Alexandria Fragrances Arabian Horse: The dupe that outdoes the original. And considering that the original is PDM’s Herod, that is saying A LOT, because I LOVE Herod. Herod, like many other great fragrances, has unfortunately dealt with some reformulations that have slightly altered the scent and hurt the longevity quite a bit. Arabian Horse is an Extrait de Parfum, so that’s already a big improvement, performance-wise. They are about 85%-90% similar. But Arabian Horse is denser, more ambery/resinous, and more tobacco-forward. This being my favorite tobacco note in any tobacco fragrance I’ve come across. It’s just sweet enough with a little smokiness while never smelling ashy or like a cigarette, or a night club. It has a nice, dark woodsy base that dries down into something that is absolutely to die for. (If you’re into these types of scents.) It’s warm, cozy, and comforting. I also have to mention that it is superbly blended! Herod is a bit more woody, a bit more spicy, a bit sweeter, and a bit lighter. The use of Iso E Super doesn’t help its longevity issues, as it seems to disappear before it actually does sometimes, due to anosmia. The modern formulation of Herod that I currently have, lasts about 4-5 hours (used to be an easy 8 hour or more fragrance!) Whereas Arabian Horse will get you a solid 8+ hours with solid projection and sillage for about half that time. The skin scent that lingers is an absolutely gorgeous amber, woody combo. I think it’s the slightly bolder use of amber/resinous notes in Arabian Horse that tips the scales in its favor for me, along with performance, of course. It also seems a bit richer, more opulent, and upscale than Herod. Honestly, fragrance houses should be wanting to make their own versions, or dupes of Arabian Horse. That’s how great it is.

A warm weather beast, GnTonic has a wonderful fizzy effervescence that really radiates in the heat. A beautiful blend of citrus, woods, and musk, it is effortlessly refreshing, timeless, classy, and masculine. Not particularly boozy, which I appreciate. Can be worn both casually and in more formal scenarios. More than worthy of being a signature scent or a daily driver. It is a rather unique fragrance, to my nose and I have never smelled anything else quite like it. It can also last a solid 6-8 hours, which is quite nice for a freshie! On a side note, I have a sample of ATH’s new fragrance Gin Sling on its way that should be here on Saturday. I don’t think they’re supposed to be very similar, but I am looking forward to comparing and contrasting the two scents, nonetheless! Happy Thursday, everybody!

Sunny day outside. Met people for lunch. Went heavy on sprays today but still not a lasting performer. Predominantly a skin scent so gotta overspray all the time.

A cool day here in Michigan today, so I reached for BdC L’Exclusif. This is my personal favorite BdC flanker, even though it’s not a versatile as the EDP or the Parfum. The added ambery, resinous notes create a depth, richness, and warmth that the others don’t really have. It is Bleu de Chanel’s DNA dressed to the nines; elegant and classy, yet it doesn’t need to be restricted to only “black-tie” occasions. It’s still just versatile enough to break out occasionally as a leisurely SOTD.

Hey, everybody. It’s been a LONG time!! Just wanted to pop in and say hey to all my old friends from the community that I used to chat with and welcome anybody that has joined during my absence. I also wanted to post a SOTD for old time’s sake! Anyway, my SOTD today was a relatively new favorite of mine: Blue Talisman by Ex Nihilo. I really enjoy how light and refreshing it is while being a bit different from your typical “blue” fragrance. It does have some feminine qualities to it, but is still masculine enough for me with the musk and slight woodsy notes. It can be really nice when layered with something slightly more woody or something with a light leather note. In fact, there is an inexpensive, but quality, “inspired by” dupe by Arabiyat Prestige called “Kohl Opulence” that takes the Blue Talisman DNA and adds a slight leather and amber facet to the composition. This adds a slightly darker, richer, more masculine character to the fragrance that is REALLY pleasant. Cheers, everybody! —Jordan