My apologies for being a bit quiet the last few days. The winter storm has put a damper on everything, and it's been a sad week One of the girls who goes to the same high school as my goddaughters went missing on Thursday. After an exhaustive two-day search, her body was found last night. The police reports and the family indicate that she took her own life and had been dealing with depression. She was the same age as my youngest goddaughter and had the same name, so it's kind of hitting close to home for me. I am a very open and honest person about my life. I made a decision when I began to improve that I would never turn away from talking about these issues. I have struggled with depression all of my life, and I have survived multiple attempts to end things. The very last time was the one that changed my life. I had been sober for a year, and my parents rewarded me by offering to pay for me to go on vacation. I was really struggling trying to understand my new reality and facing life without the self-medicating I had been doing. So I decided that I would go to San Diego Comic-Con, since it was a major bucket list item, and then I planned to make that my goodbye and end things there. My mom gave me a camera to take pictures. And while I was there, I ran around with that camera, taking pictures of my favorite artists, writers, performers, and (most importantly) hot cosplay girls. I decided, after talking to so many creative people, that I wanted to find that in myself. And I had a Copernican Revolution in the way that I viewed the world. I realized that I owed it to myself to find that creative spark within me. I came home, and I took my first camera class, and 23 years later, here I still am. I have a tattoo on my left wrist. I got it on the 10th anniversary of becoming a full-time photographer, and, coincidentally, the 20th anniversary of my sobriety. The semi-colon has become a symbol of survival. It reminds me that the sentence isn't over. There's a second thought that needs to be expressed, related to the first. The story continues. It's modified with an aperture - a symbol of the thing that saved me.

Changed up fits as my Mom needs me to do some work at her house, like a good son, slapping on my house work clothes and a liberal amount of this handsome frag! Bottle was kindly gifted by @Raul Olveda Thank you much brother!

Looking for some advice from the community! My birthday is coming up at the end of February. My 12-year-old is determined to buy me a birthday fragrance this year. It’s a huge gesture, so I’m looking for something that smells 'expensive' but keeps him under that $50 mark. I want to give him a few options that feel special but definitely won’t break his piggy bank. I’ve heard a lot of hype lately around Rayhaan and Maison Asrar being great values under $50. Does anyone have experience with those brands ( I do have Legacy on the way but have not tried it yet), or have other affordable 'bang-for-your-buck' recommendations I can put on his radar?"

Off to the Mystic Krewe of Chewbaccus tonight and in keeping with the theme, I’m channeling my inner lovable scoundrel. I went with Bronze Wood & Leather by Jo Malone London is a Leather fragrance for women and men. Top note is Grapefruit; middle notes are Smoke and Juniper; base notes are Leather and Vetiver.

Hot of the shelves, the newest 2026 release from one of my personal favourite lines and the first of two flanker releases in the SWY lineup. Powerfully is designed to be the "final boss" of the collection, taking the signature DNA and injecting it with a darker, fruitier, and more tenacious profile. I was pleasantly surprised to see it, and the female release Power with You was also available, the weekend manager was telling me how she liked to layer the two, maybe I'll try that in the future, but for now, let's see if this is worth the upgrade. There are some very bold statements regarding this release. Armani markets this as having 24-hour longevity,, so does it live up to these claims. While previous versions like Intensely focused on toffee and Absolutely focused on rum, Powerfully introduces a prominent Cherry Accord that shifts the vibe from sweet baked goods to darkly seductive. The opening explodes with a juicy, tart burst of Cherry and Mandarin. Unlike a medicinal cherry, this feels like a dark maraschino or a "cherry coke" vibe. It comes across as more playful than Absolutely. As the fragrance moves into the heart, that fruitiness settles to reveal the classic SWY Lavender and Sage, but they are wrapped in a new Spicy Accord, a combination of warm cinnamon and cardamom that keeps it from becoming too floral. As you get to the dry down it's easy to see where the Powerfully name comes from. They have used a duo of Smoked Chestnut and Sugared Chestnut, paired with Vanilla Bourbon. Resulting in a deep, woody, almost incenselike sweetness that feels heavier and more "mature" than the original EDT. Initially I thought they had taken the Parfum formula and laced it with a touch of cherry. But there is actually a lot more going on here, if you take the time to enjoy the complexities of this fragrance. Whilst I hate to slate Armani's marketing dept, a 24hr fragrance this is not. I can confirm that it's borderline 10hrs on my skin so far. Perhaps If it gets on your clothes, you might achieve the 24hrs mark. Projection wise just a few sprays will fill a room for the first few hours. It leaves a dense, sweet and smokey scent trail. This is good, dare I say a great addition to an amazing line, so how does it stack up against the others? Vs. Intensely: Powerfully is less "creamy/toffee" and more dark/fruity. It feels more complex and slightly less cloying in the heat. Vs. Absolutely: Absolutely is boozier (rum); Powerfully is smokier and sweeter (cherry/chestnut). Powerfully generally wins on raw projection. Vs. The Original (EDT): There is no contest—Powerfully is significantly denser, longer-lasting, and better suited for winter. This is a loud, unapologetic cold-weather fragrance.. ideal for those cold Winter nights, outdoor dates, clubbing, and cold late-autumn days. Word of warning, this is a beast so I would recommend starting with two sprays and gently find your sweet spot. I still regard Intensely as my favourite in the line, but this sure does give it a run for its money, Armani did well with this release and now I'm really looking forward to the Spice release.