ORLOV
WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

2020

PERFUMER
Jordi Fernandez

Ginger
Pink Pepper
Bergamot
Saffron
Cypress

Jasmine
Iris
White Amber

Leather
Musk
Caramel
Vetiver

When I sampled the ByOrlov range from Orlov, Walk On The Wildside easily stood out and grabbed my attention (followed by Empower You). It’s a very specific kind of leathery scent that I’ve only come across in a handful of other fragrances, most notably Floraiku Between Two Trees, Memo Irish Leather and Oman Luxury Paramour, although I feel like the Orlov is the most fruity of them all.

It’s a style that I enjoy in moderation and Walk On The Wild Side might be my favorite iteration. It opens with something of a fresher (faux) leather, but it has a greener, pine-like or cypriol tinge, creating what I can only describe as a new car smell. It’s slightly smoky and burning upon first sniff.

On top of that is a huge dose of fruitiness; with bergamot and ginger listed. To my nose, it smells more like grapefruit. It might be the bitterness of saffron and ginger causing that connection. The citrus is strong for a while, after which a bit of sweetness and a floral heart emerge, but both are subtle. I didn’t really pick up on it during my sampling, but wearing it from the bottle later, I get more of a transition into florals.

The mid section has a jasmine and musk combination that smells rather traditional. The sweetness is more like an ambery warmth. As I mentioned, it’s subtle, so overall the composition stays very much leathery.

The performance is nuclear on my skin, with good longevity and very loud projection. It’s an interesting fragrance with some contrasting elements, that work really well. Nothing about it smells natural to me and I find it hard to describe the scent with real-world equivalents, but it works and its a great pick-up at it’s price point.