it dropping to a skin scent nearer the three-hour mark, so it is skin-dependent.
• Sillage: Moderate, a clean, close halo rather than a trail.
• Projection: 1–2 feet in the opening hour, then arm's length.

If you want the citrus to hold, spray fabric as well as skin, the musk-amber base clings to cloth considerably longer than it does to skin.

Best Occasions & Season

• Best seasons: Spring, Summer
• Best occasions: Everyday, Work, Leisure
• Gender: Unisex
• Skip for: Cold-weather evenings. There is not enough warmth in it to carry a winter night.

Concentration & Provenance

Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Perfumer: Not disclosed by the house
House: Xerjoff (Turin, Italy), XJ 1861 collection
Year: 2011; presented as part of the XJ 1861 trio at Esxence Milan in 2015

Try Before You Commit

Citrus fragrances are the most skin-dependent category there is, and Renaissance is one people either call the best lemon ever made or find fades sooner than they hoped. Try it first: $6.99 for 1 mL, $31.99 for 5 mL or $49.99 for 10 mL, against $169.99 for the 100 ml bottle.

100% Authentic

Every Venba decant is poured from authentic stock, never counterfeit, never diluted. We have filled over 200,000 orders and hold a 4.9★ rating on Trustpilot. Orders over $100 ship free within the US, and everything comes with hassle-free returns.

FAQ

Is this the same fragrance as "XJ 1861 Renaissance"?
Yes. Renaissance is its name within Xerjoff's XJ 1861 collection and you will see it listed both ways, with and without the 1861.

Does it contain oud?
No. There is no agarwood in Renaissance. The depth in the base comes from amber, musk, cedarwood and patchouli.

How does it compare to Naxos?
They are opposites drawn from the same collection. Naxos is a warm honey-tobacco gourmand for cold weather; Renaissance is a cold lemon-mint citrus for warm weather.

How long does it last?
6–8 hours for most wearers, which is strong for a citrus, though some find it softens to a skin scent sooner. Spraying on clothing extends it noticeably.