Zoologist perfumes: which one to try first

Four Zoologist perfumes compared by character and by who they suit, with a clear first pick and a simple way to try them in small sizes before you buy a bottle.

In this guide

The best Zoologist perfume to try first is Sloth, a herbal and sweet scent that suits the widest range of days. If you want something warmer, start with Camel. For a woody, balsamic scent with a sweet edge, try Beaver Maple Edition, and for the strangest of the four, try Bat. Each is available as a 3ml, 10ml or 30ml decant, filled from the original bottle.

Three 10ML 3ml decants with dried hay, amber incense resin and a halved guava, the notes of four Zoologist perfumes

How to choose a Zoologist perfume

The four Zoologist perfumes 10ML stocks are named Sloth, Camel, Beaver Maple Edition and Bat, and each one mixes notes you rarely meet together, from mushroom and hay to guava and pebbles. That makes them easy to love and easy to misjudge: a scent that reads as odd on paper can turn out to be the one you reach for every week. It also makes them hard to buy unsmelled, which is exactly where a small decant helps. If you are new to buying perfume unsmelled, the guide to safe blind buy perfumes explains which styles are forgiving; these four sit outside them, so treat them as scents to sample first.

All four are sold as unisex. They were launched between 2017 and 2025, by three perfumers, with Prin Lomros behind two of them, and each has its own style. The useful question is not which one is best, but which style you already enjoy:

  • Herbal, green and gently sweet: Sloth.
  • Warm, resinous and spiced: Camel.
  • Woody and balsamic with a sweet edge: Beaver Maple Edition.
  • Earthy, tropical and a little wild: Bat.

Pick the style closest to what you wear now, try that one first, and add a second from a different style if you want to see how far the house stretches. If you like niche perfume in general, the guide to niche perfumes to try gives wider context.

The four Zoologist perfumes, in the order to try them

Start with the first and add a second from a different style.

  1. Zoologist

    Sloth

    Chamomile, lavender and violet leaf over hay, oakmoss and vanilla: herbal, green and gently sweet, the easiest to wear by day.

    3ml · 10ml · 30ml

  2. Zoologist

    Camel

    Dried fruits, dates, olibanum and rose over myrrh, incense, amber and cinnamon: rich, resinous and voted for autumn and winter.

    3ml · 10ml · 30ml

  3. Zoologist

    Beaver Maple Edition

    Carrot and neroli over maple, Peru balsam, cedarwood and vetiver: a warm, balsamic wood with a sweet dark edge.

    3ml · 10ml · 30ml

  4. Zoologist

    Bat

    Guava, passionfruit and fig over mineral notes, hay, oakmoss and leather: fruity, earthy and the most unusual of the four.

    3ml · 10ml · 30ml

Herbal and green

The friendliest place to begin, and the scent most likely to work in daylight.

Sloth by Zoologist

Sloth opens with chamomile, acai berry, lavender and violet leaf. The heart brings cumin, beeswax, marigold, anise, Himalayan nard and jasmine, and it dries down on hay, oakmoss, mushroom, myrrh, olibanum, tonka bean and vanilla. Prin Lomros made it in 2020. It reads as a soft, herbal and slightly honeyed scent with an earthy floor, more like a quiet field than a bakery.

When the community votes on when to wear it, spring, summer and autumn come out on top, with daytime wear the usual setting. That spread of seasons is why it is the safest first choice of the four. It suits someone who likes lavender or green scents and wants something with a little more texture.

Warm and resinous

Two scents for cooler weather, one spiced and ambery, one woody and balsamic.

Camel by Zoologist

Camel is the richest here. Dried fruits, dates, olibanum and rose open it, then myrrh, incense, amber, cinnamon, cedar, jasmine and orange blossom fill the heart. The base is deep: civet, agarwood (oud), musk, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla and vetiver. Christian Carbonnel created it in 2017, and its accords run from amber and warm spice to balsamic and smoky.

The community leans towards autumn and winter for it, with night and day wear both among the times voters choose. It suits anyone who already likes amber, incense or warm spiced perfume and wants a version with more fruit and more depth. With this many resins and woods, it is a lot to take in at once, which is another reason to meet it in a 3ml first.

Beaver Maple Edition by Zoologist

Beaver Maple Edition is the newest, launched in 2025 and made by Pascal Gaurin. Carrot, water lily and neroli open it. Maple, Peru balsam, cedarwood and vetiver form the heart, and castoreum, cocoa shell, vanilla bean, patchouli and sandalwood sit underneath. Its accords are woody, balsamic, powdery, leather and smoky, so it reads as a warm, balsamic wood with a sweet, dark edge rather than a sugary maple. On paper, carrot and water lily lead, maple and Peru balsam bring the sweetness, and cedarwood, vetiver and sandalwood keep it woody rather than syrupy.

