EROS NAJIM by Versace

If there is one thing that we can all agree on, it’s that creating an enduring and beloved collection of fragrances is a goal that many companies have tried but few have actually accomplished. It’s an absolute skill to cement a DNA in every successive fragrance whilst, at the same time, adding new facets and unexpected directions to the latest release. One company that have achieved this more than once, and continue to fly sky-high in the ever-expanding perfume market, is Versace. With a legacy dating back to 1981, it’s time to discover the newest addition to their fragrance stable as we explore Eros Najim.

The name Versace is one that is instantly recognisable around the world, and is still held up as a beacon of fashion and style. While the clothing side of the company originally launched in 1978, it would be three years later that their first perfume would share the famous name. The self-titled Gianni Versace became a worldwide bestseller, definitely helped by the beautiful bottle designed by Alain de Mourges, but its success may also have contributed to a distinct lack of follow up fragrances during the 1980s. However, the world was set to be stunned again in 1994 with the launch of Jeans.

This was the first collection by Versace that would take a fragrance DNA and adapt, flex, mould and accentuate the incarnations that were to follow. Over a ten year period, because the perfume was riding high, there would be fourteen variations. Just like fashion, tastes changed in the 2000s, and there were equal hits and misses before the next Versace triumph arrived in 2012. Eros appeared on the shelves in its blue bottle and, because of the public demand, spearheaded a further six variations that took us from aromatic fougere to last year’s sparkling citrus. However, 2025 sees a golden amber edition join the collection.

Eros Najim started life as an exclusive fragrance for the Middle Eastern market, but it’s now happily available worldwide. It takes its inspiration from the desert, and is said to be “a tribute to golden horizons”. The word “najim” is actually Arabic for “star”, and you definitely see this luminosity as the light catches the textured surface of the bottle, but there is so much more to this perfume. Described as “sensual and grounded, glowing with intensity and warmth”, Eros Najim is a fantastic addition to the collection and perfectly complements what has gone before. So are you ready to head to the dunes?

The fragrance opens with vibrant bergamot and green cardamom, but the addition of pink pepper and lavender add an aromatic quality that hints at the promised desert heat. There’s a real expansive quality to the scent, which is added to by ceremonial incense, and a return of a tart mandarin nuance again references the sun’s heat. The development of the fragrance contrasts oud and caramel, with its burnt sugar quality, against an earthy vetiver, so images of warmed skin against tumbling sand come to mind. With a final hint of dry cedarwood and a chocolate-esque patchouli, Eros Najim is addictive, exciting, and seriously sensual.

Eros Najim is available from boots.com, priced at £95 for 50ml and £126 for 100ml. [Sample provided by Aspects Beauty]