Ex Nihilo The Hedonist Extrait

Jordi Fernández wrote the original in 2021 as a bright, airy woody scent built around Akigalawood, then came back in 2024 and made it darker. Ex Nihilo released The Hedonist Extrait as a concentrated reworking rather than a new idea, adding lychee at the top and a suede accord underneath. The parent was an everyday fragrance. This one is not. Aromatica stocks The Hedonist Extrait decant in Bangladesh in two sizes.

Fragrance Notes

Top: Grapefruit, Bergamot, Ginger, Lychee

Heart: Cedarwood, Akigalawood

Base: Vetiver, Amberwood, Tonka Bean, Suede

The Scent

Grapefruit and ginger lead, sharp and bitter-bright, with bergamot filling in behind them. The lychee is the tell that separates this from the original, adding a soft fruity sweetness that the 2021 version does not have, and reviewers who own both mention it immediately. That opening is genuinely zesty and runs longer than the extrait concentration would suggest. Akigalawood does the heavy lifting through the middle. It is a Givaudan captive material with a woody, mossy, peppery character that is often compared to patchouli but behaves differently, lifting the other woods rather than grounding them, and it is why this family of fragrances smells like cool morning air in a pine forest. Virginian cedar sits alongside it and gives the heart its actual shape. The suede accord is the other addition, and it appears in the second hour as a soft leathery texture rather than a distinct leather note. From there the base turns sweet-woody. Amberwood and tonka bean come forward, and here the reviews get more critical: several people say the amberwood dominates in a way that reads closer to a designer fragrance than a niche one, and wish more of the Akigalawood had survived into the dry-down. Performance is the most common complaint by a wide margin, with owners across Fragrantica and Parfumo describing it as beautiful and quiet, which is a difficult combination at this price. The comparisons that come up constantly are Bvlgari Le Gemme Tygar and Ex Nihilo Vibrato, and the consensus is that all three share DNA closely enough to make sampling before buying worthwhile. Owners who have worn both versions of The Hedonist tend to describe the extrait as smokier and gently sweeter rather than louder, which is not what the word extrait usually promises. A few also pick up a sandalwood-like creaminess in the base that is not on the note list.

When to Wear

Evening and cooler months. Dinners, nights out and dates rather than daytime, which is the deliberate difference from the original. Fall and winter suit the amber base. The Woody collection holds more of this character.

Who Is It For

Someone who liked the original Hedonist and wants a richer evening version of it, and who values how a fragrance smells over how far it travels. It works for people who wear fragrance close to the skin by choice.

If this profile appeals, Naxos by Xerjoff sits in a nearby corner of sweet-woody niche and is worth comparing. Browse the Exclusives collection at Aromatica.

Available as an authentic decant in Bangladesh at Aromatica in 3ml and 5ml.