This item is permanently unavailable and will not be coming back in stock.Read more
The following are some reasons why perfumes can become unavailable:
Each year, the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) issues ever-stricter safety and allergen regulations. This affects quite a few classic formulas as well as niche compositions, and sometimes brands have to discontinue a perfume if they are unable to reformulate.
The brand decides to change the concentration. For example, an eau de parfum is reformulated as an extrait, effectively turning it into a different perfume.
The brand ceases operating. The creative director passed away, got bored, started a new project, sold the business, etc.
The brand cannot keep up with logistics and production demands, with disruptions for up to a year. If there is no regular production and availability schedule, it is not viable for a stockist to carry the brand.
The brand changed the distribution model, eg from niche to duty free.
Northern Cardinal, formally Cardinal, is a big bold fragrance, loudly herbaceous with a sparkling citrus tone and a heavy backdrop of oakmoss which serves up a delicious earthy greeness. The vanilla brings warmth, the leather a dark intensity and the clary sage depth. It's like biting into something crisp and juicy while feeling the sun on your face. Cloak yourself in this warm, cheerful perfume, a spark of joy on a bleak winter day.
A winter afternoon spent visiting friends, arriving with cold air still caught in your coat. The citrus and assertive greenery bring an upbeat presence into the room; moss and leather give that brightness enough weight to feel warmly dressed rather than summery.
How to wear
Its warm moss-and-leather backdrop makes it a natural choice for cool autumn and winter weather. Start with one or two sprays on skin beneath clothing, letting body warmth soften the bold herbal opening. In warmer conditions, apply more lightly so the citrus and greenery remain balanced against the substantial base.
Who it’s for
For lovers of green chypres, pronounced aromatic herbs and earthy oakmoss who want brightness without sacrificing depth. The leather adds a darker contrast, while vanilla softens the composition without making sweetness its main attraction.
Release year
2022
The nose
Rosendo Mateu was a Spanish master perfumer whose long career at Puig preceded his own eponymous perfume house. His work combined technical precision with rounded, richly textured compositions, often exploring woods, spices, florals and warm amber accords. Northern Cardinal brings that approach to a bright green composition grounded in leather, oakmoss and vanilla.
Collaborators
Victor Wong shaped the fragrance’s creative direction with Rosendo Mateu. Their initial project explored an otter concept, but Wong saw a red-and-green character in one trial and redirected the brief toward a cardinal, drawing on woodland imagery and childhood Christmas cards.
Zoologist’s story
Toronto-based Zoologist translates animals, their habitats and their behaviour into distinctive olfactory portraits. Founder Victor Wong gives perfumers room to pursue beauty, playfulness and strangeness rather than treating easy wearability as the overriding goal. The house uses synthetic alternatives to animal-derived musks.
Northern Cardinal’s concept
Northern Cardinal grew from an abandoned Otter brief. A promising trial suggested red and green to Victor Wong, leading him toward the image of a cardinal among woodland berries and snowy branches. Childhood Christmas-card illustrations helped shape the concept, while the finished fragrance pairs vivid greenery with the warmth of leather and vanilla.
Extra info
Originally released as Cardinal, it later became Northern Cardinal; the brand explained that the name change did not alter the formula. Despite its leather and musk notes, the fragrance contains no animal-derived ingredients.
Northern Cardinal, formally Cardinal, is a big bold fragrance, loudly herbaceous with a sparkling citrus tone and a heavy backdrop of oakmoss which serves up a delicious earthy greeness. The vanilla brings warmth, the leather a dark intensity and the clary sage depth. It's like biting into something crisp and juicy while feeling the sun on your face. Cloak yourself in this warm, cheerful perfume, a spark of joy on a bleak winter day.
A winter afternoon spent visiting friends, arriving with cold air still caught in your coat. The citrus and assertive greenery bring an upbeat presence into the room; moss and leather give that brightness enough weight to feel warmly dressed rather than summery.
How to wear
Its warm moss-and-leather backdrop makes it a natural choice for cool autumn and winter weather. Start with one or two sprays on skin beneath clothing, letting body warmth soften the bold herbal opening. In warmer conditions, apply more lightly so the citrus and greenery remain balanced against the substantial base.
Who it’s for
For lovers of green chypres, pronounced aromatic herbs and earthy oakmoss who want brightness without sacrificing depth. The leather adds a darker contrast, while vanilla softens the composition without making sweetness its main attraction.
Release year
2022
The nose
Rosendo Mateu was a Spanish master perfumer whose long career at Puig preceded his own eponymous perfume house. His work combined technical precision with rounded, richly textured compositions, often exploring woods, spices, florals and warm amber accords. Northern Cardinal brings that approach to a bright green composition grounded in leather, oakmoss and vanilla.
Collaborators
Victor Wong shaped the fragrance’s creative direction with Rosendo Mateu. Their initial project explored an otter concept, but Wong saw a red-and-green character in one trial and redirected the brief toward a cardinal, drawing on woodland imagery and childhood Christmas cards.
Zoologist’s story
Toronto-based Zoologist translates animals, their habitats and their behaviour into distinctive olfactory portraits. Founder Victor Wong gives perfumers room to pursue beauty, playfulness and strangeness rather than treating easy wearability as the overriding goal. The house uses synthetic alternatives to animal-derived musks.
Northern Cardinal’s concept
Northern Cardinal grew from an abandoned Otter brief. A promising trial suggested red and green to Victor Wong, leading him toward the image of a cardinal among woodland berries and snowy branches. Childhood Christmas-card illustrations helped shape the concept, while the finished fragrance pairs vivid greenery with the warmth of leather and vanilla.
Extra info
Originally released as Cardinal, it later became Northern Cardinal; the brand explained that the name change did not alter the formula. Despite its leather and musk notes, the fragrance contains no animal-derived ingredients.
