I don’t know why, but in the last months I have the feeling I am talking about perfume names all the time. That should not be as important a subject, but you cannot possibly review a scent called Shingl and ignore that gem of a name.
To take the guesswork out of it once and for all, despite the phonetic similarity, Shingl has nothing to do with the unfortunate malaise it conjures up in one’s mind, but is another meteorite crash site, this time in El Dorado, California, where a meteorite came down in 1869 or 1870. All the Shooting Stars collection scents are named after such sites.
Shingl is my least favorite of the Xerjoff’s I have tried, by far. Luckyscent describes it as Xerjoff’s Partygirl and I fully agree, but not in the positive sense that Luckyscent intends. To me Shingl smells more like the Paris Hilton of perfume – sweet, but grating and obnoxious, boozy and a bit vacant. (I apologize to Paris fans and Paris herself, it may well be my characterization is totally off the mark.)
Notes include bergamot, basil, anise, rum, iris, vetiver, amber, musk and vanilla.
Shingl opens sharp and alcoholic, rum and anise evoking a cocktail, my fantasy supplies the loud music and the crowded night club. Soon an enormous iris note, massive and over the top, too much, too rich, too big – à la style of the nouveau riche – rears its rooty head and stays for quite a while, smelling strangely of strawberries. The drydown is powdery-sweet. Vanilla and the blasted strawberry are here to stay, as is the case with any unloved perfume, forever and a day.
It is safe to say I do not like Shingl very much. But maybe that is just my unappreciative nose. All in all, I can’t shake the feeling that Xerjoff made a very bad fragrance out of very good materials, you can smell the quality despite everything, but a cheap composition will always smell cheap, even when clothed in silk and hung with diamonds.
Do you want to try Shingl?
I have a nicely packaged sample from Xerjoff to give away for one (lucky?) reader. Please leave a comment and let me know why you would love to test Shingl. Let’s make this one quick, I will pick a winner using random.org in 24 hours time, Friday, 8am. Good luck!
The sample will be shipped from England by a travelling friend, next week due to postal madness in Austria.
Image source: pub.ne.jp, noticiasfomosos.com, stawberries courtesy of Photo8.com
Olfactoria's Travels 
No need to enter me in the draw! I’ve already had a sample of Shingl, and passed it along 😉
I think that it may have been the first Xerjoff I tested, and I too found it awful! But I was happy to dislike it, since I already have a taste for Amouage, and By Killian… How many aspirational brands does one lowly perfumista need to fall in love with, I ask you?
🙂
So we are on the same page, shingl-wise.
You know the answer to your question, dearest Dee, it is applicable in many perfume-related areas: Just one more. 🙂
I understand very well this is not good, still I never met, yet,”too much iris” and I’m willing to try
please, enter me the draw, thank you
Of course, Irina. This is just my personal opinion, it might be ground-breaking! Good luck to you! 🙂
Please enter me in the draw,always love to try something new.Never heard of Zerjoff before .
There are a few Xerjoff reviews on the blog already, better ones than this one, I might add! 😉 Good luck, Rene!
Hmm, I can’t really say now I’m interested in smelling Shingl but I wouldn’t really mind trying for scientific purposes. Ok, not really scientific but more curious. 😉
All for science, dear Ines, all for science! 😉
I would love to be entered into the draw as:
A – Who would not love to have a sample bottle by Xerjoff, good or bad?
B – I am always willing to try, despite negative reviews (I am looking at you TF Neroli Portofino, which I ended up purchasing)
C – Because beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, I may like this one (I live in hope although I don’t think I would ever justify a full bottle purchase)
Very good reasons, Andrea! Good luck to you!
You would think that nowadays people would do a Google search with the name the come up with before actually using it…. Anyways Xerjoff (OK, this one is not weird already?) uses strange names.
I would love to try this because I have never tried one from that line. I buy all my samples and I am not convinced yet it is worth paying for them. Or I am just afraid I might actually like them.
I’m not sure this is a good starting point to the line, but it might be a good detractor. 😉 Good luck, Christos!
There’s such an absence of “party girl” in my life these days that some Shingl would actually be an improvement 😉 So, please enter me 🙂
I found your nouveau riche description very amusing and very much to the point. I’m always amazed at how wrong outfits and style choices can turn out even with lots of money to support some “celebrities”.
But what do I know? I ride my bike everywhere and look the part 😉
I hope Shingl brings a little party to Denmark, should you win, Marie! 🙂
ew, bad. bad name…
although i havent tried any Xerjoff before and I’m curious. maybe it’s a good thing i won’t like it if i smell it, will save me some money 😀
Hard to get enthusiastic over that name, isn’t it? 🙂 Good luck, in any case!
