Tyrannosaurus Rex

I often describe myself as a slave to novelty. I love a gimmick, and seek them out in every form - a gimmicky puzzle, a gimmicky cocktail, a gimmicky commercial. There's really no surprise that I'm drawn to the branding of fragrance houses like Imaginary Authors and Zoologist, what with more playful gimmickery nonsense than they know what to do with sometimes. Tyrannosaurus Rex is probably the most gimmicky of them all: a fragrance embodying the most bizarre instincts of its creators, appealing to the almost religious mammoth of the dinosaur's scale both literally, and culturally.

And from what I saw of the reviews online, it seemed to totally live up to these legendary expectations. Controversial, stinky, and with a supposedly colossal silage, this is the fragrance that I was by far the most excited to try from Zoologist. (Especially after trying Bull's Blood, which is another favorite of mine.)

And Tyrannosaurus Rex delivered beyond my wildest imaginations.

Tyrannosaurus Rex is not only pungent, slimy, and raw, but also sweet, and fresh.

The fragrance smells like it should have incense in it, and a lesser designer would have punched up that note so as to drown out the rest of the less and more savory elements. But the restraint which has been exercised in this one (and only) aspect paid off tremendously. The fragrance lacks incense in the way a common dish served by a bougie restaurant might find itself pretentiously dissected, yet still unequivocally deliciously executed: with all the fancy globules and purees and microgreens characteristic of molecular gastronomy. A dish singing of slimy durian, hot blood, and carnivorous ferns. It invites me to think about musk & florals in a way I would have never thought to ask for: a tension teetering on the edge between beauty and catastrophe.

If you're like me, and you enjoy telling people that your favorite Dark Souls game is DS2, in part because it's the contrarian option, then give Tyrannosaurus Rex a try. Though Bloodborne might be the better fit aesthetically, I think this is a scent for somebody that is a drama queen at heart.