Xerjoff 1861 Naxos dupes

What is Naxos?

Naxos is a perfume by Xerjoff, a niche perfume house from Turin in Italy. Its full name is XJ 1861 Naxos.

It came out in 2015 as an Eau de Parfum for men and women. Xerjoff credits it to Sergio Momo, who founded the brand, and the perfumer Chris Maurice.

Momo started Xerjoff in 2003.

Naxos belongs to the 1861 collection. That year is when Italy became one country, and the collection was made to mark its 150th anniversary.

Why is it called Naxos?

Many people think of the Greek island of Naxos. One Reddit user even complained that a Greek name sits next to a Sicilian flag on the box.

But the name points to Sicily.

Naxos was also an ancient Greek city on the east coast of Sicily. Xerjoff calls it "one of the oldest Greek cities on the Italian coast."

That explains the Sicilian theme. The perfume is meant to feel like honey, lemons and lavender under the Sicilian sun.

What does it smell like?

Fragrantica lists lavender, bergamot and lemon at the top. Then come honey, cinnamon, jasmine and cashmeran, over tobacco leaf, vanilla and tonka bean.

Cashmeran is a lab-made note that smells soft, woody and a little musky.

The main idea is simple: honey and lavender on top of sweet tobacco. One reviewer described it as "smooth, creamy, honeyed tobacco with a potent and sparkly lavender puff."

It is sweet, but most fans say it is balanced. One compared it with Le Male Elixir and said Naxos is sweet "but not like le male elixir which is way too sweet."

How strong is the tobacco?

Less than the name "tobacco" might suggest. Several owners call it a light tobacco scent.

One person put it bluntly. If you think Naxos is a tobacco fragrance, wait until you smell Tom Ford's Tobacco Oud.

Some people do get a clear tobacco note. One reviewer said they smell more of it "than some other folks pick up."

How it changes on your skin

The opening. It starts bright and fresh, with lemon, bergamot and a strong burst of lavender.

The middle. The honey and cinnamon come in. It turns warm and golden, with a slightly powdery feel.

The drydown. Hours later, it is a soft mix of vanilla, tonka and tobacco. This is the part that clone owners chase hardest.

Why people love it

It is one of the most loved niche perfumes there is. On Fragrantica, it has over twenty thousand votes, and "love" outnumbers every other vote by far.

Owners call it luxurious and easy to like. One said it got them their "most compliments," and another called it "hands down the best scent I've ever smelled."

It also crosses age groups. A 54-year-old put it high on their list, while other users say young men wear it everywhere.

Why some people don't

It is very popular, and that has a downside. One user said Naxos and a couple of other scents are what "90% of" young guys are wearing.

The honey can also read cheap to some people. One owner asked a friend to smell it, and the friend asked if it was "Axe body spray."

Some find it too sweet, or it simply does not work on their skin. A few people say it was "terrible" on them, or that it was hyped more than it deserved.

How long does it last?

Most owners say it lasts well and projects well. One wears it even in summer and praises its "great longevity and projection."

Clone reviewers often put it at about four to eight hours on skin. As with most perfumes, it lasts longer on clothes.

The dupes

Naxos is one of the most copied niche perfumes. Owners who tested the dupes side by side agree on two things.

First, they are all close by the drydown. Second, they differ most in the first half hour.

Rayhaan Italia

Rayhaan is a newer brand from the United Arab Emirates. Italia is its Naxos dupe, and it may be the most talked-about one.

In one review post with a three-person blind test, all three people picked Italia over the original. The reviewer put it at about 90 to 95% of the way there.

The main differences are sweetness and honey. Italia is sweeter, with more honey, and some call it "thick" at the start.

One owner said it "becomes a good alternative after 20 minutes." Another said both Italia and a sister scent "start off very medicinal" before turning lovely.

Its performance gets good reports. One owner said it "filled a small room," and another said it performs like the original.

Not everyone is a fan. One person called it "a bit chemical," and a ranking post noted a common complaint that it is "not well blended."

Owners also say it improves as it rests. One advised waiting a few months before judging it.

Maison Asrar Muharib

Maison Asrar is another house from the United Arab Emirates. Muharib is its Naxos dupe.