Sent from my iPhone
Hm, it looks/sounds like I’m not really interested in Shingl. Just came around to let you know that your characterisation of P.H. is way too charming & nice… 😉
Plus to tell you that I was finally awaken from my perfume apathy – by Van Cleef & Arpels’ Collection Extraordinaire. There’s not one of the six I wouldn’t want to find waiting for me on my doorstep one nice morning …
Did you get the sample set from First in Fragrance? I only know Vanille Orchidee, which I liked, but not the others. Good to know you found something new and exiting! And thank you for stopping by and chiming in on the Hilton issue! 🙂
Yes, it’s from FiF. They’re so exquisite – but in an understated, transparent way (and most probably would be way too fleeting on me). I had to think of you when sniffing the Iris…
Reading the title made me wonder if Paris Hilton lucked into a collaboration with Xerjoff. Glad this is not the case. I’ll stay out of the drawing for this one. I’m interested to see if the winner gets the same feel from it that you do.
Now that’s a thought! Paris and Xerjoff – she has the bathroom to match, I am sure. 😉 I am curious what the winner thinks as well.
Not only the bathroom but also the wardrobe, maybe Paris would be the perfect testimonial for shingl…..
I have not been having any luck sampling the Xerjoff line of fragrances. Maybe this one will be a yes-full bottle one. Please enter me in the draw. Thank you for the opportunity to do more sampling!
I hope you have more luck with this one, Judith!
Should you win, let us know how you got on with Shingl! 🙂
Sometimes, when I realise I’m taking things too seriously I think “What would Paris Hilton do”? With Shingl I’d have a perfume to go with these occasions, so I’d love to be included in this draw 🙂
Oh yes, it is definitely a “What would Paris Hilton wear?” kind of perfume! Good luck, Sigrun!
Haha shingles = herpes zoster, and although “shipping” to my home would be quiet cheap I think I don’t need a sexual transmitted desease nor a Paris Hilton moment right now (or isn’t this the same??
Oh, too bad, you were my secret hope for a winner who only requires a very cheap shipping option (we could call that option “a husband”), but I understand…
I swear I’ll gonna win the next draw, just in order to boycott austrian post
The name sounds like a skin problem i.e. shingles, ”Herpes Zoster”. Count me out of the draw for this one, or any rash, hive, or pimple fragrance forthcoming from Xerjoff. 🙂
That being said, I’ve heard great things about Xerjoff. I’d be hunting down their Irisss were it not more expensive than black market organ replacements.
Okay, no disease fragrances for you!
Irisss is not that far from Iris Silver Mist, in my opinion. If you have one, the other is not really necessary, and price-wise the Lutens is a bargain in comparison. (And also the better perfume!) But when you take a look at the other Xerjoffs I have reviewed, there are amazingly beautiful ones in the bunch, albeit with unfortunate names as well (no rashes et al though). 😉
This does not seem appealing at all. I almost feel like saying no need to enter me in the draw..BUT..I cave..I am curious- please enter me in the draw..:)
Lol, I seem to have gotten my point across… 🙂 Good luck!
Although I am not sure I would like this better than you, I’d like to take my chances. Please enter me in the draw! You have a fabulous blog, I love reading it every day! Thank you for all your hard work!
Thank you for your lovely words, Anna! 🙂 I am glad you like my blog enough to come back every day, I really appreciate it.
You are entered in the draw of course, best of luck to you.
I agree with you again – and I love to wear Lira, Oesel, Bouquet Ideale. I have a sample of Shingl so you can count me out of the draw, too. It’s very kind of you to send your sample to somebody – maybe she’ll love it more. Birgit, your previous reviews made me curious about By Kilian and I ordered some samples. Now I’m looking forward to them and your wonderful reviews 🙂
Yay, I am glad you are trying By Kilian, such a beautiful line. Be sure to let me know what you think once you tried them.
Shingl does not seem to be wildly popular tonight… hopefully it finds a good home. 😉
That truly is an awful name. But that strawberry photo looks so appealing! I’d try it out of curiosity.
You are in then, Elisa!
Birgit, you ARE good. Well, at least for me: you can not only conjure a lemming by your review but also kill one before it has been born. Even though I haven’t tried a single perfume from this line and I want (and eventually plan) to, I do not want to compete for this one. Thank you! 🙂
You are very welcome! 🙂
I think Paris Hilton should layer this one with Oesel, so she can tell people she is wearing “Weasel Shingles”! OK, I’m a little flippant, because I’ve been watching the monster Hurricane Irene from off our beach today (it’s SO HUGE!), but really….
Thanks for taking one for the team (again!) Birgit! Now go wear something beautiful!
Sure will! 🙂
Lol! Irene must be scary to watch… glad you are okay!