Against the backdrop of a mountainous terrain, two communities share a peaceful coexistence. Yet despite their proximity, the societies are distinctly unique. Macaques cavort among the trees, grasping with delight at nature’s bountiful pleasures. From the quiet solemnity of a nearby temple, their human neighbours regard them, coveting the monkeys’ playful abandon. The macaques are all but oblivious, sparing only the briefest of curious glances at the pensive faces below before surrendering once again to their carefree revels.
Sweet notes of Fuji apple dance through a pine forest, welcoming you to Zoologist Macaque. Incense adds gravity with aromas of Hinoki woods and myrrh. The delicate balance between heavy and light results in an austere woody scent with mild hints of creamy sandalwood. Macaque is exuberance tempered by calm, sublimity buoyed by joy, a happy harmony of meditative bliss.
This perfume is a new interpretation by perfumer Mackenzie Reilly. The original version, designed by Sarah McCartney, is discontinued and no longer available.
Perfumer: Mackenzie Reilly
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All about this fragrance
Vibe check
The mood is an unhurried pause after a wooded climb: a bite of sweet apple, resinous air and the quiet of timber under shade. Its fruit brings a small flash of levity to an otherwise restrained presence, suited to conversation that leaves room for silence.
How to wear
Try it in mild spring or autumn weather, when the apple opening and resinous woods can feel balanced rather than weighty. Start with one or two sprays on skin; a restrained application keeps the incense measured and lets the softer sandalwood sit close to the wearer.
Who it’s for
For those drawn to dry woods and temple incense who welcome a bright fruit accent without a dessert-like treatment. It suits a taste for restrained sweetness, resinous depth and the contrast between crisp apple and austere hinoki.
Release year
2021
The nose
Mackenzie Reilly created the Fuji Apple interpretation of Macaque, following Sarah McCartney’s discontinued original. Her composition sets a bright fruit opening against incense and Japanese woods, preserving the fragrance’s contemplative setting while bringing the animals’ playful character into focus.
Collaborators
Zoologist founder Victor Wong helped shape the composition’s creative direction. He liked Reilly’s incense-and-pine prototype but requested a fruity opening to express the macaques’ mischievousness. When she developed Fuji apple and yuzu variations, he chose to release both.
Zoologist’s story
Founded in Toronto by Victor Wong, Zoologist translates animals’ habitats, behaviours and distinctive qualities into unconventional perfumes rather than literal animal smells. Its compositions embrace both beauty and surprise, using synthetic alternatives in place of natural animal-derived musks.
Macaque Fuji Apple’s concept
Macaque Fuji Apple reinterprets a scene of carefree monkeys in mountainous woodland beside a contemplative temple. Developed alongside the Yuzu edition, it uses fruit to express playful movement, while hinoki, myrrh and frankincense evoke the stillness of the neighbouring human world.
Extra info
Fuji Apple and Yuzu became separate editions because Victor Wong liked both variations developed by Reilly. Frankincense also appears twice in the official pyramid: as olibanum oil in the opening and olibanum hyperabsolute in the base.
All about this fragrance
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