One owner sprayed Naxos on one wrist and Muharib on the other. They said the opening is a bit fresher, with more bergamot, but after 10 to 15 minutes it is "practically 1:1."

They also found it a touch spicier, and said it lasted as long as Naxos. Their friends sniffed both wrists and said it was the same.

Another collector who owns Muharib, Italia, another clone and a Naxos sample said Muharib "poops on all the clones in terms of quality."

But this dupe also has real critics. One owner of the original found it "flat, boring & harsh," and said it lacks the depth of Naxos.

Another reviewer said the tobacco came across burnt, "like the smell of a heavy smoker's shirt." So expect to like it a lot or not at all.

Italia or Muharib? One owner tested both a day apart and found them "almost identical." They got a fresher opening from Italia and a slightly heavier tobacco note from Muharib.

Maison Alhambra Aurum Luxura

Maison Alhambra is a house from the United Arab Emirates that makes very cheap copies of famous perfumes. Aurum Luxura is its Naxos dupe.

One owner who had tried four other Naxos clones called it "90% identical" and their favourite. They said the tobacco is a bit weaker and the whole scent is a little lighter.

A second owner tested it against their bottle of Naxos and was less impressed. They said the first few minutes do not smell like Naxos at all.

After it settles, it gets close. But they found one note too strong, "more of a 'honey-ish toothpaste' scent," and could tell the two apart in a blind test.

They rated it 7 out of 10 if Naxos is a 10. They still called it "a good occasional substitute" or something to layer with.

French Avenue Fierte Luna

French Avenue is a line from Fragrance World, a big clone house from the United Arab Emirates. Fierte Luna is its take on Naxos.

Reports are mixed. One owner called it "probably the closest dupe so far," and another ranked it second out of five.

That second owner said it "starts like an old Naxos," with less sweetness and honey. But after about five hours, they found it "really close."

Others found it "medicinal" or "chemical" at first. We list it with low confidence for that reason.

Other names you will see

Nusuk Ateeq. One owner ranked it third of five. They said it starts with a medical smell and too much cinnamon, then gets closer as that fades.

Paris Corner Voux Elegante and Fragrance World Insurrection II. Both share the style. But the same owner said they are "far away as a clone itself."

Volare Mexican Bronco. It appears in a head-to-head with Italia, but we have not found enough owners of Naxos to list it.

Xerjoff Pure Havane. This is not a dupe, but fans often name it next to Naxos. It swaps the honey for a cherry tobacco feel.

Which should you buy?

Buy the original if you want the smoothest, most balanced version. Many owners say the dupes are rougher in the first half hour.

Buy Rayhaan Italia if you like it sweeter, with more honey and strong performance.

Buy Maison Asrar Muharib if you want the fresher start and a slightly stronger tobacco. Try a sample first, because owners are split.

Buy Aurum Luxura if you want the cheapest way to test the style. Expect a weaker tobacco and a more synthetic sweetness.

Skip all of them if honey scents feel cloying to you. Every version here is built around it.

When to wear it

Fragrantica voters pick it most for winter and autumn, but spring also gets lots of votes. Summer gets the fewest.

It works day or night. Voters lean only slightly towards night.

Tips for wearing it

If you buy a dupe, give it a few weeks before you judge. Several owners say these clones get smoother as they rest in the bottle.

Wait 15 to 20 minutes before comparing anything to Naxos. Almost every owner says the opening is where the dupes give themselves away.

A short story about ancient Naxos

The Sicilian Naxos sat by the sea below the hill town of Taormina. Greek settlers founded it in the 8th century BC.

It is often called the first Greek colony in Sicily. Today the town of Giardini Naxos stands on the same spot.

So the perfume's name is not about a Greek island at all. It is about the place where Greek and Sicilian history first met.

The bottom line

Naxos is a honey, lavender and soft tobacco scent that is sweet but balanced. It is one of the best-loved niche perfumes, and one of the most copied.

Rayhaan Italia and Maison Asrar Muharib are the two dupes owners argue about most. Both get very close after the first 15 minutes, but owners still disagree on which is better.

If you love Naxos's drydown and can live with a rougher start, a dupe will get you most of the way.