Ex Nihilo — Chandigarh Express
Essence
Chandigarh Express is Ex Nihilo’s modern transparent leather: cardamom, mandarin and bergamot over leather, balsam fir, davana, florals, vetiver, benzoin, tonka and patchouli. It is polished and architectural rather than animalic, with the main debate centered on price and its closeness to Gael Montero’s Mosaique.
Scent Profile
The opening is bright but polarizing. Cardamom, mandarin and bergamot give a spicy-citrus lift, while davana brings an early fruity-boozy impression. Some wearers find this phase cold, clinical or almost aquatic before the leather settles in. The heart is the best case for the fragrance. Leather becomes smooth and transparent, more polished shoes than tar or smoke. Balsam fir adds resinous green structure, while jasmine and Mahonial keep the leather airy. The drydown is vetiver, benzoin, tonka and patchouli. It turns woody, powdery and softly resinous, with the leather becoming more gentlemanly and less sharp. The scent evolves clearly while keeping leather as the spine.
Performance
Projection is moderate and weather-dependent. Some wearers need generous spraying to make it noticeable, while others report good cold-weather performance. Longevity can last through the day for satisfied users, especially on clothing, but it is not a room-filling leather.
Wearing Context
Chandigarh Express is best in autumn, winter and cool spring evenings. It can work from office to evening for people who enjoy refined leather, though the boozy darker facet can make it more date-night than work on some skin. It is unisex but masculine-leaning in perception.
Comparisons & DNA
Mosaique by 27 87 is the essential comparison: also by Gael Montero, similar in structure, less expensive, and often treated as the value test. Tom Ford Ombre Leather is the better-known leather reference, but Chandigarh Express is more transparent, fruitier and more polished. Matiere Premiere Falcon Leather helps frame the woody-leather lane. Blue Talisman is a loose in-house cousin for modern polish, though Chandigarh is darker and leather-focused.
Reception
Reception is positive on craft and skeptical on value. Admirers praise the seamless blending, elegant transparent leather, cold-weather presence and beautiful tonka-woody drydown. Critics focus on the clinical opening, modest sillage and the fact that Mosaique covers very similar territory at a much lower price. The smart move is to sample both Chandigarh Express and Mosaique. Pay the Ex Nihilo premium only if the added resin, polish and presentation matter.
Versions & Reformulation
Chandigarh Express is a single 2024 Eau de Parfum with no known reformulation. There are no EDT, Parfum or Extrait versions. Ex Nihilo’s layering products are separate add-ons, not alternate concentrations.
Acquisition Notes
Expect luxury niche pricing in 50 ml and 100 ml formats, with samples and travel sizes available. Sampling is important because the scent is expensive and performance is debated. Buy through Ex Nihilo or authorized retailers; inspired oils are alternatives, not the original.
Notable Facts & Lore
- The fragrance is named for Chandigarh, the modernist Indian city.
- Chandigarh was designed by Le Corbusier with Pierre Jeanneret.
- The concept fits Ex Nihilo’s name by evoking a planned city rising from nothing.
- It belongs to the Babylone collection’s East-West theme.
- Its most-discussed lore is the link to Gael Montero’s cheaper, similar Mosaique.