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
This is a scent for close quarters after dark, when the air is warm and the room already feels charged. It suits a wearer who wants presence without polish: plush florals, coffee bitterness and animalic depth that read as intimate, slightly dangerous and unmistakably composed.
How to wear
Best in cool to mild weather, where its floral-musky density can unfold without becoming heavy. One or two sprays are enough; it projects strongly and lasts well over 10 hours, so a light hand preserves the balance between coffee, leather and civet musk.
Who it’s for
For lovers of vintage-style chypres, animalic perfumes and fragrances that mix sweetness with shadow. It will appeal to people who enjoy bold, textured compositions with florals, coffee, leather and musk, especially those drawn to unconventional but refined scents.
Release year
2016
The nose
Shelley Waddington. Waddington is known for a style that leans classic but uses naturals with a modern hand, often balancing texture, warmth and clarity rather than chasing minimalism. Her work for Zoologist shows that instinct for vivid structure and controlled animalic depth. For Civet, she works in the old chypre tradition without making it feel museum-like: coffee, florals and musk are arranged to feel plush, shadowy and wearable. The result reflects her strength in turning bold materials into fragrances that remain polished and legible on skin.
Collaborators
Victor Wong, Zoologist’s founder, shaped the concept and brief with Shelley Waddington, and the two developed the fragrance together. Their collaboration centered on the civet theme and the idea of civet coffee, with Wong’s direction helping frame the scent’s classic-animalic character and Waddington translating it into a wearable formula.
Zoologist’s story
Zoologist builds fragrances as imaginative portraits of the animal world, but does so through a consciously synthetic, cruelty-free palette rather than animal-derived materials. The house favors narrative, texture and surprise, pairing eccentric concepts with carefully composed, highly original structures.
Civet’s concept
Civet was conceived as an homage to the civet ingredient and to the chypres of an earlier era, when perfumery embraced raw, animalic sensuality. The creative starting point was civet coffee, which gave the composition its dark, aromatic thread and helped anchor the fragrance’s lush floral and musky contrasts.
Extra info
Civet was released on December 31, 2016 and came in a 60 mL deluxe bottle as well as a 10 mL travel spray. It was a finalist for the Art & Olfaction Awards 2017, and Zoologist positions it as one of the more accessible entry points into the house’s imaginative style.
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
This is a scent for close quarters after dark, when the air is warm and the room already feels charged. It suits a wearer who wants presence without polish: plush florals, coffee bitterness and animalic depth that read as intimate, slightly dangerous and unmistakably composed.
How to wear
Best in cool to mild weather, where its floral-musky density can unfold without becoming heavy. One or two sprays are enough; it projects strongly and lasts well over 10 hours, so a light hand preserves the balance between coffee, leather and civet musk.
Who it’s for
For lovers of vintage-style chypres, animalic perfumes and fragrances that mix sweetness with shadow. It will appeal to people who enjoy bold, textured compositions with florals, coffee, leather and musk, especially those drawn to unconventional but refined scents.
Release year
2016
The nose
Shelley Waddington. Waddington is known for a style that leans classic but uses naturals with a modern hand, often balancing texture, warmth and clarity rather than chasing minimalism. Her work for Zoologist shows that instinct for vivid structure and controlled animalic depth. For Civet, she works in the old chypre tradition without making it feel museum-like: coffee, florals and musk are arranged to feel plush, shadowy and wearable. The result reflects her strength in turning bold materials into fragrances that remain polished and legible on skin.
Collaborators
Victor Wong, Zoologist’s founder, shaped the concept and brief with Shelley Waddington, and the two developed the fragrance together. Their collaboration centered on the civet theme and the idea of civet coffee, with Wong’s direction helping frame the scent’s classic-animalic character and Waddington translating it into a wearable formula.
Zoologist’s story
Zoologist builds fragrances as imaginative portraits of the animal world, but does so through a consciously synthetic, cruelty-free palette rather than animal-derived materials. The house favors narrative, texture and surprise, pairing eccentric concepts with carefully composed, highly original structures.
Civet’s concept
Civet was conceived as an homage to the civet ingredient and to the chypres of an earlier era, when perfumery embraced raw, animalic sensuality. The creative starting point was civet coffee, which gave the composition its dark, aromatic thread and helped anchor the fragrance’s lush floral and musky contrasts.
Extra info
Civet was released on December 31, 2016 and came in a 60 mL deluxe bottle as well as a 10 mL travel spray. It was a finalist for the Art & Olfaction Awards 2017, and Zoologist positions it as one of the more accessible entry points into the house’s imaginative style.