Autumn and winter are the seasons community voters choose for it most, and they choose it for both day and night wear. It suits someone who likes woody and balsamic scents and wants something unusual but not difficult. If Camel feels like too much, this is the woodier way into the same cold-weather mood.

Earthy and tropical

The most distinctive here, for readers who want something truly unusual.

Bat by Zoologist

Bat begins with guava, passionfruit and fig, so the first impression is ripe tropical fruit over damp earth. Mineral notes, hay, night-blooming jasmine and incense form the heart. The base brings animal notes, pebbles, vetiver, oakmoss, leather and teak wood. Prin Lomros made it in 2020, and its accords include fruity, earthy, tropical, mineral and animalic.

In the community, autumn and spring are the seasons chosen for it most, for night and day wear. It suits an adventurous wearer who enjoys green, mossy or mineral scents and does not mind a contrast of fruit and earth. It is the one most worth trying before you buy: some readers will find it fascinating, others will find it too strange, and a 3ml settles the question before you spend more.

Which Zoologist perfume should you try first?

A short way to decide:

  1. Start with [Sloth](/perfumes/zoologist-sloth) if you want the easiest all-round day scent.
  2. Choose [Camel](/perfumes/zoologist-camel) if you already love amber, incense or rich, spiced perfume.
  3. Choose [Beaver Maple Edition](/perfumes/zoologist-beaver-maple-edition) if you like woody, balsamic scents and want something warm without being sugary.
  4. Choose [Bat](/perfumes/zoologist-bat) if you want the most unusual one and are happy to be surprised.
The four Zoologist perfumes at a glance
PerfumeLaunchedStyleCommunity voters pick it for
Sloth2020Herbal, green, sweetSpring, summer and autumn, by day
Camel2017Amber, spice, resinAutumn and winter, night and day
Beaver Maple Edition2025Woody, balsamicAutumn and winter, day and night
Bat2020Earthy, tropicalAutumn and spring, night and day

How to try Zoologist before you buy a bottle

These are character scents, so wear them on skin for a full day before you decide. A 3ml decant of Sloth is €26.90, and gives you around 60 sprays, enough to wear it several times in different weather. A 10ml decant, around 200 sprays, is the size to live with for a few weeks; a 30ml decant, around 600 sprays, is the one to keep once you are sure. The same three sizes are available for Camel, Beaver Maple Edition and Bat.

If you are not sure whether to commit to a larger size at all, read decant vs full bottle first. A sensible plan is one 3ml of your first pick and one of a perfume from a different style, worn on separate days so the notes do not blur together. You will quickly learn whether you want the calm herbal side of the house or the darker one. Wear each on clean skin, leave the first hour alone, and note how it feels after the opening has settled, because that later stage is what you would live with in a full bottle.

The bigger picture: Best perfume for women 2026: 23 picks, classic to new and Best perfume for men 2026: 23 picks, classic to new.

Frequently asked questions

Which Zoologist perfume should I try first?
Start with Sloth. It is herbal, green and gently sweet, and community voters pick it for spring, summer and autumn by day. Choose Camel instead if you already like amber and incense, or Bat if you want the most unusual of the four. You can try Sloth as a 3ml decant for €26.90.
Can I try Zoologist perfumes in a small size before buying a bottle?
Yes. 10ML sells all four as 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants filled from the original bottle. A 3ml gives around 60 sprays, a 10ml around 200 and a 30ml around 600, so you can wear a scent for several days before you commit to more.
Which Zoologist perfume is best for winter?
Camel and Beaver Maple Edition are the two the community votes most often place in autumn and winter. Camel is richer and spiced, with incense, amber and vanilla. Beaver Maple Edition is a woody, balsamic scent with maple and cedarwood.
Which Zoologist perfume is the most unusual?
Bat is the most distinctive. It pairs guava, passionfruit and fig with soil, mineral notes, hay and oakmoss, so ripe fruit meets damp earth. It is worth trying as a 3ml first, so you can find out on skin whether the mix of fruit and earth suits you.
Are Zoologist perfumes unisex?
All four Zoologist perfumes at 10ML are listed as unisex: Sloth, Camel, Beaver Maple Edition and Bat. Choose by style rather than by gender, and use the seasons and times of day that community voters give for each one as a guide.
How much does a Zoologist decant cost?
A 3ml decant of Sloth is €26.90, a 10ml decant is €68.90 and a 30ml decant is €165.00. Camel, Beaver Maple Edition and Bat each show their live prices on their product pages.

Wear it for a week, not ten seconds.

Designer and niche fragrances in 10ml decants, so you can live with a scent before you commit.

Shop decants

More on perfume houses

All perfume guides