They finally arrived — and I opened the box like a kid on Christmas morning who specifically asked for swagger. After much anticipation, this evening I received both new fragrances from the house of Elyon Dubai (Curly’s Fragrances), and even though I only planned a quick test, I ended up doing a full sniff-session like a sommelier with a grudge against subtlety. BLUF: I am thrilled with the blind buy — these two just earned a seat at the table next to my Tom Ford, Creed, and Xerjoff. Infinity smells like a luxury night drive in a leather interior — smooth woods, a soft touch of sweet fruit, and just enough rose to whisper, “Yes, this costs money.” It’s the fragrance equivalent of pulling up in a blacked-out car with ambient lighting, even if you’re really just going to Walgreens. Himeros (my favorite) is Infinity’s darker, mysterious cousin — the one with a motorcycle, excellent hair, and zero interest in returning phone calls. It’s smoky, leathery, sweet in the most dangerous way, and powerful enough that one spray feels like you’ve just entered a villain’s penthouse. Definitely not my usual “office-safe” choice, but tomorrow night it’s coming with me to the Cowboy Dance Hall. A cowboy with Middle Eastern flair? Boots, leather, oud energy? The fragrance is already doing more line-dancing than I am.

I think I've had this for about a year. It's time to finally check it out! Opening - I'm picking up spices, apparently black pepper, caraway and lavender, or at least that's the company line. The initial blast is sharp and spicy, driven by pepper and the lavender notes, which gives it a clean vibe. The mid is cinnamon. Cinnamon. It's warm and well blended. Nice... The base (my favorite) has tobacco, vanilla and amber. The frag settles into a combination of pipe tobacco, vanilla, and more amber. This is a (not too) sweet, smoky frag that has got some great spices and gives you a nice warm feeling that's perfect for a "chilly" night in the desert. I may end up blending it with something, but it's really quite good!! I wonder if all that time sitting on the shelf has helped it mature. For cooler evenings, this is a nice choice my friends. 8.1 / 10.0

At the end of a rough day, UPS showed up at my door about five minutes after I got home. Wish all deliveries were timed that well. My bottle of Austin showed up. Really like the presentation City Rhythm does.

I have Christmas dinner at the country club on Monday. My collection has wildly changed since last year's dinner. Last year I wore FW Suits, an excellent alternative to YSL Tuxedo. Looking for some ideas. Maybe I have it or something in that space. What say you? Some that I am thinking of - J'Adoube - Grand Master - Mentor - Oajan - Intense Cafe

If a Perfume House can only keep one fragrance, what should it be..