Ok so I went a little crazy again getting decants. I’m not even counting the dozen or so I got through decant trades (they don’t count, right?). I had said I wouldn’t blind buy more decants in January because I’ve had such a run of bad luck finding anything I would ever wear, but clearly I have a problem sticking to my resolutions. In fact, looking at the list, I clearly rebelled against my own resolution. For what it’s worth I’ve been doing ok this month finding things I don’t hate, and even found a bunch that are full bottle worthy! Decants / travel sizes on the way: - Superz Lake Balaton - Bulgari Man in Black Parfum - Amouage Material - Azzaro Forever Wanted Absolu - Coach Black EDP - Nikolai New York Intense - Creed Oud Zarian - Maison Margiela Never Ending Summer - House of Cosmo Polaris and Lunar Minerale - Hoping to get Legend Noir, Requiem and Boss Bastard at the ATH restock tomorrow - Umm and I got a full size bottle of Curly's Gentleman's Code, coming tomorrow Recent decant purchases: - YSL 6 Place Saint Sulpice: Good god yes, fbw for sure. This is basically a perfect scent for me - warm rich spicy with an ever so light hint of sweetness, a leather I actually enjoy, it just makes me feel warm and happy. The only drawback is it needs some heavy spraying to project, and even then doesn't last more than a few hours on my skin. I'll need to battle this vs. the Calcologne dupe coming soon but I think I need one of them to replace the bottle of Blonde Amber I'm selling (yep - BA isn't for me after all) - D&G Velvet Zafferano: Hellz yeah, fbw. Beautiful and elegant warm amber lightly saffrony spicy, projects softly for a few hours. The only drawback is it's a bit linear to me. I have this or D&G Velvet Incenso in my sights for a bottle - Dior Ambre Nuit Esprit: Oh yeah, fbw. Wonderful rich warm spicy amber. The only drawback is the big red gum cinnamon blast at the open and early mids, not sure I can get past that. - Rayhaan Aquatica: This might be fbw. Wow. Very nice lime creamy coconut soap vibes. I'm not usually a fan of coconut but here it isn’t overwhelming, it's like coconut milk not dried coconut or sunscreen coconut. Very nice. Projects for hours. Is this what VIW is like? - Moncler Sunrise: Almost fbw. Very nice blue. First minute has a vegetable smell but it dissipates. Aromatic softly citric, very pleasant, vaguely Blue de Chanel vibes. But like zero projection - 1/2 hr into it and I can’t smell it and neither can my son - Moncler Pour Homme: Almost fbw. Interesting woody aromatic, like a pile of freshly cut pine logs. But like zero projection. Almost worth getting at discounters just for that gimmicky bottle... - Loewe Esencia EDP: Almost fbw. Crisp mossy aromatic dry fougere, very enjoyable -- but it’s too close to Aventus and so is redundant in my collection - D&G pour homme: Almost fbw. Bright sparkly citrus open with some aromatic richness from sage and lavender and a hint of richness from a tobacco note. But I had to spray like 8 times to even smell anything, and it has a note that’s offputting (not sure yet what it is, maybe the choice of tobacco note) - Nishane Papilefiko: Almost fbw. Sparkly citrus open but instantly smooth warm aromatic and woody. Kind of like Blazing Mr Sam but without the body odor opening. Slight pencil shavings but that’s not a bad thing. But... it's not blowing me away.

A classci oriental fougere fragrance with original og dna but more boozy and dense liquorish and woody earthy dry down.

Is it me or did the font style change in the app? Didn’t feel like trying something new or standing out so went with a safe pick. Today i only sprayed on clothes to see if i can pick it up better or it develops differently as i never thought of trying that before with Y.

Gentlemen, moving on to the next and last full bottle I own from Hugo Boss "The Collection": Courageous Rose. For a lot of us, Rose is a "scary" note because we associate it with being too feminine or "old lady." But this is a dark, spicy, and woody Rose. Boss combined Rose Accord with a very creamy Sandalwood, and the result is something incredibly smooth. It’s the perfect "gateway" rose for guys who want to smell sophisticated without smelling like a flower shop. This is not bright or "jammy"; it’s dry and woody. The sandalwood in the base really tames the floral side, making it feel creamy rather than flowery. It’s sophisticated, slightly mysterious, and has a "red wine" type of depth to it. It feels like the kind of scent you wear with a leather jacket or a sharp blazer. How it stacks up? To give you a real idea of where this sits, here is how it compares to some of the heavyweights in the community and 3 of my favorites: • Vs. Radical Rose Extrait (Matiere Premiere): The "Extrait" version is a massive, dark, and brooding rose with heavy pepper and saffron—it’s a "beast mode" scent. Courageous Rose feels like a simplified, more wearable version of that same dark DNA. It gives you that high-end "red wine" vibe without the $400 price tag. • Vs. Zaharoff Signature Black Rose: Black Rose is a moody beast. The Boss version is much more approachable and "polite." If Black Rose is for a motorcycle and a long night, Courageous Rose is for a nice dinner and a glass of bourbon. • Vs. Moschino Toy Boy: Toy Boy is a "pepper-bomb"—loud and playful. The Boss bottle is the "grown-up" in the room: serious, elegant, and versatile. Performance & Occasion • Longevity: I’m getting a solid 7 to 8 hours. • Projection: It’s not a "room-filler," but it creates a very classy scent bubble that people will notice when they get close. This is an evening scent through and through. It works perfectly for a formal event or a night out at a high-end steakhouse here. If you’ve been intimidated by Rose before, this is the one to try.

Every few months I feel like I have added something new to my collection that would shake up whatever my previous Top 5 was. I tried searching Top 5 and got 53 pages of results, I didn't to post this if someone did something recent and after going through 20 pages I have up and said screw it. I don't have a lot of Designer, so I am gonna combine with Niche and then a separate Top 5 for clones. This is my Top 5 regardless of versatility, price or whatever, just pure love of the scent. Is your Top 5 always changing too? Designer/Niche - Xerjoff Monkey Special - City Rhythm St. John USV1 - Ming Games Mentor - Givenchy Gentleman Society - Le Male Elixir Clones - Dua Sea My Love - Lattafa Vintage Radio - Montagne Victory of Bacchus - Dua Smokey Cuba Tabac - Dua Cupbearer