Zoologist Sacred Scarab Review: Kyphi-Inspired Extrait

Zoologist Perfumes released Sacred Scarab in 2022 as a unisex Oriental Woody extrait de parfum. The fragrance was composed by Sultan Pasha and built around the ancient Egyptian kyphi incense concept, a ritual blend associated with resins, wine, raisins and aromatic woods. In Zoologist's typically narrative style, Sacred Scarab is not a simple amber or a polite incense. It is a dense, animalic and resinous composition that moves from an aldehydic-civet opening into a winey heart and a long, smoky amber drydown. The note pyramid lists aldehydes, civet and lemon at the top; lotus, plum and red wine in the middle; and a large base of myrrh, incense, benzoin, musk, styrax, amber, raisin, oakmoss, galbanum, labdanum, cade oil and cedar. Fragrantica's accord profile describes the scent as amber, musky, aldehydic, balsamic, fruity, animalic, warm spicy, sweet, fresh and powdery. The community rating at the time of writing is 3.81 out of 5 from 926 votes on Fragrantica, which suggests a fragrance that has a clear audience but is not universally easy. This review covers the extrait de parfum concentration. Zoologist also offers Sacred Scarab as a 30 percent alcohol-free attar in a 15ml size. The attar is the same composition in a richer concentration, and it should be treated as a separate buying decision rather than a simple strength upgrade. Price figures in this article are approximate retail and should be verified against the current Zoologist shop listing before purchase.