Xerjoff
SKETCHBOOK – P. 18
2025
bergamot
violet
turkish rose
clove
amber
jasmine
amber
oakmoss
vanilla
musk
‘The latest releases from the Sketchbook collection explore some of the many ways in which desire manifests itself, with each offering a different perspective on the theme. p.18 presents something of a paradox. Its magnetic scent invites you to come closer, but the barbed wire wrapped around its flacon warns of danger. To experience the perfume’s enchanting effects, one must accept the risk that comes with holding it. Like love, p.18 is beauty, but also pain — its spicy oriental scent will always keep you coming back for more, even if it hurts. Turkish rose, bergamot and violet give a gentle introduction, before cloves add a slightly spicy dimension to the composition. It is the prominent base note pairing of tobacco and vanilla, with their combined smooth and smoky qualities, that are responsible for p.18’s intriguing allure. The flacon is the work of expert Tuscan artisans. Polished glass surfaces, metal elements bathed in gold, grooves to accommodate the barbed wire — all of these features were achieved entirely by hand. As a result, no two flacons are exactly the same. Each one is a unique work of art in its own right.’ – Xerjoff
Some general thoughts on the P. 13, P. 18 & P. 70 trio that I’ve wore over a weekend, before diving into the individual review. These are definitely fragrances where you are paying for the bottle, with prices ranging between €1100 & €1300 each. I like all 3 to some extent, but neither feel as elevated as the 17/17 line, most of the oud collection or the other Xerjoff that comes close in price, Lunosa. For me these are solid scent profiles, but they feel like they are no different than the lower end Xerjoffs or perhaps most accurately, the Iommi & Duran Duran collaborations. Notes overlap between them, but they are 3 quite distinct scent profiles. I’m a fan of the opening of P.13 & P.70, with P.70 staying the most interesting overall.
P.18 is my least favorite, albeit a well-constructed scent. It’s the most spicy, earthy scent of the three, with clove, but also nutmeg/pepper being prominent to my nose.
In the opening you get a zesty, rind-like citrus edge, but it quickly reveals a borderline gourmand tinge. It has the biscuity caramel-vanilla from a Casamorati Lira. I can picture a combination of blood orange and gourmand; quite nice and as with all three of the 2025 Sketchbook fragrances, the opening is easily my favorite part.
As it dries, P.18 turns into something that I didn’t enjoy as much. Slightly muddy, earthy, but mostly spicy, with a somewhat grating quality to it. The combination with that citrussy tinge during the opening-mid made me think: ‘This could’ve been Angels’ Share On The Rocks‘. Which is different, but this is what I had in mind for that concept.
It goes strangely plasticy on my skin; a bit of overlap with P.70; there’s no saffron listed, but that came to mind. Spicy, but laminated. As mentioned, I get a nutmeg-pepper vibe here at times, reminding me of a less milky BDK Nuit de Sable.
Overall, this one wasn’t really for me, but I can see why others would appreciate it.
