Well this wasn't planned, I swear. Last night I wore Iris Obsidian, trolling through posts and @George Hernandez wore Flamango, and I was thinking hmmm that sounds good. Might as well hit the trifecta.

this is a question i’ve seen bouncing around on different communities and reddit, so asking the og’s here that same question and hoping we can have a fun little exchange of ideas and discussion on this. by bottle design, this is a pretty big term, and everyone has individual preferences, so asking you guys, how important is it to you? if so, what kind of design and aesthetic do you prefer? do you prefer boldly artistic and statement making designs, like xerjoff, roja dove, or jpg? do you like a wide range of assortments ranging from colors to shape? or a more minimalist, uniform, simpler bottle design? like dior privee, le labo, replica, or tom ford private blend? or perhaps something in between? or do you guys just like a wide range? for me personally, i like minimalist, uniform designs that go well together, yet a slight influence of classical, artistic design that gives a quiet luxury vibe, with the artistic integrity being more scent-focused. it’s one of the reasons why i love tom ford private blend so much. other good examples of this are BDK, Dior Privee, YSL’s Private Line, Givenchy Gentleman Boisee and Reserve Privee, and replica and le labo, although those last two are a bit more minimalist leaning, they still look good in the collection, because the design fits within the spectrum. that being said, i do like a blend of some artisinal qualities in the design too, but this is less frequent in my collection habits, and more of a “crown jewel” piece in stuff i’m looking for. roja dove and creed are good examples of this. the main reason i go for this is because i like a very uniform yet diverse, aesthetic look in both my living spaces, clothing and of course, grooming habits. i pick body washes, hygienic products, and hair products that match under this umbrella too. i like a quiet luxury vibe, and more importantly, i like being able to see how coordinated everything is. i’m a little weird for that lol, you can think so, but that’s just me. i like diversity but also uniformity, like how you layer fragrances. they have different profiles, but they still need to work together and fit under a collection or spectrum.

I have printed and framed my vivid vision. I have also scheduled my three year review.

Today’s scent of the day is Roja Amber Aoud. As @Paul Bartnicki said about this one, I could taste this one! Logged my first spray at 12:18 PM. Right off the bat this is dense. It’s not giving me that bright citrus gym-fresh opening even though bergamot, lemon and lime are listed. I’m barely getting the citrus pop on skin. What I am getting is saffron and rose immediately. It almost smells gourmand — like an Indian dessert with rose water and saffron. Very rich. Very decadent. Projection feels solid but not loud. Definitely concentrated. 12:57 PM – 30 minutes in Still very much in that floral saffron space. Extremely well blended. Hard to pick apart individual notes. One thing I noticed — on clothes I can smell more of the citrus sharpness. On skin, the base notes are already taking over. My skin is eating the citrus. I might have undersprayed. 4:16 PM – 4 hours in Now it’s sitting closer. Sweet, creamy sandalwood and musk. Very elegant. Very smooth. This is skin-scent territory but still refined. Rejection isn’t strong at this point. 5:43 PM – Final Still getting that beautiful saffron floral sweetness. It’s rich but soft. Definitely not something you overspray. Extract concentration shows in the density early on, but it dries down classy and subtle. All in all, this is a luxurious scent. Complex. Dense. Refined. Not a loud projector, but very elegant.