I've been exploring castoreum fragrances this week and thought I'd share here for those that may be interested in this beavery magic. :) *What is castoreum?* Castoreum is a yellowish, oily, and pungent exudate produced in specialized pockets called castor sacs located near the base of a beaver’s tail in both male and female beavers. *What does it smell like?* - In its raw form, castoreum has a sharp, intense, aggressive, and somewhat unpleasant aroma with heavy notes of birch tar, leather, and musk. - Diluted and aged as a tincture for use in perfumery, it softens into a warm, rich, cozy, leathery, and animalic scent with subtle undertones of smoke, wood, tobacco, fruitiness, and a sweet quality reminiscent of vanilla or raspberries. *Harvesting Note:* Although castoreum can be harvested without harming the animal it is not generally done that way. Beavers are not hunted/farmed for castoreum, it is taken as a by-product as part of legal wildlife management. However, due to ethical concerns many perfume houses use synthetic castoreum. *Fragrances I wore this week and how the castoreum presents.* - Roja Danger PPH | Castoreum is subtle with a lightly animalic leathery note. - Meleg Canadian Gentleman | Castoreum is a bit dirty but not overly so. The overall composition is quite intimate so even being a bit dirty it is light - Caron Yatagan (80s vintage) | The funkiest of the bunch. Boldy animalic and a bit of a dirty leather vibe. - Angelo Fusco Aah | This fragrance is only available in Dr. Angelo Fusco's boutiques in Milan and Rome. A friend was kind enough to grab me a bottle. The best I can describe this is a niche version of Chanel Antaeus with brighter top notes and a richer dry down. Castoreum is present but very, very polished. I love this scent. - Bortnikoff Oud Monarch | Castoreum is pretty rich in this but fairly smooth. Anyone else enjoy castoreum in scents and have some to recommend?

Impassable Wilderness - FRAGRANCE NOTES GRAND FIR SCOTCH PINE RESURRECTION FERN RED CEDAR OAKMOSS PETRICHOR THE ANCIENT GROVE … They had me at Scotch Pine and Petrichor

The Vibe! What are you wearing? -I can se myself wearing: Babycat Royal Tobacco By the Fireplace

I've had a rough couple of months. It's just been one string of bad stuff after another. But despite that, I've had some really big wins and some bright spots that have shown through the clouds and made things better, even for a little bit. This board continues to be a source of light for me, and I really want to say thank you to @Raymond Reeves who surprised me with his unsolicited generosity. Thank you so much for the decants. I've been wearing Ottoman Amber every day since I opened the box, and I am definitely buying a bottle. It is the scent of my early adulthood, and it takes me right back to that place when i was in grad school, wearing a mixture of patchouli oil, frankincense, and myrrh that my then girlfriend had given me. I wore it on my wrists for years until it finally ran out. I still have the little bottle that I stored it in. It is the scent that my long time friends most associate with me, and I didn't realize how much I had missed it. But on that first spray, it was like coming home again for the first time in decades. My best friend told me yesterday that when she smelled it on me, she couldn't shake how much she associated it with the early days of our friendship. It is a scent that is so intertwined with my body chemistry that it may as well have been created specifically for me. I cannot thank you enough for this gift. I haven't even tried the others, yet, and there's a decant of Aqua di Gio Profumo in there that i am absolutely dying to wear. You have given me something that I didn't know I missed.

A fresh out of the box wearing of a newer Swiss Arabian scent, Shaghaf Amber Infusion. I didn't read the note list at first. I had a shower and sprayed it on without any real idea what to expect. At first I thought it was Drakkar Noir with a fruity top, but once it settled and my nose adjusted i got fruit / leather / amber / cardamom. This is a strong frag. Not as powerful as Shaghaf Oud, but its definitely potent. The apricot, apple and vanilla sweetness is a unique blend to me. I like it. Normally I don't like smokey scents but I enjoy the smokey aspects of the frankincense here. Its not blowing me away, but theres nothing wrong here either. Im giving it a 7/10 for a first wearing and i expect that i will like it more with time.